Hoosier Huddle's Game Day Primer (Indiana Hoosiers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights)

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

What: Indiana Hoosiers (3-4) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-3)

When: Saturday, October 22 at Noon

Where: SHI Stadium in Piscataway, NJ   

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

Series History: Indiana and Rutgers did not play each other until the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten so this series is relatively new. The first matchup came in 2014 with Kyle Flood’s Rutgers squad knocking off Kevin Wilson’s Hoosiers. Rutgers won the first two games between the schools before Indiana won five straight. Last season was the third win for Rutgers as they blasted Indiana 38-3 in Bloomington.

What’s at Stake: In the rugged Big Ten East, both Indiana and Rutgers look at any game against each other and label it a must-win. That rings particularly true this season as they are both riding losing streaks entering this contest. IU started 3-0 and has now lost four straight. Rutgers started 3-0 and has lost three in a row. The Hoosiers will have a bye week after this contest and a loss will all but guarantee they will enter that bye week with no shot at a bowl game. A victory would show that things have not fallen completely apart and postseason dreams could remain alive.

Picks For Tonight:

Check out PicksforTonight college football computer picks to see which way their model is picking the Hoosier game and more this weekend

A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1.    The Turnover Battle

There were a few reasons Indiana lost a very winnable game to the Maryland Terrapins. The chief one has to be considered the three turnovers Indiana lost while forcing zero. Connor Bazelak threw a pair of interceptions and Andison Coby lost a fumble that crippled IU’s chances to win. Through six games, Rutgers is even in the turnover category with ten giveaways and an equal number of takeaways. IU is now minus-three with eight interceptions and five fumbles lost. Last season’s awful performance against Rutgers was largely made possible by the six turnovers the Hoosiers had in that game. Indiana does not have the ability to overcome a loss in the turnover department and it’s an area that absolutely must be cleaned up for IU to win on the road on Saturday.

2.    Can the Hoosiers Find Consistent Offense?

The Indiana Hoosiers made a change in the coaching staff before the Maryland game. Offensive line coach Darren Hiller was let go and Rod Carey was moved into the role. The first week with Carey in charge showed an immediate improvement in pass blocking as Connor Bazelak had a cleaner pocket and was only sacked one time. Bazelak needs to do a better job trusting the improvement in the line and not bailing out of plays too early but he was able to be a bit more accurate with the increased protection. The run blocking and IU’s running game still leaves a whole lot to be desired and they’ll be going against a quality Rutgers defensive front that has done a good job shutting down rushing attacks (minus the Ohio State Buckeyes). Will the second week under Rod Carey’s guidance bring more improvement to the line and does that improvement lead to an increase in IU’s dreadful yards per play output (currently at 4.51, good for 13th in the conference and only ahead of Iowa).

3.    A Change at OC

After losing 14-13 to Nebraska and heading into a bye week, Rutgers fired offensive coordinator Sean Gleason and moved Nunzio Campanile to interim OC. Campanile has been in this position before and he was also an interim head coach for the Scarlet Knights. He takes over an offense that needs more production from the passing game. Aron Cruickshank is really the only consistent pass-catching threat so the Hoosiers will need to lock him down and force others to beat them. Cruickshank averages 4.2 catches per game with no other player above two per game. Evan Simon and Noah Vedral will likely both see snaps at quarterback with Vedral being more of a running threat. Neither are completing a high percentage of passes (57.7 for Simon) and the Hoosiers have to make sure they don’t get in rhythm on Saturday. Coming off the bye week, Rutgers will have had two weeks under Campanile to prepare and IU must be ready for some new wrinkles.