Game Day Primer: Indiana Hoosiers at Western Kentucky

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

What: Indiana Hoosiers (1-2) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (1-1)

When: Saturday, September 25 at 8 pm

Where: Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky

How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and can be heard on the IU Radio Network.

Series History: The Hoosiers and Hilltoppers have met three times previously with the series beginning in 2008. IU won that matchup 31-13 and then won in 2010 by a score of 38-21. 2015 was a wild matchup as the Kevin Wilson led Hoosiers notched a narrow victory over Jeff Brohm’s Hilltoppers, 38-35 in Bloomington.

What’s at Stake: Indiana’s schedule is brutally difficult. Five of the first seven opponents are in the current top 25 poll with Idaho and Western Kentucky being the only exceptions. While Idaho can accurately be described as a breather, playing at Western Kentucky will be no such thing. The Hilltoppers are a very real threat to Indiana but this is a game that IU simply has to win if they want to go bowling again this season. Western Kentucky is coming off of an off week and looking to rebound from a close loss at Army before entering C-USA play.

A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1.    Containing the Air Raid

In 2020, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers scored 19 points per game. They were bad on offense and only averaged 4.6 yards per play. Head coach Tyson Helton knew a change was needed so he turned to Houston Baptist for a solution. He brought in offensive coordinator Zach Kittley along with quarterback Bailey Zappe and a few receivers to implement the Air Raid offense and try and turn things around in Bowling Green. Through two games, the change has been a rousing success. The Hilltoppers are averaging 47 points per game with an average of 8.87 yards per play. Zappe is currently leading the nation’s number one rated passing offense and imported wideout Jerreth Sterns has scored four touchdowns on an average of 17.38 yards per catch. IU’s secondary has a tall task on Saturday and they’ll need help from their defensive front. The Hoosiers need to get pressure on Zappe and they need to do it quickly. Throwing off the timing and rhythm of this offense is critical as they will go at warp speed on any completed pass. Western Kentucky uses tunnel screens and bubble screens as their running game so tackling on the edge in space is critical. Western Kentucky is going to score points, getting a few stops and forcing a few takeaways is the goal for the IU defense.

2.    IU’s Offense Must “Get Right”

There were visible improvements to the IU offense in week three against Cincinnati. Play calling was a little more creative, there were a few very nice drives and Peyton Hendershot was more involved. These were baby steps but there were a whole lot of very concerning things as well. IU failed miserably in the red zone, turned the ball over four times, were still too predictable on first down and Michael Penix was 17 for 40 with a trio of interceptions. Western Kentucky’s defense, at least through two games, has not been good. They are giving up 5.35 yards per carry and 29.5 points per game. One of the best ways to stop WKU on offense is to keep the ball away from Zappe and company. IU’s offensive line has to dominate this contest and Michael Penix absolutely has to find his rhythm. That means improving his decision-making to cut down on the interceptions he is throwing and it means cashing in on trips to the red zone. The IU offense cannot expect the defense to hold WKU to a low point total on Saturday. They will need to do their part and if Penix is struggling early, the coaches will need to decide if it’s time to give Jack Tuttle a shot at leading this attack.

3.    Responding to Criticism

Let’s be honest about this: the past 12-18 months have been pretty darn good for IU football. Recruiting is going well, Tom Allen won a lot of awards and acclaim for the success his squad had in 2020 and fans have been understandably optimistic and happy about the program. After a 1-2 start, for the first time in a while, this program and team is facing criticism and a whole lot of skepticism. While the players and coaches will always say they do not pay any attention to outside noise and that those things have no impact on them, we know that’s not 100% true. Being affected in someway by what others are saying is human nature. There is real on-field adversity for the offense and it will be fascinating to see how players and coaches respond on Saturday night. Ty Fryfogle has had a poor season so far and is coming off of a game with several drops. Michael Penix has understandably struggled to find his previous form after another debilitating injury. Nick Sheridan has come under fire for his play calling. The offensive line has consistently been criticized and needs to step up against a vulnerable defensive front. There’s no time for this group to sulk and lick their wounds from the 1-2 start, they need a big game and they need it on Saturday night.

Names to Know and Injury Notes

Indiana is welcoming Devonte “Monster” Matthews back from a scary looking “stinger” injury that he suffered during the Iowa game. He should pair with Raheem Layne to form the starting safety duo. Micah McFadden will also be back after missing the end of the first half and the entire second half due to a targeting ejection. Michael Penix suffered some sort of hand and elbow ailment during the Cincinnati game but the X-Rays came back negative and he has been declared the starter for this game. Stephen Carr also was banged up during that game but he is 100% for the contest in Bowling Green.