Hoosier Huddle's Game Day Primer: Indiana Hoosiers vs. Western Illinois Leathernecks

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Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

What: Indiana Hoosiers (1-0) vs. Western Illinois Leathernecks (0-1)

When: Friday, September 6 at 7:00 pm EST

Where: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN

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

Pregame Festivities:

Pub Pregame Party at Upstairs Pub pres. by Jagermeister

  • Doors Open at Noon (T-Shurts drop at 3pm)

  • $1 Hot Dogs and $1 Cheeseburgers starting at 3pm

  • Uplands Gameday Lager just $4 for every IUFB game this year

  • New state of the art room (fully functioning ticker, (5) 100" HDTVs, the old IU scoreboard from  Assembly Hall

Series History: The Indiana Hoosiers and the Western Illinois Leathernecks will be meeting for the first time in program history. IU is 17-1 all-time against FCS opponents and the Hoosiers have won 14 straight games against FCS opposition.

What’s at Stake: The Indiana Hoosiers setup their non-conference schedule with the clear objective of going 3-0 and getting halfway to bowl eligibility. IU took care of business with a comfortable victory over Florida International and Charlotte comes to town in a few weeks but the Western Illinois Leathernecks come calling on Friday night. The Hoosiers cannot afford to lose this game. Curt Cignetti will likely be able to rotate several players in and IU should have a goal of having the competitive portion of this contest over by halftime.

A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Can the Hoosiers Continue to Run the Ball Effectively?

One of the most encouraging parts of IU’s victory over Florida International was the interchangeable success of the running backs. The Hoosiers ran the ball very well with Tyson Lawton carrying the ball 16 times for 75 yards with two touchdowns, Justice Ellison running it ten times for 68 yards and Elijah Green finishing with five carries for 82 yards including an explosive 51-yard touchdown run to close the scoring. Kaelon Black will play a vital role and he was mainly rested with a tight hamstring. In total, it was 234 rushing yards and 5.9 yards per carry and it was refreshing to see an offensive line open up holes and a group of running backs that were ready to quickly hit the hole and pick up solid yards. Northern Illinois had all kinds of success running it against Western Illinois in week one and the Hoosiers should be able to do the same. What will IU’s running back rotation look like and will Indiana continue to run it well as they head to UCLA for a critical week three clash?

2. How Does the Passing Game Look?

Indiana’s run-blocking against Florida International was outstanding but the pass-blocking, particularly on the right side of the line, left a bit to be desired. Carter Smith graded out as one of the best tackles in the country (according to Pro Football Focus) in week one but Kurtis Rourke was under some pressure and IU surrendered a pair of sacks to the Golden Panthers. In addition, the Hoosiers missed on a few opportunities for big plays in the passing game and only ended up throwing for 180 yards on 15 completions. Offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan likely won’t be ultra-aggressive against Western Illinois but it would be nice to see a bit more explosion from the passing attack and to see IU’s wide receivers get some big plays. That includes Elijah Sarratt (only 2 catches for 12 yards) and possibly Donaven McCulley if he is cleared to play after leaving the week one contest. Curt Cignetti said the pass-blocking issues were “correctable” and he did not seem overly concerned about anything Bob Bostad’s group did. Western Illinois has a defensive front the Hoosiers should be able to push around and it will be interesting to see if the passing game can build some confidence heading to UCLA. 

3.Positive Momentum On Defense

By nearly any measure, Bryant Haines’ defense was outstanding in week one against Florida International. The Golden Panthers had one good drive towards the end of the first half but they only scored seven points and were limited to 182 yards of offense. That included just 3.1 yards per play and only 1.8 yards per rush as the Hoosiers dominated the FIU offensive line. IU racked up four sacks and were consistently in the backfield harassing quarterback Keyone Jenkins. FIU was only 1-4 on fourth-downs and Amare Ferrell had an interception. The tackling was good, particularly for week one, and the Hoosiers were able to rotate a lot of bodies in during the second-half to get players experience and keep guys fresh. Linebacker Aiden Fisher led the way with 12 tackles including two tackles for loss and one sack while Marcus Burris, Lanell Carr and Andrew Turvy each added sacks. Western Illinois actually showed some life on offense in week one against Northern Illinois, amassing 298 yards and scoring 15 points. The Leathernecks had 17 first downs and averaged 5.1 yards per play. Those are not great numbers but they will at least offer a bit of a challenge for IU’s defense. Putting together multiple good performances in a row is a sign of a well-coached team with good leadership and IU’s defense has an opportunity on Friday night to continue building on a very positive start.