Indiana Football Game Preview: Penn State – key storylines, injury report, how to watch

Indiana football gets back on the road for week nine of the season with a trip tp Beaver Stadium to face No. 10 Penn State. The game will be televised on CBS with a noon kick time. It will be the third true road game of the season for the Hoosiers, all three coming in Big Ten play.

The Hoosiers will be looking to get their first win in the Big Ten this season as they currently sit just 0-4 in conference play this season. The Hoosiers will also be looking to bounce back after yet another loss on the year with last week’s defeat from Rutgers, 31-14.

Penn State is 3-1 on the year in the Big Ten and looking to bounce back from their loss to Ohio State last weekend.

Below is the full game preview of everything you need to know about Saturday’s matchup.

Key Storylines

Was the Sorsby the right move as starter? 

For the time being, Brendan Sorsby is the official starting quarterback for Indiana football moving forward. In his return as the starting QB for the Hoosiers, Sorsby was 15-of-31 on the afternoon for 126 yards. He had one passing and one rushing touchdown and zero turnovers.

While Indiana did not win the game, Sorsby did show a little more promise than many fans probably expected. It was more of how the offense was called rather than the play of Sorsby.

For the most part, Indiana football head coach Tom Allen was pleased with the decision of naming Sorsby the starter.

“…obviously he did some good things. Obviously got to continue to grow and develop,” said Tom Allen. “…I just feel like he had earned the right to have that opportunity.”

“From the get go today, I felt pretty good. The O-line protected really well. I missed a couple throws that I’m going to want back, but overall I felt like the offense executed,” Sorsby said postgame. “[There were] just a couple of miscues that stalled some drives.”

Sorsby is expected to start once again for the Hoosiers when they travel to Penn State this weekend. This will be another opportunity for Sorsby to prove once again that he can be the starter for Indiana for the rest of the season.

Too many ‘dead’ drives.

The Indiana football offense continues to be one of the more frustrating areas in the program to watch due to the inconsistencies from drive-to-drive. Last week’s loss to Rutgers continued a trend of start off hot, cooling down instantly, finding another stride, then completely disappearing.

The Hoosiers finished with 279 total yards and was just 2-of-11 on third downs. Rutgers had 37:38 minutes of possession while Indiana had just 22:22.

“Did some things that were positive, without question, but still got to generate more in the throw game, which is what we’re trying to do,” Allen said. “Bottom line is we have ran the football better against a really good defense in the box, but not good enough in the throw game to create points, which is what we’ve got to do, because when you score points, that energizes the defense, as well, gives them a lot of momentum whether they’re on the field or not. It has a psychological effect, without question. It’s just the reality of how you’ve got to win. We know that.”

There were just too many ‘dead’ drives that would lead the Indiana defense back on the field way too often. The Hoosiers could not sustain any momentum on the offensive side of the ball.

“But at the same time, it’s the finishing our execution, both receivers on finishing their routes, finishing the plays, quarterbacks in his reads and finishing — the running backs, protection, their blocking. Just got to keep working,” Allen added. “You don’t get the product you want, you make adjustments, which we continue to do in the way we do things, and at the end of the day, we’ve got to make plays and we’ve got to execute and we’ve got to find a way to stay on the field on offense on those critical 3rd downs.”

Indiana football now must win 4-out-of-5 to be bowl eligible 

Indiana football has their back so tight up against the wall that there is hardly any room to move at this point. We are now at the point in the season where if the Hoosiers want to make a bowl game this season, they have to win 4 out of their last 5 games.

This week against No. 10 Penn State, you might as well chalk that one up as a loss because there have been no signs that Indiana could actually put together a realistic game plan to shock the Nittany Lions on the road. So in reality, the Hoosiers have to pretty much win out if they have any hopes.

It’s a third-straight season that seems lost with still nearly half of the season remaining.

“Yeah, there’s no question. I don’t think I feel it, I think it’s a reality that you get to this stage of the year and you’ve got several losses now in a row,” Tom Allen said postgame when asked about the season slipping away. “That’s a tough reality. That’s where you don’t hide from it. You’ve got to address it head on, and you’ve got to really work hard together to help your guys.”

At this point in the season, the Hoosiers just need to show some sort of fight moving forward. While the remaining part of their schedule has some ‘winnable’ games, the Hoosiers have shown no ability that they can actually win those games.

Will that change? Time will tell.

Related: ‘A tough reality’: 2023 season becoming a disaster for Indiana football with tough conversations looming

Matchup History

Saturday’s game in Happy Valley will mark the 13th contest for Indiana at Beaver Stadium since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993. The two teams have played 12 times in Bloomington and twice at neutral sites, both with Indiana as the home team (2010, FedEx Field – Landover, Maryland; 2000, RCA Dome – Indianapolis).

The two programs have met in 27 of Penn State’s 31 seasons in the conference and every season since 2007.

Last year’s matchup saw Penn State come to Memorial Stadium and defeat Indiana football 45-14.

Watch: Tom Allen talks final takeaways from Rutgers loss, looks ahead to Penn State

Injury Updates

Indiana

QB Dexter Williams II: After missing every game this season so far, Williams was dressed and available for Indiana the last two games. He is expected to be dressed and ready for the Penn State game.

RB Josh Henderson: Once again missed last weekend’s game. Status for game is TBD.

WR EJ Williams: Was questionable last week. His status is TBD

DB Jamier Johnson: Missed last three weeks with an undisclosed injury. Status is TBD

DB Noah Pierre: Left the game with a lower leg injury. Per Tom Allen, he is expected to miss an extended period of time.

DB Phillip Dunnam: Status is TBD. Left last week’s game with an undisclosed injury.

More: Tom Allen assesses play of Brendan Sorsby after naming him starting QB

Quick Hitters

Who?: Indiana (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) vs No.10 Penn State (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten)

When?: Saturday, Oct. 28 | Noon ET

Where?: Beaver Stadium (University Park, Pa.)

TV: CBS

Radio: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network

Spread: Penn State is a 32-point favorite via DraftKings SportsBook

SEE ALSO: Quick Hitters: Early breakdown and initial thoughts on Penn State

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