IU will look to beat Northwestern for the first time since 2008 when the Hoosiers travel to Evanston, Illinois, to take on the Wildcats on Saturday in a matchup of .500 teams. IU enters the contest on the heels of two consecutive losses, and Northwestern has won two in a row.
IU Coach Kevin Wilson took time Monday to update the status of the program in a press conference.
Familiarity
The last time IU played Northwestern, in 2012, the Wildcats handed the Hoosiers a 44-29 road loss in what was Wilson’s second season at IU. The key pieces in the 2016 matchup will be different but not at all unfamiliar for the Hoosiers.
Wildcat running back Justin Jackson, who leads the Big Ten with 698 rushing yards, was recruited by the Hoosiers and, before committing to Northwestern, had received an offer from and unofficially visited IU.
“Very, very proven player,” Wilson said. “Very good runner.”
Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson also chose Evanston instead of Bloomington, and although he’s done most of his damage through the air and only has 64 total yards on the ground, Wilson said he has the ability to move with his feet as well.
That dual-threat capability means IU junior quarterback Zander Diamont will continue to provide the Hoosiers with a mobile look on the scout team as he did ahead of IU’s matchups against Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett and Nebraska’s Tommy Armstrong.
Barrett was able to torch IU on the ground, while Armstrong struggled to find much success.
Wilson used Diamont’s mobility to help prepare the Hoosier defense for a shifty quarterback last year, too, most notably in the lead up to the team’s bowl game against Duke.
Injuries
Wilson revealed after the loss to Nebraska that junior kicker Griffin Oakes is dealing with a quad issue. The injury is part of the reason IU hasn’t elected to attempt field goals in some instances that it didn’t hesitate to a season ago.
Senior offensive lineman Dan Feeney’s status is still unclear.
The 2015 All-American is doing more work every day as he recovers from his concussion, Wilson said. He didn’t elaborate.
Senior offensive tackle Dimitric Camiel, junior wide receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr. and junior tight end Jordan Fuchs, all players who suffered potentially season-ending injuries early on, were said to be potentially available for a bowl game if IU gets there. However, Wilson cautioned, that decision is a long way off.
“I think most of those guys would be at best bowl, and from there you just look — it’s a long time off,” Wilson said.
Wilson also said he’s impressed with the progress junior wide receiver Camion Patrick has made in his recovery from an ACL injury.
Offensive Line
With Feeney’s status still unclear and Camiel’s return pegged for a potential bowl game at best, the Hoosier offensive linemen who’ve played in recent weeks will likely be the same ones that line up against a Wildcat defense that’s combined for 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in its last two outings.
The solid play of junior college transfer tight end Ian Thomas has helped the line, but overall there still remains room for improvement, Wilson said.
“We’re just a little out of whack, and we’re talking about tightening it up, and you’ve got to play as one unit,” Wilson said. “Right now we’ve got a lot of individual talent. Just gets a little out of sync. We’re just misfiring. We’ll see if we can clean it up.”
An improved offensive line will lead to improved blocking for junior running back Devine Redding and others on the ground and give junior quarterback Richard Lagow more time to find the open man.
