Inside the Matchup: Discussing the Hoosiers' Magical 7-0 Run Ahead of College GameDay Showdown
Previewing the Washington Huskies vs. Indiana Hoosiers matchup as College GameDay heads to Bloomington for Indiana’s undefeated season under coach Curt Cignetti.
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The Washington Huskies are set for a pivotal showdown as they head to Bloomington, Indiana, to take on the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers this Saturday.
In what’s shaping up to be a season-defining moment for both teams, the Hoosiers find themselves at 7-0, ranked No. 13, and hosting College GameDay.
To get an insider's perspective on Indiana’s remarkable run, I spoke with Alec Lasley of Hoosier Illustrated. We discussed Indiana’s rise under head coach Curt Cignetti, the keys to their success, and what to expect when they face the Huskies this weekend.
KC: The Hoosiers were picked to finish second-to-last in the Big Ten by the media, yet Indiana now finds itself 7-0, ranked No. 13, and hosting College Gameday in Bloomington this weekend. What has it been like to cover this team this season?
AL: It’s been amazing to cover Indiana this year. Not only is there excitement from the local fan base, the national level of excitement and intrigue has exploded. It’s a vast difference from the last few years, or really any year of recent memory.
KC: What are your impressions of Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti?
AL: Curt Cignetti changed the culture on day one and brought a swag and confidence that nearly everyone on the team and around the program has taken on. His ability to keep his system and scheme intact and consistent from day to day is what has taken this program to another level. He has won at every stop and there were some questions as to if that would translate. It clearly has and he’s done more than expected at such an early stage of his tenure.
KC: In a nutshell, what have been the keys to this team's success on offense and defense?
AL: Offensively, it’s been the play of Kurtis Rourke. He’s clearly one of the top quarterbacks in the country and has shown a terrific ability to be explosive down the field while also limiting major turnovers. But, the rushing attack has been just as good — and sometimes part of the team that flies under the radar. IU takes early leads, applies more pressure through the air and then finishes teams off on the ground. Overall, there is so much talent, depth and versatility that the opposing defenses continue to get stretched thin and beaten down by the fourth quarter. Don’t underestimate the offensive line this year, which has seen a tremendous jump from a season ago.
Defensively it’s about the front seven. Getting pressure on the quarterback and in the backfield is critical to a team’s success. After questions about that unit heading into the season, it’s clear that it is the strength of the team. Whether it’s TFL’s, limiting broken tackles or just getting to the QB, it has helped out this secondary so much by forcing the offense to react instead of being proactive.
KC: How much does it hurt Indiana to not have its starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke for Saturday's game?
AL: Yeah, without Rourke, the offense will likely look a bit different. But, the system that Indiana has in place is the real problem for opposing defenses. OC Mike Shanahan and QB coach Tino Sunseri have done a phenomenal job at mixing play calls and bringing a lot of versatility to each call.
Rourke wasn’t much of a runner, so bringing a more athletic QB in Tayven Jackson will be interesting when it comes to RPOs and play-action — two major points of emphasis for this offense. He’s been a bit loose with the ball and decision-making throughout his young career, but this year he’s thrown for 225 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions — while completing 66.7 percent of his passes.
I think they’ll rely a bit more on the run at first to open up the passing game — the reverse of what they typically do. But, this team has the utmost confidence in Jackson under center.
KC: If you were game planning against Indiana, what would be your focus on stopping Indiana's offense?
AL: The focus would be to try to limit the explosive plays. That’s so difficult but Indiana can strike at will and do it often. The defenses that have limited big plays down the field have slowed down this offense at times. I don’t think you’ll be able to do it every time on the field, but if you can force some of these big plays back and maybe limit IU to a few field goals, things could get interesting.
KC: What are the keys for Indiana to keep its dream season alive and get a win over Washington?
AL: Keep doing what it has been doing — focus on one game and one play at a time. This group has been so in the moment the entire year that nothing has really phased them. Making sure Tayven Jackson doesn’t feel like he needs to ‘win’ the game and can more or less be a game manager — that’ll be critical. But as long as IU sticks to their gameplan, I think they’ll be too hard to stop.
KC: What's your prediction?
AL: College GameDay, all eyes on Indiana. I think they’re too much for Washington. I’ll go 35-14. I do think it’ll be close for a while and into the second half, but there is too much talent and firepower on Indiana.
You can follow Alec Lasley’s coverage of Indiana on X (@allasley) and at Hoosier Illustrated.
I’m not convinced Indiana is for real. What’s their best win, Maryland? Nebraska? Still, all you can do is play whoever is on your schedule. It would be fun to see the Hoosiers crash the playoffs.
Indiana is not going to cook with Rourke out. Sorry, it’s just not going to happen. That 7-0 record is a mirage. UW is going to be their hardest opponent yet, we are getting healthy and coming off a bye.