Do the ‘Cats have what it takes to slow down the red-hot Hoosiers?
Week 4 was not one to remember for the Wildcats. Despite being underdogs going into the game, it was one of those games you just throw away.
After a much needed bye week, the ‘Cats finally get to play in front of a student section that has waited to see a game at the lakeside stadium. Indiana, on the other hand, is coming off their best start since 1967 and are ranked at No. 23 in the AP Poll. Coach Curt Cignetti has so far backed up his, “I win. Google me,” statement and is looking to continue that this week. Here are three things to watch for this week when the ‘Cats take on the Hoosiers:
Stopping the Indiana offense
One of the most shocking stories in the entire country is how well this Hoosiers team has been playing, especially on offense. Not only does Indiana have the second most yards-per-game in the Big Ten (only Ohio State has more), IU is also ninth in the country. The Hoosiers are tied for first in points-per-game in the Big Ten with Ohio State, which is good for third in the country. IU also has converted over 50% of their third down attempts. Indiana has had a balanced offensive attack averaging over 300 passing yards-per-game and over 200 rushing yards-per-game.
All of the stats say that this offense belongs in the top tier. Despite these outstanding numbers, Indiana haven’t really faced a good defense yet. At least the Hoosiers haven’t faced a defense like Northwestern. The best defense the Hoosiers have faced was Maryland, but including the Terrapins, all of their opponents are in the bottom-45 defenses in the country (this doesn’t include FCS Western Illinois who gave up 77 points to Indiana). The Wildcats defense has been a top-35 unit this season so far. Even with an abysmal showing against Washington, the ‘Cats defense, especially the front seven, was the one bright spot. The secondary still has some questions and there’s more to be desired, but it’s young guys who are learning from Coco Azema and Devin Turner. It’ll be interesting to see if the ‘Cats can shut down this high-powered Hoosiers offense and get the game into their favor. Whether that’s forcing a turnover, getting to quarterback Kurtis Rourke or the young guys in the secondary finally evolving thanks to the bye week, the defense is where Northwestern gives themselves the best shot to stay in this game.
Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke and the rest of the offense were clean when it came to giving the ball away. That changed against Maryland when Rourke threw two interceptions and fumbled once, along with a fumble from running back Kaelon Black. The ‘Cats are going to need to get past this strong Indiana offensive line that has only allowed six sacks this season. If Northwestern’s defense can get Rourke to turn the ball over, momentum may shift into its favor.
Northwestern’s offensive line
The Northwestern offensive line has an uphill battle ahead. Despite playing well through the first three weeks of the season, injuries started to hit the ‘Cats, especially in the trenches. The pass blocking was still fine — especially when compared to a season ago — as Lausch was only sacked twice against the Huskies. The rushing attack though didn’t succeed like it had in the first three weeks, but Cam Porter’s abscence was a big reason for that. The Huskies loaded the box against the ‘Cats, inviting Lausch to throw. This will likely be Indiana’s approach, as Lausch didn’t show much in terms of throwing the ball. The Hoosiers are also tied for eighth in the country in sacks with 17 as a team. With injuries on the Northwestern offensive line including center Jack Bailey likely being out for the year and Nick Herzog’s availability still up in the air, the ‘Cats will need to stay strong and protect their quarterback like they have so far this year. Giving up only three sacks on the season is a huge win for this Northwestern team, but they will need to overcome injuries and one of the better pass rushes in college football so far against Indiana.
Northwestern’s redzone offense
There’s no way to sugarcoat it. The Northwestern redzone offense against Washington was awful. That might even be too generous. Down 17-2 in the third quarter, the ‘Cats took a field goal on fourth-and-one from the Washington one yard line rather than going for the touchdown and possibly getting them back into the game. On their next offensive drive following a 96 yard kick return from Joseph Himon II, a penalty got the ‘Cats to first-and-goal from the one yardline. The score at this point was 24-5, and it stayed that way after Northwestern failed to get into the end zone yet again. If the ‘Cats turned those redzone opportunities into actual touchdowns, the game would’ve been different. It’ll definitely help if Cam Porter is back this week, but this offense should’ve been able to score a touchdown on at least one of their goal-to-go situations against the Huskies. Whether it’s sloppy play or play calling, leaving 14 points on the field like the ‘Cats did ended the game before it was even over.