Opponent View/Scouting Indiana

One team is playing for pride, while the other is playing for a likely College Football Playoff bid. That’s the scenario when Purdue (1-10 overall; 0-8 Big Ten) plays at Indiana (10-1; 7-1) on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

The Boilers find themselves as a 25.5-point underdog and riding a 10-game losing streak as they wade into Memorial Stadium to take on a Hoosier squad smarting from its first loss of 2024 when it fell 38-15 at Ohio State last week.

No doubt, IU will be motivated to close out the regular season by winning the Old Oaken Bucket for the first time since taking a double OT victory in Ross-Ade Stadium in 2019. Indiana’s last win in the series in Bloomington came in 2016, as Purdue has won three in a row overall in the series and five of the last six.

Don Fischer, the voice of Indiana athletics, breaks down the Hoosiers in advance of Purdue’s game in Bloomington.

GoldandBlack.com: What can we expect from the Indiana offense?

Fischer: Well, hopefully a lot more than what we saw this past Saturday. Obviously, they didn’t play very well against Ohio State, and one of the things that was concerning was the number of sacks that Kurtis Rourke had to take in that contest against the Buckeyes. But that was an anomaly, because throughout this season, they have kept Kurtis upright for almost every ball game and have had very few sacks throughout the season.

So, the offensive line obviously has to play better than it did vs. the Buckeyes. But, let’s face facts here: This is one of the best teams in the country that just beat IU. They have probably more talent than just about anybody else in the country, too. So, that was a factor.

But, I really think this offense will be much better on Saturday. Obviously, Purdue has had its problems this year. But, you know what? This is a Bucket game, and with the Bucket on the line, teams play differently.

So. this is going to be a challenge. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. I think Ryan Walters showed some emotion after their ball game against Michigan State and said his team hasn’t quit on him and he said those guys put their hard hats on every day and come to work and give a great effort. And I think this Purdue ball club will be ready to play Indiana.

So, I think Indiana is going to have to play some of its best football, especially early on. If they can take the game out of Purdue’s hands early, that’ll be a big difference-maker.

GoldandBlack.com: What can we expect from the Indiana defense?

Fischer: The defense has been one of the unsung heroes of this season for this IU football program. Everybody’s talked about the offense and the kind of numbers that they put up on the scoreboard on a consistent basis throughout the year.

I do think that this defense is a really good defense. I think they really get after people. I think they’re aggressive. They play fast, physical, relentless, as Coach Cignetti would tell you, and I think that’s their motto.

I think (DC) Bryant Haines does a great job of designing the defensive plays for this ball club. And I think the biggest thing about them is that they do get after people. They’re a very aggressive defense. Kane Wommack, when he was here back in 2020, had a similar defense, if you remember that particular season. Obviously, Indiana and Purdue didn’t meet that season because of COVID, but that defense was so much fun to watch, and this one does the exact same thing. They’re really aggressive, they’re fast. They’ve got guys on both edges that are really good and require double-teams most of the time. So, I think this defense will keep Purdue in check, I think they’ve got that kind of talent.

GoldandBlack.com: How do you see this game unfolding?

Fischer: I think the key is getting off to a fast start for both teams. If Purdue gets off to a fast start and has Indiana on its heels at the beginning, it might be a test. I think whichever team gets off to a fast start will probably dominate this football game.

No question, a fast start will boost the confidence of either team. So, I think the start of this ball game is going to be critical. I really do. I think it will factor into the whole mind-set of these two football teams.

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