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After three straight weeks of home cooking and close calls, all eyes for Indiana (3-0, 1-0 in B1G) turn to their first road test of the season, and it's a tough one. The Hoosiers meet the Cincinnati Bearcats (2-1, 0-0 in AAC) Saturday afternoon for the return game of last year's matchup in Bloomington, entering what may be the most hostile environment they experience all season.

Why, you ask? Not only is Cincinnati a tough opponent already, but the atmosphere inside Nippert Stadium will be a sight to behold. Indiana is the only Power 5 team venturing into the confines of downtown Cincinnati this season, meaning Bearcat fans have been waiting a long time for this one.

IU has reached the point of 3-0 in the most roundabout way imaginable, pulling out come-from-behind victories in all of their contests. After last-minute heroics downed Illinois in the opener, a second-half restart helped escape calamity vs. Idaho, and special teams saved the day vs. Western Kentucky, the Hoosiers are, somehow, halfway to bowl eligibility.

Cincinnati, while only 2-1, has played solid football up to this point. Although they aren't the same team that made a first-ever College Football Playoff appearance for a Group of 5 school last season, they return a lot of production and are still a very notable bunch to keep eyes out for.

Can the Hoosiers knock off the reigning AAC champs and make a statement on the road? Or will the Bearcats' road test be too much for Tom Allen's squad? Everything you need to know about the week four clash is right here.

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Early Look: Getting to know Cincinnati

Behind Enemy Lines: Cincinnati

Indiana offense sharing the wealth as it searches for the next gear

Indiana looks to bolster rushing attack with 'two-headed monster' approach

Q&A's: Tom Allen, Walt Bell & Chad Wilt, Connor Bazelak, and Luke Fickell

The Hoosiers played host to head coach Luke Fickell's Cincinnati team last season, falling 38-24 to the No. 8 Bearcats in Bloomington.

Indiana jumped out to a 14-0 lead early before a targeting call against now-New York Giants linebacker Micah McFadden changed the trajectory of the entire game. Still, the Hoosiers led 24-23 heading into the fourth, but QB Desmond Ridder and the visitors ended up overcoming the IU efforts to win.

IU outgained Cincinnati overall, but the 15 points surrendered in the final stretch of the game dropped Indiana to 1-2 on the '21 campaign.

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Indiana will most likely be without starting center Zach Carpenter on Saturday after he missed the entirety of the WKU matchup with an injury to his hand. Head coach Tom Allen described the injury as a "freak" accident during this week's press conferences, but says it's not anything season-ending.

Expect Caleb Murphy to fill in his spot again, IU's reigning offensive player of the week after his efforts in relief of Carpenter on the fly last Saturday.

Bearcats Look to Extend Nation's Second-Longest Home Winning Streak

Circling back to the point about Cincinnati's hostile environment, the Bearcats are the owners of college football's second-longest home winning streak in the country, having won their last 29 games played at Nippert Stadium. They trail only Clemson (36) for the honor of that nation's longest.

Putting it simply, they just don't lose at home. Luke Fickell has instilled in his program that they have to protect home field, and like many of the other aspects of Fickell's well-oiled machine, the message is reciprocated loud and clear with their performance on the field.

"This is going to be a great challenge for us," Fickell said earlier this week. "I know it's something we've looked forward to, obviously, getting them into our home stadium. We're excited for Nippert Stadium really to be rocking. It's one of the tougher stadiums to play in college football, and that's what I would expect on Saturday."

Indiana's first time away from home in 2022 isn't just a litmus test or an easy road trip. Venturing into UC's house will be a tall task for the Hoosiers, who head coach Tom Allen said Wednesday "will be like playing a top Big Ten team." How Indiana responds, win or lose, could provide some insight into how the rest of the season could play out.

Both Squads Seeking to Establish a Consistent Run Game

Indiana's rushing attack has been all over the place so far this season. After no semblance of one during the opener vs. Illinois, the Hoosiers have found success with both Shaun Shivers and Josh Henderson in the backfield. Of course, offensive coordinator Walt Bell's scheme emphasizes tempo over everything, so if the ball moves better through the air than it does on the ground, then so be it. Still, the Hoosiers would prefer to have had a bit more success with it than they have so far.

Cincinnati also finds themself in a position where they want to improve their run game under a new offensive coordinator. The Bearcats have utilized the aerial attack more than Fickell-coached teams generally have in the past, but the play of their new Ben Bryant and their arsenal of outside weapons has allowed for that to not be too much of an issue so far in 2022.

Each squad wants a more balanced attack on Saturday. Neither defense wants to give. Whoever has more success on the ground could be the victorious team this weekend.

Hoosiers Still Have a Bad Taste from Last Season's Matchup

Although WR Emery Simmons didn't play for Indiana last season, he made it quite clear that there's one thing on this Indiana team's mind: revenge.

"Very," Simmons responded after being asked if he felt his team was still upset with how last season's contest went. "I know they want to get back from last year."

To do that, Indiana will have to play their best football this season. For a team that feels they should've won the games they have more handily, it'll be up to IU to determine if they're able to turn that motivation into the cause for a win in enemy territory.

"I'm sure it'll be a big deal for them, because obviously last year, in their house, it didn't go the way they wanted it to," Fickell said. "So in some ways, if I was them, I would've had this one circled. The ability to go on the road and kind of redeem what we did to them last year. The key is that we understand that. The key is that we prepare for that."

No, it isn't the same Cincinnati team, but this isn't the same Indiana team either. It should be a fun one to watch.

Who?: Indiana (3-0, 1-0 in B1G) at. Cincinnati (2-1, 0-0 in AAC)

When?: Saturday, September 24th, 3:30 p.m. ET

Where?: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

TV: ESPN2: Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sideline)

Radio: IU Radio Network, Don Fischer (play-by-play) & Rhett Lewis (analyst)

Vegas: Cincinnati -16.5, o/u 57.5

ESPN's SP+: Cincinnati 38-15, 90% chance of a Bearcat victory

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