Five players to watch on Saturday as undefeated Indiana football hosts Maryland

The non-conference slate is complete, as Indiana football hosts its first home conference matchup of the season on Saturday, against Maryland.

Indiana enters the game 4-0, having three wins against non-conference teams and one conference win on the road against new Big Ten team UCLA.

Indiana, now just two wins away from bowl game eligibility, will look to add another victory this weekend to their undefeated record.

Here are five players to keep an eye on Saturday:

Kurtis Rourke: QB

It’s extremely difficult to leave Kurtis Rourke off of this list. The new face of the Indiana football program has been nothing but spectacular through his first four games. Rourke has thrown for north of 1,000 passing yards, eight passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.

Despite three of his wins coming from non-conference games, Rourke put on a show against UCLA in week three, passing for 307 yards and four touchdowns. 

The senior transfer from Ohio has been an outstanding leader on and off the field for Indiana.

Following Indiana’s victory over Charlotte, Rourke reflected on the team’s success, implying that the program’s tough training prepares the players for game day.

“Continue to stick to what we do in our training. We work really hard and everyday we come in ready to work and just revert back to that when adversity comes.”

Rourke will try to lead his team to a 5-0 record this Saturday. A win over Maryland would be the first time in 57 years that the Indiana football program started off the season with five straight wins.

Elijah Green: RB

Through four weeks of Indiana football, Elijah Green has found the endzone once in each game. Despite not getting many carries early in the games, Green takes advantage of the reps he gets at any point in the game, giving his offense a late game boost when he’s on the field.

Three of Green’s four touchdowns have been scored in the fourth quarter of play. Even with Indiana having generous leads in all games thus far, Green’s ability to make a rapid impact on a short amount of carries does not go unnoticed.

Green, who’s essentially been used as the fourth option in the running back room, transferred to Indiana after spending four seasons at North Carolina. Now in his fifth season of college football, Green qualifies as a junior, bringing long term upside to Indiana’s offense as well as working as a fourth quarter threat to opposing defenses.

Myles Price: WR

Myles Price was a key contributor in Indiana’s 52-14 demolition of the Charlotte 49ers last week. The fifth year senior caught three catches for 77 yards, while also returning three punts for 44 yards.

Price, a transfer from Texas Tech, has fit in really well within Indiana’s program. Aside from his strong offensive connection with Rourke, Price excels as a punt returner, using his agility and football IQ to his advantage to get a few extra yards on each return. 

Having four seasons at Texas Tech under his belt, Price brings a load of veteran leadership to this revamped Indiana program.

“You got a lot of older guys, a lot of guys that played a lot of football, so you don’t have to worry about a lot of things you would probably have to worry about if you had a younger team.”

Ke’Shawn Williams: WR

Ke’Shawn Williams’ productivity has shot up in the last two weeks, totaling three touchdowns on 77 receiving yards against UCLA and Charlotte. 

Williams, the fifth year transfer from Wake Forest, came to Indiana alongside running back Justice Ellison. Both Williams and Ellison played the first four seasons of their careers at Wake Forest.

Despite Williams playing in a crowded Indiana receiving room, he keeps his head high, making the most of his opportunities.

“I just go out there and prepare like I’m going to play every snap and when I get my name called I’m ready and just ready to go out there and let the coaches know that I belong on the field.”

Shawn Asbury II: DB

Shawn Asbury II transferred to Indiana after playing a season at Boston College and two seasons at Old Dominion. 

Asbury has quickly built a name for himself on Indiana’s defense, collecting 20 total tackles on the season, seven of which came in the win over Charlotte last week.

Asbury feels extremely confident in not only his ability, but his team’s ability to dominate Big Ten conference play.

“We can battle against anybody. The real test is coming up these next few weeks, but I mean so far we know if we play our game we can beat anybody in the country.”

There is a lot on the line this weekend, as a win could fuel Indiana to the rankings. Indiana will look to claim the program’s first home conference win of the season on Saturday against Maryland. 

SEE ALSO: It’s just four weeks but Indiana football continues upward trend in notable metrics

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