Game Day Primer: Indiana Hoosiers vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

What: Indiana Hoosiers (2-7) vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-5)

When: Saturday, November 13 at Noon on BTN

Where: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN

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

Series History: Indiana and Rutgers never played before the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten. The two sides first met in 2014 and Rutgers won the 2014 and 2015 meetings while IU has won the other five games in the series.

What’s at Stake: Indiana is winless in Big Ten play and Rutgers is the best remaining chance to remove the goose egg from their conference record. The Hoosiers and Scarlet Knights face off in what appears to be the battle to avoid the Big Ten’s cellar. Rutgers is coming off of an embarrassing 52-3 beatdown at the hands of Wisconsin and they’ll be looking to bounce back and show they are still progressing under Greg Schiano.

A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1.    Who Starts at QB and Does it Matter?

Michael Penix and Jack Tuttle have both reportedly participated in practice during the week and could be available to play against Rutgers. Donaven McCulley has started the past two contests but if he plays on Saturday, he will surpass the four-game tally and will not be able to redshirt the season. If one of the upperclassmen is healthy and available to start, it seems likely they’ll get the nod over McCulley as the coaching staff would like to redshirt the true freshman if possible. The question surrounding the quarterback position at this point is, does it matter? The IU offense has struggled with each of the three players leading it and the issue clearly goes beyond the person throwing the passes. Rutgers is not as strong of a defense as Ohio State or Iowa or Penn State but it is not a pushover unit and points will likely be hard to come by no matter who is at quarterback on Saturday.

2.    Searching for a Weapon

The quarterback play has been subpar, that much is accurate. Quarterback play is far from the only thing plaguing the Indiana offense. The offensive line has been roundly pilloried for its play this campaign but the performance from the wide receiver group has been equally disconcerting. In Big Ten games, IU is averaging seven receptions per game from their wideouts. Take out a decent day (15) against Michigan State and the numbers get nearly unbelievable. A group with as much talent, at least according to recruiting services, as IU’s wide receivers to be so ineffective has been mystifying. Ty Fryfogle has had a particularly disappointing season coming off of his All-America 2020. An offensive weapon outside of Peyton Hendershot has to step up on Saturday or IU will find itself alone in the basement of the league.

3.    Does the Defense Have Anything Left?

IU’s defense has had to attempt to carry the entire team for the majority of this season and that wear and tear has really begun to show. IU has been hit for big plays through the air and on the ground and the injuries have continued to mount. Tiawan Mullen and Reese Taylor have been questionable during the week and then ruled out for the game for weeks now and it seems unlikely that either will play again this season. Jaren Handy is going to miss the Rutgers game as well as the injury bug has now spread to the defensive line. The Scarlet Knights are limited on offense and they have turned the ball over way too much to be successful. Isiah Pacheco is the main weapon for this team on the ground with Bo Melton being the best receiver. Neither are game-changers and the Hoosiers should be able to hold this offense in check and give themselves a chance to be victorious. Forcing a couple of takeaways and giving their struggling offense good field position, something they’ve not done much of this season, would be a major plus in what figures to be a low-scoring affair.