Indiana vs. Rutgers: No. 6 Hoosiers chase perfect 5-0 start

No. 6 Indiana brings a perfect record and one of the nation’s most efficient offenses to Piscataway, New Jersey, for Indiana vs. Rutgers on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 8 p.m. ET on BTN. The Hoosiers (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) have played all four games in Bloomington, while Rutgers (1-3, 0-1) is coming off a 58-7 rout of Howard that gave coach Greg Schiano his 100th win with the program.

The biggest Indiana vs. Rutgers question entering kickoff: Can Rutgers’ turnover-prone offense and leaky defense slow a Hoosiers attack that hasn’t committed a single giveaway this season?

Indiana vs. Rutgers game information

Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: SHI Stadium, Piscataway, N.J.
TV: BTN
Line: Indiana by 23.5, total 56.5 (DraftKings, via ESPN)

How good has Indiana’s offense really been?

The numbers back up the ranking for the defending national champions, who won their first title in January. Indiana averages 7.3 yards per play, fourth-best in the country, according to Sports Illustrated. Quarterback Josh Hoover has completed 56 of 80 passes for 850 yards and 11 touchdowns without an interception, per ESPN.

The ground game has kept pace. The Hoosiers rank sixth nationally at 5.7 yards per carry, and Lee Beebe Jr. ran for 203 yards on 24 carries last week against Northwestern, including a 70-yard run and a 4-yard touchdown, ESPN’s box score shows. Receiver Charlie Becker has been Hoover’s top downfield target with 19 catches for 370 yards and six touchdowns.

Can Rutgers’ defense contain Indiana’s big plays?

That’s the Indiana vs. Rutgers matchup working against the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers allows 6.7 yards per play, which ranks 123rd nationally, and gives up 5.1 yards per carry and 178 rushing yards per game, both outside the top 100, per Sports Illustrated. Against an Indiana offense built on chunk plays, those numbers point to a long night for the Rutgers defense.

Who’s carrying the ball for Indiana?

Beebe leads the team with 398 rushing yards and three touchdowns, and Indiana ran for 271 yards as a team against Northwestern. Turbo Richard, who added 68 yards on nine carries in that game, is uncertain for Saturday, though Indiana has expressed optimism he will play, according to Sports Illustrated. Freshman Jayreon Campbell and second-year back Sean Cuono are the other scholarship options, but neither has played a significant role.

Can Rutgers clean up its turnover issues in Indiana vs. Rutgers?

Ball security has been the Scarlet Knights’ biggest problem. Rutgers averages 3.3 giveaways per game, the worst mark in the country, and has thrown nine interceptions in four games, five by quarterback Dylan Lonergan and four by AJ Surace, Sports Illustrated reported. Indiana’s defense has intercepted only three passes, but any takeaways would make Rutgers’ path even harder.

Lonergan does have some momentum. He threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters of the 58-7 win over Howard on Sept. 25, per CBS Sports. Receiver KJ Duff became the first player in program history to catch a touchdown pass in five straight games, and running back Antwan Raymond ran for 140 yards and three scores. Raymond leads Rutgers with 438 rushing yards and four touchdowns this season.

What to watch

A road win in Indiana vs. Rutgers would keep the Hoosiers unbeaten in a Big Ten race that also includes No. 5 Ohio State, No. 14 Iowa and No. 18 USC, which meet this week in the case of the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes. For Rutgers, which lost to UMass, Boston College and USC before the Howard win, it’s a chance to show its offense can hold up against a ranked opponent.

Watch whether Rutgers can protect the football. Indiana hasn’t turned it over all season, and if that holds while Rutgers keeps giving the ball away, the gap between the teams in this Indiana vs. Rutgers matchup will only grow. For more, see our college football coverage.

Reporting from CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated contributed to this story. Statistics, rankings and schedule: ESPN and the AP Top 25.