3 Storylines to watch for when Indiana football faces MSU in The Battle for the Old Brass Spittoon

Indiana football saw their first glimpse of adversity last week when they faced Washington on a national stage without their quarterback Kurtis Rourke. The Hoosiers were tested and they answered that test the same way they have answered every question they have faced this season.

While they were not as dominant without Rourke, Indiana football handled business and improved to 8-0 on the season.

The 8-0 start matches the best start in school history and they have a chance to be the first Indiana football team to ever start a season 9-0 (with no ties).

Now they travel to East Lansing to face a 4-4 Michigan State team in The Battle for the Old Brass Spittoon.

Here are three key storylines to follow as the Hoosiers look to improve to 9-0 and make history against the Spartans. 

Kurtis Rourke’s status

It is still early in the week, and Rourke’s status for this weekend is uncertain. After having surgery for a thumb injury he suffered against Nebraska the timeline seemed to line up with a potential return this week.

It was reported that Rourke was throwing last week which is a good indication that he could return to action this weekend.

RELATED: There is ‘continued optimism’ that Indiana football quarterback Kurtis Rourke will play at Michigan State

Curt Cignetti shared a little information about his status this week.

“Optimistic on Kurtis Rourke,” Cignetti said. “He’s thrown the last few days, building up. Workload will increase as the week goes on. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

Rourke has been a leader for the Hoosiers this season, throwing for 1,941 yards with 15 touchdowns to just three interceptions with a 74.6% completion percentage.

Without Rourke, Indiana football struggled to push the ball downfield which allowed Washington to load the box against the run. His absence led to their worst offensive performance of the season.

If Rourke does play, his ability to throw the ball downfield will be something to monitor. After suffering the injury he struggled when throwing the ball down the field which led to him eventually leaving the game.

While it is a fast turnaround it seems more likely than not that Rourke plays this weekend against Michigan State and if he does, how well can he push the ball downfield will be critical for Indiana football.

Can Indiana Football force turnovers?

A big part of the early success for Indiana football has been their ability to win the turnover battle. They have won it in seven of eight games thus far and their ability to force turnovers is a big reason why.

The Hoosier defense has forced seven turnovers over the last two games and will have a great chance to build on that against a struggling Spartan offense.

Michigan State has turned the ball over 16 times in eight games and has surpassed 20 total points just once over their last five games.

With the Indiana defense peaking and Michigan State having struggled to protect the football it will be a great chance for the Hoosiers to add to their turnover total.

Cornerback D’Angelo Ponds’ performance last week was critical as he made two key interceptions, including one he took for a touchdown. While Ponds made the big plays last week, 11 different Hoosiers have either an interception or have forced a fumble this season.

Indiana football has a plethora of guys capable of making big plays on defense, which has made them so deadly.

If the Hoosiers can win another turnover battle, it could go a long way to recapturing the Old Brass Spittoon.

How does Indiana football matchup against Michigan State’s Running back tandem?

An inconsistent passing game has forced Michigan State to rely on its running back tandem of Kay’ron Adams and Nate Carter.

Like Indiana’s duo of Ty Son Lawton and Justice Ellison, Adams and Carter have nearly identical usage on the season.

Adams has ran for 469 yards and two touchdowns on 92 attempts while Carter has ran for 412 yards and three touchdowns on 86 attempts.

Their presence combined with Aiden Chiles’ ability to run the football has made them a run-first team. In their four wins, Michigan State is averaging 175 rushing yards per game.

On the other side, Indiana football has been dominant against the run.

The Hoosiers are allowing just 86.1 rushing yards per game on just 3.0 yards per attempt.

Led by the play of linebackers Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker, the Indiana defense has done a great job stopping the run. On the season Fisher has a team-high 75 tackles including three tackles for loss. Walker is second on the team with 48 tackles and also has three tackles for loss on the season.

The pair will once again play a huge role against the run as winning the battle in the trenches will go a long way to determining the outcome on Saturday.

SEE ALSO: IU football had its ‘most inconsistent performance’ on Saturday. Now, it travels to Michigan State preparing for a team that will ‘smack you in the mouth’

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated, part of the Full Ride Network, on Twitter @Indiana_FRN, Facebook and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. You can also listen to the Talking’ Bout the Hoosiers podcast on Spotify.

Looking for a place to get more Indiana content? Hoosier Illustrated has partnered with Tom Brady’s company ‘Autograph’ to streamline our coverage, so you can continue to do what you do best – follow IU sports. Use the CODE: Indianafr to get started today. For more info, you can start here.