Week Five Opponent Recap

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

Previous Opponents

Florida International – 33 – Florida Atlantic – 31

FIU’s first game without Ron Turner at the helm was a successful one as they outgained the FAU Owls 469 to 328 and held the ball for more than 36 minutes of game time in a 33-31 victory.

Ball State – 24 – Northern Illinois – 31

The Ball State Cardinals lost to the Northern Illinois Huskies as dual-threat quarterback Anthony Maddie threw for 298 yards and ran for 160 yards. The Huskies ran for 355 yards and 7.7 yards per carry and amassed an impressive 653 yards of offense as Ball State’s previously solid defense disintegrated. 

Wake Forest – 16 – North Carolina State – 33

The Demon Deacons suffered their first loss of the season as they fell to the North Carolina State Wolfpack in Raleigh, 33-16. NC State racked up 527 yards of offense thanks to a good performance from Ryan Finley. Finley threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns including a pair of scores to Kelvin Harmon. 

Upcoming Opponents

Ohio State – 58 – Rutgers – 0

Looking at this box score is a scary thing to do if you are the opponent about to face the Buckeyes. Wait, IU is the team about to face the poisonous nuts? Um…well, that’s not great. Ohio State outgained the Scarlet Knights 669-116. No, that is not a typo. J.T. Barrett was 21/29 for 238 yards and four touchdowns, Mike Weber ran the ball 14 times for 144 yards and Demario McCall had ten carries for 85 yards and Curtis Samuel had another superb day. Ohio State is destroying teams right now and they look better than any squad that Urban Meyer has had in Columbus. As for Rutgers, I’m not sure you can take anything away from this game. They were completely outmatched and overwhelmed. Chris Laviano was only 3-12 for 33 yards and only one Rutgers player (Jawuan Harris) had a catch. Robert Martin led the team with 40 yards on 13 carries. The Scarlet Knights clearly missed Janarion Grant, their only big-play threat, but it wouldn’t made any difference in this one. IU visits the Scarlet Knights on November 5 and it’s a game that appears imminently winnable at this point.

Nebraska – 31 – Illinois – 16

The Nebraska Cornhuskers, IU’s Homecoming opponent, are now 5-0 after knocking off the Illinois Fighting Illini thanks to a 21-0 fourth quarter that erased a 16-10 deficit. The Huskers outgained the Illini 423-270 in front of a raucous crowd in Lincoln but a pair of turnovers (a pick thrown by QB Tommy Armstrong and a fumble lost by Mikale Wilbon) helped the Illini gain a lead they held at the end of the third quarter. The Nebraska defense appears to be significantly better than it was a season ago, particularly in the secondary. In addition, the offense is more balanced than it has been a while as their running game is in good shape with Terrell Newby leading the way and Tommy Armstrong capable of making plays when it’s required. The health of a few key players will be of concern for Nebraska. Top receiver Jordan Westerkamp left the game and was taken to the hospital with a back injury (he was released but no update has been given), tight end Cethan Carter injured his elbow and Devine Ozigbo injured his ankle but “should be okay” according to head coach Mike Riley. 

The Huskers are now ranked 12th in the country and they have a bye week before coming to Bloomington. It is very possible that IU will be hosting a top ten team on October 15. 

Northwestern – 38 – Iowa – 31

College football doesn’t always make sense. In fact, it is a game that often boggles the mind with how different things can be from week-to-week and year-to-year. Such is the case with Northwestern and Iowa. The two top teams in the Big Ten West in 2015 entered this game reeling after disappointing beginnings to the season. The Wildcats were 1-3 with losses to Western Michigan, Illinois State and Nebraska. The Hawkeyes were 3-1 but their last two games were a loss to North Dakota State and an ugly win over Rutgers. This game was expected to be more of the same: ugly and plodding football that resulted in a closely played and low-scoring game. However, the Northwestern Wildcats exploded for 38 points and won a thrilling contest, 38-31 in Iowa City. Clayton Thorson threw for only 164 yards as Northwestern still struggles to generate big plays in the passing game but he connected with Austin Carr, the conference’s leading receiver right now, for three touchdowns. Justin Jackson had his best game of the season, gaining 171 yards on 26 carries, including a 58-yard gain that resulted in his lone touchdown. I remain convinced that Northwestern’s defense is nowhere near as stout as it was last season, particularly in the back end, but their pass rush and defensive front is still stout. They held Iowa to 79 yards rushing and only 1.9 yards per carry and sacked C.J. Beathard six times (including four for Ifeadi Odenigbo). Despite their 2-3 record, they’ll give IU a stiff test on October 22.

Maryland – 50 – Purdue – 7

The Maryland Terrapins are now 4-0 after destroying the dreadful Purdue Boilermakers (2-2), 50-7. Maryland continues to impress thanks to a strong ground attack and stout defense. The Terrapins churned out 400 yards rushing on 46 carries, including Ty Johnson’s 204 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. Perry Hills only threw 13 passes (8-13) in the blowout. Meanwhile, I would call this a low point but Purdue keeps digging and finding a new “rock bottom”. David Blough was only 18 of 41 for 132 yards and they ran for a measly ten yards on 27 carries. In total, the Terrapins outgained the Boilers 496 to 205 and Purdue was only 6-20 on third down conversions. IU hosts Maryland on October 29 in what could be a critical contest for both teams. Before then, Maryland plays at Penn State this Saturday and then they host Minnesota and Michigan State. Could they be 6-1 or even 7-0 coming to Bloomington? If so, would IU be playing yet another ranked foe? I don’t think 7-0 is going to happen but I wouldn’t be shocked if they rode this rushing attack to a 6-1 start and an appearance on the outskirts of the top 25. 

Penn State – 29 – Minnesota – 26 in OT

The Penn State Nittany Lions won a terrific contest on Saturday afternoon in Happy Valley and improved to 3-2  on the season heading into a critical clash with Maryland. Trace McSorley threw for 335 yards but he was only 19 of 41. He added eight rushes for 73 yards, including a long run that helped set up the game-tying 40-yard field goal with two seconds remaining. Minnesota opened overtime with a 46-yard field goal and then Saquon Barkley ended the game with a 25-yard scamper on the first play of Penn State’s overtime possession. The Nittany Lions continue to be susceptible against the run and their beat up defense is not likely to improve anytime soon. Minnesota ran for 228 yards and threw for 241 (I’m still not sure why Mitch Leidner is generating NFL Draft talk). PSU now plays Maryland before a bye week.

Michigan – 14 – Wisconsin – 7

A potentially fatal weakness has unveiled itself in Ann Arbor. Michigan remained unbeaten thanks to a fairly dominant performance against the #8 Wisconsin Badgers and a 14-7 victory. However, the game shouldn’t have been that close. Michigan missed three field goals as Kenny Allen went 0-2 and Ryan Tice went 0-1 and it appears the Wolverines will be at a serious disadvantage in any close game. 

The rest of the contest went pretty well for Michigan though as they looked the part of a top-tier team and College Football Playoff contender. Wilton Speight threw for 219 yards and Michigan held Wisconsin to only 159 yards of offense. In total, UM outgained the Badgers by nearly 200 yards. Both defenses ruled the day but it was a particularly good day for the Michigan secondary as Wisconsin QB Alex Hornibrook was only 9 for 25 for 88 yards and three interceptions. Michigan’s five-game home stand is over as they must finally hit the road for a game. They’re at Rutgers this coming Saturday.