3 Storylines to watch for when Indiana football takes on Washington

Indiana Football is in unfamiliar territory under head coach Curt Cignetti.

Throughout the history of the program, the Hoosiers have been a team hunting to knock off the top Big Ten powerhouses without many expectations.

Now under Cignetti, Indiana football has become the hunted, as teams are hungry to give the 7-0 Hoosiers their first loss of the season.

With College GameDay coming to Bloomington all eyes will be on the program as they host 4-3 Washington.

Indiana will be without star quarterback Kurtis Rourke, as they look to improve to 8-0 for the second time in program history.

Here are three key storylines to follow as the Hoosiers face the Huskies in Week Nine. 

How well does Tayven Jackson perform against a very good pass defense?

The story of the week has been the status of Kurtis Rourke after suffering a thumb injury against Nebraska. With Rourke almost certainly out, Tayven Jackson is in line to start.

Jackson played the entire second half against Nebraska and played well for Indiana Football.

Jackson completed 7-8 attempts for 91 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 21 yards.

The former four-star recruit and Center Grove product started his career at Tennessee before he transferred back to Indiana ahead of last season.

He battled for the starting job but eventually lost it to Brendan Sorsby after struggling on the field.

Since Cignetti came to Bloomington, Jackson has looked like a different player and that was shown during the spring game. He went 10-14 and threw for 160 yards a touchdown and an interception.

Jackson will have a tough challenge on Saturday against a strong Washington pass defense.

Through seven games Washington is allowing just 123 passing yards a game while their opponents are completing just 47.5 percent of their passes. Washington State quarterback John Mateer is the only passer to surpass 130 passing yards against the Husky defense.

Jackson will have a difficult task, but did show promise in relief against Nebraska’s strong defense.

Jackson’s ability to push the ball downfield will be crucial as Indiana football looks to continue their stretch of dominant offensive performances.

Can Indiana football slow down running back Jonah Coleman?

Through seven games Washington running back Jonah Coleman has been an integral part of their offense. Coleman has rushed for 681 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 6.9 yards per attempt. He has also added 124 yards on 16 catches through the air for the Husky offense.

Coleman has been the top weapon all season and keying in on him will be crucial for the Hoosier defense.

On the other side, Indiana football has allowed 81.9 rushing yards per game with opponents averaging just 2.9 yards per attempt. 

Something has to give.

If the Hoosiers can continue to shut down Coleman and the Washington rushing attack, it could be a long day for the Husky offense. If they can’t, it could be a long day for the Hoosier defense.

Linebackers Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker have been making plays all over the field for Indiana, but especially against the run. Up front defensive lineman Mikail Kamara, James Carpenter, and others have helped clog running lanes on defense. 

The play of Indiana’s linebacker tandem and defensive line will have a big impact as Washington will to Jonah Coleman to lead their offense.

Can Indiana Football exploit holes in the Washington defense in the run game?

When looking at the Washington defense the biggest weakness seems to be their ability to stop the run. Opponents have had no trouble running the football against them, and Indiana football will likely try to take advantage of that.

The Huskies are allowing 143.3 rushing yards per game and 4.2 yards per attempt. The Hoosiers are averaging 202.3 rushing yards on 5.3 yards per attempt. 

That combination could lead to a big day for Indiana running backs Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton. While eight different Hoosiers have scored a rushing touchdown those two have led the way on offense. 

Ellison has rushed for 514 yards on 7.0 yards per attempt while scoring eight touchdowns. Lawton has 393 rushing yards on 5.2 yards per attempt while also scoring eight touchdowns.

As a team, Indiana Football has the second most rushing touchdowns in college football with 28. 

With Kurtis Rourke missing the game, Indiana will likely be forced to rely on the run game to get their offense going. 

How well the Hoosiers can exploit the Husky run defense will go a long way in determining the outcome on Saturday.

SEE ALSO: ‘He’s got an opportunity. He’s got to take it and run with it.’: All eyes on Tayven Jackson as Indiana football has ‘100 percent confidence’ with him under center

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