Game Day Prediction, 3 Keys For Indiana Against Akron

Indiana football hosts Akron on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium. In order to come away with a win, Indiana needs to improve its run game, see continued growth from quarterback Tayven Jackson and have a strong defensive performance for 60 minutes.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Wearing black jerseys for the first time since 1997, Indiana has one final tune-up before a difficult Big Ten slate.

To wrap up nonconference play, Indiana welcomes the Akron Zips to Memorial Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday. Both teams enter this contest with 1-2 records. The Hoosiers are coming off a heartbreaking 21-14 loss to Louisville last week, while Akron fell 35-3 to Kentucky.

Here are three keys to the game, plus a score prediction at the bottom.

Develop run game

Indiana's biggest offensive weakness this season has been the run game. Against Ohio State, the Hoosiers ran the ball 33 times for 71 yards, or 2.2 yards per carry. Last week against Louisville, 27 attempts generated 58 yards, or 2.1 yards per carry, including getting stuffed at the goal line with the game on the line. Sure, Indiana ran wild against Indiana State, gaining 214 yards and four touchdowns on 42 attempts, but that came against an FCS opponent that was clearly outmatched physically.

Akron's defensive front seems to be somewhere between Indiana State and Louisville from a talent and strength perspective, as it shut down the Temple and Morgan State run games and limited Kentucky to 135 rushing yards, 97 of which came on two plays. Indiana will likely continue to use three running backs – Jaylin Lucas, Josh Henderson and Christian Turner – throughout the season, and this game should be a decent test for them and the offensive line. While clearly improved overall, Allen's biggest criticism of Indiana's offensive line has been its failure to sustain blocks through the whistle in the run game. 

Continued growth from Tayven Jackson

Given Indiana's indecisiveness around the quarterback competition all offseason and rotating quarterbacks the first two weeks, it's fair to say redshirt freshman Tayven Jackson has exceeded expectations early on. Has he been perfect? No, but his second-half performance against Louisville revealed traits of an above-average Big Ten quarterback. Jackson completed 24-of-34 passes for 299 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He displayed impressive pocket awareness when evading pass rushers, and his accuracy improved greatly as the game went on. 

Indiana has found its quarterback of the future, but his growth must continue. Jackson overthrew a handful of receivers in the first half against Louisville, and there's been instances of pre-snap confusion. Against Akron, a consistent performance where Jackson takes care of the ball and looks sharp early on would be a step in the right direction toward what could be a bright future.

60-minute defense

Indiana played its worst half of defense against Louisville in the first half, but responded with a second-half shutout, which may have its best defensive half of the season. It held Ohio State wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka to a combined five catches for 34 yards. It should have posted a shutout against Indiana State, who generated just 93 yards of offense and scored its only points on a scoop-and-score touchdown.

After returning just two everyday starters, bringing in transfers at every level and hiring a new defensive coordinator in Matt Guerrieri, a slew of questions surrounded this unit. But so far, like Jackson, the group has exceeded expectations. Allen seems to have made a positive hire in Guerrieri, as well as numerous impact additions through the transfer portal, but the next step for this unit is playing well for four quarters, with no drop off. 

Prediction

Indiana 35, Akron 10

Indiana should be able to create consistent pressure with its improved defensive front against a vulnerable Akron offensive line. On the other side of the ball, expect to steady improvements from Jackson and the Indiana run game, leading to a comfortable Indiana victory, but not quite as dominant as its last home game.

2023 prediction history

Week 1 prediction: Ohio State 45, Indiana 14

–––Week 1 real score: Ohio State 23, Indiana 3

Week 2 prediction: Indiana 38, Indiana State 3

–––Week 2 real score: Indiana 41, Indiana State 7

Week 3 prediction: Louisville 27, Indiana 24

–––Week 3 real score: Louisville 21, Indiana 14

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