Week Nine Primer – Indiana Hoosiers vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers

What: #4 Indiana Hoosiers (7-1) vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-2)

When: Saturday, October 31 at 3:30

Where: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN

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

Spread and Total: Indiana (-18.5) | Total of 42.5

Series History: Indiana’s history against the Minnesota Golden Gophers is not nearly as tortured as we see against recent opponents like Ohio State and Michigan but IU has not triumphed against Minnesota since 2007. The two conference foes don’t play often with that drought resulting in just four straight Minnesota victories.

What’s at Stake: Minnesota is 5-2 after beating Iowa on a last-second field goal and the Gophers have an outside shot at the College Football Playoff, if they can knock off the Hoosiers. The reason? They get games against UCLA and Northwestern at home and then travel to Minnesota and Penn State. If they can run the table (which is incredibly unlikely), the Gophers would have a ton of quality wins. Indiana is ranked fourth and still in position for a very strong seed in the College Football Playoff. One slip-up by UCLA or Ohio State puts the Hoosiers right back into pole position for the Big Ten Championship Game. That written, IU’s offense could desperately use a bye week and this game is all about survival and getting to 8-1, no matter what it might look like.

A Few Things to Look For

Can IU Fix the Offense?

IU’s offense played very well against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and it really seemed like things were rounding into form after that 47-15 victory. Since that game, the Hoosiers scored 20 points in a scrappy win over Nebraska that featured several missed opportunities. They went toe-to-toe with Ohio State but came up just inches away from victory but the offense was again off-the-pace. Last week against Michigan, IU’s offense was as poor as it has been during the Curt Cignetti era. Josh Hoover is clearly bothered by an injury but we can only evaluate is being put on the field on Saturdays and right now, it’s clearly not good enough. Indiana only threw the ball twice after halftime against Michigan in a sign of one of two things: a lack of faith in Hoover, or, an injury that is more much more of a hindrance than is being let on. It’s almost certainly the latter but Indiana’s offensive staff has to do a better job of manufacturing some touches for Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh. If Hoover is currently unable of stretching the field or being accurate on mid-level throws, IU’s best offensive players aren’t getting involved. Screen passes, wide receiver sweeps, jet sweeps or bubble screens could be utilized as extensions of the running game and to get the ball to Marsh or Becker. Minnesota’s defense is stout but they are not at the same talent level as Michigan or Ohio State so there should be some opportunities to find a bit of success.

Elite Defense Leads the Way

Indiana’s defense is peaking and the Hoosiers appear to have one of the nation’s few truly elite units. IU suffocated Michigan’s offense a week after locking down Ohio State as well as anyone has been able to. The Hoosiers are tied for first in rushing yards per carry against (2.3), eighth in opponent yards per play against (4.2), fifth in points per game allowed (13.7), seventh in sacks per game (3.3). The sacks per game is particularly impressive because Bryant Haines rarely dials up much of a blitz. AJ Harris getting healthy and stepping into the lineup has a made a big difference and his presence allows Amare Ferrell to be more of a playmaker in the secondary. Jacob Savage has emerged as a reliable third linebacker and Tobi Osunsanmi is clearly one of the best edge players in college football. Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey is a quality player but he doesn’t have the same mobility players like Tommy Carr and Anthony Colandrea had to escape IU’s defensive front. Combine that with a lack of truly threatening players on the perimeter and this feels like a very good matchup for Haines and the Indiana defense.

Get to the Bye

This Halloween clash is the ninth straight game without a break and it comes at the end of a very difficult stretch. IU has had to play at Nebraska, versus Ohio State and at Michigan in consecutive weeks and Minnesota fancies itself as another very physical test. Josh Hoover is far from the only Hoosier that is beat up and could use a break. Much like last season’s game against Wisconsin, this game is all about finding that last bit of remaining energy and summoning enough to improve to 8-1 and get to the bye week.

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Links From the Week

Know Your Opponent: Minnesota Golden Gophers

Numbers that Matter: Indiana vs Minnesota

Josh Hoover Still Probable, Quan Sanks Upgraded on Thursday Availability Report Ahead of Minnesota Game

Matchup To Watch: Indiana’s Passing Attack vs. Minnesota’s Secondary

Amare Ferrell’s Recent Interceptions Reflect the Trust Inside Indiana’s Secondary

Bray Lynch Has Adjusted to Playing Center as the Indiana Offensive Line Continues to Gel