No. 23 Indiana Hoosiers at Northwestern Wildcats – Hoosier Huddle

Series history

It is the 83rd meeting between Indiana and Northwestern, a series dating back to 1899. The Wildcats have a 47-35-1 advantage in the series and have won five of the last six games. This is the first matchup between the two schools since 2019, a 34-3 IU victory. The Hoosiers haven’t won in Evanston since 1993.

What’s at stake

For the Indiana Hoosiers, the stakes are simple. A win will guarantee bowl eligibility before heading into your first bye week with a 6-0 record, 3-0 and a likely top-20 ranking heading into a homecoming date with Nebraska on Oct. 19 .

Things are a little more complicated for Northwestern. The Wildcats haven’t looked like the team that went 8-5 with a Las Vegas Bowl victory over Utah in 2023. A win would help turn the page in their schedule, while a loss would only raise more questions about what direction their goal is. program takes.

A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD

1. Red zone score

The Indiana Hoosiers led the Big Ten in red zone scoring with 25 and red zone touchdowns with 22. That trend should continue on Saturday. Setting short field goals is a great way to find yourself on the wrong side of a situation. Possession may also be limited as Northwestern will look to shorten the game. Northwestern, on the other hand, has allowed just nine scores in 13 attempts in the red zone.

2. Determination of turnover

Before the four turnovers against Maryland last week, Indiana had not turned the ball over this season. IU quarterback Kurtis Rourke made some uncharacteristic mistakes early against the Terps and fumbled in the fourth quarter. Northwestern’s defense presents a similar challenge as routes that were wide open in the first four games will be better covered this week. Add to that a potentially strong wind and it’s just another obstacle to overcome. IU won’t have to deal with wet weather, so the fumbles in the run game will need to be ironed out.

3. Pressure Wildcats quarterback Jack Lausch

Sophomore Jack Lausch has taken over the starting duties from Mike Wright. The Chicago native started at quarterback in the Wildcats’ last two games and while he has shown some promise, he is still very raw. The Hoosiers defense, led by Makail Kamara and Lanell Carr Jr., has been able to put tremendous pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Getting a lead and keeping Lausch in the pocket is the key. He can run, while having the rest of the defense press him can lead to mistakes. Lausch has completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes and thrown two interceptions.