IU starting defensive lineman Kellan Wyatt could be out for the season after injuring a knee during the second half of the Michigan State game, coach Curt Cignetti said Monday.
“Wyatt suffered a knee injury pass rushing and was engaged with the offensive tackle, got his leg extended, came down a little funny,” Cignetti said.“Right now, it looks like a long-term injury, and I'm not sure if we'll see him the rest of season.”
Wyatt, a senior who transferred from Maryland after last season, has 27 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He had 1.5 sacks during the Hoosiers’ victory at Oregon.
Without Wyatt, the defense will rely more on senior Stephen Daley, who was the defensive player of the game last week for IU.
“[Daley]'s a guy I really wish we had a couple years with because he's a tremendous athlete, and once he learned the defense, he really made fast progress,” Cignetti said. “He has size, strength, speed, suddenness, he plays hard. He’ll take on even more of a role now.”
The Hoosiers face UCLA on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The Bruins (3-4 overall, 3-1 in the conference) have won three in a row after losing their first four games and firing coach DeShaun Foster.
Cignetti said he’s telling his players that they are facing a 3-0 team.
“UCLA, we're playing a 3-0 football team that's undefeated, 3-0 in conference since they have retooled their staff,” Cignetti said. “Now they have their new defensive coordinator and offensive staff in place, very impressive football team.”
UCLA is led by interim coach Tim Skipper and starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who has come alive under new offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel.
It will be the second game since Cignetti received a new contract, with an average annual salary of $11.6 million through 2033.
Cignetti said athletic director Scott Dolson “just walked in my office. Normally he comes in every Thursday and we chat about the game. He popped in right before the player meetings on either Tuesday or Wednesday, I can't remember. I was watching tape. I was really consumed with prep.
“He popped in for about a minute and a half and said, ‘This is kind of what we'd like to do. Okay if we call your representative?’ I said sure, it would be great. Within 48 hours, 36 hours, it was done.”
