So Indiana travels to Western Kentucky on Saturday to play a football team that has lost like 22 straight games. It is 0-2 this season. It has scored a total of 38 points, allowed 112 points.
It is, by all appearances, the biggest sure thing on Indiana’s schedule.
And yet, the Hilltoppers have gone to Nebraska, a top-10 team and to Kentucky, a decent team. They are, if nothing else, battled tested.
Does this scare you?
Now Western Kentucky returns home to face Indiana with a not-so-secret weapon: tailback Bobby Rainey. He has rushed for 339 yards and has scored three touchdowns. He burned what last year was a very good Nebraska defense for 155 yards. He added 184 more against Kentucky.
Rainey is not the biggest guy in the world at 5-8, 196 pounds, but that doesn’t matter. He ranks fourth in the country in rushing behind Michigan’s Denard Robinson (227.5 yards a game), Oklahoma State’s Kendal Hunter (207) and Kansas State’s Daniel Thomas (185.5).
Indiana is not typically good against the run. It struggled in that area against Towson in the opener, mostly because it could not contain quarterback Chris Hart.
The good news is that the Western Kentucky quarterback Kawaun Jakes is not a prolific runner. In fact, in two games he’s gained a total of two yards. That’s not a typo. He averages two/tenths of a yard a carry.
Does this scare you?
Of course it doesn’t. Jakes puts up decent passing numbers (20-for-37, 217 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions), but he reminds no one of Peyton Manning.
IU’s defensive game plan seems simple enough –- load up against the run, force the Hilltoppers to throw and life is good.
Will it work?
We’ll find out Saturday.
Does this game scare me? NO its really very simple.
ReplyDeleteIf IU loses to Western Kentucky then we know absolutely positively that IU sucks and we can save ourselves some grief and forget watching the rest of this season.
The sadder truth is - we can win big and still suck!
We are not being tested here- hopefully we have a good team and will have a winning Big Ten season- soon we will know.
Yes the Hilltoppers have gone to Nebraska and Kentucky-- Big Deal are we supposed to give them credit for finding their stadiums? In each case it wasn't long before they wished they hadn't....
ReplyDelete