Rutgers Comes into Bloomington in a Similar Situation to the Hoosiers
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Written By Alex Compton
Head Coach: Chris Ash
Overall: 6-16 Second Year
At Rutgers: 6-16 (3-13)
Bowl Appearances at Rutgers: 0
2017 Record: 4-6 Last Game: Lost 35-6 at Penn State
Bowl Appearances Since 2000: 9 (6-3)
Mascot: Scarlet Knights
Colors: Scarlet and White
Outfitter: adidas
National Titles: 1 (Claimed the 1869 title)
Conference Titles: 1 (Big East)
Heisman Winners: 0
Talking Points
1. DEFEND THE ROCK
It was far from perfect, but IU got back in the win column on Saturday by beating the Illini of Illinois by a score of 24-14. The line in Vegas currently favors the Hoosiers by about 11 points this weekend depending on where you look, which is somewhat surprising. Rutgers had won 3 Big Ten games in a row before coming crashing back down to earth last weekend in Happy Valley. Chris Ash has quietly turned the program around already in year two, but they still have major steps to take. The first one is to attract and develop some offensive talent, as Ash’s defensive mindset has really hindered that side of the ball so far in his tenure. Despite having one of the best pass-protecting offensive lines in the conference, inconsistent play at quarterback has really doomed Rutgers in many of their games this year. All of this really doesn’t matter on Saturday however, as IU is the more talented team. With a bowl game still in sight for both teams, it will be a hard fought game for sure. If IU plays solid in all three phases, they should be able to defend the Rock and set up a very intriguing matchup in West Lafayette in the near future.
2. GET PRESSURE
The defense balled out in Champaign on Saturday, forcing 3 turnovers, holding the Illini to just 14 points, and getting off the field when they needed to on third down. A HUGE part of their success was the defensive line led by Jacob Robinson, which was able to rack up 8 sacks against the Illini. Despite the depth concerns heading in to the season, the defensive line has been a pleasant surprise for the Hoosiers this year, and they have really helped keep the defense steady despite injuries all over. Rutgers has one of the worst passing attacks in the Big Ten like I mentioned earlier, so getting pressure on their QB’s will make the secondary’s job much simpler on Saturday.
3. DON’T LOOK AHEAD
Teams love playing their rivals, fans love watching their teams play rivals. Rivalries make college football great, and IU / Purdue is no exception. IU will look to be the first team to win five straight buckets next weekend in West Lafayette, but that won’t matter at all unless they focus on beating Rutgers this weekend. This is a game the Hoosiers should win, especially at home, but Rutgers has won three Big Ten games this year and boasts a pretty solid defense. The same things that got IU the win in Champaign will be key for the cream and crimson this Saturday as well. Get pressure, take care of the ball, and run the ball well. Focus on those three things for this weekend, and the bucket game gets that much more interesting.