Indiana Will Not Take Northwestern for Granted on Saturday

2024 has been very good to the Indiana Hoosiers so far but another test in front of the Indiana football team comes in the form of Northwestern and a trip to Northwestern Medical Field at Martin Stadium today at 3:30pm ET.

Indiana took down Maryland last weekend to take the Hoosiers to a 5-0 start, there best start since 1967.

“We haven’t been 5-0, evidently, for 57 years. That’s a pretty long time isn’t it?” head coach Curt Cignetti said. “This is a step in the right direction, but we have to keep improving as a team... We aren't finished. We can play better

Cignetti has surely been pleading with his Indiana players to take Northwestern seriously and not read the press clippings about how awful the Wildcats have been, particularly on offense.

That’s why players made a renewed call in the locker room to block out all the noise as they prepare for Northwestern. 

“We can't get lost in that,” Indiana tight end Zach Horton said. 

Indiana has actually lost nine straight games at Northwestern in Evanston but Northwestern is waiting on the completion of its new football stadium. The Wildcats are playing about half of their home games at Martin Stadium, the soccer and lacrosse facility right on Lake Michigan.

IU has to make sure to get off to a hot start and make sure that Northwestern doesn't stay in the game, get them early is the motto for the Hoosiers before they head into their bye week.

Indiana is led by Kurtis Rourke who leads the Big Ten with 11 touchdowns (in a three-way tie) and is second in passing yards with 1,372 yards and a 73.2 completion percentage through those five games.

Can Rourke and Cignetti get the win over Northwestern tonight?