Northwestern at No. 5 Indiana
Friday, 8 p.m. ET | FOX
There is only one game under the Friday night lights, but it may be more interesting than the three-touchdown spread suggests.
Northwestern enters Bloomington undefeated at 2-0 and coming off a 41-7 dismantling of Colorado. Quarterback Aidan Chiles accounted for five touchdowns in that victory—three through the air and two on the ground. With Chip Kelly directing the offense, these Wildcats have become faster, more explosive and far more dangerous.
But now they step up several weight classes.
Indiana is 3-0, riding a 19-game winning streak and defending its national championship. Curt Cignetti may have lost Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, but the machine has not slowed down. The Hoosiers have posted consecutive shutouts and surrendered only 16 points all season.
The matchup to watch
Northwestern must protect Chiles and give him opportunities outside the pocket. His legs are the Wildcats’ best chance to create problems for Indiana’s defense. If Northwestern becomes one-dimensional and Chiles is forced to operate from obvious passing situations, this could become ugly quickly.
Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover has thrown for 649 yards, while running back Turbo Richard already has 315 yards on the ground. Charlie Becker has emerged as Hoover’s primary weapon with 272 receiving yards. That balance will force Northwestern to defend every inch of the field.
Northwestern’s path to an upset
The Wildcats must create turnovers, shorten the game and prevent Indiana from building an early lead. Northwestern forced four turnovers against Colorado, but it also surrendered 180 rushing yards. If that happens again, Indiana will control the football and eventually wear the Wildcats down.
JB’s call
Northwestern is much better than people expected, and Chiles gives the Wildcats a quarterback capable of making Indiana uncomfortable for a while.
But Indiana is deeper, stronger in the trenches and much better defensively. The Hoosiers will pressure Chiles, establish the running game and pull away after halftime.
Indiana 38, Northwestern 17
