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    IU football game day: Rutgers at Indiana primer and prediction

    Mike SchumannBy IU Football 2 Comments
    Photo by Owen Graham

    The stakes are high on Saturday.

    Indiana has lost two straight games to Rutgers.  If that number moves to three, the mob will be at the Memorial Stadium gates with torches and pitchforks.

    But a win over the Scarlet Knights would at least provide a momentary reprieve, and keep IU’s slim bowl chances alive.

    Here’s everything you need to know for Indiana’s seventh game of the season.

    RUTGERS (5-2) at INDIANA (2-4)

    • Kickoff:  Noon Eastern, Saturday
    • Location:  Bloomington, Ind., Memorial Stadium (52,626; field turf)
    • Television: BTN — Connor Onion (pbp), Matt Millen (analyst), Elise Menaker (sideline)
    • Stream:  Fox Sports
    • Radio:  IU Football radio network
    • Odds:  Rutgers is a 6-point favorite
    • Weather at kickoff:  60 degrees, partly cloudy, wind 8 mph, 0% chance of precipitation.
    • Series:  Indiana leads 5-4
    • The Coaches:
      • Tom Allen is in his seventh year as the head coach at IU.  He holds a 32-44 record.
      • Greg Schiano is 85-91 in 15 seasons at Rutgers.

    IU Football Week Eight Coverage:

    TALE OF THE TAPE

    THE COMPLETE BIG TEN WEEK EIGHT SLATE

    Saturday, October 21, 2023 Football
    Away Home Time Location Links
    Penn State
    Ohio State
    12:00 P.M.
    		 Columbus, Ohio  TV: FOX Stats Radio: Penn State Sports Network
    Rutgers
    Indiana
    12:00 P.M.
    		 Bloomington, Ind.  TV: BTN Stats Radio: Indiana Sports Radio Network Video
    Wisconsin
    Illinois
    3:30 P.M.
    		 Champaign, Ill.  TV: FS1 Stats Radio: Badger Sports Network
    Minnesota
    Iowa
    3:30 P.M.
    		 Iowa City, Iowa  TV: NBC Stats Video
    Northwestern
    Nebraska
    3:30 P.M.
    		 Lincoln, Neb.  TV: Big Ten Network Stats Radio: WGN Radio 720 Video
    Michigan
    Michigan State
    7:30 P.M.
    		 East Lansing, MI  TV: NBC Stats Radio: Spartan Media Network Video

    RUTGERS RESULTS

    DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME/RESULT
    9/3/2023 Northwestern Piscataway, NJ W 24-7
    9/9/2023 Temple Piscataway, N.J. W 36-7
    9/16/2023 Virginia Tech Piscataway, N.J. W 35-16
    9/23/2023 at Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. L 7-31
    9/30/2023 Wagner Piscataway, N.J. W 52-3
    10/7/2023 at Wisconsin Madison, WI L 13-24
    10/14/2023 Michigan State Piscataway, N.J. W 27-24

    RUTGERS LEADERS

    Passing: Wimsatt (86-169, 1,095 yds, 7 TDs)
    Rushing: Monangai (120 att, 635 yds, 7 TDs)
    Receiving: Jackson (16 rec, 282 yds, 0 TD)
    All-Purpose: Monangai (658 yds)
    Tackles: Powell (50)
    Sacks: Bailey/Lewis (3.0)
    Interceptions: Five players (1)

    RUTGERS NOTES

    • Rutgers is 5-2 for the first time since 2014 and seeks to start 6-2, last achieved when beginning 7-1 in 2012.

    • Rutgers looks for its third win in Big Ten play to match the program high set in 2014, 2017 and 2020. The Scarlet Knights have never been 3-2 to start a Big Ten schedule.

    • Rutgers is outscoring opponents in the fourth quarter by a mark of 79-34.

    • Rutgers is 11-1 since 2020 when not committing a turnover in a game.

    • Rutgers leads the nation in kickoff returns (36.7), ranks fifth in passing defense (160.6), eighth in total defense (277.3), eighth in fumbles recovered (6), 12th in fewest sacks allowed (0.86), 12th in scoring defense (16.0), 14th in fewest penalties (4.29), 15th in red zone defense (0.70), 16th in fourth down conversions (0.73) and 26th in turnover margin (0.57, +4).

    PREDICTIONS

    Indiana is desperate, and that doesn’t always translate to success on the field.  But the Hoosiers score via all three phases and find a way in a tight one in Bloomington.

    TDH PREDICTION:  INDIANA 24  RUTGERS 23

    ESPN SP+ (Computer) Rutgers 29  Indiana 20

    ESPN FPI (Computer):  Rutgers has a 67.7 percent chance to win

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