Indiana Hoosiers tight end Riley Nowakowski is no stranger to rivalry games or playing Purdue. While he has not experienced with Indiana, he has played in the Axe Game (Wisconsin vs. Minnesota) and other trophies during his time with the Badgers. Despite his brief time in Bloomington, Nowakowski understands the Old Oaken Bucket Rivalry.
“I’m a little bit new to it, but I hate Purdue” Nowakowski said when asked about the Bucket Game. He did have a great guide to the rivalry in fellow tight end James Bomba.
“This guy has been here six years, raised down the street, and having him in my room, I just talked to him about it, just kind of really trying to listen and hear what he has to say. You know, he’s a guy where it really means a lot to him, right? He’s been born and raised in this rivalry” Nowakowski said.
While hatred flows in this rivalry, just ask former IU player Chris Dyer, the Hoosiers are not overlooking the 2-9 Boilermakers.
“I mean, it’s the next game up mentality, right? We can’t play tomorrow’s game; we have to play today’s game. I think that’s really just been the message. Every day we come in focused. Intensity has got to be high every single time because in college football, you can get beat on any given Saturday. You see it all throughout the season that, you know, a team thinks they have an easy game, and it doesn’t end well for them.” Nowakowski said.
Indiana has so much still left in front of them that maybe the hatred of Purdue makes it easier to focus on the next game up.
“It helps you bring that edge, that intensity, right?” Nowakowski said. “Because it might not be the team that I was raised on, but it’s the team that somebody else was raised on. So I understand that passion, that feeling, just as much as everybody else in that locker room. So I’m definitely bringing the intensity
on game day.”
Nowakowski has been a revelation for the Hoosiers at tight end as he has filled the role of Zach Horton perfectly. He has 296 receiving yards on 23 catches and three total touchdowns.
No matter his stats in the Bucket Game, this line will be all that counts to make him a Hoosier for life. ” I’m a little bit new to it, but I hate Purdue just as much as (Bomba). We’re one team.”