No. 6/5 IU football won their Big Ten opener last Friday with a 29-23 home victory over Northwestern. The Hoosiers are now 4-0 on the season.
This is the third consecutive year Indiana has started 4-0 under head coach Curt Cignetti. IU has now won each of their last 19 games at Memorial Stadium, the longest streak in the country.
On Saturday, the Hoosiers will head on the road for the first time in 2026, as they travel to Piscataway, New Jersey, to take on the 1-3 Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern and will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Here are some notes, numbers and key matchups to know before the game kicks off at SHI Stadium.
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NOTES
- The all-time series between Indiana and Rutgers is tied at 5-5. The Scarlet Knights have won three consecutive matchups, including a 31-14 victory at Memorial Stadium in 2023, the most recent bout between the two teams. IU hasn’t won in Piscataway since 2020.
- Saturday’s matchup will be the first time Cignetti has coached against Rutgers as IU head coach. Minnesota and USC are the only other Big Ten teams Cignetti has yet to face since arriving in Bloomington prior to the 2024 season.
- Indiana will head on the road for the first of just four times this season. The Hoosiers will have three away contests in October alone, heading to Nebraska on Oct. 10 and Michigan on Oct. 24. IU will also head to Washington in late-November. Under Cignetti, Indiana has an 8-1 record in road contests.
- This will the the second straight night game for the Hoosiers, as their Friday night contest vs. Northwestern last week also kicked off at 8 p.m. Eastern.
- IU’s win over Northwestern marked Cignetti’s 150th win as a head coach across four different programs (IUP, Elon, James Madison, Indiana).
- Indiana recorded their first defensive safety in four years against Northwestern to open the scoring, the first defensive safety in the Cignetti era..
NUMBERS
- 20 – Indiana’s 20-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the nation. It’s also the longest winning streak in the Big Ten since Ohio State won 23 straight between 2013 and 2014.
- 27 – Nick Marsh has recorded a reception in 27 consecutive games, the seventh longest streak in the FBS. Marsh has also caught a touchdown in three of IU’s first four games.
- 31 – The Hoosiers have won 31 matchups across the past three seasons (2024-2026), the most wins in a three-year span in program history.
- 100 – Rutgers’ 58-7 win over Howard marked head coach Greg Schiano’s 100th win as Rutgers head coach. Schiano is currently in his second stint with the Scarlet Knights, having previously coached them from 2001-2011.
- 168 – IU placekicker Nico Radicic has now made 168 consecutive extra point attempts, the longest streak in program history. It’s also the second longest streak in Big Ten history, only behind Ohio State’s Sean Nuernberger, who made 216 consecutive extra points between 2014 and 2018.
- 203 – Lee Beebe’s 203 rushing yards against Northwestern marked the first 200-yard single-game rusher under Cignetti. It was the first time since 2018 that a Hoosier rushed for 200 yards in a game, when Stevie Scott rushed for 204 yards against Virginia.
KEY MATCHUPS
- KJ Duff vs. Indiana secondary – The 6-foot-6, 225 pound wide receiver has been terrorizing opposing defenses, having 29 receptions for 550 yards and seven touchdowns through four games. The IU secondary is coming off a lackluster performance vs. Northwestern, surrendering 293 yards through the air. The Hoosiers will be tested throughout the night against the junior, who has the potential to be a high draft pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
- IU running backs vs. Rutgers’ front seven – The Hoosiers, as usual under Cignetti, have fueled a dynamic rushing game, averaging 233.5 yards per game through four weeks. Meanwhile, Rutgers has struggled to defend the run, allowing 166.8 yards on the ground per game. If Indiana is able to win the line of scrimmage, it will be a long night for Rutgers’ defense. But the Hoosiers have a slew of injuries at running back.
- QB Dylan Lonergan vs. IU defense – Turnovers have been a massive problem for Rutgers this season. After committing just 11 all of last season, the Scarlet Knights have already turned it over 10 times this season. In three games played, Lonergan has thrown five interceptions, tied for tops in the country.
- Josh Hoover vs. Rutgers’ zone defense – On the contrary, Hoover has not thrown a single interception on the season. However, he and IU’s offense are going up against an opportunistic Rutgers defense that has forced six takeaways on the season. In addition, Rutgers’ zone scheme will create a challenge for Hoover to create big plays through the air, specifically downfield shots to Charlie Becker.
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