BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana's 3-0 start has been impressive, especially considering who it's come against, ending long and painful streaks against bullies like Penn State and Michigan.
But now the Hoosiers hit the road again, taking on a Michigan State team that's had their number lately, too. Indiana might be a touchdown favorite, but getting past the 1-2 Spartans is no given. The Hoosiers will need to play well to come home with a fourth-straight victory to start the season.
Here are three things I want to see from the Hoosiers this weekend.
1. Keep forcing turnovers
Indiana has forced eight turnovers in its first three games, and they've all been timely. It's also helped that the offfense has done a nice job of turning them into points, too. And it's on the top of my list for a reason, because the Spartans are a turnover-prone team that struggles to bounce back from their mistakes.
In Michigan State's surprising season-opening loss at home against Rutgers, the Spartans turned the ball over seven times. And in last week's ugly 49-7 loss to a suddenly improving Iowa team, MSU quarterback Rocky Lombardi threw three interceptions. The Spartans' offense just isn't very good, so forcing mistakes early would give Indiana a huge edge. Indiana defensive back Jaylin Williams has an interception in all three games so are, so can he keep that streak going/
2. Pass to set up the run
Indiana offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan dialed up the perfect game plan in last week's win over Michigan, throwing the ball early and often to loosen up the Wolverines defense. That's the perfect elixir for attacking Michigan State's defense, as well.
It's tough to run right at Michigan State, so making them cover from sideline to sideline should provide the opportunity for explosive plays. Senior wide receiver Whop Philyor had 11 catches last week, and had 14 catches for 142 yards and two scores last year in East Lansing. It's unlikely we'll see the same looks from the Spartans under first-year coach Mel Tucker, but getting them moving in different directions will be big. That will keep eight guys out of the box and opening things up for Stevie Scott and Sampson James in the running game. They closed out last week's win with a punishing running game, and seeing more of that on Saturday would be great.
3. Staying focused for 60 minutes
Some people have wondered if No. 10-ranked Indiana might be looking ahead to its huge showdown with No. 2 Ohio State next week, but I don't think that's really a problem. Indiana has always been good at focusing on the game at hand, and they've had enough failure against Michigan State to want to dole out some pain to them, too.
Michael Penix Jr. is 8-1 all-time as a starting quarterback at Indiana, and his only loss came in East Lansing a year ago. They'll be ready, but what I want to see is if the Hoosiers get off to a good start, that they keep the pedal to the metal. Michigan State might be starting to question themselves after last week's blowout, so getting them down – and keeping them down – will be good.
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November 14, 2020 at 07:32PM
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3 Things I Want to See from Indiana Against Michigan State - Sports Illustrated
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