Foster Farms Bowl Matchup to Watch: Indiana's Offensive Line vs. Utah's Defensive Line

Written By Alex Compton 

After a mildly successful season, Indiana heads to the postseason again looking for that elusive bowl victory. Knocking off a solid program and ranked team in the Utah Utes will certainly be a challenge, but won’t be impossible based on IU’s play against top competition this season. There are tons of storylines and players to watch on Wednesday, but I’ll give you one matchup that will likely decide which team will head in to next season on a winning streak. 

Indiana Offensive Line vs. Utah Defensive Line

For nearly every team in America, having a solid day on offense is centered on two things.  A good offense has balance, and a good offense limits mistakes and turnovers. These things are no different for Indiana, although the Hoosiers have to approach this game differently if they want to achieve some sort of healthy balance in play calling. The strength of Utah’s entire team is their defensive line, so keeping that unit in check will be huge for Indiana. In order to have some balance between run and pass on the 28th, Indiana will need to establish the pass early on in the game. While most teams will look to establish the run first to open up the pass, this game requires a different strategy since the D-Line really is one of the nation’s best. 

Led up front by Hunter Dimick, the defensive front for Utah is as physical as any in the entire country.  Size, speed, and strength ooze from every player on the line, and their ability to rotate fresh bodies in without losing production makes them really special. The aforementioned Hunter Dimick is one of the best pass rushers in college football, totaling 14.5 sacks on the year. This total is good for second in the nation, and puts him behind only Harold Landry of Boston College, and Demarcus Walker of Florida State, who have 15 each. The Utes as a team come in to the bowl game sitting at #6 in the nation with 40 total sacks, placing them behind just Florida State, Michigan, Clemson, Alabama, and Texas. Elite programs and elite teams have dominant defensive lines, and Utah’s certainly falls in to this category. Their line also excels at stopping the run, as they give up a mere 129.7 yards per game, putting them at #25 in the country. All things considered, this line and Michigan’s will be the best Indiana has faced all season. Keeping them in check should be IU’s top priority as the conclusion of bowl prep draws near. 

So what can be done to keep Utah’s D-Line out of the backfield the whole game? Like I alluded to earlier, Indiana may actually turn to the pass early in this game to try and establish that first before moving to the run game. Devine Redding has struggled against these types of fronts all season long, so keeping extra defenders focused on the pass should give him a better shot at making an impact. Look for IU to give Richard Lagow some easy rhythm throws out of the gate to get him settled in, and then the playbook should really open up. If Lagow and the Hoosiers can have any sort of success with stretching the Utes out vertically with the pass, running the ball and protecting the QB against this front becomes that much easier. If IU fails to establish the passing game early on however, it could be a long (but sunny) day out in California. 

I would also like to pause and thank all of the readers that have followed our coverage this season. Whether you are a long-time fan or just found the site, we are committed to creating free, quality content because of the enjoyment you all get out of it. While we can’t affect the play on the field out in Santa Clara, all of us here at Hoosier Huddle will be rooting for our Hoosiers right alongside you all on the 28th!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year,

The staff at Hoosier Huddle