Everything you need to know about IU football vs. Northwestern

BLOOMINGTON – Indiana football players reacted cautiously to this week’s jump into the top 25.

The Hoosiers are pleased with the 5-0 start — the program’s best start since 1967 — but as coach Curt Cignetti told reporters Monday, “This is a team that’s a little bit on a mission.”

That’s why the players in the locker room called again to block out all the noise during Northwestern’s preparation.

“We can’t get lost there,” Indiana tight end Zach Horton said.

Horton was part of the 2022 James Madison team that lost three straight after breaking into the top 25 for the first time in program history.

“We went up against Georgia Southern and just lost the rankings like that, so we can’t catch up on this thing and just keep playing our ball,” Horton said.

Let’s check out our weekly preview, The Runout, to see what else stood out from the week, which players to watch, a prediction and more:

More: Is Indiana football a 5-0 surprise team? Not to train Curt Cignetti

Indiana Football vs. Northwestern: History from the tape

When: Saturday, October 5 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Martin Stadium (12,023), Evanston, Illinois
TV: Big Ten Network
Line: Indiana -13.5
Series: Northwestern leads 47-35-1
Last meeting: Indiana defeated. Northwestern, 34-3, on November 2, 2019

More: Indiana football WR Donaven McCulley is entering the transfer portal midway through the season

Indiana football players to watch against Northwestern

Elijah Sarratt, WR: Sarratt was the target of Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke in the second half against Maryland, but that wasn’t a surprising development.

Sarratt was always present in the attack as the coaching staff rotated all forces around him. He has played by far the most snaps of any IU receiver (254) and has a team-high 32 targets.

“He loves the ball, he’s very competitive,” Cignetti said. “He has great talent. He has great ball skills. He’s really good at contested catches. He’s always awake.”

He was targeted 10 times against the Terps – a season high among all receivers – and had his second 100-yard game of the year. He leads the teams in receptions (22) and receiving yards (378).

Although Sarratt doesn’t have blazing speed like Myles Price, he has been the Hoosiers’ most consistent deep threat with four catches of 20 yards or more through the air. He’ll look to repeat that success Saturday against a Northwestern team that hasn’t given up many explosive plays this season.

Zach Horton, TE: Horton made an outstanding catch against Maryland when he dove backwards toward the ball.

The 18-yard gain was his only catch in the last two games, but that didn’t stop him from drawing attention from pundits and opposing coaches, who applauded his performance in the run game.

Because IU relies primarily on 11 personnel — sets of three receivers, a running back and a tight end — Horton has played most of the snaps behind the offensive line and Rourke on offense.

He has performed well in the multifaceted role that requires him as an in-line blocker, a slot receiver or a split-out sometimes during a single drive.

Horton could see a few more passes coming his way this weekend against a Northwestern team that has struggled covering tight ends this season.

CJ West, DT: West’s increased workload (41 snaps) against Maryland is a positive sign for the defense. He had a sack on the first drive and four stops in the running game, including one for no gain.

Indiana had one of the most productive defensive fronts in the Big Ten — first in sacks (17) and first in tackles for loss (35) — and West appears to be just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of.

More: Watch your banner: Resetting expectations after IU’s 5-0 start

Week 6, chances and ending

Wildcat rises: Northwestern running back Cam Porter was sidelined against Washington with a lower-body injury. Braun said Tuesday he was “moving in the right direction.” He was the team’s leading rusher last year, rushing for 234 yards (5.32 yards per carry) in the team’s first three games. The team struggled in his absence, recording just 59 rushing yards in a loss to Washington. Braun ruled out starting center Jack Bailey, who suffered a season-ending injury before the bye week, and said starting defensive tackle Carmine Bastone was doubtful.

Red zone channel: Indiana’s success inside the 20-yard line was a key factor in the program’s eye-catching scoring numbers. The Hoosiers led the FBS in red zone attempts (30), red zone scores (27) and touchdowns (25). Northwestern’s red zone numbers are…not good – 13 attempts (tied for 101st in the FBS), nine points (T-No. 108) and just six touchdowns (T-No. 107). Braun attributed Northwestern’s struggles to a lack of offensive identity and issues with special teams, as the Wildcats missed three field goals inside the 20-yard line.

Pressure moments: Indiana allowed a season-high three sacks against Maryland, but the team’s overall pass protection held up fairly well. According to Pro Football Focus, Rourke was pressured on only six of his 39 dropbacks and the Terps didn’t have a single non-blitzing pressure. The Hoosiers will be tough to beat if the offensive line maintains this level of success.

Statistics of the week

40: Indiana scored more than 40 points in four straight games for the first time since the end of the 2015 season. The Hoosiers took a 2-2 lead in that period, with both losses coming in overtime. Indiana has a chance to make history this weekend – the program has never scored 40 or more points in five straight games.

Quote of the week

“I’m not surprised. When I was hired, I told pretty much everyone that this was possible, and I had a strong feeling for it after we introduced the 2022 transfers in December and added a few more at the end of spring ball and saw how the culture came together the way it did. But we had to get it on the field. So I knew it was possible because I had experienced something like this before,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said of the team’s 5-0 start

Prediction: Indiana 33, Northwestern 10

Indiana has lost nine straight games at Northwestern since 1993, but that lack of success in Evanston won’t matter much for a new-look Hoosiers team that’s making history every week. The Wildcats simply don’t have the offensive firepower — the team’s quarterback situation is messy while their best player (Porter) is less than 100 percent — to keep up with IU for four quarters.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek Click here to read all of his coverage.