Pasadena, Calif.– Saturday night was set up to be a defining moment for UCLA, marking their inaugural game in the Big Ten, broadcasted nationally from the iconic Rose Bowl. However, it was Kurtis Rourke and Indiana who stole the spotlight.
Rourke threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns as the Hoosiers raced to a 14-0 lead by the middle of the first quarter, cruising to a 42-13 victory and spoiling UCLA’s Big Ten debut.
“This win will definitely get some attention,” said Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, who became the first Hoosiers coach to start his tenure with three consecutive victories since Bill Lynch in 2007. “We came in wanting to play tough, physical football, and we did.”
The 29-point margin marked Indiana’s largest Big Ten victory since their 34-3 win over Northwestern in 2019.
For UCLA, it was a rough home opener, their worst since being blanked 35-0 by Stanford in 2010, adding insult to the historic significance of the game.
“This hurts. I’m a Bruin through and through. I don’t like to get emotional, but this stings,” said UCLA’s first-year coach DeShaun Foster. “It’s unacceptable, and we will fix it.”
Rourke completed 25 of 33 passes, including a perfect 9 of 9 for 128 yards on third downs. It was his 10th career 300-yard game, with the first nine coming during his time at Ohio University, where he was the 2022 Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
“We’ve had flashes since spring ball that we could be a good team,” said Rourke. “We’ve got the pieces to compete, and it feels great to show everyone that we’re a serious contender.”
After barely escaping Hawaii with a 16-13 win on August 31, UCLA (1-1, 0-1) again found themselves in a deep hole early, but this time, they couldn’t climb out.
Indiana (3-0, 1-0) scored on their first possession for the second straight game, with Miles Cross catching a 2-yard touchdown to cap a 75-yard, 12-play drive. Moments later, UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers fumbled, giving Indiana the ball at the Bruins’ 17-yard line.
“It’s simple. We didn’t execute offensively the way we wanted, and we had too many self-inflicted mistakes,” said Garbers, who finished 14 of 23 for 137 yards with a fumble and an interception.
Two of Rourke’s touchdown passes were caught by senior transfer Ke’Shawn Williams. Williams, formerly of Wake Forest, hauled in a 14-yard flare route to give Indiana a 14-0 lead, then added a 2-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter to extend the lead to 28-10.
Miles Cross contributed six catches for 90 yards, including a stunning one-handed grab for 33 yards while tightly covered by UCLA’s Devin Kirkwood in the second quarter. On the following play, Justice Ellison powered in from 1 yard out, giving Indiana a commanding 21-0 lead.
UCLA’s only touchdown came late in the second quarter when T.J. Harden ran in from a yard out, cutting the deficit to 21-7 at halftime.
Mateen Bhaghani added a pair of field goals for the Bruins, but Rourke struck again with his fourth touchdown pass, a 23-yard strike to Omar Cooper Jr. Elijah Greene closed out the scoring with a 14-yard touchdown run for Indiana.
Up Next:
– Indiana: Hosts Charlotte next Saturday.
– UCLA: Travels to face 16th-ranked LSU next Saturday.
