Game Day Prediction, 3 Keys For Indiana Football Against Penn State
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana faces its third top-10 opponent of the season Saturday at No. 10 Penn State.
The Nittany Lions suffered their first loss of the season last week, falling 20-12 to Ohio State, but have otherwise dominated every opponent. On the other sideline, Indiana has lost three consecutive games to Maryland, Michigan and Rutgers by a combined score of 127-38.
Here are three keys to the game for Indiana, plus a score prediction at the bottom.
Sorsby gets the ball out fast
A few flashes of productive offense from Indiana this season have come when quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who's set to start Saturday, as well as Tayven Jackson, have made quick reads and gotten the ball out quickly in the passing game. Indiana's touchdown drive on the opening possession against Rutgers when Sorsby went 6-for-7 passing is a good example. But Indiana's young quarterbacks have run into some problems when forced to make a lot of reads and sit back in the pocket for a long time. Indiana coach Tom Allen and offensive coordinator Rod Carey have talked about trying to create quicker reads and shrink the playbook with Sorsby, so we'll see if they've made any progress in that area Saturday. Indiana needs a near-perfect performance from Sorsby to have any chance in this one.
Bring the heat on Allar
Ohio State sacked Penn State quarterback Drew Allar four times in a 20-12 win over the Nittany Lions last weekend, representing the most sacks allowed by Penn State this season. Indiana doesn't have the wholesale defensive talent of Ohio State, but a few individuals have had productive seasons. Andre Carter is fifth among Big Ten edge rushers in total quarterback pressures, per PFF; Aaron Casey is second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss, and Lanell Carr had two sacks in the first six plays last week at Michigan. Indiana could hang around if they can win individual pass-rush battles and make Allar consistently uncomfortable.
Eliminate special teams blunders
Two of Indiana's biggest mistakes last week, which combined to give Rutgers 10 free points, came through avoidable special teams mistakes. First, Indiana let a Rutgers defender go completely unblocked off the edge and block James Evans' punt, which was returned for a touchdown. Then with less than a minute before halftime, Jaylin Lucas muffed a punt deep in his own territory, setting Rutgers up for an easy field goal. A lot needs to go right for Indiana to compete in this game, but getting rid of self-inflicted errors is a must.
Score prediction
Penn State 45, Indiana 7
This game is a total mismatch on paper. Penn State's defense ranks second in the nation with just 9.7 points allowed per game, while Indiana's offense ranks 125th out of 133 teams with 17.9 points scored per game. The point spread reflects this, favoring Penn State by 32. And to make it even more difficult, Indiana faces a daunting road environment at Beaver Stadium with a quarterback making his first-career road start and without team captain and starting safety Noah Pierre on defense.
Related stories on Indiana football
- HOW TO WATCH: Indiana football continues the 2023 season Saturday against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Noon ET at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. Here's how to watch, with game time and TV information, the latest on the point spread, series history, coaching information and more. CLICK HERE
- NOAH PIERRE OUT: Indiana's defense took a big hit Saturday against Rutgers, losing team captain and starting husky Noah Pierre to an injury. Coach Tom Allen said Monday that Pierre will be out for an extended period of time. CLICK HERE
- SORSBY QB1: Indiana coach Tom Allen said he and the staff feel good about moving forward with Brendan Sorsby at quarterback for a Week 9 matchup at Penn State, though Allen continues to mention the potential return of Dexter Williams II from injury. CLICK HERE
