Foster Farms Bowl (Indiana vs. Utah) Game Day Primer
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Written By T.J. Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)
Foster Farms Bowl Primer
What: Utah Utes vs. Indiana Hoosiers
When: Wednesday, December 28 at 8:30
Where: Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California
How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on FOX. You can also listen to the game on the IU Radio Network with the legendary Don Fischer on the call.
What’s at Stake: This is Tom Allen’s first game as the head coach at Indiana University and the Hoosiers are looking for their first bowl victory since 1991 (the Hoosiers won the Copper Bowl and finished 7-4-1). A victory would also give IU its first winning season since they finished 7-6 in 2007. Utah has a remarkable 9-1 record in bowl games under head coach Kyle Whittingham and a win would give the Utes their fourth straight bowl victory and a third straight year with at least nine wins.
A Few Things to Look For
“Who Wants it More?”
I often think clichés like “they wanted it more” and “they didn’t come to play” are media talking points that get overhyped to explain an unexpected result. However, things like motivation and effort and “wanting it” are definitely a large part of bowl games and the motivation for both of those teams is difficult to figure. Utah is playing in their third straight mid/lower-tier bowl game and they are just three short weeks removed from having a legitimate chance at a PAC-12 South title and a spot in the Rose Bowl. Utah’s four losses were by a combined 19 points and two of their defeats came at the hands of top ten teams. In short, landing in the Foster Farms Bowl will be viewed as a bit of letdown for them. Head coach Kyle Whittingham is 9-1 in bowl games with the Utes so he’s figured out how to have his team properly motivated before but there’s reason to wonder whether or not they’ll be real excited to play a middling Big Ten team when they had visions for so much more less than one month ago. The Hoosiers are going to their second straight bowl game for first time since 1990-1991 but they are entering this bowl game dealing with things no one expected to be dealing with. Former head coach Kevin Wilson resigned in the days before the bowl announcement amidst concerns over player mistreatment and “philosophical differences” with Fred Glass regarding leadership style. Tom Allen has been promoted to the role of head coach and this is his first game in charge of the program. While he won’t be able to implement many changes in this condensed time period and he has elected to keep the staff intact through the bowl game (although a couple of roles have been juggled and shuffled around), it will be interesting to see how the Hoosier players respond to this test. I have the utmost confidence that IU will play very hard for Tom Allen in the future but what we see on Wednesday night in Santa Clara is an unknown.
Ferocious Front Presents Stern Test
The most pressing task when preparing for Utah is figuring out how to slow down and contain the Utes impressive defensive front. Utah is 8th in the country in sacks with 40 (Florida State has 47 to lead the nation) and Hunter Dimick is only one half sack behind the national lead for individuals. Indiana’s offensive line has been solid but they have allowed 2.2 sacks per game and they’ve struggled to establish the running game against defenses with a pulse. IU should have Brandon Knight and Coy Cronk back in the lineup after both missed the Purdue game but there’s no question the IU offensive line will need to improve some and play their best ball of the season if the Hoosiers want to give Richard Lagow enough to time to operate in the pocket. Hunter Dimick is the leader but Pita Taumopenu has 7 sacks, Filipo Mokofisi has 4 and Lowell Lotulelei has 3.5. Utah’s line stacks up comparably with units like Michigan’s and Ohio State’s so the Hoosiers will have their hands full.
Elite Special Teams
Utah’s football program has placed a heavy emphasis on special teams for at least the past decade and they are quickly becoming one of the most consistently elite special teams programs in the country. For the third straight year, a Utah punter won the Ray Guy Award and they excel at winning the field position battle. Mitch Wishnowsky is their elite punter and place kicker Andy Phillips is one of the nation’s best. The Utes typically make opponents start in poor field position and their stout defense and good return units help give the Utah offense a short field to work with. IU will need to be very careful to not get exploited too badly in a lopsided matchup of special teams units and Utah’s ST success is something the IU program would be wise to try and emulate in the future.
Forcing Them to Throw
Utah runs a pro-style offense that relies on their running game to pound the ball and churn out yards. Joe Williams is definitely the bell-cow back and he’ll likely get 25-30 carries. He’s averaging 6.4 yards per carry but IU’s defense has done a good job with other top running backs this season and they’ll look to those games as reasons to think they can slow Williams down. Freshman Zack Moss might get a few carries, wide receiver Cory Butler-Byrd is used as an occasional back and quarterback Troy Williams will run some if forced to but the show will largely be Joe Williams’ to carry. The goal for IU’s defense should be to limit his success and force Utah into third and medium or third and long situations. Quarterback Troy Williams isn’t efficient and, while he is capable of having nice games, he’ll miss some throws and the passing game is definitely the offense’s weakness.
Hoosier Huddle will have comprehensive coverage of the Foster Farms Bowl including post game articles, a post game podcast, interviews with coaches and players and recaps of the entire season so make sure to check back often!