How to Watch Indiana's Football Game Against Western Kentucky on Saturday

Indiana football hosts the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Saturday in a Week 3 matchup that will kickoff at Noon ET. Here's how to watch, with game time and TV information, the latest on the point spread and three things to see from Indiana.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The final leg of Indiana's trio of home games to begin the 2022 season kicks off at Noon ET on Saturday against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

While they haven't been the most convincing wins, the Hoosiers are 2-0 with a 23-20 victory over Illinois and a 35-22 win against Idaho in Week 2. That mark already ties Indiana's win total from the 2021 season, and despite certain frustrations after trailing Idaho 10-0 at halftime, coach Tom Allen is thankful to carry an undefeated record into Week 3.

The road gets tougher this week against Western Kentucky, a team Indiana narrowly defeated in 2021. Allen thought his team was not 100 percent locked in and focused at times against Idaho, but they know a talented opponent awaits on Saturday.

"Our guys understand fully who they're playing," Allen said. "Last year was a dogfight down there at their place. We were fortunate to come out with a win."

• *** LIVE BLOG: And once the game starts, follow all the action on our live blog. To read that story, CLICK HERE.

How to watch Indiana Hoosiers vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

• Who: Indiana Hoosiers (2-0, defeated Idaho 35-22 in Week 2) vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (2-0, defeated Hawaii 49-17 in Week 1)
• What: Week 3 of 2022 college football season
• When: Noon ET on Saturday, Sept. 17
• Where: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
• TV: Big Ten Network – Important note: Northwestern vs. Southern Illinois also airs at Noon ET on Big Ten Network, so fans are encouraged to visit btn.com/gamefinder in advance of the weekend for their local listings. While television coverage is regionalized and varies based on location and provider, all games will be available live via the FOX Sports app.
• Announcers: Lisa Byington (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst), Krystle Rich (sideline)
• Stream: Watch fuboTV
• Radio: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network, Sirius/Online: XM (137 or 206) // SXM App (969)
• Radio Announcers: Don Fischer (play-by-play), Rhett Lewis (analyst), Joe Smith, John Herrick
• Point spread: Indiana is a 7-point favorite over Western Kentucky, and the over/under is 61 points as of Friday afternoon, according to FanDuel. 
• Season totals: Indiana's 2022 regular season win total over/under was 4 prior to their 23-20 win over Illinois, according to the FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Last season's records: Indiana was 2-10 overall with a 0-9 record in Big Ten play in 2021. Western Kentucky was 9-5 overall, 7-2 in Conference USA play and defeated Appalachian State 59-38 in the Boca Raton Bowl in 2021.
• Series history: Indiana leads the all-time series 4-0.
• Last meeting: Indiana escaped Bowling Green, Ky. with a 33-31 win over Western Kentucky in 2021. The Hoosiers got out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter thanks to touchdown drives of 79 and 81 yards. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 35-of-53 pass attempts for 373 yards and a rushing touchdown. His favorite targets were tight end Peyton Hendershot and wide receiver Ty Fryfogle, who combined to haul in 17 passes for 198 yards. Running back Stephen Carr carried the ball 25 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns, including a crucial score to give Indiana a nine-point lead with less than five minutes remaining. Indiana kicker Charles Campbell was a perfect 3-for-3 on extra points while connecting on all four field goal attempts, his longest coming from 48 yards. Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe completed 31-of-44 passes for 365 yards and three touchdowns, which contributed to setting FBS single-season records with 62 touchdown passes and 5,967 yards. Zappe found receiver Malachi Corley for a 19-yard touchdown with less than three minutes remaining, but Penix hit Fryfogle to convert on third down the following drive, allowing the Hoosiers to run out the clock. Linebacker Micah McFadden led Indiana with 12 tackles and a sack, and cornerback Tiawan Mullen knocked away three passes.
• Coaches: Tyson Helton is in his fourth year as head coach at Western Kentucky, where he has built one of the nation's most dangerous offensive systems. Helton holds a 25-16 overall record with a 17-7 record against conference opponents. He has led the Hilltoppers to three bowl-game appearances in three years with a 2-1 record. In 2021, Western Kentucky scored 44.2 points per game, which ranked second in the FBS behind Ohio State. The Hilltoppers' 433.7 passing yards per game ranked first in the nation, and they finished second in total offense. Tyson is the younger brother of current Georgia Southern coach Clay Helton, who was the head coach at USC from 2015 to 2021. Tom Allen is entering his sixth season as Indiana's head coach with a 28-32 total record. Allen's 28 wins rank seventh among all-time Indiana football coaches, behind John Pont's 31 wins from 1965-72. Allen's 26 wins over his first five seasons were tied for the most by a Hoosier head coach with the program's all-time winningest coach, Bill Mallory. Allen is 0-3 in bowl games, most recently losing 26-20 to Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 2, 2021.
• Weather: According to weather.com, at Noon ET in Bloomington Ind. it's going to be 80 degrees with a 0 percent chance of rain and winds from the southwest at 8 miles per hour at kickoff.

Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver D.J. Matthews Jr. (7) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Idaho Vandals during the second half at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers won 35-22 / © Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Three things I want to see from Indiana in Week 3

1. Bring the heat

Although quarterback Bailey Zappe is now on the New England Patriots, the Western Kentucky offense has remained dangerous through two games in the 2021 season. New quarterback Austin Reed transferred in this offseason from Division II West Florida, where he won a national championship in 2019. Through two games, he's led the Hilltoppers to 87 combined points in wins over Austin Peay and Hawaii.

For Indiana coach Allen, stopping this high-flying passing attack begins in the trenches.

"Starts up front with being able to do a good job of getting pressure," Allen said. "Not letting the quarterback feel comfortable and doing a good job of making sure he feels us mentally and physically."

Through two wins, Indiana has generated six sacks for a combined loss of 37 yards. Versatile true freshman Dasan McCullough leads the Hoosiers with two sacks, both of which came in the win over Idaho. Cam Jones, Bradley Jennings and Beau Robbins each sacked the quarterback in Indiana's win over Illinois, and Aaron Casey and Bryant Fitzgerald combined for one against Idaho.

2. Protect the ball

A high-scoring offense immediately stands out when watching Western Kentucky, but the Hilltoppers' defense has played a crucial role in getting off to a 2-0 start. Western Kentucky currently leads all FBS schools with five turnovers per game. Nevada has 11 total turnovers in three games, compared to Western Kentucky's 10 in two games.

After watching film on the Hilltoppers, Allen noticed an aggressive defense that flies to the football.

"The ball finds energy, and I believe that," Allen said. "They give you a lot of different looks, and then third downs is when a lot of times people are forced into errors and they throw interceptions. They do a good job of that, and they disguise things to confuse the quarterback and give you a lot of exotic looks defensively."

Allen said protecting the football is important every game, and it's been a heavy emphasis this week in practice. Indiana quarterback Connor Bazelak has thrown one interception in each of his first two games at Indiana to go along with a 54.3 completion percentage. 

The Hoosiers have lost two fumbles this year – one from wide receiver Cam Camper against Illinois, and the second from running back Josh Henderson against Idaho. Winning the turnover battle could be a deciding factor in Saturday's outcome.

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Connor Bazelak (9) takes the snap against the Idaho Vandals during the second half at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers won 35-22 / Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

3. Stay clean

The over/under is set at 61 points, according to according to the SIsportsbook.com website, which means we could see shootout similar to last year's 33-31 result. If Indiana hopes to keep up with the big-play Western Kentucky offense, limiting penalties will be key.

Through two games, Indiana is tied for the second-fewest penalties committed among Big Ten teams. The Hoosiers have only been penalized six times, compared to 16 flags thrown on their opponents. Limiting false start, holding and other offensive penalties will help Indiana stay on schedule as an offense.

Another factor in a consistent offensive performance from Indiana will be continuing to limit sacks. Bazelak has taken just one sack through two games, which offensive coordinator Walt Bell attributes to both his quarterback and offensive line. 

"Not that we haven't had hurries, not that we haven't had issues, not that we haven't had some offensive line-driven quarterback pressures, but they've done a really nice job, coupled with the fact that Connor has done a really nice job of getting the ball out of his hand," Bell said.

Indiana runs an uptempo offense, which also requires making quick reactions to the defense. Bell said quarterbacks typically have 2.85 seconds to make decisions, and he thinks Bazelak has done a good job of recognizing when to throw the ball away.

He pointed out Indiana's two-minute drill to defeat Illinois. On 1st-and-goal from the 5-yard line with less than a minute on the clock and no timeouts, Bazelak felt pressure, and he was quick to throw the ball into the stands to avoid a sack, stop the clock and maintain field position. Indiana scored two plays later to win the game, and Bazelak's decision-making was a big reason why.

"One of the biggest ills of college-level quarterbacks is once they get past 2.85, hanging on to the football and taking unnecessary sacks. We won our first game because Connor threw the ball away on that two-minute drive," Bell said. "Obviously we want every one of those to be completions, but I think the offensive line has done a nice job in pass protection."

Related stories on Indiana football:

• INDIANA WEEK 3 DEPTH CHART: Indiana football (2-0) will host the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (2-0) on Saturday at Noon ET at Memorial Stadium. Here is Indiana's Week 3 depth chart. CLICK HERE
• MEET THE WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS: Indiana football hosts the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in a Week 3 matchup on Saturday at Noon ET at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. Indiana won last year's game 33-31, and both teams enter this season's contest with a 2-0 record. CLICK HERE
• WKU COACH TYSON HELTON TALKS INDIANA: Western Kentucky is off to a 2-0 start to the season with wins over Austin Peay and Hawaii. After a highly-contested game against Indiana in 2021, Western Kentucky coach Tyson Helton shared his thoughts on the Hoosiers on Monday. CLICK HERE
• SHAUN SHIVERS' INTENSITY: From his physical and intense style of play to trash talk that almost caused a brawl in practice, running back Shaun Shivers brings an edge that Indiana didn't have last year, and coach Tom Allen loves it. CLICK HERE