The Indiana Hoosiers have enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they must head out on the road. They will square off against the Cincinnati Bearcats at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Nippert Stadium. With a combined 945 yards of offense in their previous games, we can expect a fast-paced matchup.
It may have taken overtime to finish the job, but the Hoosiers ultimately got the result they were hoping for last week with a 33-30 victory over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. IU's success was spearheaded by the efforts of QB Connor Bazelak, who passed for two TDs and 364 yards on 55 attempts, and RB Josh Henderson, who punched in one rushing touchdown.
Special teams collected 13 points for IU. K Charles Campbell booted in four field goals, the longest a 50-yarder in overtime, which ultimately accounted for the difference in the game.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati ran circles around the Miami (OH) RedHawks last week, and the extra yardage (473 yards vs. 182 yards) paid off. Cincinnati put the hurt on Miami (OH) with a sharp 38-17 win. The Bearcats can attribute much of their success to RB Charles McClelland, who rushed for two TDs and 101 yards on 19 carries.
The Hoosiers have to know they'll be fighting an uphill battle given the 16.5-point spread they are up against. Against the spread, they have been house darlings this year with a chancy 0-2 ATS record.
The wins brought IU up to 3-0 and Cincinnati to 2-1. A pair of defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: IU ranks 11th in the nation when it comes to rushing touchdowns allowed, with only one on the season. As for Cincinnati, they enter the contest with only 150 passing yards allowed per game on average, good for 11th best in the nation.