Inside the Numbers of The 2017 Old Oaken Bucket Game
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Indiana's defense has given up just 14 points over their last two games. Image: Sammy Jacobs Hoosier Huddle
Written By David Sugarman (@David_Sugarman2)
It’s Bucket Week and for the third-straight year Indiana can clinch a bowl berth with a win over their in-state rivals, the Purdue Boilermakers. Now on the home stretch of what’s been a very up and down season, Indiana has a chance to seal their destiny and do it in the most satisfying way possible against a Purdue team in an identical situation with five wins. It’s time for a dive into the stats for this week’s edition of Inside the Numbers.
4 - Indiana has won the last four Old Oaken Bucket games including the last two with bowl game opportunities on the line. There are important players who have played in a number of these do or die type games for IU including Richard Lagow, Simmie Cobbs, Rashard Fant, Tegray Scales and more. As Indiana looks to win five-in-a-row against Purdue for the first time ever, the experience in this spot will be a big help in getting the job done.
3 - The Hoosiers will be looking to end a couple of droughts this weekend as they look to catapult themselves to another bowl and end that drought. IU has not won three-straight Big Ten games since 1993. Granted their wins are coming against the bottom of the Big Ten, but it would be an accomplishment none the less. Especially with all the injuries. Breaking this drought could be looked at as part of the breakthrough mentality for Tom Allen who labored through the first six games of the Big Ten schedule. A win over a rival to end that drought would just be icing on the cake.
27 - Indiana has shown a commitment to the run and with a high rate of success for the last two weeks that was largely absent the rest of the season. In the 41-0 blowout of Rutgers, Indiana finished the game with 27 straight rushing plays. While this may be something of an anomaly, the balance IU has shown offensively the last two weeks has been a big part of their success. Indiana ran the ball 44 times to just 27 Richard Lagow pass attempts. If Indiana can continue to show balance they’ll have better luck finding chinks in the armor of a formidable Purdue defense.
21 or below - Purdue has made a number of big strides under first year head coach Jeff Brohm including sporting the fourth best scoring defense in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers give up a shade under 19 points per game. They are a very impressive 5-2 when they surrender 21 or less points including in last week’s must win at Iowa where they won 24-15. If the offense could hold up its end of the bargain they would’ve likely already locked up a bowl game. Purdue has lost close low scoring affairs with Rutgers, 14-12, and Wisconsin, 17-9.
+3 - Throughout the season a sore spot for Indiana has been the turnover battle. They sit dead last in the Big Ten at minus seven, a spot they’ve sat at most the season. Over the last two weeks though Indiana has come up with wins and one of the reasons they’ve been able to flip the script is their efforts in the turnover department. Indiana’s turnover margin the last two weeks is is plus three, edging Illinois and Rutgers by a combined five to two. Purdue is a very solid plus three on the season, tied for third in the Big Ten. This week’s matchup could very well come down to who controls the turnover battle. Something IU needs to continue to attempt and make a trend as they close out the regular season and look to play some extra football when it’s over.