Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

What: Indiana Hoosiers (1-1) vs. Louisville Cardinals (2-0)

When: Saturday, September 16 at Noon

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN

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

Series History: The Indiana Hoosiers and Louisville Cardinals have, surprisingly, played only twice in history. The Hoosiers beat Howard Schnellenberger’s Cardinals in both 1985 and 1986. This game was intended to begin a brief series but Indiana is buying out the 2024 game so this will be the only scheduled meeting between the two programs.

What’s at Stake: This is a very, very big game for both schools. Not only is the contest being played at Lucas Oil Stadium, a big deal for the players, this is a major game for the aspirations of both programs. The Indiana Hoosiers enter at 1-1 and after two solid performances, there is some cautious optimism about that Tom Allen’s club could be better than many had anticipated. The goal for the Hoosiers is to achieve six wins and return to a bowl game. It is not a question of “how”, it is a question of “how many” and a game against Louisville is a major measuring stick to see if the Hoosiers can reach six. A win would have them at 2-1 heading into a game against Akron and give them a puncher’s chance at achieving postseason eligibility. Louisville has a very favorable ACC schedule and the Cardinals see a chance to reach nine or ten wins in Jeff Brohm’s first season. A victory against Indiana is a must on that path.

A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Tayven Jackson is QB1

An offseason long quarterback competition between Brendan Sorsby and Tayven Jackson carried over into the first two weeks of the regular season. Early in the week after the win over the Indiana State Sycamores, Tom Allen announced that Tayven Jackson is officially Indiana’s starting quarterback for the 2023 season. That does not mean we have seen the last of Sorsby but the attack is clearly Jackson’s to command. His second career start comes against the Louisville Cardinals, a defense with a lot of speed and one that has played very well in the past three halves. After a poor start against Georgia Tech, Louisville buckled down to pull out the win in Atlanta and then shut out Murray State in week number two. The Cardinals only have two sacks total so far this season so Jackson could potentially have an opportunity in a clean pocket if IU’s offensive line can perform. Receivers like Cam Camper, Donaven McCulley and Omar Cooper will need to step up against a good secondary and help the young quarterback because we know Jeff Brohm’s Louisville offense will put up some points.

2. Slowing Down the Cardinals

The biggest thing that jumps out about this Louisville payment plan is undoubtedly the team speed they possess. That is true on defense but it is very evident on offense with players like running back Jawhar Jordan and wide receiver Jamari Thrash. Both are threats to score every time they touch the ball. The IU defense has been terrific so far this season and looks much improved with new personnel and new coordinator Matt Guerreri but if there is one area that remains a bit of a concern, it is speed on the edge. If that creeps up on Saturday and Jawhar Jordan gets to the outside, he could have a huge day. In addition, IU’s rebuilt secondary is going to be thoroughly tested by Jack Plummer and a good group of wide receivers. Thrash is the number one weapon though and it will be interesting to see how Indiana lines up against him.

3. Tom Allen vs. Jeff Brohm

These two are not strangers. Jeff Brohm has coached against Tom Allen while at Western Kentucky and at Purdue and it must be said, Brohm has had the better of the duals. In particular, Brohm’s offenses have performed very well against Tom Allen’s IU defenses. In the past five meetings (they did not play in 2020 when IU would have been heavily favored), Purdue scored 31, 28, 41, 44 and 30 points and Brohm went 4-1 in the matchups. How much can be taken from that past? Likely not much. It’s a different school for Brohm, a nearly completely different set of players and a new defensive coordinator for Tom Allen and the location of the game is an NFL stadium with no weather elements. Still, Brohm’s success against Allen is something to keep in mind.