No. 4 IU football escaped Ann Arbor last Saturday with a 13-6 overtime victory over Michigan. The victory improved the Hoosiers record to 7-1 on the season.
Curt Cignetti is now 34-3 as Indiana head coach, including a 23-2 record versus Big Ten opponents.
The Hoosiers will return to Bloomington on Saturday to face Minnesota, a team fresh off a top-15 win over Iowa. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 Eastern and will be televised on CBS.
Here are some notes, numbers and key matchups to know before the game kicks off at Memorial Stadium.
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NOTES
- Minnesota leads the all time series over Indiana, 40-26-3. The Gophers have won each of the last four matchups, including a 35-21 victory over IU at Memorial Stadium in 2021, the most recent time these two teams have met. IU hasn’t beaten Minnesota since 2007, a 40-20 victory for the Hoosiers in Bloomington.
- ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be live from Showalter Fountain on Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., the third time in history that the show will be live from Bloomington. Two of the three have occurred under Cignetti, as the show was on-site for IU vs. Washington in 2024.
- Saturday’s contest will be Cignetti’s first game ever against Minnesota. The IU head coach has a win against every Big Ten opponent he’s gone up against. Minnesota is one of two teams in the conference Cignetti has yet to face, with USC being the other.
- IU defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi has set a program record by recording a sack in seven consecutive games. The previous record was six, held by a trio of Hoosiers. The Kansas State transfer has been the anchor of the defensive front this season.
- Under Cignetti, IU football has mastered the art of winning close games. Saturday’s seven point win over Michigan moved the Hoosiers’ record to 8-1 in one-score games with Cignetti at the helm, including a 3-1 record in one-possession contests this season.
- For the first time since November of 2024, CBS will broadcast an IU football game in Bloomington. The last time CBS was in town, the Hoosiers defeated Michigan 20-15 to complete the first ever 10-0 start in program history.
NUMBERS
- 10.0 – IU’s defense had 11.0 tackles for loss against Michigan, the second time this season Bryant Haines’ unit has had double-digit tackles for loss. Under Haines, the Hoosiers have had 10.0 or more tackles for loss nine times.
- 11 – Safety Amare Ferrell’s interception against Michigan gave him 11 for his career, placing Ferrell in a tie for third all time in program history in total picks.
- 12 – Minnesota is tied for second in the Big Ten with 12 takeaways this season, only behind UCLA. The Gophers have racked up seven interceptions and five fumble recoveries.
- 31 – Nick Marsh has caught a pass in 31 consecutive games, one of the longest active streaks in the nation. The Michigan State transfer has never failed to catch a pass in a collegiate appearance.
- 100 – Since 2024, the Hoosiers have held their opponent to fewer than 100 yards on the ground 27 times, the most in the country over that span. Michigan rushed for just 57 yards against IU last week, averaging 1.4 yards per carry.
KEY MATCHUPS
- IU pass rush vs. Minnesota offensive line – Indiana leads the Big Ten with 28 team sacks, which ranks fifth nationally. Tobi Osunsanmi is second in the FBS with nine sacks. The Gopher offensive line has been excellent in pass protection, only allowing seven sacks on the season. However, with Minnesota significantly banged up on the line, they will have their work cut out for them against a stout IU front.
- Josh Hoover vs. Gopher secondary – Minnesota is coming off a defensive masterclass in a 13-10 victory over Iowa. The Gophers had three interceptions on the day, helping them escape with a top-15 upset. Hoover threw his first interception as a Hoosier against Michigan. The IU signal-caller will need to be take care of the football on Saturday.
- Drake Lindsey vs. IU pass defense – Minnesota ranks last in rushing offense in the Big Ten, while IU ranks first. That means that the Gopher signal-caller will be called on to make big-time plays throughout the matchup. Since the return of corner A.J. Harris earlier this month, the Hoosier secondary has rounded into form.
- Gophers vs. crowd noise – Another sellout crowd is expected in Bloomington on Saturday. Minnesota’s two road games up to this point have come against Washington and Purdue, two unranked teams who are having shaky seasons. With “College GameDay” coming to town, and with the game being on Halloween, the Gophers should be prepared to deal with a raucous crowd .
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