IU Will Raise the Victory Flag Against Washington If...

Written by Sammy Jacobs

After every win the Indiana Hoosiers raise the Victory Flag high over Memorial Stadium. The No. 13 Indiana Hoosiers (7-0,4-0) host ESPN’s College GameDay as they take on the Washington Huskies (4-3, 2-2). Here is what IU needs to do to keep the Victory Flag flying.

1. Get Tayven Comfortable Throwing the Ball Early

The Hoosiers are going to start redshirt sophomore Tayven Jackson at quarterback, marking his first start since the middle of last season. Jackson has played in three games this season and played the entire second half in IU’s win over Nebraska. He played well last week finishing 7-of-8 passing with two touchdowns. Yes, IU was up 28-7 and gave him the ball inside the opponents’ 30-yard line on his first drive. 

However, the play calling allowed Jackson to get into a great rhythm throwing the football. Washington will gear up to stop the run and put as much pressure on Jackson as they can. If he can get into a rhythm with his receivers early it should allow the offense to not miss a beat.

2. Establish the Running Game

The best way to take pressure off Tayven Jackson is to establish the rushing attack. The Hoosiers running backs went for over 200 yards and five touchdowns against Nebraska last week. The Huskers are one of the best run stopping defenses in the country. Washington is ranked 15th in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed. If IU can get Ellison, Lawton, Black and Green going on Saturday, it will take a lot of the pressure off of Tayven Jackson.

3. Set the Tone, Engage the Fans

It’s another sell out crowd at Memorial Stadium (that’s two in a row) and setting the tone early is going to be important. Last week IU’s offense marched down the field and scored on their first drive and extended the lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter. IU has not allowed a point in the first quarter this season, which is why they have yet to trail.

The fans will be fired up for this one as ESPN’s College GameDay will be in Bloomington and keeping the fans fired up as they did last week, could be the factor that IU needs to win on Saturday. The crowd was too much for Dylan Raiola and Nebraska and it could be a bigger factor this week.

4. Contain Jonah Coleman

Washington running back Jonah Coleman came in from Arizona and is having a very good season. He has 681 yards and five touchdowns on the ground and is probably the most talented running back the Hoosiers have seen this year. However, he only averages 14 carries per game. Can IU make those 14 carries as inefficient as possible? The Hoosiers tackle very well and just physically beat up opponents to the point of submission. IU will win if Coleman has 14 carries for 75 yards. They won’t if he 14 carries for 120 yards.