Keys to a Hoosier Upset Win Over the Nittany Lions Saturday

Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Indiana Hoosiers will be hard pressed to win another game with if they perform the way they did last weekend at Rutgers, but the beauty of college football is that things can change quickly week-to-week. Penn State comes into Bloomington playing as well as anyone in the country. So what does IU need to do to beat them? 

1. Contain Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley should be in the Heisman Trophy discussion after living up to the preseason hype rushing for 1,055 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s an NFL caliber runner that can burn you with speed and shake tacklers in a phone booth. He can also punish tacklers with some power as well. Penn State will also use him as a receiver out of the backfield.

The Hoosiers probably will not completely shut down Barkley, but they can hope to contain him. In order to do that the defensive line will have to occupy blockers as linebackers Tegray Scales and Marcus Oliver seek out the ball carrier. Husky Marcelino Ball will also be a weapon for the Hoosier defense against the Big Ten’s leading rusher. Limiting Barkley to around 100 yards will probably make the Penn State offense throw more which would play into IU’s strength.

2. Take Care of the Ball

Indiana has had issues holding on to the ball for most of the season as they have thrown 13 interceptions and lost four of their 10 fumbles. Unlike Rutgers, Penn State is not a team that will let Indiana up off the mat if they turn the ball over four times. Hoosier quarterback Richard Lagow will have to be smart with his throws and go through all his progressions and the offensive line will have to give him the time to do so. 

After three fumbles against Rutgers, the Hoosier running backs (including Diamont) have to secure the ball. Penn State has recovered six fumbles this season and will be raking at the ball after seeing IU’s performance last week. 

3. Fix the Kicking Game

As if the turnovers weren’t a big enough issue, the Hoosiers now have a full-blown kicking conundrum on their hands. Griffin Oakes and the entire field goal unit have had issues all season, and now even extra points are not a sure thing. Against Rutgers, it cost IU 11 points. It has had an effect on play calling when IU has crossed mid-field. Kevin Wilson thinks that the issue is mental and that Oakes just needs to believe that he can still do the thing he has done a million times. However, it may not be that easy of a fix as there have been issues with protection and with the hold on many of the attempts. The Hoosiers will need all the points they can get against this Nittany Lion team.

4. Score Early and Wake Up the Crowd

Noon games can be tricky for everyone involved, especially for the fans. It’s an early start to the day if you’re coming in from out of town to tailgate and root on the Hoosiers. For the students, it’s a challenge to rally from a late Friday night that will feature the Hoosier basketball squad tipping off against Kansas no earlier than 9 p.m. To say this may be a sleepy crowd is an understatement, so the Hoosiers will have to do their best to inject life into Hoosier Nation. Getting off to a fast start is vital anyway, but giving fans something to cheer about will get the ball rolling for IU. Getting a big touchdown or takeaway early will go a long ways to springing the upset for IU.