BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Fat dogs like slow cars.
Stay with me. Football programs that struggle to win football games like playing against teams that struggle just as bad, if not worse. The Indiana football program has presented as one of the "fatter dogs" in the conference this season, and they have an opportunity this Saturday to chase a pretty slow car: the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers does have some quality wins this season, though. In their last game, the Scarlet Knights defeated Michigan State, and a few weeks ago they defeated Wagner 52-3. For those who forgot, IU required four overtimes and a missed chip shot field goal to beat Akron.
The bottom line is this: Rutgers is a vulnerable team, and Indiana can walk away with a victory if they can focus on a few keys in this one.
Get momentum on your side early
The best way for Indiana football to generate a big audience is to host games against teams with fanbases that travel well. That said, when that is not an option, Homecoming is a close second.
With thousands of alumni expected to be in attendance for the Homecoming, Memorial Stadium should be pretty packed. Thus far, Indiana has been unable to fill the stands, and those fans have generally left before the end of the game.
It is the student section that normally floods to the exits, while other fans stay at a much higher rate. With a much greater number of those other fans in the stands this Saturday, it is paramount that Indiana get them engaged with the game early.
Truly, there is something to be said for the impact that off the field events can have on the field. If fans leave early, as they have recently as a reflection of Indiana's poor play, it can affect the players psychologically. In a game that could very well be close down the stretch, Indiana needs to give the fans a reason to stay.
Get Jaylin Lucas the ball outside the tackles
Hoosier fans have been let down so far this year by the usage of their best weapon, Jaylin Lucas.
Lucas was one of the best playmakers in the nation last year. His unique combination of speed and agility made him a big play threat any time he touched the ball. However, this role has diminished this year, due to what seems to be a dogged commitment to handing him the ball inside the hashes.
On Indiana's lone touchdown against Michigan, Lucas was placed at receiver, and was given the opportunity to simply outpace his defender.
You shouldn't feed your donkey sponge cake. Lucas's potential impact on the offensive side of the ball is far too valuable to waste on plays where he is fighting an uphill battle to get chunk yardage from the second he touches the ball.
When Lucas has the opportunity to make a defender miss a tackle in the open, he wins that matchup more often than not. Rod Carey needs to give him that opportunity to diversify his offense.
This offense has been as one-dimensional as it gets this season. Ordinarily, one player can't make the kind of impact to change that fact on their own, but Lucas isn't an ordinary player. Given the opportunity, he can change the Indiana offense, and maybe help them score enough points to mess around and win a football game.
Contain Kyle Monangai
Similarly to Indiana, the Rutgers air attack has not been very effective this season. However, dissimilarly to Indiana, Rutgers has had a lot of success on the ground.
Kyle Monangai is averaging over five yards per carry this season on 120 carries to the tune of 635 yards. To go along with his already impressive yardage total, Monangai, has tallied seven touchdowns to his name.
Indiana has the talent on defense to at least somewhat contain him, and that could really be the difference in this game come Saturday.
Aaron Casey, Myles Jackson, Andre Carter, and Philip Blidi have been hit and miss this season. They cannot miss when it comes to stopping Monangai. If they can shut him down on the ground and force the Scarlet Knights to move the ball through the air, it changes the game.
Indiana has not looked great in the secondary this season, so a softer matchup with a team that struggles passing the ball is exactly what they need.
The burden sits in the trenches for the defensive line to not let Monangai get going early. Contain him, and Indiana may walk away with their first conference win of the season.
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