Early Look: Getting to know Washington

Indiana is looking to remain unbeaten this week, as Washington (4-3 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play) makes the trip from the west coast to Bloomington for a Saturday afternoon matchup.

With College Gameday coming to town for the weekend clash, there will be plenty of eyes from around the college football world focused on Bloomington this weekend.

Take an early look at Indiana's week nine opponent, the Washington Huskies.

KEY PLAYERS

- Quarterback Will Rogers: Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers has been one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten this season in his first year at Washington. Through the first seven games of the season, Rogers has completed 72.2% of his passes for 1,820 yards. He's averaging 260.0 passing yards per game and has thrown 13 touchdowns to just two interceptions this year. For perspective, Rogers sits right behind Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke in pretty much every major statistical category.

- Running Back Jonah Coleman: One of the top running backs in the conference, Jonah Coleman followed his head coach Jedd Fisch to Washington from Arizona this offseason. Coleman's 681 yards rushing this season rank fourth in the Big Ten just over halfway through the season. Coleman's 6.9 yards per carry also rank inside the top five in the conference. The 5-foot-9 and 229 pound tail back is an integral part of the Huskies' offensive attack.

- Wide Receiver Denzel Boston: One of Rogers' favorite targets in the passing game, Denzel Boston ranks inside the top-10 in the Big Ten in receptions and receiving yards. He currently leads the entire conference with nine receiving touchdowns on the season as well. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, Boston is far from just one of the best red zone threats in the nation. He's more than capable of making plays all over the field.

- Carson Bruener: Senior linebacker Carson Bruener currently leads the Huskies in tackles this season, with 44. He's also added 2.0 tackles for loss, an interception and a pass breakup. Bruener is the heart and sole of this Washington defense. He's a leader not just on the field, but off of it as well.

- Alphonzo Tuputala: Bruener's partner in crime, Alphonzo Tuputala sits second on the team in tackles. To go along with those 31 tackles, Tuputala has 3.0 tackles for loss and is tied for second on the Huskies with 2.5 sacks on the season. Bruener and Tuputala form a linebacking duo similar to that of Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker's at Indiana.

KEY STATS

- Washington ranks inside the top five of the Big Ten completion percentage, passing touchdowns, passing yards per game and passer rating this season. The Huskies have also thrown the second-fewest interceptions in the conference.

- The Huskies have 10 fumbles this season. That is tied for the second-most in the conference.

- Washington has two receivers (Giles Jackson and Denzel Burton) that are both inside the top five for receiving yards this season.

- Washington has converted on 10 of its 17 field goal attempts (58.8%) this season. That's the fourth-worst mark in the Big Ten.

- The Huskies are converting at just a 75.0% clip in the red zone this year. That's the third-worst conversion rate in the conference.

- Washington is the third-most penalized team in the conference.

OTHER NOTES

- Washington went 14-1 last season, with the only loss coming against Michigan in the National Championship game.

- Saturday will be just the fourth time the two programs have ever met on the gridiron. Indiana currently holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series.

- The Huskies added 59 new players to the roster since the end of last season. They had just two starters from last year's team return for the 2024 season.

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