No. 23 Indiana (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) at Northwestern (2-2, 0-1), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (BTN)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Indiana by 13½
Series record: Northwestern leads 47-35-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
For the Hoosiers, it’s already been a remarkable season. They’ve opened with five straight wins for just the third time in school history and are ranked for the first time since they were 17th in the 2021 preseason poll. Another win would make Indiana 6-0 for just the second time, joining the 1967 Rose Bowl team, and would make it the earliest the Hoosiers have been bowl-eligible since the NCAA established the six-win standard in 2010. Northwestern lost 24-5 at Washington two weeks ago in the Huskies’ conference debut. The Wildcats are seeking their first win over a power-conference team, with their wins over Miami (Ohio) and Eastern Illinois.
KEY MATCHUP
Hoosiers run defense vs. Northwestern runners. The Wildcats have traditionally relied heavily on a power-running game to balance whatever they get from the passing game. With the Big Ten’s 16th-ranked aerial attack, Northwestern needs the ground game to produce more than ever. But Indiana allows just 82 yards rushing per game (12th in FBS) and only 2.83 yards per carry (tied for 13th).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Indiana: LB Aidan Fisher. The third-year player followed coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana and all he’s done is turn heads. Fisher leads the league with 50 tackles — nobody else has more than 36 — and he had 12 more with a half-sack last week. His ability to wreck running games and harass quarterbacks seems ideally suited for this week’s game.
Northwestern: QB Jack Lausch: The Wildcats switched to Lausch after Mike Wright struggled through the first two games. And he hasn’t exactly been lighting it up. Lausch has completed just 48% of his passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
FACTS & FIGURES
Indiana is seeking its second 3-0 start in league play since 1989. The only other came in the COVID-19 pandemic season of 2020 when they started 4-0. … The Hoosiers have scored 31 points or more in every game this season. It’s the first time they’ve topped 30 in five consecutive games since 2000. …. Hoosiers QB Kurtis Rourke, a transfer from Ohio, is completing 73.2% of his throws with 1,372 yards, 11 TDs, two interceptions and five sacks. His favorite target has been WR Elijah Sarratt, who has 22 receptions, 378 and two scores. … Indiana has lost eight straight road games in the series. The Hoosiers’ last win in Evanston, Illinois, came in 1993.
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