2022 Rutgers Football Game: Week 8 Preview vs. Indiana

How To Watch, Stream & Listen

Indiana at Rutgers

Where: SHI Stadium in Piscataway, NJ

Kick-off: Friday, October 22 at 12:00 PM ET

Weather: 70 degrees, sunny skies with a 7% chance of rain, 4 mph winds

TV: BTN with Cory Provus (play-by-play), Matt Millen (color), and Elise Menaker (sideline)

Stream: Fox Sports App

Radio: Radio: RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network (WFAN 101.9 FM/660 AM, Fox Sports New Jersey 93.5 FM/1450 AM) with Chris Carlin (play-by-play), Eric LeGrand and Mike Teel (analyst), and Anthony Fucilli (sideline); WRSU 88.7 FM - Alex Carmenaty & Dennis Geissler; SiriusXM 195, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app

Series History: Indiana leads all-time series 5-3; Rutgers defeated 38-3 in 2021

Indiana SB Nation Site: The Crimson Quarry

Statistical Leaders

Rutgers

Passing: Evan Simon - 71-for-123, 57.7%, 740 yards, 4 touchdowns, 6 interceptions

Rushing: Samuel Brown V - 273 yards on 58 carries, 4.7 ypc, 2 touchdowns

Receiving: Aron Cruickshank - 25 catches for 243 yards, 9.7 ypc, 2 touchdowns

Defense: Deion Jennings - 46 tackles, Tyreem Powell - 3 sacks, Robert Longerbeam, Max Melton, Christian Braswell - 2 interceptions

Indiana

Passing: Connor Bazelak - 184-for-337, 54.6%, 1,889 yards, 12 touchdowns, 8 interceptions

Rushing: Shaun Shivers - 402 yards on 99 carries, 4.1 ypc, 4 touchdowns

Receiving: Cam Camper - 41 catches for 526 yards, 12.8 ypc, 2 touchdowns

Defense: Aaron Casey - 55 tackles, Dasan McCullough - 4 sacks, Bryant Fitzgerald, Josh Sanguinetti, Devon Matthews, Taiwan Mullen, Myles Jackson - 1 interception

What To Watch For

When Rutgers has the ball

Rutgers has not thrown the ball well this season.

Evan Simon has a 300-yard game under his belt but he is the type of player that you do not want putting up those numbers. That typically means the team is behind and needs to force the ball. In this game, Indiana is vulnerable to the pass.

What will give on Saturday?

Indiana is allowing 280.4 passing yards per game this season. Rutgers is only throwing for 173.4 yards per game. All three quarterbacks will be healthy for the Scarlet Knights this week. Now, we do not know what that means. This is the first time that all three will be suited up together and it is also the first week since Sean Gleeson was let go.

Rutgers is coming off a bye, which means it had two weeks to prepare for this game — quarterbacks and offensive coordinator, and all.

Despite the secondary of Indiana being down, the Scarlet Knights still need to focus on establishing the run early, especially if Cam Jones is not going for the Hoosiers. Samuel Brown V should get the ball early and often. This will open up the passing attack and potentially help put some points on the board.

When Indiana has the ball

Connor Bazelak does not have the raw talent of Michael Penix Jr. but Indiana is finding a way to throw the ball effectively.

The Hoosiers currently rank fifth in the Big Ten with 273.1 passing yards per game. Rutgers has a strong defensive front against the run but it does not get to the quarterback. Bazelak might have some room to operate.

With that being said, the team is far from perfect despite the offense being decent. Like Rutgers, the Hoosiers have turned the ball over a ton this season. Something will have to give in this game. If Indiana can make this a fast-paced, high-scoring game, it will favor them.

Rutgers will need this game to be a defensive battle played in the 20s. Indiana will have a chance to throw the ball a bit and speed things up.

Could Rutgers win this game?

Rutgers is favored, it is home (not that home-field has been an advantage), and it is desperate. Put that trio together and Rutgers has to win this game. If not, the team is in for a winless Big Ten slate.

Final thoughts

This sounds cliche but the team that takes care of the ball will win. Both teams have combined to throw 16 interceptions this season. Fans will be involved in two games on Saturday — the one against Indiana and the one that the offense is playing in terms of quarterback usage. The Nebraska game is one that will live in infamy for Rutgers for years to come but a victory here could be a weight lifted. It is time for Rutgers and its fans to breathe a sign of relief.