Rutgers, Greg Schiano not taking Indiana lightly as Scarlet Knights hope for 6th win
PISCATAWAY – If you think there’s a chance of Rutgers football not taking Indiana as seriously it needs to, well, think again.
Coach Greg Schiano on Monday spoke highly about the Hoosiers, emphasizing their 2-4 record isn’t fully reflective of how dangerous they could be.
“Had a chance to watch them now some, last night and today,” Schiano said during a news conference inside the Hale Center. “They have a good football team. You look at the four teams they have lost to, combined, they have lost three games the whole season.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Schiano is speaking highly about Indiana – this is an important game for Rutgers, one it can’t afford to overlook.
A win over the Hoosiers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington (noon, Big Ten Network) would give the Scarlet Knights their sixth win of the season, earning them bowl eligibility for the first time since 2014.
So far, Rutgers has done what it’s needed to do in order to reach this point – including overcoming an 18-point deficit against Michigan State on Saturday to pull off an improbable and remarkable 27-24 victory.
The Scarlet Knights have had success against Indiana in recent seasons, blowing it out 38-3 in Bloomington in 2021 and beating it 24-17 in Piscataway last year.
The Hoosiers this season have lost to Ohio State (23-3), Louisville (21-14), Maryland (44-17) and Michigan (52-7). They’ve beaten Indiana State (41-7) and Akron (29-27 4OT).
Indiana’s allowing 29.0 points per game, 13th in the Big Ten. They’re scoring 18.5 per contest, last in the conference. The Hoosiers have the 13th-ranked rushing offense in the Big Ten and 12th-ranked rushing defense.
Tom Allen’s team has also had instability at quarterback. Indiana rotated Tayven Jackson and Brendan Sorsby against Michigan on Saturday and neither performed well. It’s unclear who Indiana will start against Rutgers, but Allen said following the loss to the Wolverines that he doesn’t plan on continue the QB rotation.
Schiano said the Scarlet Knights will be prepared for anything.
“They are both really good players,” Schiano said. “They both can throw it very well. They are both athletic. I don't know, it's going to be a challenge whoever lines up back there. But knowing who starts the game, that will be the guy, then we've just got to be ready for both.”
FROM DON BOSCO TO THE TOP OF THE BIG TEN How RU football's Kyle Monangai is building a special season as Big Ten's leading rusher
Schiano, though, spoke particularly highly about Indiana’s defense, highlighting linebacker Aaron Casey, who has 50 tackles (eight for losses) this season.
“He's one of the top five linebackers in the league,” Schiano said. “How do you rank them? There's a lot of good linebackers, including ours, in this league. He's strong, he's fast, he's tough, he's instinctual.”
Offensively, Indiana’s now led by coordinator Rod Carey after Allen fired Walt Bell last month. Carey, the former Northern Illinois and Temple head coach, is an Indiana alumnus.
“You can see already in just one game, they had a bye week and one game, but you can see some of the stuff he used to do at Northern Illinois, some of the stuff at Temple,” Schiano said. “It's midseason, so how much are you really going to be able to change? But you can see his influence.”
Schiano said wide receiver Cam Camper “catches your eye when you’re watching him” and former quarterback turned wide receiver Donoven McCulley is “a big athlete.”
The Scarlet Knights have a big opportunity ahead of them. Schiano’s making sure his players understand the challenge the Hoosiers can present – past results don’t tell the full story.
“It's going to be a challenge,” Schiano said. “Go on the road in the Big Ten against a good, well-coached, talented football team. We've got our hands full, and we're going to have a great week of preparation because they do challenge you many ways schematically, as well as physically.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football not taking Indiana lightly before key game
