Forecast, Scouting Report, How to Watch

IU vs. Charlotte, Saturday afternoon; TV: BTN

BLOOMINGTON – Charlotte football coach Biff Poggi told reporters this week that his players must prepare for a “15-round battle” against the Indiana football players.

Given the way the Hoosiers play, that’s probably a bit optimistic.

Indiana (3-0; 1-0 Big Ten) is drawing national attention for its performance in the first quarter of the season. The Hoosiers’ offense is firing on all cylinders – they are averaging 50.0 points and 515.0 yards per game – while the defense has allowed just two touchdowns.

Check out our weekly preview, “The Runout,” to see what stood out during the week, which players to keep an eye on, make a prediction, and more:

More: Mind Your Banners: Hoosiers impress in Rose Bowl win over UCLA

IU football players to watch against Charlotte

Mikail Kamara, DE: What Kamara has done in the first three weeks of the season is quite extraordinary and it is difficult to leave him off this list.

According to Pro Football Focus, he ranks second in the country in quarterback pressures (17) and has the second-best pass rush win rate (26.3%).

The defensive end didn’t have a sack last week but was forced to pressure the quarterback seven times (one less than his career high in a single game) and his success helped IU’s front four dominate UCLA.

Can he keep up that pace? If he can, Charlotte will be in trouble.

Jamari Sharpe, CB: Sharpe will likely start alongside Jamier Johnson on Saturday while D’Angelo Ponds is serving a first-half suspension for assault. He played nine snaps as a backup against UCLA but did not attempt a single pass.

He has experience after being a starting cornerback for IU last year.

The redshirt sophomore is expected to maintain the high standard Ponds has set for the position. The Hoosiers have allowed just 16 passes of 10 yards or more this season and rank as the 16th best pass defense nationally (126.7 yards allowed per game).

Donaven McCulley, WR: McCulley returned to the lineup against UCLA after missing one game with an unspecified injury, but played just three snaps, one of which was on IU’s opening drive when the offense advanced to the 10-yard line.

The referees called Jaylin Davies for pass interference when Kurtis Rourke threw the ball in his direction.

Can he get back into full swing on Saturday? Charlotte’s secondary has struggled this season – the group has allowed the most passes of 30 or more yards (11) in the FBS – and they aren’t particularly big.

McCulley could pose a real challenge on the field if he is healthy enough to get a lot of reps on a regular basis.

IU Football: Week 4 – Miscellaneous

Cross to be carried: Miles Cross has made a habit of catching balls with one hand, a sure hand he learned from his childhood baseball playing career. He told reporters this week that he was a talented outfielder who took pride in his fielding skills. Cross could not say the same for his batting discipline, admitting that he had a habit of getting strikeouts.

Quarterback carousel: Charlotte will start its third quarterback in four games on Saturday. Injuries have decimated the team’s depth at the position, as Max Brown, who earned the starting spot in the offseason, and his replacement Deshawn Purdie have both suffered injuries. Trexler Ivey will be in the starting lineup Saturday against Indiana, a week after leading a 17-point comeback against Gardner-Webb. He also started five games last season.

One-dimensional enemy: Indiana may be able to turn up the pressure on Saturday without worrying about Charlotte’s running game dealing a counterattack. The 49ers are averaging just 64.3 yards per game (129th out of 134 FBS teams) and just 2.35 yards per carry. Poggi described his team’s running attack this week as “abysmal.”

Best in class: Poggi joked that IU’s offense ranks in the top three in nearly every major statistical category. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but he’s not entirely wrong — the Hoosiers are second in the FBS in third-down conversions (64.5%), they’re just one of five teams with no turnovers and have the most touchdowns in the red zone.

IU football stats of the week

71: Indiana was able to add an impressive number of new faces to the roster this season, but Charlotte outdid the Hoosiers by a long shot. The 49ers added 71 new players to the roster — the third-most in the country behind North Texas (77) and Army (74) — including 44 transfers, a number that is tied for the most in the country with Colorado.

150: Indiana set a school record with the 2013 team that scored the most points in its first three games: 73 points against Indiana State, 35 points against Navy and 42 against Bowling Green.

IU Football Quote of the Week

“I think there has to be a balance and also common sense and intent. Probably the hardest hit in the game was when Aiden Fisher intercepted the pass and got hit in the head, and there’s no reason for that. You know, the others were kind of Mickey Mouse. But, you know, that’s how it went on Saturday, and we’re not going to change the way we play. I don’t think there was anything dirty going on out there, that’s for sure.”

— IU coach Curt Cignetti on the referee’s decision against UCLA

Prediction: Indiana 44, Charlotte 10

It’s hard to imagine Indiana taking their eye off the ball after playing so well through the first three weeks of the season. The Hoosiers definitely ignored Western Illinois’ record (and recent history) when the two teams played a couple of weeks ago.

Even though Charlotte was not beaten by North Carolina in Week 2, the final score was a bit misleading considering the Tar Heels were without their starting quarterback Max Johnson and also had to miss the second half with their All-American running back Omarion Hampton.

Indiana will be in top form and ready to build on its impressive start.

IU Football vs. Charlotte TV Channel, Time

When: Saturday, September 21, 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: Memorial Stadium (52,626), Bloomington, Indiana
TV: Big Ten Network
Line: Indianapolis -28.5
Series: This is the first meeting between the programs
Last meeting: N/A

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana reporter for the Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X. @michaelniziolek and read his full report by clicking here..