What to watch when Washington faces No. 13 Indiana
Washington (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) at No. 13 Indiana (7-0, 4-0)
Kickoff: 9 a.m., Saturday
Where: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana.
TV: Big Ten Network
Latest Line (via ESPN Bet): Indiana -6.5, Total 52.5
All-time series: Indiana leads 2-1; Most recent matchup: UW won 38-13 on Sept. 6, 2003
UW key players
QB Will Rogers: 72.2% completions, 1,820 pass yards, 153 completions, 212 attempts, 13 pass TD, two INT
RB Jonah Coleman: 681 rush yards, 99 carries, five rush TDs, 6.9 yards per rush, 124 receiving yards, 16 catches
LB Carson Bruener: 44 tackles, two TFL, one INT, three PBU
EDGE Isaiah Ward: 15 tackles, five TFL, three sacks, one PBU
Indiana key players
QB Tayven Jackson: Four games, 66.7% completions, 225 yards, 12 completions, 18 attempts, three pass TD, 36 rush yards, six carries, one rush TD
WR Elijah Sarratt: 578 receiving yards, 32 catches, three receiving TDs
LB Aiden Fisher: 66 tackles, three TFL, 1.5 sacks, one PBU
DL Mikail Kamara: 22 tackles, 8.5 TFL, six sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries
Jackson under center for IU
Through seven games this season, Indiana has been one of the biggest surprises of the college football season in large part because of its offense. The Hoosiers, under new coach Curt Cignetti, have steamrolled opponents. Indiana enters Saturday with the No. 1 scoring offense in the country, averaging 48.7 points per game. Its 512.7 yards per game ranks fifth nationally and IU is one of only two schools, along with Army, that hasn’t trailed in a game this season.
Sixth-year quarterback Kurtis Rourke, playing his first season at Indiana after transferring from Ohio, has turned into a legitimate Heisman candidate. He’s thrown for 1,941 yards and 15 touchdowns while completing 74.6% of his passes.
But Rourke won’t be available against Washington. He suffered a right thumb injury in Indiana’s 56-7 statement win against Nebraska on Oct. 12 after his throwing hand hit a defender’s helmet and was ruled out “indefinitely” by the program on Sunday.
Cignetti is expected to name sophomore Tayven Jackson as Rourke’s replacement. A former four-star prospect at Indiana football powerhouse Cedar Grove High School where he won consecutive Class 6A state championships, Jackson began his career at Tennessee before transferring to IU before the 2023 season.
Jackson played in six games, making five starts, for Indiana in 2023, completing 61% of his passes for 914 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions. The Hoosiers went 2-3 with Jackson as the starter, beating Indiana State and Akron – in quadruple overtime – and losing to Louisville, Michigan and Rutgers.
This season, Jackson has seen limited playing time behind Rourke. Against Nebraska, Jackson completed 7 of 8 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 21 yards on two carries.
Red-zone rush defense
Despite coming off a 40-16 loss against Iowa, Washington’s defense still ranks as one of the best red-zone units in the country. Specifically, the Huskies have been stout against the run when backed into their own territory.
Only four of the 13 red-zone scores the Huskies have allowed have been rushing touchdowns.
Indiana has been one of the best teams running the ball in the red zone. The Hoosiers have scored 28 rushing touchdowns this season, second only to Army, which famously runs the triple-option offense.
IU running backs Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton have eight rushing touchdowns each, while Elijah Green has five scores in as many games. Jackson is also a more capable runner compared to Rourke. UW, for context, has five rushing touchdowns all season.
Two different rebuilds
Washington and Indiana both embarked on massive rebuilds before the 2024 season. The Huskies, under coach Jedd Fisch, have more than 40 new scholarship players on their roster including 25 transfers.
The Hoosiers and Cignetti also endured significant roster turnover. Indiana welcomed 27 transfers during the offseason, including 13 players from James Madison where Cignetti led the Dukes to a 52-9 record from 2019-23.
Several of IU’s most important contributors this season like linebacker Aiden Fisher, linebacker Jailin Walker, Kamara, Sarratt, Lawton and defensive back D’Angelo Ponds are former James Madison standouts.
Washington, in comparison, added eight former Arizona players like Coleman, Ward and cornerback Ephesians Prysock. The Huskies also have nine true freshmen who were previously committed to the Wildcats.
Fisch, however, wasn’t able to bring former Arizona standouts like quarterback Noah Fifita, receiver Tetairoa McMillan, linebacker Jacob Manu and cornerback Tacario Davis.
Washington’s influx of younger talent may mean the Huskies are set up better for the future, but Indiana offers a glimpse of what UW might’ve looked like if Fisch had been able to bring more of his former Wildcat players to Seattle.
Yamashita’s prediction
Rourke’s absence certainly adds intrigue to this matchup. Jackson is fairly inexperienced, but not quite to the levels Northwestern’s Jack Lausch and Michigan’s Alex Orji were when Washington tightened the screws on poor quarterback play. The Huskies are also coming off a bye week, with extra time to prepare for the Hoosiers.
IU still has a top-25 rushing offense in the country and the No. 7 scoring defense nationally, even without its Heisman-candidate quarterback.
Prediction: Hoosiers 34, Huskies 24