The Indiana Hoosiers find themselves as three-touchdown favorites over the Minnesota Golden Gophers for Saturday's Week 9 matchup. But that doesn't mean anything is guaranteed.
The Hoosiers have shown plenty of vulnerabilities over the last few weeks, and Minnesota is a solid team. If Indiana wants to improve to 8-1 with a win, the Cream and Crimson need to put forth a solid all-around effort. That formula starts with these three things:
Make Drake Lindsey beat you through the air
The Minnesota passing game is not explosive, and hasn't been able to consistently move the ball down the field. Specifically, the Golden Gophers rank 13th in the Big Ten by averaging 222.3 passing yards per game. QB Drake Lindsey is completing 63.5% of his passes for 1,472 yards, but his touchdown to interception ratio of 9:6 is less than ideal.
Lindsey has shown flashes of accuracy, but his overall production suggests the Minnesota passing game still has plenty of room for improvement. If the Indiana defense can win the battle at the line of scrimmage, limit Minnesota's rushing attack, and force Lindsey into obvious passing downs, the Hoosiers should be in good shape.
Give Charlie Becker 10+ targets
Josh Hoover and the Indiana passing games has had its own share of struggles over the last few weeks. Hoover threw for just 81 yards last week against Michigan, while also throwing his first interception of the season. The week prior, Hoover completed just 50% of his passes against Ohio State, and also had trouble with Nebraska and Northwestern earlier in conference play. The formula for getting back on track through the air relies heavily on Charlie Becker.
In big games, you need to lean on your best. Becker is about as good as it gets, and he has proven to be a reliable threat all season long. In total, Becker has collected 42 catches for 726 yards and 8 touchdowns. Minnesota's secondary has been solid, but it's clear that if Indiana wants to win, Becker need to be involved early and often. Getting him double-digit targets gives him plenty of chances to make game-breaking plays.
Avoid fatigue that comes with playing 9 straight games
Indiana is playing its ninth game in as many weeks. The Hoosiers have yet to enjoy a bye week, while the Golden Gophers had a bye two weeks ago prior to facing Iowa. That could mean that Minnesota is a bit fresher than Indiana, which could turn into a noteworthy advantage in this matchup. While Curt Cignetti's team is relatively healthy, it's possible that some fatigue is setting in.
To make matters worse, the Hoosiers have endured a tough stretch in recent weeks that includes a trip to Nebraska, a home matchup against Ohio State, and a road tilt against an extremely physical Michigan team that went to overtime. Cignetti has shown that he has an effective formula in place for getting the most out of his players in the biggest moments, but there's no denying that playing nine games in nine weeks presents some challenges. The Hoosiers must dig deep.
Add us as a preferred source on Google