"UCLA so bad the refs are stepping in to help them make tackles": CFB fans perplexed by Bruins' wild moment with referee during Week 9 game vs Indiana

UCLA’s winning streak under the leadership of interim coach Tim Skipper came to an end on Saturday as they suffered a blowout loss to undefeated Indiana. The Bruins won their last three games after a 0-4 start to the season, but fell 56-6 to the Hoosiers in Bloomington.

One of the bizarre moments in the Week 8 Big Noon Kickoff game involved a referee interfering in an Indiana offensive play. During the game, quarterback Fernando Mendoza tried to find tight end Riley Nowakowski with a pass, but the outcome was nothing short of strange.

The Hoosiers were deep in their half before Mendoza made the pass to Nowakowski. However, while making the reception in the air, the tight end was toppled by the back judge, who was badly positioned. Despite making a bad fall after the catch, Nowakowski didn't fumble the ball.

The play, however, sparked a lot of discussion. While a section of the fans hit out at the official for his bad positioning, others are trolling UCLA, who struggled to contain the Indiana offense for most of the encounter, for needing the referee on its defense.

Here's a look at some of the reactions online:

UCLA coach anticipated a tough game against Indiana

The Week 9 game was a tough one for Tim Skipper and his team, especially after the momentum they've built since he took over. However, the coach anticipated something like that, making his expectations known ahead of the game in his media availability on Monday.

“It's crazy how disciplined they are,” Skipper said. “Coach Cignetti does a great job with those guys. They're very, very disciplined in all three phases. “They're not giving up explosive plays. They're having a ton of explosive plays. They tackled 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.”

UCLA will look to bounce back next week when it faces Nebraska. The Bruins seem to have found redemption following an impressive three straight wins, including an upset against the then-top 10 Penn State. However, the high-flying Hoosiers were able to make their weaknesses evident on Saturday.

Edited by Farouk Yusuf