5 players to watch ahead of Iowa’s game against No. 11 Indiana

IOWA CITY — A veteran coach hosts a rising star in the Big Ten. Which one will prevail in Kinnick Stadium Saturday afternoon?

The Hawkeyes (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) host No. 11 Indiana (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) for their second Big Ten game of the season. The Hoosiers have captivated the national stage after second-year head coach Curt Cignetti skyrocketed the program’s reputation and made the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

Iowa has won four consecutive games against Indiana, and eight of its last nine matchups. However, this Hoosier team is fresh off a 63-10 blowout win over now-No. 23 Illinois.

Cignetti said during his program’s weekly availability he’s never experienced Kinnick Stadium before. He’s got a plan to prepare his team for the environment, but it still will be a brand new experience.

“The thing about Iowa in general, they will not beat themselves,” Cignetti said. “You will have to beat them. They're not going to beat themselves. And they play really well at home.”

Indiana also lost its top running back, Lee Beebe Jr., to a non-contact knee injury in Week 3. The Hoosiers have a prolific offense, currently ranked as the best in the conference and second in the nation.

This isn’t the same Indiana that Iowa has been used to. It’s a Hoosier team on a mission, and one that could be very dangerous.

Here’s five Hoosiers to look for come Saturday afternoon.

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Fernando Mendoza

If Iowa fans thought Rutgers’ quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was accurate, meet Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The former California signal caller leads the Big Ten in touchdowns this season, having already recorded 14.

He also hasn’t been picked off this year, and has a 76.8-percent completion rate through four games.

Mendoza’s a veteran quarterback, starting in 31 games at California before earning the starting job under Cignetti. However, Mendoza doesn’t move outside the pocket often — he’s got just 76 rushing yards for two touchdowns this season.

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Aiden Fisher

Linebacker Aiden Fisher is one of the nation’s most prolific tacklers, ranked second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally. He’s made 27 starts in his career, including all three games so far this season.

He’s one of a handful of transfers who followed Cignetti from James Madison University and made an immediate impact in the Big Ten.

Fisher has nine career double-digit tackle games, five of which were at Indiana. He also was the Hoosiers’ first first-team All-American linebacker by FWAA.

Elijah Sarratt

Though he’s not Mendoza’s leading receiver this season, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt has recorded at least one reception in every game over his college career. He’s also the top receiver in FBS football for touchdowns, bringing down 32 scores, and leads the conference in receiving yards — inching toward 3,000.

Sarratt has just 256 receiving yards this year, but has five touchdowns already. He’s been very successful at midfield, with his season-long catch at 27 yards. Sarratt, standing 6-foot-2, averages 64 receiving yards per game — good for second on the Hoosiers’ roster.

D’Angelo Ponds

Junior defensive back D’Angelo Ponds was another JMU transfer who made an instant impact in the Big Ten. He’s registered 11 tackles this season, including three tackles-for-loss.

Ponds is an explosive DB who also plays a large part of Indiana’s special teams unit. He had a blocked punt for a touchdown against Illinois on Saturday, and picked off a pass against Old Dominion to open the season.

Omar Cooper Jr.

As Mendoza’s favorite target this season, wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. has scored five touchdowns in four games. He’s averaging 94 yards per game, including a 58-yard long ball against Indiana State in Week 3.

Cooper Jr. also is very quick on the ground, recording a 75-yard rushing touchdown in Week 2 — now tied for the program’s longest rushing touchdown by a receiver with Shane Wynn from 2014.

Cooper’s had just three 100-yard receiving games in his career, one of which was against Indiana State, where he recorded 207 receiving yards. He had 78 yards against Illinois on Saturday.

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