Indiana Hoosiers Football

It was a well played game for the Hoosiers.

For the first time in three games, the Indiana Hoosiers actually put together a good effort for four quarters.

However, the injuries to their defense showed, and they were unable to stop the running game of the Wisconsin Badgers.

Wisconsin finished with 294 yards on the ground, and the duo of John Clay, and Montee Ball, were running with ease all day.

Clay finished with 134 yards, and a touchdown on 15 carries, despite missing the whole second half with concussion symptoms.

And Montee Ball, a true freshman, filled in greatly, and ran for 115 yards on 27 carries, and two touchdowns.

But the Hoosiers never gave up, and stayed in the game the whole way through.

Ben Chappell had a great game, throwing for 323 yards and three touchdowns, although he had two interceptions.

However, the Hoosier offense became extremely predictable after Darius Willis went down early, and the Wisconsin defense knew they would pass almost all of the time.

IU's Top-Three wide receivers (sophomores Tandon Doss and Demarlo Belcher, and Junior Terrance Turner) had great games, combining for 243 yards receiving, and three touchdowns.

The Hoosiers took the lead early, with a great drive led by senior QB Ben Chappell, and finishing with an 11 yard touchdown pass to Tandon Doss, to take a 7-0 lead.

However, Wisconsin scored 17 unanswered points before IU could strike again, another Chappell to Doss connection late in the half.

But the Badgers worked their way down the field well, and John Clay finished the drive with a 14 yard romp into the endzone, taking many Hoosier defenders with him. This put the score at 24-14 at the half.

The third quarter had no scoring, and was pretty back and forth, until three minutes into the fourth quarter, Ben Chappell found junior WR Terrance Turner on the left side for a six yard touchdown pass to make the score 24-21.

Suddenly, it seemed as if maybe the Hoosiers could have an upset.

Just like earlier though, Wisconsin systematically, and almost robotically, ran the ball down the throat of the Hoosiers, and freshman RB Montee Ball finished the drive with a three yard run into the end zone, to put the Badgers back up by 10, 31-21.

The Hoosiers didn't give up, and on the next drive Indiana went 80 yards down the field, with a combination of passing and running, leading to a Trea Burgess two yard touchdown run.

The score was now 31-28. The Hoosiers were that close to finally pulling out a win.

But the Badgers did their job, and converted on third down twice, to hold onto the ball and run the clock out.

The Hoosiers lost a third close game in a row 31-28, and in all three they had held the lead at one point.

Indiana should be proud of their performance, but they will never become a Big 10 power until they can figure out how to finish off close games.

After running down the Top Five in Great Lakes/Cornfields 12 Football, it's time to get to the rest of the conference! If there's a consistent theme to these squad's seasons, it's inconsistency. Some are emerging from awfulness towards respectability, while others are grimly sliding towards oblivion. Keep in mind, three of these schools will probably be going bowling.

6. Michigan State (5-5, 3-3)

State's season highlight so far was a 24-14 win against Northwestern at home. They recovered nicely from their three-game losing streak against Central Michigan, Notre Dame (barely), and Wisconsin (barely, again), but after losing to Iowa and Minnesota in the last three weeks, they find themselves right back in limbo.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins (pictured) has had a showcase season, throwing for 2,097 yards and fourteen touchdowns, but MSU's running game has not kept up at all. Losing Javon Ringer to the NFL really hurt, as none of his replacements have more than 400 yards.

Meanwhile, the defense has been torched by many opponents, including a Minnesota squad that was missing top threat Eric Decker two weeks ago.

Beating Western Michigan 49-14 last week counts for something (namely, a W), but a road date at Purdue this weekend, and the home finale against Penn State, are both crucial for Sparty's bowl hopes. Close losses have been a theme throughout the year, as all five L's have been by eight points, or less.

Still, Michigan State is clearly the "best of the rest", and may even pass Northwestern for the fifth Big Ten spot before it's all said and done.

7. Purdue (4-6, 3-3)

The Boilers have really pulled themselves together after a miserable 1-5 start to the season. Fiery coach Danny Hope (at left) refuses to give up, even after his team's win streak was ended in a comprehensive 37-0 demolishing at the hands of Wisconsin, and led his Baby Boilers to a nail-biter of a win at Michigan last weekend.

With losses to Oregon and Notre Dame, and the upset win against Ohio State, Purdue has a strong schedule to show for itself, and closing out the season with MSU at home and then a road game against Indiana gives these Boilermakers an outside shot at a bowl in their first season without the legendary Joe Tiller.

Purdue's biggest problem is a defense that tends to give up around 30 points a game, but their offense has been explosive at times and features a number of playmakers. Look for them to end their season on a high note and go bowling somewhere.

8. Illinois (3-6, 2-5)

Although their overall record is the worst in the conference, the Fighting Illini are riding a two-game win streak against Big Ten opponents. They probably won't be going anywhere this postseason, although beating Northwestern in Champaign on Saturday would be a huge statement, because their next opponent is #5 Cincinnati on the road.

Juice Williams is hurt again, but that may be a blessing since frosh Jacob Charest looked good in the upset at Minnesota. How will he fare against that rejuvenated Wilcats defense on Saturday? It's anybody's guess. Mine is that Northwestern wins, but then again, I'm biased.

9. Minnesota (5-5, 3-4)

The Golden Gophers are an enigma. After a strong start to the season, they got plastered by Big Ten front runners Ohio State and Iowa, then came back and won a huge game against Michigan State after losing their best player in WR Eric Decker.

The stage was set for a late-season run, right? Not so fast. A home loss to Illinois last week drops Minnesota all the way to the Big Ten basement, with two games left to play. One of those games is a freebie against South Dakota State, so Minnesota will likely become bowl-eligible, just in time to go on the road and play Iowa, a prospect that is not quite so daunting now that Ricky Stanzi is gone.

Minnesota has the talent to win both of those games, but who knows which team will show up? Regardless, it will be a team missing a likely NFL first rounder, as Decker is gone for the year.

10. Michigan (5-5, 1-5)

Thanks to a soft schedule that gave them wins against Delaware State, Western Michigan, and Eastern Michigan, the Wolverines are still alive for a postseason berth. And their strong national following will likely give them that berth if they can get one more victory.

But that doesn't hide the fact that this team is not very good. Although their running back tandem of Carlos Brown and Brandon Miner have put up sterling numbers (954yd, 12TD, 5.7ypc), their freshman quarterbacks have fallen apart during the grind of a Big Ten season. This offense can definitely score some points, and their 320 is tops in the conference.

But it's really the running game doing most of the damage, including Forcier and Robinson. Their best wideout has only 22 catches, and no receiver has more than one TD.

Also, the defense is terrible against any reputable school (not DSU, WMU, or EMU).

Add that to a daunting final two games against #20 Wisconsin on the road and then #9 Ohio State at home, and you have a team destined for 5-7 obscurity.

11. Indiana (4-6, 1-5)

Ahh, Indiana, our Indiana. The standard 3-0 start against weak non-conference opponents had IU fans salivating over a shot at another bowl game. Then reality set in, as the Hoosiers lost game after game after game.

Hoosiers believers, including Bill Lynch (aka the blind leading the blind), never fail to point out that Indiana has outplayed several good teams this year, only to fall victim to circumstance. I was at the Michigan game, and can attest that Indiana looked a lot better than the Maize and Blue, up to a point. IU had Iowa on the ropes last week but couldn't finish the job. They almost came back against Wisconsin this Saturday, losing by three. They were dominating Northwestern in the first half at Ryan Field, and self-destructed.

I'm sorry, but a loss is a loss. And those four count just as much as the Virginia shellacking or the Ohio State snoozefest.

My line on this team remains the same. Indiana is lucky to have a ton of talented players on their roster. Jamie Kirlew will be playing in the NFL soon. So will Tandon Doss, and Demarlo Belcher, and probably Ray Fisher, and Darius Willis, too. They are weak at corner beyond Fisher, and the offensive line is inconsistent in both phases, but both show spots of brilliance, as in the five INTs against Iowa.

But Indiana's biggest problem is a coaching staff that talks itself out of victory, after victory. This week, it was the decision to kick the ball deep to Wisconsin after getting within three points, with four minutes left in the game. Wisconsin's RBs had run all over the Hoosiers (that D-Line is much better at the pass rush than at run stopping), and thoroughly wore them out. What made the IU coaches think that Wisconsin wouldn't be able to get enough first downs to run out the clock?

Indiana now has a great facility in The Rock At Memorial Stadium (left). It is a beautiful stadium, up there with the best in the Big Ten, and its seating capacity of just over 50,000 is manageable if this team could just string together a few wins. Add in the top notch weightlifting facilities, and a great AD in Fred Glass, and this should be a program already on the rise.

Yet here they are, at the bottom of the Big Ten again. It's way past time for a coaching search.

If there ever was a game the Indiana Hoosiers truly needed to win, this is it.

The Hoosiers come into this game with a 4-5 record and 1-4 record in the Big 10, a record that could have been 7-2 had the Hoosiers not squandered leads in the fourth quarter.

For Hoosier fans, the saying, "It ain't over till its over," is hitting home hard.

Last week Indiana led Iowa 21-7 at halftime in Iowa City, and even into the fourth quarter the Hoosiers were up 24-21. But huge defensive mistakes cost them, and Iowa managed to score four touchdowns to blowout the Hoosiers and win 42-24.

And just the week before at Northwestern, after being up 28-3 in the second quarter and 28-17 at halftime, the Hoosiers were unable to put any points on the board, and fell to the Wildcats at the death, 29-28.

Luckily for IU, playing in front of a home crowd has been a blessing, and they walk into this weekend's game vs No. 21 Wisconsin with a 3-1 record at Memorial Stadium.

For Wisconsin, this is just another game to prove to the country that they are a legitimate Big 10 team, and to show all the naysayers at the beginning of the season that they were wrong.

Wisconsin brings in one of the nations best running backs in sophomore John Clay, who will be running behind a behemoth offensive line, who are all at least 6-foot-4-inches and over 315 pounds. On the season, Clay has 839 yards on 177 attempts and ten touchdowns.

The Badger defense is also one of the best in the Big 10, with freshman sensation LB Chris Borland combining with senior leaders DE O'Brien Schofield and S Chris Maragos. Wisconsin leads the Big 10 in rushing defense, opponents' third down conversion percentage, and they are second in total defense.

The Hoosiers will have to play well in this game from start to finish, something they have struggled with all season long.

On offense, senior quarterback Ben Chappell must step up and be able to find his wide receivers while he is being rushed. Chappell has to be able to get the ball into either sophomore wide receivers' Tandon Doss or Demarlo Belcher's hands.

Another key aspect of our offense that needs to show up will be the running game. In the last two games, our run game has been almost non existent, and it has led to defenses waiting for the pass and expecting it every time.

Even if Darius Willis isn't able to run for 100 yards Saturday, if he can at least make the defense respect the run a little, it will give the Hoosier wideouts more room to maneuver and make plays.

On the defensive side of the ball, seniors Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton will have to get their hands dirty to get through this big and strong Badger offensive line. If they are successful at getting to Wisconsin QB Scott Tolzien there is a very good chance that he will make a poor throw, and someone on the defense will have a chance to take advantage.

Also, senior Nick Polk returns from injury to start again at safety, which should help soften the loss of senior cornerback Ray Fisher, who injured his knee in last week's game against Iowa.

The IU linebackers must pay alot of attention to John Clay, who can run inside the tackles and around him. There must be someone watching him all game. For senior linebacker Matt Mayberry, communication will be key.

Indiana's season hangs by a thread, and with a win this weekend, they have a chance to salvage their season and make it to a bowl game. It is going to be a raucous atmosphere in "The Rock" and the Hoosier football team should play better at home.

However, history and current play has shown that the Badgers are a better team, and will most likely, barring anything crazy, win this game.

My Prediction:

Wisconsin wins 28-21

Check out Carl Stine's take on the game here.

If you want to tell me that my head is steaming right now, and I'm writing this after a bad loss so I'm not thinking clearly, fine. But the fact remains, as in my title, Indiana football is downright pathetic.

Indiana traveled to Iowa City to take on the BCS #4 Iowa Hawkeyes, a team that Indiana has won 3 of the last 4 games against.

The game started out great, IU went right down the field and scored. The Hawkeyes looked bad on offense, and either missed or had a field goal blocked. Indiana continued to play well, and held Iowa scoreless through the first quarter.

IU went into the break leading 21-7, the second week in a row that the Hoosiers took a multiple-score lead into the locker room.

The third quarter was as much a disaster as it was a success for Indiana.On Iowa's first possession, quarterback Ricky Stanzi threw the first of his four third quarter interceptions, but IU couldn't capitalize. On the next Iowa possession, Stanzi was again picked off, this time deep in his own territory. Indiana had first and goal on Iowa's 4 yard line, and couldn't punch it in. This is where my first gripe comes.

IU had thrown the ball twice before in the red zone for touchdowns. Why not run the ball? You have a very good running back in Darius Willis, who can run between the tackles, but no. Bill Lynch decides it's a great idea to throw the ball, and as a result, a crazy play results in a Pick 6 for the Hawkeyes.

And it was the beginning of a long downward spiral.

On the next Indiana possession, I've never seen a more terrible call on a football field. Terrence Turner dove for and caught a ball in the end zone, and it was called a touchdown on the field. Naturally, the replay sequence was started, and replays showed that Turner clearly had a foot down in the end zone before his knee hit out of bounds. Some how, the refs determined they had enough evidence to overturn the call. Indiana then missed the field goal.

Indiana then intercepted Stanzi again, and scored a field goal, which would be the only points of the second half for the Hoosiers.

Indiana intercepted Stanzi one more time before the end of the quarter, and went into the final period with a 10 point lead.

Now, I don't care what Fred Glass (IU Athletic Director) said about contracts meaning something at Indiana. Bill Lynch and his staff showed their true colors during the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium.

IU had four quick plays before punting, and on Iowa's first play of the quarter, Stanzi found an open receiver on a play action bootleg for a 92 yard touchdown. Then, Indiana went three-incomplete-passes-and-out, and Iowa scored again on their first play of the drive.

Now why in the world, especially with a three point lead, throw the football three times in a row? If you can explain that football wisdom, please enlighten me. Not only did they have a three point lead at the time, but they were going into a very tough wind that very clearly gave Iowa problems. Why would you ever do that? How anyone can defend Bill Lynch in this situation is beyond me.

What happened after that will be known, in my mind, as the demise of Indiana football. Now down four points, Indiana thought it had no choice but to throw the ball. Chappell was eventually intercepted on a pass that clearly got caught up in the wind. Now I have no problem with throwing the ball. But, as an Indiana coach, have you not learned something watching what's happened previously? Was the Indiana offensive coordinator getting a hot dog while Iowa was on the field? Asking Ben Chappell to throw the ball anywhere past 10 yards should have been out of the question because of the wind. It killed Stanzi, and it killed Indiana when it counted. Iowa scored again, and that was that.

During the last two weeks, Indiana has given up 54 second half points, while scoring three, yes just three, in the same time frame.

I'll let that sink in for a minute.

....Ok, long enough. Indiana's losses last week against Northwestern, and today against Iowa are beyond embarrassing. To score three points in four quarters of second half football is inexcusable and unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable. Bill Lynch and his staff have completely failed to make second half adjustments in so many games I've watched.

You might say the referees had a big impact on the game today, and they did. Indiana had possibly 14 points taken away from them. In the end though, it wouldn't have mattered.

It's not enough for Indiana to be close in these games. Until the Hoosiers learn to Bill Lynch had an opportunity to shock the college football world today, and he pissed it down his leg.

Written by Nick Chouteau

This Saturday, the Hoosiers will once again play for a homecoming win, Northwestern’s homecoming that is. The pair of teams comes into the contest sporting identical records both overall and in conference play: 4-3 and 1-2, respectively.

Northwestern and Indiana not only share the same record, but eerily, Indiana coach Bill Lynch and Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald received their head coaching duties in similar fashion.

Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald took the reins in 2006 when then Northwestern coach Randy Walker suddenly passed away. The next year, Bill Lynch was able to try his hand in a head coaching role when former IU head coach Terry Hoeppner sadly passed.

Both coaches are trying to get their teams back to a bowl game and a win Saturday would take them that much closer.

The Wildcats of Northwestern took one on the chin last week in East Lansing against the Michigan State Spartans.

Northwestern took a 7-0 lead into halftime and struck first in the second half, extending their lead to 14-0, but were unable to hold on in the end. A pair of costly turnovers by the Wildcats lead to 24 unanswered points by Michigan State and brought an end to the Wildcats' two-game winning streak.

Despite the loss, Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka and wide receiver Zeke Markshausen hooked up 16 times for 111 yards, just one reception shy of the all-time Northwestern single game record. Kafka complete 34-of-47 passes in the game for 291 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 42 yards, totaling 333 yards of total offense.

Northwestern will be looking across the ball at an Indiana Hoosier team coming off a big win in their own homecoming last weekend against a struggling Illinois team. Big Ten co-Offensive Player of the Week, Ben Chappell, paced the Hoosiers to their victory, piling up 333 yards passing to go along with three touchdowns of his own.

The Hoosiers appear to have their hands full on defense this week and will need a team effort in slowing down Northwestern.

Once again, the Hoosier’s pair of senior defensive ends will need to put pressure on Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka and force him to get rid of the ball before he’s ready.

Similar to the last few weeks, the Hoosiers will need to contain Mike Kafka when he breaks the pocket. Kafka’s rushing statistics are skewed because of sacks, but this season Kafka has 87 rushes for 141 yards and 4 touchdowns on the season. Kafka presents much more of a throwing threat than a running threat, however, completing 67.8 percent of his passes for 1755 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions.

Much like the Hoosiers' three-headed attack from the running back position, the Wildcats will bring a rushing trio of their own Saturday. Arby Fields appears to be the most used, rushing 55 times on the year and totaling 195 yards and four touchdowns.

Second on the list for Northwestern with 45 carries this season is Jacob Schmidt. Schmidt is only averaging 3.5 yards per carry this season, bringing his season rushing total to 159 yards and one touchdown.

The back whom appears to be the most electrifying out of the group is Stephen Simmons, who has been called upon 38 times this season, averaging 4.6 yards a carry for 176 yards and two touchdowns.

When the Wildcats drop back to pass, Kafka will be looking for the aforementioned Zeke Markshausen as well as Drake Dunsmore and Andrew Brewer.

Brewer has a nose for the goal line and has big play ability, averaging 16.7 yards a grab and four touchdowns on the year.

Markshausen seems to be Kafka’s favorite target, pulling in 50 passes this season but just one touchdown. Markshausen seems to be a possession receiver, meaning he is sure-handed and picks up first downs. He’s averaging just under 10 yards a grab this year.

The key matchup on the defense for the Hoosiers is Zeke Markshausen going against the Indiana secondary.

Look for Indiana to play close to the line on Markshausen, challenging him to get a clean break off the line of scrimmage, throwing off the timing of his routes with quarterback Mike Kafka. Indiana must keep Kafka in the pocket, but close around him and block throwing lanes.

On offense, the Hoosiers appeared to have moved the ball well last week against the Fighting Illini. Quarterback Ben Chappell seemed to have found his groove, passing for a career high 333 yards and also a career high three touchdowns.

The Hoosiers need to take care of the ball and with the time of possession battle to keep the high-powered Northwestern offense off the field. Chappell will need to continue to look for wideout Tandon Doss.

Doss has big play potential every time he touches the ball. Expect Chappell to look toward Doss on quick slants and bubble screens before trying to go over the top of the Northwestern safeties.

The Hoosiers' running game is also essential to win this key conference game on Saturday. The Hoosiers will need to be able to run effectively in order to open up the passing game and play action passes. Look for Indiana to run Darius Willis and Demetrius McCray early and late in the game.

The key matchup for Indiana on offense are running backs Darius Willis and Demetrius McCray against the front seven of Northwestern. Northwestern is giving up 115.7 yards per game on the ground this season. With a secondary that has 10 interceptions on the year, the Hoosiers will need to run the ball effectively.

My Prediction: Indiana wins, 27-24.

Game Notes:

IU will be missing starters Will Patterson (LB), Donnell Jones (CB), and Chris Adkins (CB) for this weekend's game. They are all out indefinitely. Darius Willis is listed as probable.

Northwestern will be missing starting safety Brendan Smith, and running back Alex Daniel is out for the year. They are also missing two other players. The other starting safety, Brad Phillips, is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury.

On Saturday, Indiana (4-3, 1-2) visits Northwestern (4-3, 1-2) in what will likely amount to be a game that is essential for both teams' fading bowl hopes in this 2009 season. 

The Hoosiers are coming off a home win over hapless-looking Illinois, while the Wildcats are looking to rebound from a loss against Michigan State, which was yet another game they let get away from them in the second half (NU had a second-half lead in each of its three losses this season).

After this game, both teams face very similar schedules, with the ranked trio of Penn State, Iowa, and Wisconsin on tap for both squads down the stretch of the regular season.

Both NU and IU do have one winnable game left on the slate, though (Illinois for NU and Purdue for IU), making this game that much more important to reach a bowl-eligible 6-6 record.

The Wildcats will also be looking to avenge last year's loss in Bloomington that likely kept NU out of a Jan. 1 bowl game as IU upset the 'Cats 21-19 on a day that saw both QB CJ Bacher and RB Tyrell Sutton go down with injuries.

Northwestern does have an all-time 42-34-1 edge over Indiana (the only Big Ten opponent that NU holds an all-time winning record over), but the last five contests have been decided by an average of just 4.4 points per game.

Despite last week's loss, NU's defense has been solid since coming alive in the second quarter of the Purdue game, allowing just 12 points per game from the second quarter of that game onwards.

Against MSU, NU's defense held up well outside of a few long passing plays, ironically the same type of performance that doomed the 'Cats against the Hoosiers last year (two long TD passes and a short touchdown following a fumbled kickoff).

Indiana, meanwhile, started the year off strong at 3-0, albeit against lesser competition, before falling to Michigan and Ohio State in consecutive weeks. Then, the bottom fell out against Virginia in a 47-7 loss before finding some redemption against a reeling Illini squad a week ago.

IU's QB Ben Chappell is the reigning Big Ten offensive player of the week following his 333-yard, three TD performance last week. The 'Cats know how dangerous he can be, as he engineered Indiana's upset win last year. On the year, he's thrown for 1,664 yards, eight TDs, seven INTs, and sports a 63.4% completion rate.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, will try to counter with its biggest offensive weapon, QB Mike Kafka, who has 1,755 yards on the season along with seven passing TDs to just four INTs (he has also added four TDs rushing).

Despite having some costly turnovers in NU losses to Syracuse and Minnesota, he has seemingly turned the corner, putting together an efficient and turnover-free performance one week ago.

Based on the recent history in this series and the fact that both teams will be playing for their bowl hopes, expect an evenly-matched and hard-fought game in Northwestern's homecoming football game.


Opening Line: Northwestern by five.

Who Should Win

Northwestern. The 'Cats have been playing better defense of late and have demonstrated an ability to contain the run, an important fact when facing a team whose top two rushers are averaging a collective 4.8 yards per carry.

And despite not being able to "dink and dunk" their way to victory against MSU last week, the 'Cats have enough offensive weapons in the passing game to get the job done against the nation's 87th ranked pass defense (in terms of yards). Having this game in Evanston also gives the 'Cats a boost.

Upset Factor

Just look at last year, when Indiana surprised NU in their 2008 homecoming game thanks to a plus five turnover margin and some big plays (TD passes of 43 and 28 yards).

The Hoosiers have offensive weapons at the skill positions (WRs Tandon Doss and Damarlo Belcher along with RBs Darius Willis and Demetrius McCray) and have some bona-fide next level talent on the DL with Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton, who have combined for an insane 8.5 sacks and six forced fumbles just over half way through this season.

As demonstrated in last year's game, all it takes is a handful of big plays to tip the scales in one's favor.


What to Look for

Northwestern Offense / Indiana Defense

The Wildcats' offense is still searching for the groove NU fans have seen so many times since Northwestern began fielding the spread offense in 2000.

After starting out the year at a decent clip (31.8 points per game through five games), NU has totaled just 30 points in the past two contests, despite one of those games being against one of the nation's worst defenses (statistically).

Kafka has been NU's biggest offensive weapon this year, posting a solid completion percentage and accounting for 12 of Northwestern's 22 touchdowns during the 2009 season. And removing sack numbers, he's run for 280 yards on the year, showing that he still has legs that can do damage as well.

NU's running game, on the other hand, has been the 'Cats' weakness and was all but abandoned last week against MSU, with NU RBs accounting for just eight carries on the day. Coach Pat Fitzgerald confirmed this fact following the game, saying that NU would pass the ball "175 times" if it had to, even if that's not his preferred game plan.

Much of that is due to Northwestern's poor offensive line play: NU has yielded an average of 2.43 sacks per game this year (86th nationally), while Kafka has been hurried another 14 times and has used his feet to escape pressure numerous other times.

That fact doesn't bode well against an Indiana team whose defensive strength is on the line, a line that put the heat on NU last year and will be looking to do so again.

Seniors Middleton and Kirlew will be flying in from the edge (did I mention they have a combined 20 TFLs so far this year?), while underclassmen Larry Black and Adam Replogle will hold down the middle of a DL that is helping Indiana yield just 3.7 yards per carry this year.

At the next level, there's LB Matt Mayberry, who leads IU in tackles with 58 on the season to go with 2.5 sacks, six TFLs, two pass break-ups, and a fumble recovery.

Finally, in the secondary, Indiana fields an experienced bunch (all have at least four years in the program), featuring team interception leader (with two), S Austin Thomas.  There's also converted WR Ray Fisher, who has a couple of pass break-ups to go along with his 33 tackles this year.

The key to this matchup is obviously in the trenches; Indiana has two huge playmakers on the edges and NU has had some major problems on the OL this season, so this is likely to be where the game is won or lost. Assuming Northwestern won't be able to generate much of a rushing attack (again), pass protection is vital to give the 'Cats any chance to move the ball on offense.


Northwestern Defense / Indiana Offense

As mentioned earlier, the 'Cats' D has performed fairly well over the past few games, and that despite DE Corey Wootton missing the majority of the last two games with an ankle injury, S Brendan Smith going out against Miami (OH) with a hand injury, and S Brad Phillips leaving the MSU game with a shoulder injury.

The loss of both safeties was definitely a factor in MSU's successful passing attack a week ago.

Even with those three playmakers out for NU, the 'Cats boast a few more players who can make a difference, like NU tackle leader LB Quentin Davie, who has 53 on the season, including four sacks, three forced fumbles, and four QB hurries.

CB Sherrick McManis was burned on one play last week, but has generally been a lockdown corner and leads NU with three INTs and four pass break-ups.

A major factor in NU's defensive success over the past three games has been the run defense; even with sacks taken out of the rushing numbers, NU has been yielding an average of just 111 rushing yards per game over the last three contests. Credit DTs Adam Hahn and Niko Mafuli for helping to stuff the run in the middle.

The Hoosiers' offense has been making a living off the big play this year, with 26 20+ yard offensive plays.

They also use a lot of deception on offense (as NU learned the hard way last year thanks to a 28-yard TD toss from WR Mitchell Evans), including some plays from the pistol formation and their version of the wildcat offense with Evans taking the direct snap.

Out of the wildcat, Evans is averaging 6.2 yards per carry, but he doesn't have to do it alone as he has RBs Willis and McCray, who both average over 4.8 yards per carry each. Both of those RBs also have breakaway TD runs of 85 and 59 yards, respectively, something NU will have to be careful to contain.

There's also the aforementioned Chappell, who makes some mistakes (seven INTs on the year), but can hit some big plays (six passes of 30+ yards this year). He's throwing to a talented WR corps with Doss, Belcher, and Evans making significant contributions.

The key to this matchup again lies at the line of scrimmage. The 'Cats' DL has shown solid improvement as this season has progressed, and they must continue that trend by containing the Indiana running game and forcing Chappell into uncomfortable situations.

Northwestern can't give up the explosion play (like they did last year versus Indiana as well as last week against MSU), either, and will need to generate some pressure from the DL, who has underwhelmed against Big Ten competition so far this year.

Special Teams

NU P/K Stefan Demos has been rather reliable in his placekicking duties, going 19-of-20 on XPs and 9-of-10 on FGs (his only miss was blocked). Unfortunately, the effects of him handling all kicking duties may be starting to show themselves.

Demos is averaging just 35.1 yards per punt and has placed only 10-of-31 punts inside the opponents' 20 yard line. Northwestern's net punting is 32.5 yards per punt, putting them at 107th nationally.

Kickoffs aren't much better, as he's averaging 61.3 yards per kick and has just one touchback on the year, and NU's kickoff return defense is a middle-of-the-pack 20.7 yards per kickoff allowed.

Although the 'Cats have prevented any big returns so far this year, they aren't exactly sticking opponents deep in their own end, which hasn't exactly helped NU's defensive cause.

Indiana has two dangerous kick/punt returners in Fisher and Doss: Fisher is averaging almost 34 yards per kick return and already has a touchdown return this year, while Doss is averaging 21.4 yards per return.

Overall, the Hoosiers are 24th nationally in kick returns, an area that NU must focus on containing, especially since opponents have been close to breaking a few against NU this year.

Indiana's kicker, Nick Freeland, is perfect on 18 XP tries but is just 11-of-17 on field goals with four of his misses coming on kicks under 40 yards.

Although Northwestern's return game has been lacking (to say the least), they'll have an opportunity in this game to get something going. IU is one spot worse than NU in net punting nationally and is 95th on kick return defense, allowing 23.5 yards per kickoff.

NU kick returner, Jeravin Matthews, had a nice 28-yard return last week (after muffing a kickoff) and has the speed to break one if he can get a hole. He may get his chance this week.

This game may very well be decided by a special teams play, and with both teams having their own respective deficiencies in this phase, there's definitely the chance of a big play from either side.

Miscellaneous Notes

NU Third Down Conversions

Northwestern is still doing very well converting its third downs as the 'Cats are seventh nationally in percentage (50.9 percent) and tied for first in total number of conversions (59). 

Indiana, meanwhile, is near the bottom in third down conversion defense (84th), allowing a 41.6 percent conversion rate. That bodes well for the Wildcats building long drives, which is essential given the type of spread offense that NU runs.

Red Zone Offense

NU is officially 25th in red zone offense (88 percent scoring rate), but discounting a late drive against Towson where NU was intentionally running down the clock and didn't want to score, the 'Cats have gone 23-of-25 on the year (92 percent) with 16 TDs.

Indiana has been a little less successful, with an 83 percent scoring rate (61st nationally) and 11 TDs in 24 total trips.

Red Zone Defense

Both teams have had success stopping teams from scoring in the red zone; NU is 17th nationally, allowing just a 73 percent scoring rate, while IU is an impressive fifth nationally, allowing a 67 percent rate. Both teams have allowed just 13 red zone TDs all season.

Turnovers

NU and IU have both had success generating takeaways, with NU seventh nationally with 18 on the year, while Indiana is 23rd with 15.

Both teams have positive turnover margins on the season.

Northwestern is 3-0 on the year when winning the turnover battle and 1-3 when losing the battle. 

IU, meanwhile, is 3-1 when generating a positive turnover margin and 1-2 when falling on the negative side. 

It's clear that the winner of the turnover battle will put themselves in a position to win the game.

Injury Report

Northwestern

RB Alex Daniel (ankle, out for season), OL Mike Boyle (back, doubtful), DT Jack DiNardo (shoulder, questionable), LB Bryce McNaul (leg, doubtful), CB Justan Vaughn (leg, questionable), LB Ben Johnson (hamstring, questionable), S Brendan Smith (hand, doutbful), DE Corey Wootton (ankle, probable), S Brad Phillips (shoulder, questionable).

The season is continuing to take its toll on the 'Cats. Wootton was limited against MSU and although he's progressing, he hasn't looked anywhere close to last year's performance. 

Smith is out with a hand injury (he doesn't appear on this week's depth chart), while fellow safety Phillips is "day-to-day" after a shoulder injury at MSU (he had offseason shoulder surgery, it's unknown if it's that same shoulder).

Johnson and Vaughn appear on the depth chart as "or" backups, meaning that they may be close to returning.

The key to this game, though, is a solid secondary, and that's tough to do with less experienced guys in the defensive backfield. Hopefully, Phillips can make it onto the field Saturday because otherwise, redshirt freshman Jared Carpenter will be thrown into the fire again.

Indiana

DE Darius Johnson (shoulder, doubtful), DE Fred Jones (foot, doubtful), LB Leon Beckum (ankle, doubtful), DT Jarrod Smith (back, doubtful), CB Chris Adkins (elbow, doubtful), RB Zach Davis-Walker (foot, doubtful), OL Pete Saxon (ankle, questionable).

Indiana is also a bit banged up on defense, but has mostly lost depth and not necessarily the big playmakers.

Northwestern can take advantage, though, by going on long, sustained drives that can help wear down a D that doesn't have as many guys to rotate in as they would like.

Prediction: Northwestern 30, Indiana 28

Expect yet another close matchup between these two teams in a game that will likely be decided on a big "swing" play (e.g. turnover or long special teams return). 

The 'Cats' D has been rather successful creating big plays as of late and can likely do just enough to put NU over the top.

NU fans know not to be too confident, though, as one only has to look to last year's game to see what can happen even coming into the game as a significant favorite. 

This game will be hard-fought and hopefully the 'Cats are the ones who can get within one win of bowl eligibility and secure their third consecutive homecoming win.


Go 'Cats!

There is a lot on the line this weekend.

Indiana looks to break their three game losing streak, while Illinois looks to get themselves back into bowl contention, or at least save their season.

Both teams have not performed up to expectation this year, with Indiana being 3-3 now, when most people thought they should be 4-2, and Illinois being 1-4; their only win coming at home vs Illinois St.

The Hoosiers need a big performance tonight. It is homecoming weekend in Bloomington, and the game is a night game, at 7 PM and will be televised on the Big Ten Network. This is IU's chance to show the nation they still have some fight in them.

At the same time, Illinois needs to find its identity, with both QB's, senior Juice Williams and junior Eddie McGee struggling, they need a win to avoid making last year's success of making it to the Rose Bowl a fluke. Juice Williams has been in poor form this season, but McGee has been no better.

If the Hoosiers want to win, they need to:

1. Get the running game going- In the past two games, which were blowout defeats, the Hoosiers have run for only 118 yards and one touchdown. They must do better this week to compliment the passing game.

2. Pressure the opposing QB, but keep him in the pocket- IU has a tough test again, where they will probably see their third running QB in a row, in senior Juice Williams. Indiana must do a better job at getting to the QB,making sure he is contained within the pocket so he can't run for forward yardage.

3. Ben Chappell must use his receivers- All too often we see four wide receivers line-up for the Hoosiers, and Chappell just looks one way, usually at Doss. He needs to look around to fool the safeties, and to avoid another day of interceptions.

The Hoosiers' and Illini's seasons are on the line tonight, so this should make for a great game.

My Prediction

Indiana wins 24-21

On Friday afternoon, the Indiana Hoosiers traveled to Charlottesville to prepare for their Saturday afternoon match-up with the Virginia Cavaliers.

However, the team never showed up to play.

Indiana was steamrolled from Virginia's first possession, which came after a catch and fumble by junior WR Terrence Turner, which was returned 32 yards to the Indiana 38-yard line.

Four plays and 38 yards later, Virginia scored its first seven points—the rout was on.

The Hoosiers lacked just about everything you expect from a team. They were out-hustled, out-tackled, out-smarted, and just about outdone in every aspect of the game.

Indiana's defense, which includes two of the most feared defensive ends in the country in seniors Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton, struggled to get to the quarterback, and struggled to stop the run and the pass. They were expected to make a big difference, but the nation's third-worst offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage all day.

The defense allowed Virginia to gain 536 yards of total offense—including nine plays of 20 yards or more—and three plays of 30 yards or more.

And the Hoosier offense was no better, with only 16 first downs in the game, 82 rushing yards, and only making the red-zone for the first time with 8:24 left in the fourth Quarter.

Here are some things to ponder:

1. Why were the Indiana defensive backs playing 10 yards off the line of scrimmage? The Cavalier WRs had plenty of time to get a running start and plenty of space to catch the ball.

2. Why weren't the Hoosier WRs getting open for Ben Chappell to pass to?

3. Why was Ben Chappell not looking at all his receivers? Instead, he kept his head turned one way the whole time after the ball has been snapped.

4. Why is the Hoosier running game so ineffective without Darius Willis?

Hopefully the Hoosiers will answer these questions next week, when they take on the 1-4 Illinois Fighting Illini in the homecoming game.

The Hoosiers are playing some very good football almost halfway through the year, and if you ask me that's reason to get excited. I've watched Indiana teams through the past few years and I have to say these last few years they've been about as good as any team in a long while. 

The even better news is that Ben Chappell is the leader of this team and he'll be back next year. The best news of all is this team is young in many key positions.

In positions like running back they have, Darius Willis averaging over 5.4 yards per carry and he's leading the team in rushing. And, oh yeah, he's a freshman. Tandon Doss, by far their leading receiver, has 470 receiving yards already. Plus he's run for over 60 yards with a 10.0+ average, and he's only a sophomore. Damarlo Belcher, Doss' partner in crime, has the second most receiving yards, and just like Doss he is a sophomore.

They do have 19 seniors and that may seem like a lot, but when you think about how many of them start, you realize they don't lose a lot except for some leadership and experience. But they are definitely not the most talented class of the bunch.

Three of the most important seniors on the list aren't even one or two on the depth chart if that says anything about the youth and talent on this team.

They do lose three offensive linemen from the bunch, but how many of them start I'm not sure. There's five linemen alone in the junior class all waiting for their turn anyways. 

The Hoosiers are now starting Big Ten play and yes they are 0-2, but that doesn't tell the whole story. They played my beloved Michigan team for their first Big Ten game, and Michigan had written them off for the most part thinking this was another typical Indiana team. 

Indiana proved them wrong though and anyone who watched that game should be able to tell Indiana is playing some good football. Their second Big Ten opponent happened to be the number one Big Ten team, and I figured once again they would get crushed. 

They did lose by a pretty significant number, but again that doesn't tell the whole story. I was really impressed with Indiana for about half that game, they played some tough ball, but the big boys from Ohio were just a bit too much for them.

The good news is Ohio State is supposed to beat them, they're supposed to beat everyone and Indiana played a respectable game against them and showed some great stuff. Right now Indiana is ninth in the Big Ten, but don't expect them to finish there. 

They could get wins at Illinois, Northwestern, Iowa, and Purdue and don't count them out against an overrated Penn State team. I'm not sure exactly how tough Virginia is, but if the Hoosiers continue to play like they have, anything's possible. 

Here's to the next few years off good Indiana football.