After last week’s disappointing 35-21 loss to then-No. 24 Michigan State, IU travels to Piscataway, New Jersey, for the second game of its Big Ten Conference season.
The Hoosiers will take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who have lost three straight games after a season-opening victory against Texas State.
Here are three things you need to know about IU’s week five opponent.
1. Rutgers has been blown out for three consecutive weeks.
It’s not a great time to be a Rutgers football fan.
A week-two trip to Ohio State put a damper on expectations after the Scarlet Knights won their season opener for the first time since 2015.
Rutgers gained just 169 yards on offense in the 52-3 drubbing at the hands of the Buckeyes. The Scarlet Knight defense was just as bad, allowing Ohio State to score touchdowns on five of its first six drives.
A visit to Kansas provided no respite, as the Jayhawks tallied 405 rushing yards in a 55-14 shellacking.
Buffalo then became the third team to beat up on Rutgers when the Bulls came to New Jersey last week and controlled the game from start to finish, ending with a 42-13 victory.
In those three games, Rutgers was outscored 149-30, and the Scarlet Knights will be hoping to just stay within striking distance this week against the Hoosiers.
2. Now in his third season, Rutgers Coach Chris Ash has won just three total conference games.
In Rutgers’ first Big Ten season in 2014 under then-Coach Kyle Flood, the Scarlet Knights were more than respectable, finishing 8-5 after winning the Quick Lane Bowl against North Carolina.
But soon after, the wheels began to fall off the Rutgers program, and the 2015 season was a big step backward.
With off-field troubles plaguing the team before the season began, the Scarlet Knights went 4-8 and Flood was fired.
Current Coach Chris Ash took over just a week later, and has yet to put a real mark on the program. After posting a record of 2-10 in his first season, Ash showed improvement in his second year, finishing 4-8 with three wins in the Big Ten.
Despite making some progress last season, the back-to-back defeats to Kansas and Buffalo have shown there is plenty of work still to be done.
3. The Rutgers defense provides an opportunity for IU’s offense to bounce back.
After a strong performance against Texas State, the Rutgers defense has been nothing short of abysmal.
During the three-game losing streak, the Scarlet Knights have allowed an average of 49.7 points and over 500 yards of offense per game. After facing a defense as tough as Michigan State's, a matchup with Rutgers could be just what the IU offense needs to get back on track.
Expect to see a healthy dose of freshman Stevie Scott and the running game, as Rutgers has struggled to stop the run during its three-game slide. After a stagnant performance last week, the Hoosier offense will be looking to put up some serious points against one of the worst defenses in all of college football.
