IU Will Raise the Victory Flag Against WIU If...

Written by Sammy Jacobs

The Indiana Hoosiers (1-0) take on the Western Illinois Leathernecks (0-1) on Friday night under the lights of Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers are heavy, heavy favorites and the outcome of the game should be one-sided. So, we have a little different version of ‘IU Will Raise the Victory Flag If…’ Of course they will raise the flag if they take care of business on the scoreboard, but here is how they can make the most out of the game on Friday night.

1. Play a Complete Game

Despite a convincing 31-7 win in the season opener against FIU, the Hoosiers hit a few speed bumps in the second half. There were penalties and dropped passes that plagued the offense and prevented the score from being more lopsided. While IU will probably empty the bench on Friday night, it is important that they finish the game the way head coach Curt Cignetti wants. This means fewer penalties and self inflicted wounds. 

2. Open up the Passing Game

The Hoosiers will probably be able to do whatever they want on offense against Western Illinois, who is coming off of back-to-back 0-11 seasons and is riding a 25-game losing streak. However, IU needs to show that the passing game is much more in sync than they showed in week one. IU can spread the ball over the field while protecting quarterback Kurtis Rourke. The Hoosiers need everything to click before they head out west to face UCLA in the opening of Big Ten play.

3. Use the Opportunity to Build Depth

One of the issues that plagued the last coaching staff was the lack of depth and the inability to develop it. The Hoosiers will have an opportunity to play some of the more inexperienced members of the team in an effort to build depth through game repetitions. We already saw Curt Cignetti play walk-on defensive lineman Andrew Turvey as well as Tayven Jackson with the second string offensive line. Friday will be a chance to see an even bigger rotation.