2-Minute Drill: The Indiana Hoosiers

(Photo: Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports)

Indiana's defense remains a sore spot for head coach Kevin Wilson. He hired Brian Knorr from Wake Forest this off-season and so the excavation begins. The Hoosiers have finished last in the Big Ten in defense in each of Wilson's three seasons in Bloomington and were 120th out of 123 FBS teams in total defense last season, allowing 38.8 points per game.

Knorr has the Hoosiers running a three-man front. He's shifted looks to try to confuse offenses, something Knorr felt he'd be able to do with 10 returning starters.

Is any of this working? Well, not immediately. Poor defense at IU is incredibly embedded. The Hoosiers haven't ranked higher than 71st nationally in 15 seasons. The Hoosiers are No. 80 right now, allowing 415.2 yards a game.

Teams love running against IU, which ranks No. 7 nationally in rush play percentage against (42.82 percent). IU also is No. 82 nationally with 9.5 first downs allowed on the ground per game (compared to 6.8 for Iowa, which is No. 24).

IU has the upfront size that helps make the 3-4 go. Freshman nose guard Nate Hoff (6-2, 305, pictured above) leads IU with 4.5 tackles for loss. Everyone else on the depth chart is north of 300 pounds, including active and athletic tackle Darius Latham (6-5, 318). Junior Nick Mangieri (6-5, 260) serves as the hybrid linebacker who covers and plays downhill. He leads IU with three QB hurries.

It's so not about Indiana for Iowa's rush offense. Iowa State is the lowest-ranked rush defense the Hawkeyes have faced so far this season (104th in the nation, 207.2 yards a game). ISU held the Hawkeyes to 129 yards on 44 carries (2.93 yards a rush).

Iowa is No. 91 in the country with 140.2 yards a game and No. 103 in the nation with 3.59 yards a carry. Iowa is tracking for its worst rushing season since 2009 when it averaged just 3.27 a carry. It worked out that season. You don't get the same feeling with this group (it doesn't have NFL linebackers).

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said this week he hoped junior running back Jordan Canzeri is closer to 100 percent. Ferentz said personnel was discussed during bye week, but didn't elaborate if it had anything to do in the running game.

Right now, Iowa is outnumbered at the line of scrimmage when it lines up in a two-running back, two-tight end set and it passes too much out of a one-back, one-tight end formation. Iowa is an easy read.

Advantage: Push

<img src="/fileupload/GA/20141009/173551452088721/0_0_20141009131337.jpg" alt="" /> (Photo: Pat Lovell/USA Today Sports) The Hoosiers have really struggled here. IU is ranked No. 113 in the country (286.4 yards a game). Against Power 5 teams, opposing QBs have completed 63 percent (51 of 81) of their passes against IU, including five TD passes and just one interception. Hoosiers' opponents have tried passing against them 47.0 percent of the time, that's third most in the nation. The 28.8 passes completed per game against Indiana is fourth most in the nation. The Hoosiers returned three of four starters here, including senior cornerback Tim Bennett (5-9, 185, pictured above), who led the nation with 20 pass breakups in 2013. He's got seven this year. Sophomore free safety Antonio Allen is No. 2 on the team with 27 tackles. Cornerback Michael Hunter (23 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss) and safety Mark Murphy (12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and an interception) are the other returning starters. An aggressive approach helped Indiana pick up a momentum-lifting victory at then-top 25 Missouri. You're probably going to see an uptick in blitz percentage. Against Missouri, Indiana picked up two sacks, forced seven scrambles and pressured the quarterback 11 times. Here Iowa goes with the great two-QB experiment. This is what Ferentz says the Hawkeyes will do, play junior Jake Rudock and sophomore C.J. Beathard. Rudock practiced during the bye week and took most of the snaps with the first-team offense. He injured his hip in the first half at Pitt on Sept. 20. Beathard replaced him and guided Iowa to comeback wins (don't read too much into that, Iowa has had to come from behind in every game this year) in consecutive weeks. Experience is on Rudock's side. That carries a ton of weight with Ferentz, who's making the call here. Here's one number that really stands out for Beathard: Iowa had 13 explosive plays against Purdue, more than doubling its best output (six, twice) this season. Iowa also had four plays (all pass) of 20-plus yards, most this season. It's an interesting stat, but it also came against a pretty mediocre defense in Purdue. Indiana also fits in that category. Ferentz and offensive coordinator Greg Davis assumed defensive positions discussing quarterback. This is week 6 in year 3 of the Ferentz-Davis deal and Iowa plans to play two quarterbacks. This is unconventional at best and indecisive at worst and most definitely a risk. Credibility is at stake, both outside and inside the program. This team has to trust the moves made here. Yes, there's the 'focus on your job' thrust that Iowa players buy into heavily year in and year out. But don't kid yourself, they're watching more closely than you are. Beyond whatever happens at QB, Iowa receivers were charged with seven drops at Purdue. Advantage: Push <iframe loading="lazy" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/satQjdISmT8?list=UURTppnYKkVMvVIla6-yfpag" width="640"]

(Photo: Pat Lovell/USA Today Sports)

The best running back in the Big Ten is . . . Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah? Yes, he's great. Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon? Also, great. Get to know Indiana junior Tevin Coleman (6-1, 210, pictured above), who's inserted himself into the conversation. Coleman is second in the Big Ten with 168.2 yards a game. He's second in the league in all-purpose yards (193.6) and averages an absurd 8.2 yards on 115 touches. He also owns the nation's longest streak for 100-yard games (seven) and consecutive games with at least one TD (14).

Offensive coordinator Kevin Johns replaced Seth Littrell in January. Johns served as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks and receivers coach for three seasons at IU. He has handled the main play-calling duties. Wilson has maintained a heavy role in the offensive game-planning and play-calling. Offensive line coach Greg Frey also was named a co-coordinator.

Indiana's offensive line is making this go. This unit is No. 3 in the nation with 155 starts returning among 11 players. Left tackle Jason Spriggs and right guard Dan Feeney were freshmen all-Americans in 2012. Guard Jacob Bailey and center Wes Rogers were all-freshman team in the Big Ten after 2013. Spriggs sat out IU's game against North Texas last week with a lingering knee injury. He's listed in the two deep and expected to play today. This unit has pushed the Hoosiers to 300.0 rushing yards a game and has allowed just seven sacks (third in the Big Ten).

This will be a tug-o-war. The Hawkeyes are solid up the middle and are third in the Big Ten allowing just 93.2 yards a game and 2.93 yards a carry.

Iowa State did some damage against the Hawkeyes on the perimeter, finding wide receiver-linebacker matchups and sweeping the edge on running plays. Iowa has somewhat shored up gap control. Purdue's best chance was an explosive rushing game. Iowa held the Boilermakers to just 84 yards rushing. Only Pittsburgh has rushed for more than 100 yards against Iowa this season.

Iowa DE Drew Ott, who was hit by a car while riding his moped before the Iowa State game, is 13th in the Big Ten with 5.5 tackles for loss. He's 10th in the league with 3.0 sacks.

Advantage: Indiana

<img src="/fileupload/GA/20141009/173551452088721/0_0_20141009131704.jpg" alt="" /> (Photo: Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports) Junior Nate Sudfeld (above) has emerged from a three-way QB battle that lasted seemingly forever at IU. Cameron Coffman transferred in January and Tre Roberson transferred in June. So, here's Sudfeld (6-5, 230). Sudfeld has acknowledged that he has become more of game manager. He's thrown just two interceptions and has become more careful. The Hoosiers have gotten less mileage out of Sudfeld because 1) that running game is its power move and 2) the receiver corps has taken a dip with the graduation of Cody Latimer, Kofi Hughes and Ted Bolser. The drop has really showed up in long passing plays. Last season, the Hoosiers were No. 17 in the nation with 153 pass plays of 10-plus yards. This year, IU is 89th (below Iowa, which is 81st) with 39 passes of 10-plus yards. Wide receiver Shane Wynn (5-7, 167) leads Indiana with 26 catches for 362 yards and two TDs. Sudfeld completed 79 percent of his passes last week against North Texas. He has four career 300-plus yard games. He can pin a three-TD, 300-yard day on the scoreboard, but he has to build the connection with a mostly new receiving group. Iowa returned two starters from its 2013 secondary. So far this season, this group might be Iowa's biggest surprise. Sophomore cornerback Greg Mabin is fourth in the Big Ten with seven passes defended. Safety Jordan Lomax has settled in at free safety. The Hawkeyes are fourth in the B1G with 217.2 yards allowed per game. The Hawkeyes are one of five league teams that have picked off more passes (five) than they've allowed go for a TD (four). Iowa has limited opposing QBs to 5.5 yards per attempt, that's 11th best in the nation. The yards per completion number is 9.8, which is tied for 8th nationally. The Hawkeyes also have held opposing QBs to a 102.3 pass efficiency, which is 14th in the nation. Advantage: Iowa <iframe loading="lazy" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AwQdzGQWEJQ?list=UURTppnYKkVMvVIla6-yfpag" width="640"]

(Photo: Pat Lovell/USA Today Sports)

Mitch Ewald made a lot of big field goals for Indiana during his career. Wilson did kind of sweat who his replacement would be. That question has been answered with oomph by Griffin Oakes (above). The freshman made a school record 58-yarder in the first half of the Hoosiers' loss to Maryland. He made 3-for-4 — including another 48-yarder — in his first career start and earned Big Ten special teams player of the week. Eight days before the Maryland game, Oakes was the No. 2 kicker. An injury forced the change.

Indiana and Iowa are two of the Big Ten's best kickoff coverage teams. It's most because of kickers Oakes and Iowa's Marshall Koehn. Against the Hawkeyes, teams average just 1.0 kick returns a game (No. 2 in the nation). Indiana allows just 1.8 (12th).

Neither team has a punt returner in the B1G's top 10. Indiana has two kick returners in the top 10 in Wynn (23.86 yards on seven returns) and wide receiver Damon Graham (21.0 yards on nine returns). Iowa freshman running back Jonathan Parker is the B1G's leader this week with 26.5 yards on six returns. He had a 47-yarder that set up Iowa's first TD and started the Hawkeyes' comeback at Purdue.

Ferentz said this week he's not totally happy with kicking or punting. Punter Dillon Kidd is 13th in the Big Ten with a 38.13-yard average. Ferentz relented on Koehn (who's made three straight FGs) and said he was satisfied with core special teams. It's consistency that he wants to see across the board.

'I'm happy with our core guys overall, but the specialist part, we've just got to level the playing field a little bit,' Ferentz said.

Advantage: Iowa

(Photo: Pat Lovell/USA Today Sports)

1. Titanium concentration — Iowa's QB experiment or whatever it turns out to be is going to demand maximum focus from the other 10 players on offense. You would think that the others would know how to respond to Rudock. He's started 17 games. He's a great communicator, very direct and has immaculate leadership qualities. Will he be a little crazy? He acknowledged this week that this is a challenge extended toward him. Any waver there will be detected. After a snafu that left the Hawkeyes without a timeout for nearly the final eight minutes of the Pitt game, Beathard straightened out his comms against Purdue. This goes hand in hand with the seven drops Iowa's receiving corps had at Purdue. Unacceptable, especially in this circumstance.

2. Program builder — Wilson's Hoosiers missed out on a bowl last season. At Indiana, that's what defines a successful season. Let's do math: The Hoosiers have three wins. The rest of their schedule after this week goes Michigan State, at Michigan, Penn State, at Rutgers, at Ohio State and Purdue. With Michigan down and Purdue pretty much still down, that's two. At Rutgers? Doable. But the point here is that a bowl is far from guaranteed for IU. You could make solid arguments that this is a must-win for both teams. Wilson has to be on solid footing at IU. It's been a coach-killing program throughout the years. A strong showing Saturday at Kinnick would go along way in keeping a bowl in the picture and Wilson's seat nice and cool.

3. The 'O' in Iowa needs to show up — If Iowa doesn't' sell out today, it'll be the second consecutive year without a homecoming sell out. Ferentz isn't on the hot seat, let's make that clear. Iowa went 8-5 last season, that's a solid season in Iowa City. It was a minor miracle coming off the grotesque 4-8 in 2012. Still, you're not buying all the tickets. You used to buy all the tickets. What does it mean? Could it be that you're tired of watching an offense that you really can't tell what it's trying to do or be? Iowa is 91st in the nation in rushing. It's 100th in the nation in scoring. It's thrown six TD passes, that's tied for 90th in the nation and five fewer than run-crazy Nebraska and one fewer than Wisconsin, which is this close to playing a block of cheese at QB. You keep waiting for the offense to snap out of it. You keep waiting.

Advantage: Indiana

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Iowa will win if . . .

It can make the Hoosiers one-dimensional and the offense finds some sort of traction. Somewhere. Anywhere. If Iowa wants to play championship football in November, it has to win today.

Indiana will win if . . .

The defense can keep Iowa's offense pinned. Is letting Beathard rip Iowa's best chance? You can argue that's when the Hawkeyes' have looked the best this season. The Hoosiers can't allow either QB to find a comfort level.

Prediction: Iowa 24, Indiana 21