Rutgers football game week opponent profile: Indiana
The Rutgers football team will ship off to Bloomington, Indiana, this Saturday for a Big Ten matchup against Indiana.
The Scarlet Knights (5-2, 2-2) should be fired up after an 18-point comeback win against Michigan State last weekend, leading them one step closer to a bowl game.
The Hoosiers (2-4, 0-3) are heading home for their Homecoming weekend after a 52-7 defeat against Michigan.
The Daily Targum sat down with beat writers from the Indiana Daily Student, Matt Press, Dalton James and Daniel Flick to discuss the upcoming game.
It has been a month of change for Indiana, given the recent firing of offensive coordinator Walt Bell. Quality control coach Rod Carey has since assumed the role and will be the offensive coordinator for the remainder of the season.
The Hoosiers made this decision after not finding much success on the offensive side of the ball.
Tayven Jackson has been the main starting quarterback for Indiana. Jackson has thrown for 914 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions this season. Brendan Sorsby has thrown for 294 yards and two touchdowns but no interceptions in his limited time on the field.
"I think with (Jackson) in particular, we've seen more of the short game being pretty efficient, and with Sorsby, he's been able to push it a little bit more," said Flick when discussing how the two quarterbacks have been playing.
Jaylin Lucas has been the starting running back since Josh Henderson was sidelined with an injury. Lucas' acceleration and athleticism helped the Hoosiers get their first win of the season over Indiana State. In that game, Lucas rushed for 88 yards on 10 carries and also ran for two touchdowns.
"The real presence in the backfield has been and will probably continue to be (Lucas)," Flick said regarding which player is expected to run the ball most. "He is, in my personal opinion, the most explosive player on the entire offense. Very versatile, all-American returner last year."
Rutgers' rushing defense ranks 33rd in the FBS. The Knights' halting defense allows only 115.9 rushing yards per game and will look to stifle Lucas and the rest of Indiana's rushing attack.
Cam Camper has been a dependable wide receiver for the Hoosiers. He averaged 12.4 yards per catch last year, making him a viable downfield option for Indiana when needed. This season, Donaven McCulley has an 11.2 yards per catch average against conference opponents and works well in tandem with Camper.
"I think (Camper) is always an option … He's got that prototypical size at the outside spot," Press added about players to look out for. "And (McCulley) is another name you want to watch. Kind of a bigger body, jump ball kind of receiver."
On the defensive side, the Hoosiers rank 89th in rushing defense and let up 157.5 rushing yards per game.
Aaron Casey and Lanell Carr Jr., though, are two linebackers who have starred on the defensive side. Both linebackers lead the team with three sacks each, and they also have a combined 65 total tackles this season.
"I think Indiana's defense has been so rough lately, and they've struggled to contain athletic quarterbacks, and (junior quarterback Gavin Wimsatt) is for sure an athletic quarterback," said Flick on his score prediction for this weekend's game. "I think that's relatively problematic, and I tend to think that Indiana's offense will probably not show any signs of life, so I'll go 28-10."
James similarly forecasted a loss for the Hoosiers, predicting a 27-14 final score. Press closed with his own take, also guessing a win for the Knights.
"I'll say 23-6," Press said. "I'm a little more pessimistic on the offense's outlook than some other people. But it's just pretty bleak, in my opinion. The quarterback situation is just an ongoing mess, and I don't really see why there would be any explosive plays at all from Indiana's offense."
Saturday's kickoff between Rutgers and Indiana is set for noon and can be watched on Fox Sports. The game can also be listened to on 88.7 WRSU FM.
For more updates on the Rutgers football team, follow @TargumSports on X.
