IU Will Raise The Victory Flag Against Notre Dame If…

Written By: Ben Gillard (@benjgillard)

After every win the Indiana Hoosiers raise the Victory Flag high over Memorial Stadium. A berth to the Sugar Bowl will be on the line as well. The Hoosiers are looking to win their first-ever College Football Playoff game and move on to the Quarterfinals. IU will do all those things if…

1.  Contain Riley Leonard

This one should come as no surprise to anyone who has watched Notre Dame throughout this season, but the Hoosiers need to contain Fighting Irish QB Riley Leonard to come out on top on Friday. Leonard has proven himself to be a true threat in the QB run game, rushing for 721 yards and 14 TDs this season. The QB has extended plays all season long, and the Irish are not afraid to draw up designed runs for him.

Luckily for IU, they have the number one ranked QB rush defense in the country. The Hoosiers have held opposing QBs to a staggering net of -63 rushing yards and -0.7 yards per carry. The defense is going to have to show up big again on Friday to take away Notre Dame’s most potent offensive weapon. 

2. Passing Game Needs To Get Going

While the initial weather forecasts of snow and wind raised concern that neither team would be able to throw the ball, Coach Cignetti is confident in his offense. “I hope it snows a foot and a half. We have a Canadian quarterback. Did you see him throw the ball against Purdue?” Cignetti said on Thursday. 

Indiana is at their best when Kurtis Rourke and the IU passing game are humming, yet they face a very talented Notre Dame secondary. The Irish have allowed only a single touchdown on passes of more than 20 yards. If Hoosiers can get the deep ball going, they can tilt the game in their favor. 

3. Win The Middle 8

The “Middle 8,” that is, the last 4 minutes of the first half and the first 4 minutes of the second half, has been a point of emphasis for the Hoosiers ever since lackluster Middle 8 performances in the first couple of games. Notre Dame, on the other hand, has been outscoring teams 52-0 in the Middle 8. A strong Middle 8 performance may be the difference in this game.