Indiana Football: The Hoosiers look to regain the Old Oaken Bucket

Indiana needs to do these three things to beat Purdue on Saturday.

Bring the O: Is the offense as good as it was against Illinois? The short answer is no, they are not. That said, Purdue is 76th in college football in total defense. Indiana’s offense has looked better in the last couple of weeks. The three-headed running attack of Sorsby, Henderson, and Howland has yielded dividends.

Purdue’s defense has been leaky all season, and Indiana has the right combination offensively to take advantage.

Bring the D: Ironically, Indiana is right behind Purdue, ranked 77th in total defense. However, Indiana has played big against the best offenses on their schedule. Don’t let the result fool you: the Hoosiers played solid defense against Ohio State. They were salty against Penn State as well.

Indiana did not play well against Michigan or Illinois. However, the Hoosiers looked gassed against the Illini. Aaron Casey and company should be able to get on Hudson Card since the Boilermakers rank 70th in sacks allowed.

It’s the little things: Expect this to be a close game. Both teams are evenly matched with similar rosters. Often, when two teams are so even, the little things make all the difference. It might sound cliche, but IU has to win the turnover battle and keep the penalties to a minimum.

They want to stay ahead of the sticks on offense and keep the Boilermakers behind the sticks on defense.