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    Indiana football vs washington picks, prediction, start time, tv

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    BLOOMINGTON – The real Hoosier hysteria is happening this weekend at Memorial Stadium.

    Indiana Football welcomes ESPN’s College GameDay to campus and has another sellout crowd ready for the game against Washington.

    The No. 13 Hoosiers (7-0; 4-0 Big Ten) have a chance to match the program’s best-ever start as one of only nine undefeated teams left in the country.

    Check out our weekly preview, The Runout, for what stood out last week, players to watch, a prediction and more:

    IU Football vs. Washington: Story of the Tape

    • When: Saturday, October 26 at 12:00 PM ET
    • Where: Memorial Stadium (52,626), Bloomington, Indiana
    • TV: Big Ten Network
    • Line: Indiana -6.5
    • Series: Indiana leads 2-1
    • Last meeting: Washington for sure. Indiana, 38-13, on September 6, 2003

    More: Indiana football: How QB Tayven Jackson compares to other Big Ten backups

    IU football players to watch Washington

    Tayven Jackson, QB: Who else?

    Jackson steps into the starting lineup as Kurtis Rourke recovers from a thumb injury suffered against Nebraska. The redshirt sophomore looked sharp in his widest play of the season in the second half as he closed out a 56-7 win over the Cornhuskers.

    It was still a limited sample size – he only dropped back to pass nine times – and he took advantage of it coming into the game with a 28-7 lead.

    Jackson’s goal against Washington will be to avoid the kind of uneven performance that cost him the starting job last year. He is still known for his inconsistencies in practice, as Cignetti has noted several times.

    One way Jackson can do that is by taking a page from Rourke and avoiding negative plays. In seven starts, Rourke was sacked just six times on 202 dropbacks and turned over four times (three interceptions).

    The good news for Jackson is that Cignetti has upgraded virtually every facet of last season’s offense. The Hoosiers have a much better run game – last week they averaged 6.5 yards per carry against one of the best run defenses in the country – and their offensive game has been tremendous.

    Justice Ellison, RB: That aforementioned rushing attack will be as important as ever on Saturday.

    Ellison had his fifth-ever 100-yard game last week (second for IU), despite carrying the ball just nine times, but it was his early success — he had a 43-yard gain and a touchdown on the opening drive — who set the tone. in victory.

    The Cornhuskers had not allowed a rushing touchdown all season before the Wake Forest transfer hauled it in from the 5-yard line.

    Washington comes to Bloomington after struggling against the run this season. In the team’s three losses, the Huskies have given up 540 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and six touchdowns. They have allowed just 3.4 yards per carry and one rushing touchdown in four wins.

    That big difference paints a clear path to victory for the Hoosiers.

    Terry Jones Jr., S: The change Indiana made to the starting secondary was notable, as the team had kept the same starting lineup on both sides of the ball through the first six games.

    Amare Ferrell switched to strong safety in place of Josh Sanguinetti and Jones took over Ferrell’s spot at Rover. It was the first start of the Old Dominion transfer for the Hoosiers, but he didn’t play like someone who sat on the bench for half a season.

    Jones had six tackles (four solo) with four quarterback pressures. The only time he was targeted, he allowed a two-yard play.

    “He’s done a good job on special teams,” Cignetti said. “Got an opportunity on Saturday. An aggressive player. Played a lot of football. Had over a hundred tackles last season at ODU.”

    Washington starting quarterback Will Rogers will be a big test for the group. Rogers is one of the nation’s highest-rated quarterbacks (96.3) with throws of 20 yards or more, according to Pro Football Focus. He is 12 of 23 in passing depth with 399 yards and six touchdowns.

    Mind your banners: Rourke out, Jackson in for GameDay visit from Washington

    IU football: Week 8 odds and ends

    NSYNC: Indiana’s offensive line bullied Nebraska’s talented seven. They allowed just two tackles for loss on 33 rushing attempts and one sack. “I’m not surprised by what they did on Saturday,” Cignetti said. “Not at all.” The starting line played together every second, outside of clearing time, and that really made a difference, according to Cignetti. “They’re on the same page,” he said. “They function very well together.”

    Stress relief: Washington coach Jedd Fisch said one advantage of IU’s 80-0 opponents in the first quarter is that they haven’t had to deal with the play caller anxiety that comes when a coach sees a deficit on the scoreboard. Fisch said the Hoosiers playing up front all season — they’re only one of two teams in the country who haven’t trailed yet — has allowed them to settle into an impressive offensive rhythm.

    Frequent fliers: Big Ten teams have struggled on cross-country road trips. Indiana is one of a handful of teams to avoid disappointment after traveling across multiple time zones when it visited UCLA earlier this season. Through the first seven weeks of the season, the visiting team was 2-11 in those conference games. Washington will face the added challenge of an afternoon kickoff (9 a.m. local time). The Huskies faced the same scenario in a 40-16 loss to Iowa.

    More: Indiana Football’s new look is helping the defense reach new heights

    IU Football Stat of the Week

    245: According to ESPN’s Max Olson, Indiana has the largest margin of victory through seven games since 2020. The number is higher than the last three national champions: 2023 Michigan (229), 2022 Georgia (228) and 2021 Georgia (223). Indiana has the nation’s top-scoring offense (48.7 points) and the seventh-ranked scoring defense (13.7 points allowed).

    More: ‘We’re riding with him’: Indiana football QB Tayven Jackson has the support of his teammates

    IU Football Quote of the Week

    “We have 100% confidence and the team has 100% confidence, I have confidence, the staff has confidence in Tayven Jackson,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said

    More: After a lifetime spent in football, the Sunseri brothers finally share a field for IU-Washington

    Prediction: Indiana 28, Washington 20

    Washington is capable of spoiling IU’s undefeated season if it can get past the recurring red zone issues that have plagued its offense this season. The Huskies have outplayed all their opponents — they have a top 25 offense that averages more than 400 yards per game — but just haven’t been able to put enough points on the board.

    They also have a quarterback in Will Rogers who has more experience (47 career starts) than anyone the Hoosiers will face all season.

    Why still give Indiana an edge? Cignetti has earned the benefit of the doubt, even with a backup quarterback in the starting lineup. He has coached this team into a playoff contender and has passed every test thrown his way.

    Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

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