NCAAF · 6 hours ago

Week 4 Primer: No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers vs. Northwestern Wildcats

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

What: #5 Indiana Hoosiers (3-0) vs. Northwestern Wildcats (2-0)

When: Friday, September 25 at 8:00 pm

Where: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN

How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on FOX and can be heard on the IU Radio Network.

Local Watch Party Information: Check out the Hoosier Game Day App

Spread and Total: IU -20.5 | Total of 49.5

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Series History: The Hoosiers and Wildcats have played 84 times but the matchups have been sporadic since conference expansion. Since 2012, IU and Northwestern have only met three times with the Wildcats winning in 2016 and IU winning decisively in both 2019 and 2024.

What’s at Stake: The Northwestern Wildcats are riding high after a blowout victory over the Colorado Buffaloes that moves them to 2-0. David Braun’s team is opening a sparkling new stadium next week against Penn State and a road victory over the reigning National Champions would vault the Wildcats well into the Top 25. The Hoosiers have cruised in each of their three season-opening wins but the “exhibition” games are now over. As IU aims to return to the College Football National Championship, avoiding an upset at home is of paramount importance. Curt Cignetti has turned Memorial Stadium into a fortress: he is 18-0 at home. The average score of those games? 48-9.

A Few Things to Look For

Pressuring Aiden Chiles

The Northwestern Wildcats present a challenge for IU’s defense. While Bryant Haines’ defense has not surrendered a single point in the past nine quarters, the pessimistic side of the fan base is finding plenty to criticize. Enter new Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and former Michigan State quarterback Aiden Chiles. Chiles is off to a great start in the new offense. He’s taking care of the ball and distributing it quickly to skill players. As is always the case with Kelly’s attack, the touches are spread around. Griffin Wilde has eight catches and is, by far, the best pass-catcher but there are 17 players with at least one catch or carry through two games. Throughout his career, Chiles has struggled with consistent pressure and it will be very interesting to see if Bryant Haines dials up more stunts and schemes to make the Northwestern quarterback uncomfortable under the lights.

Does IU’s Offense Rev the Engine?

Northwestern’s defensive numbers look just fine through two games but they only outgained Colorado and South Dakota State by an average of 70 yards per game and looked susceptible through the air and on the ground. Colorado ran for 5.5 yards per rush and South Dakota State threw for 287 yards and ran for 147. In short, there are holes for Indiana to exploit. Josh Hoover has been mostly sharp but it’s fair to say that a few missed opportunities are standing out as potential issues moving forward. Whether it’s misrun routes by the receivers, sloppy footwork from Josh Hoover or just poorly thrown passes, Indiana’s passing attack hasn’t quite clicked into full throttle yet. In addition, IU has not utilized the quarterback run game at all and the full playbook definitely has not been shown. Will Curt Cignetti and Mike Shanahan open the garage and really see what Ferrari-like wideouts Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh can do?

Taking Care of the Ball

Northwestern deserves credit for four takeaways from Colorado and Indiana will need to be alert for more of the same. In big games, winning the turnover battle is something every head coach emphasizes. Curt Cignetti is certainly no different. The Hoosiers have been excellent on that front for all of Cignetti’s tenure and if they can avoid helping the Wildcats with turnovers or fourth down issues (Colorado was also 0-3 on fourth down), they should have opportunities to put up a lot of points and run away from the visitors from Evanston.