Indiana Hoping D.J. Matthews Returns to Early-Season Form Against Rutgers

Indiana wide receiver D.J. Matthews has dealt with a hamstring injury for nearly a month, but coach Tom Allen is hopeful the big-play threat can return to early-season form on Saturday against Rutgers.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana is desperate to break its four-game losing streak against Rutgers on Saturday, and a crucial factor could be the health and production of wide receiver D.J. Matthews.

Matthews injured his hamstring during Indiana's 45-24 loss at Cincinnati on Sept. 24, and was on the sideline during the following two losses against Nebraska and Michigan. He dressed for the Maryland game last weekend, but caught just one pass for seven yards with one rush for four yards in Indiana's 38-33 loss. Matthews also appeared to be missing some of the quickness and burst he's often shown as a receiver, runner and punt returner for Indiana. 

Coach Tom Allen said hamstring injuries can be tricky due to the risk of re-injury when fatigue sets in, so Indiana has been very careful with Matthews in recent weeks. Allen said Matthews' health progressed this week, and Allen sees his workload increasing against Rutgers.

"We feel like he didn't take any steps backwards," Allen said. "He didn't do anything to re-injure it on Saturday and has not during practice, so I see him playing more. I see him more involved, and I see him getting back to hopefully the way he was early in the season."

Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver D.J. Matthews Jr. (7) celebrates his touchdown with teammates in the second quarter against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

In the Hoosiers' Week 1 win over No. 18 Illinois, Matthews racked up 107 yards and a touchdown. Matthews missed most of last season after tearing his ACL in Week 4 against Western Kentucky, but he made an immediate impact after transferring from Florida State to Indiana before last season. 

Matthews' first eye-opening play came against Idaho in Week 2 of the 2021 season. He hauled in a punt while running toward the opposite end zone, circled his way back to the sideline and stiff-armed multiple defenders on his way to the end zone to give Indiana a 35-0 lead.

The following week, Matthews helped Indiana keep things close against then-No. 8 Cincinnati. He led Indiana receivers with 120 yards against a Bearcat secondary featuring Sauce Gardner, the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Matthews' 20-yard rushing touchdown gave Indiana a 21-17 lead over Cincinnati late in the third quarter, but the Hoosiers ultimately lost 38-34.

A fully-healthy Matthews would provide a necessary boost for an Indiana offense plagued by inconsistency all season. The Hoosiers entered the fourth quarter of the last three weeks in one-score games, but made a few fatal mistakes. Indiana offensive coordinator Walt Bell said on Monday that Big Ten matchups are often decided by a handful of plays, and there's been too much error at critical times. 

Indiana's D.J. Matthews Jr. (7) celebrates his touchdown during the Indiana versus Idaho football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022 :: Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

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