Greg McElroy picks Indiana to win, cover vs. UCLA

Following No. 2 Indiana‘s stellar 7-0 start to the season and UCLA‘s sudden resurgence under interim head coach Tim Skipper and interim offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel, this Saturday’s matchup between the Hoosiers and Bruins has become extremely compelling.

Many believed that Curt Cignetti‘s program would be a one-year wonder last season, but they’ve bounced back even strong in his second year running the program. Indiana is 7-0 with two victories over top-10 teams (No. 3 Oregon and No. 9 Illinois), including a dominant 63-10 win over the Fighting Illini.

UCLA meanwhile opened the season 0-4 under head coach DeShaun Foster, leading to his dismissal. Under completely new leadership, the Bruins have rattled off three consecutive wins over Big Ten opponents (No. 7 Penn State, Michigan State and Maryland). After averaging just 14.25 points per game through their first four games, they’ve averaged 33.3 points per game across their three-game winning streak.

McElroy picks Indiana to win and cover against UCLA

Ahead of the matchup, ESPN‘s Greg McElroy has made his prediction on the latest edition of ‘Always College Football‘. McElroy applauded the recent play of UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava, but is not confident in their ability to keep up with the high-powered Indiana offense.

“(Nico Iamaleava) has dual-threat capabilities,” McElroy said. “We’ve seen the 360 rushing yards that he’s accumulated this year. He is the engine and the straw that stirs the drink. His ability is essential against a defense that wants to be disruptive and super aggressive. They’re gonna have to hope that Indiana is overly aggressive and he can take off. However, I don’t see it happening because I think Indiana is a well-oiled machine. I’ll take them and I’ll also take the points (-25.5). It’s a big number there in Bloomington.”

Indiana dominated last year’s matchup in Pasadena

The matchup will feature strong quarterback play on both sides, as Iamaleava and Indiana‘s Fernando Mendoza have been performing well for their respective teams. Over UCLA‘s three-game winning streak, Iamaleava has completed 65% of his passes for 567 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s also rushed for 156 yards and three more scores. Mendoza has been consistent across the entire season, as he’s passed for 1,755 yards, 21 touchdowns (T-most in NCAA) and just two interceptions.

Saturday’s game will mark the second ever meeting between the two programs. College Football Playoff bound Indiana dominated UCLA 42-13 in Pasadena. Kick-off for this Saturday’s matchup is scheduled for 12:00 PM ET. The game can be seen on FOX.

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