Indiana (4-4) takes on Rutgers (2-6) Saturday at 11 a.m. The game will be broadcast on BTN.
Indiana’s chances of becoming bowl eligible became much greater after their win over Maryland on Saturday. Facing Rutgers next, it should almost be a given.
I will be sure not to spend the entire preview article dissing Rutgers, but they are flat out not a good football team. They have had a couple of solid performances like their conference contests vs. Iowa and Minnesota on the road, but there was a 3 game stretch in-between where they were outscored a combined 160-7.
Rutgers and Michigan State are the only two Big Ten teams who have yet to win a conference game. Looking at their schedule, I’m not so sure they are going to get it – facing Indiana, Michigan State, and then Penn State. Their best hope is against Michigan State, but they are still outclassed, despite having the same conference record.
It is a regrouping year for Rutgers. This is their first season under new coach Chris Ash, who previously worked on defenses for conference powerhouses Wisconsin and Ohio State. The program believes that he is the right man for the job, and few blame him for the results of the season, given the cards he was dealt with.
While Rutgers have enjoyed some recent success, reaching a bowl game 8 out of the last 11 years, they are traditionally not a football school. They belonged to the AAC and Big East divisions prior to joining the Big Ten, lacking the same type of competition they have been accustomed to the last few seasons.
At this point in the season, Rutgers are considered one of the worst teams in college football. Their offense is one-dimensional with the run, and even then, it is not very effective. While their rushing offense isn’t terrible, per say, at 70th in the nation, their passing offense is, which sits 5th from last. In total offense, which is measured by yards per game, they are the 2nd worst offense in the country, averaging just under 308 yards.
A lack of offense has hampered Rutgers all season long, and was extremely evident in games like their Ohio State and Michigan losses, where they were outscored 58-78 respectively. They recently ditched quarterback Chris Laviano in favor of junior Govanni Rescigno, who looked pretty good against Minnesota, racking up 220 yards and 3 touchdowns on the day.
What Rutgers do possess are a number of talented rushers. They may not have the highest yardage totals on the season, but they all contribute and are effective on their given days. They have 3 rushers with over 150 yards on the season, including their main back Robert Martin, Justin Goodwin, and Josh Hicks. Quarterback Rescigno is also more than capable of scrambling, who has already totaled over 100 rushing yards, including a 42 yarder he took to the house.
Despite Rutgers shortcomings, they have proved to give teams scares, like Minnesota and Iowa, and should not be taken lightly. Indiana has had problems in the past with underestimating opponents, such as Wake Forest and Northwestern, and it has come back to haunt them. Even though they just capped off a good win versus Maryland, let’s not forget that before that came a stretch of 3 straight losses, where their offense looked stagnant and predictable.
The Hoosiers will need to continue their offensive form to get the best of Rutgers. Their new style of feeding the hot hand has paid dividends, as they had 5 different players score rushing touchdowns on the day. It was the best their offense has looked arguably all season, and it was due to an unselfish style of play. Backup quarterback Zander Diamont got a fair share of the ball, and it will be interesting to see how much Kevin Wilson awards him for his admirable effort.
While this isn’t a game for Indiana to sleep on, realistically they should have no problem. The score will most likely remain tight for the first 3 quarters or so, as Indiana has a problem with getting their offense started early, but should close out the game with ease once they do.
Prediction: Indiana 31- Rutgers 17