Indiana Football Game Preview: Western Illinois – key questions, injury report, how to watch

Week 2 of the Indiana football season is here and the Hoosiers are looking to build momentum from last week’s beatdown over FIU. Coming into town this week is FCS program, Western Illinois.

After last week’s win, Curt Cignetti became the 15th head coach in program history to win the first game of his Indiana tenure.

This will be Indiana’s seventh ever Friday night game and the third-straight season that the Hoosiers have played in one.

The game will kick at 7 p.m. ET and air on the Big Ten Network.

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

Key Questions

Will this team stay healthy heading into UCLA?

Yes, it is not great for anyone to overlook any opponent on their schedule, and that is certainly not what Indiana football is doing with Western Illinois. However, this will be the easiest game on the schedule for Hoosiers all season.

This is a ‘get right’ game for the Hoosiers and allows them a chance to clean up some issues they had vs FIU as they start to get focused for their big road matchup at UCLA next week.

While the Hoosiers will take this chance to get better from week one, the most important thing for this Indiana football team is to make sure everyone stays healthy. The Hoosiers had a few players get banged up in week one and did the smart thing of not risking even further injury.

The No. 1 thing you want to see is Indiana handling business and getting their key players off the field as quick as possible.

Week 3 vs UCLA is what you are building towards. Need to stay healthy.

Can the defense produce a shutout? 

One of the brighter spots of this new-look Indiana football team was the defensive unit in week one. In that dominating win over FIU, the defense of Indiana only allowed 7 points and just 182 total yards and 3.1 yards per play.

There was really only ever one sequence that Indiana’s defense looked a little lackadaisical which allowed FIU to put a score. This week vs Western Illinois, there is a great chance that a shutout will take place.

“That’s what I’m used to seeing,” Cignetti added on Monday. “We like to pride ourselves on playing defense. We pride ourselves on being fast and physical and disruptive up front and creating a lot of different looks for the defense and being really good against the run.

Like mentioned above, this will be the worst team that Indiana will play all season. If the defense plays even half as good as they did in week one, Western Illinois will lay an egg on Friday.

Watch: Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti previews Week 2 matchup with Western Illinois

Matchup History

Indiana is set to host Western Illinois for the first meeting in program history.

Since the FCS (former Division I-AA) was formed in 1978, Indiana is 17-1 against opponents from the division. The Hoosiers have won 14 straight games against FCS opponents.

This will be Indiana’s second of eight home games at Memorial Stadium this season, tied for its most in program history with the 2013 and 2008 seasons.

Read: 3 storylines to watch for when Indiana football hosts Western Illinois

Injury Updates

Indiana

WR Donaven McCulley (Questionable, head/neck)

WR EJ Williams (Questionable)

RB Kaelon Black (Questionable, hamstring)

Related: Curt Cignetti provides injury updates to key IU football offensive players

Quick Hitters

Who?: Indiana (1-0) vs Western Illinois (0-1)

When?: Friday, Aug. 6 | 7:00 ET

Where?: Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, Ind.)

TV: BTN

Radio: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network

Spread: No line

SEE ALSO: ‘Good learning tape’ — Kurtis Rourke had a ‘good first time out’ for Indiana football. Now expectations will continue to rise

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