UCLA interim head coach Tim Skipper celebrates after a Bruins touchdown against Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UCLA Interim Coach Tim Skipper Struggling To Find Indiana's Weaknesses

Originally posted on Indiana Hoosiers on SI
By Jack Ankony | Last updated Oct 20, 2025 5:46 PM ET

UCLA interim football coach Tim Skipper let out a deep exhale when asked about Indiana during his Monday press conference.

He went on to list a variety of reasons for Indiana's success, but the initial reaction spoke volumes. Although UCLA has won three straight games against Penn State, Michigan State and Maryland, an upset win over No. 2 Indiana at noon ET on Saturday in Bloomington will require the Bruins' best yet.

How Indiana has impressed UCLA coach Tim Skipper

Indiana moved up to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week after a 38-13 win over Michigan State and Miami's home loss to Louisville. For Skipper, it's a collection of several things that have made the Hoosiers dominant.

"I am still trying to identify weaknesses," Skipper said. "Like, it is crazy how disciplined they are. Coach Cignetti does a great job with those guys. They are very, very disciplined in all three phases. They're not giving up any explosive plays and they're having a ton of explosive plays. They tackle very, very well. And then their ball-handlers –– I'm not just talking running backs, I'm talking the receivers and quarterback –– they break a lot of tackles. They complement each phase of the game so well, it's not surprising that they're so good and their record is what they are and what they're ranked."

Indiana enters Saturday's game ranked fourth nationally in scoring at 43.9 points per game and seventh in yards per game with 497.3. The Hoosiers are led by quarterback Fernando Mendoza, whose 191.0 passer rating leads all starting quarterbacks.

Despite Mendoza's success, Skipper is also focused on Indiana's run game.

"Offensively for them, they're gonna try to control the clock and things like that," Skipper said. "They're not real tricky. They're gonna do what they do. They're gonna run the ball, and they have the most explosive runs in the Big Ten this year right now. So we're gonna have to tackle, we're gonna have to stop those guys."

Cignetti has also constructed a dominant defense that ranks fourth nationally with 11.6 points allowed per game and seventh with 248.7 yards allowed per game. Under defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, the group is led by a trio of 2024 first-team All-Americans in linebacker Aiden Fisher, cornerback D'Angelo Ponds and defensive end Mikail Kamara.

"Defensively for them, again, they're not tricky. They're gonna play their zones. They're gonna be four down [linemen]," Skipper said. "The thing they do more than anybody we've played this year is they're gonna give us simulated pressure. So we're gonna need to be ready for the simulated pressures, have a plan for that. It's still just four guys rushing, but who's the fourth rusher? That's what we're gonna have to identify and have a plan for."

"Then on special teams, they are very, very sound. They definitely practice that as a point of difference. I feel the same way about [special teams] as a point of difference, so it's gonna be a major, major challenge in that phase of the game."