Fernando Mendoza threw for three touchdowns Saturday and ran for a fourth as No. 2 Indiana walloped visiting UCLA 56-6 in Bloomington.
Mendoza shrugged off a slow start to complete 15 of 22 passes for 168 yards, along with an early interception, as the Hoosiers improved to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big Ten Conference. Roman Hemby added 81 yards and a pair of scores on 17 carries as Indiana rolled up 475 total yards, converting 12 of 16 third downs.
Nico Iamaleava struggled all game for the Bruins (3-5, 3-2), hitting only 13 of 27 passes for 113 yards and a pair of interceptions. He was under the gun from start to finish, absorbing three sacks as the Hoosiers brought steady pressure.
The demolition started almost as soon as the clock did. Iamaleava was sacked on the game’s first play and intercepted on the second one. Aiden Fisher lugged the pick 25 yards for a touchdown 57 seconds into the game.
Hemby made it 14-0 at the 4:02 mark, bursting for a yard on fourth-and-goal for an easy score as Indiana used an unbalanced line to the right. Mendoza upped the margin to 21-0 on a 1-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt with 12:30 left in the half.
Hemby’s second score, a 13-yard run, came with 8:44 remaining in the half. After UCLA got on the board via a 44-yard field goal from Mateen Bhaghani, Mendoza ran a classic two-minute drill, capping it with a 2-yard touchdown pass to E.J. Williams 13 seconds before the half for a 35-3 cushion.
Mendoza scrambled 20 yards for a score at the 9:15 mark of the third quarter, then increased the advantage to 49-3 by flinging a 62-yard bomb to Williams with 4:13 left in the period.
Bhaghani added a 30-yard field goal with 23 seconds remaining in the quarter before backup quarterback Alberto Mendoza tacked on a 4-yard touchdown run for the Hoosiers with 11:11 left in the game.
