Scouting the Hoosiers: 5 questions, prediction with an Indiana reporter

1) How has Indiana been able to replace Kurtis Rourke with Fernando Mendoza and be even better, at least thus far?

Niziolek: “Just this week Indiana starting center Pat Coogan described Mendoza’s arm talent as ‘undeniable,’ and that’s probably a good place to start. He’s had some wow moments this season that explain why NFL talent evaluators were so high on him.

“The other key factor that gets a bit overlooked is the talent surrounding him. The Hoosiers brought back five starters on offense including their top two receivers (Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper) and landed productive transfers (Coogan is one of them) to fill their other holes.”

2) If Indiana has a clear vulnerability, what is it?

Niziolek: “I’m going to cheat and name one on each side of the ball. There’s still concern about how IU’s offensive line will hold up against elite competition. Indiana got exposed last year against Ohio State and Notre Dame. The group had shaky moments against Iowa last week — some of that was related to the Hawkeyes’ blitz heavy approach — that brought back memories of last year’s failures.

“On defense, the Hoosiers biggest struggles have come in the back end of the secondary with the safeties. Iowa wasn’t equipped to challenge IU down the field, but Oregon has the type of explosive offense that could expose the communication and alignment issues that have plagued the team through the first five weeks of the season.”

3) What’s been the key to the run game’s improvement from last year?

Niziolek: “Indiana signed a pair of transfer running backs — Roman Hemby (Maryland) and Lee Beebe Jr. (UAB) — who were really effective at bouncing off contact and brought an explosive element to the backfield that was missing last year. Unfortunately for IU, Beebe suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3. They still have solid depth at the position with Kaleon Black and Khobie Martin, but there numbers will probably come back down to earth.”

4) What is allowing Isaiah Jones to be much more disruptive this season and how much of it is due to team’s planning to limit Mikail Kamara?

Niziolek: “I think I would tweak this question: How has IU’s defense been able to be so disruptive after losing three starters on the defensive line? While the Hoosiers lost some key contributors last year — former defensive tackle CJ West most notable among them — the transfers they added up front have all had strong moments and the staff did a nice job developing key returners like Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino.

“Don’t forget about Mikail Kamara either. He’s had a quieter season than he did last year when he led the FBS in quarterback pressures, but constantly being double-teamed and that’s actually opened up lanes for his teammates to get to the quarterback.”

5) How do you see it playing out and what’s your score prediction?

Niziolek: “Indiana is going to make this game more competitive than the ones they lost in Columbus and South Bend last year. After watching the Hoosiers dismantle a veteran-laden Illinois team and survive a tough game at Kinnick Stadium, it wouldn’t surprise me if this is a one-possession game going into the fourth quarter. I still think Oregon wins it, 31-20, but things could get interesting if they have a rematch later this season in Indy.”

No. 3 Oregon (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 7 Indiana (5-0, 2-0)

• When: Saturday, Oct. 11
• Time: 12:30 p.m. PT
• Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene
• TV: You can watch this game live for free with Fubo (free trial), with DirecTV (free trial) or streaming live on demand with Paramount Plus.
• Stream: DirecTV (free trial) or Fubo (promotional offers) or Paramount+ (free trial) or Sling (college football season pass is just $199). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.