Since taking over for fired coach DeShaun Foster, UCLA interim coach Tim Skipper has gone 3-1 and transformed the once lowly Bruins to a respectable team in the Big Ten. UCLA is now 3-4 after an 0-4 start, but its biggest test of the year awaits as it heads on the road to face No. 2 Indiana.

Indiana (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) has gone unbeaten at home and against unranked teams in Curt Cignetti’s two seasons as coach, but the Bruins could be the most dangerous team left on the Hoosiers’ schedule.

Ahead of the matchup, here’s all Skipper had to say about the Hoosiers.

On if UCLA’s Upset vs. Penn State Will Help Against Indiana

“I don't really think anything from the past is going to do anything for this game. I'm one of those people that thinks every single game has its own history, its own identity. So, we're going to have to go out there, we're going to have to play Bruin football and we're going to have to win the situations.”

On Facing the No. 2 Team in the Country

“We're one of those teams that the next game is always the biggest game. So this Indiana game is the next game, so this is a big game for us. We're going to have a good week of practice. We're going to have to figure out exactly what we need to do to give us the best chance to win and attack that from our mindset and our work ethic as far as how we attack the week. 

“We're going to go to a hostile environment, we're going to play in front of a national TV audience, it's going to be early in the morning. All those things are there, but really, what it comes down to is what are we going to do between the white lines when it kicks off? And that's where our focus is right now.”

On What Makes Indiana So Good

“It is crazy how disciplined they are. Coach Signetti does a great job with those guys. They are very, very disciplined in all three phases. They're not giving up any explosive plays, 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 receivers and the 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 the record is what they are and what they are ranked.”