After becoming the tenth team in program history to amass an unblemished record through four games, Indiana football (4-0, 1-0 in Big Ten) opens their home conference slate against the Maryland Terrapins (3-1, 0-1 in Big Ten).
Last week's rout of Charlotte made Curt Cignetti the first coach in program history to win his first four games in Bloomington.
Five different Hoosiers found the end zone last week on the ground, including Kurtis Rourke who had a brilliant day in the air. The Ohio transfer went 16/20 for 258 yards and a touchdown, which brings his total to eight on the season without an interception. Indiana remains turnover free through the opening third of the regular season.
Maryland enters the weekend of the season fresh off a 38-20 victory against FCS opponent Villanova. Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. was marvelous for the Terrapins completing 28 of his 32 pass attempts for 328 yards. Half of those completions were to his top wide receiver Tai Felton, who hauled in 14 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown.
With a win, Indiana would be 5-0 for just the fifth time and first time since the 1967 season.
Before kickoff comes Saturday, here's what you need to know regarding the Hoosiers' week five clash with the Terrapins.
LAST MEETING
The Hoosiers traveled to College Park last season for game five of the regular season, in which Maryland routed Indiana 44-17. The victory extended the Terrapins' win streak to three straight victories over the Hoosiers.
Tayven Jackson completed 17 passes for 113 yards and threw an interception. Standout receiver Tai Felton hauled in 7 catches for 134 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa was an efficient 24-of-34, throwing for five touchdowns.
INJURY UPDATES
Last week's availability report was fairly clean for Indiana. There were no players listed as questionable.
As of now, there are no new injuries known heading into the conference home opener.
The mandated availability report is set to release two hours before kickoff on Saturday – around 10:00 a.m.
STORYLINES TO WATCH
How will the weather effect the game?
With Hurricane Helene making its way up to north, the remnants of the formerly category four storm will be making landfall in Bloomington over the weekend.
This will cause wet conditions for Saturday's game at Memorial Stadium.
Luckily for Indiana, they have proven in the first four weeks of the regular season how well they can run the ball. Unlike the Terrapins, Indiana has a very balanced attack and will be able to withstand the conditions with a ground attack, consisting of three impressive running backs and Kurtis Rourke.
Expect both teams to rely heavily on their backs if the heavy rain continues in the area throughout the course of the game.
How will Indiana respond to potential adversity
The rain alone will provide some adversity to an Indiana team that has yet to face any major challenges to their game plan in the first four weeks of the season, but how will Cignetti's team respond if Maryland gets the ball and scores on their first possession?
Indiana has yet to trail at any point this season and has led for more than 94% of total snaps taken in their record-breaking 4-0 start. Nobody knows how the team will respond coming from behind.
There hasn't been a measuring stick yet and that could be worrisome to pessimistic people, but once again, this year's team is much different than past years. There is veteran leadership as well as a coaching staff that has been doubted their entire careers.
Until proven otherwise, there should be nothing to worry about when it comes to Indiana facing potential adversity.
Matchup to watch: Tai Felton (UMD) vs D'Angelo Ponds (IU)
This matchup might be the most intriguing one-on-one battle of the season.
A freshman all-American in D'Angelo Ponds, who is playing just his second power conference game of his career will oppose one of the best receivers in the Big Ten for the second year in a row in Tai Felton.
Felton presents a unique opportunity for Ponds to prove his worth in the Big Ten in the early season. The leading receiver for the Terrapins has been everywhere for his quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. this season. The senior has hauled in 41 catches for 604 yards and five touchdowns in the first four games of the season.
If Ponds can contain Felton from surpassing the century mark, it will be an impressive feat that will surely lead to an Indiana victory.
QUICK HITTERS
Who?: Indiana (4-0, 1-0 in Big Ten) vs Maryland (3-1, 0-1 in Big Ten)
When?: Saturday, September 28th, Noon. ET
Where?: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
Projected Forecast: Cloudy, 67 degrees, Wind 10 MPH NE, 49% chance of rain
TV: Big Ten Network, Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst), Brooke Fletcher(sideline)
Radio: IU Radio Network, Don Fischer (play-by-play), Buck Suhr (analyst), John Herrick
Vegas: IU -6.5, o/u 51.5
ESPN SP+: Indiana 27-22, 97% chance of Hoosier victory
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