Keys to the Game: How Indiana can pass its first road test of 2025 at Iowa

Indiana has passed every test thus far, but a new challenge presents itself in Week 5. The Hoosiers travel to Iowa for their first road game in what has historically been a tough environment, especially for Indiana football.

We’ve all heard it: The Hoosiers haven’t beaten Iowa in Kinnick Stadium since 2007, while the last time IU traveled to Iowa City resulted in an extremely disappointing performance for the 2021 team that came into the season in the top 25.

This go-around, the Hoosiers are ranked No. 11 in the country and have serious playoff aspirations. It’s reasonable to assume that if IU can take care of business here, its path to the playoff is pretty clear. Even with losses at Oregon and at Penn State, Indiana could still get in, making this one against Iowa incredibly important.

I’m trying not to get ahead of myself here, so without further ado, here are three keys that should allow Indiana to defeat Iowa at its place and move to 5-0 ahead of the bye week.

Control the line of scrimmage

Iowa is known as a hard-nosed, tough football team, but I think Indiana can beat it at its own game. Last week against Illinois, the Hoosiers dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, which allowed for a beatdown of the Illini.

If Indiana can do that again against the Hawkeyes, I wouldn’t necessarily expect a 53-point win, but Iowa would have a slim chance of pulling off an upset, even at home.

Fernando Mendoza has been simply sensational the past two weeks, and pretty much the only way to neutralize him would be to get after him and total five or more sacks. When Mendoza has time to go through his progressions and make a clean throw, he’s as good as any quarterback in the country. But for even the best of the best under center, a defensive line that allows no time to throw can limit what an offense can do.

If the Hoosiers can protect Mendoza and create clear running lanes for their backs, Indiana’s offense should dominate once more. IU has rushed for 300-plus yards in each of its first four weeks, and that’s largely due to how its offensive line has played.

It’s not just the offensive line, though, as Indiana’s D-line was fantastic against Illinois. It totaled seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss, as the Hoosiers were practically perfect from start to finish when it came to their defensive front.

Iowa always has a strong offensive line, but with its leading rusher out due to injury, look for Indiana’s defensive line to limit what the Hawkeyes can do on the ground. If this happens, in addition to the offensive line controlling the game, Indiana could beat Iowa in the areas where it usually dominates, leading to a probable Hoosier win.

ON3+: Inside The Matchup: Previewing Indiana’s Week 5 contest against Iowa

Don’t give Iowa an advantage through special teams

When looking to pull off an upset, the underdog commonly looks to shake up the game through special teams. Iowa has some of the best special teams in the country, so Indiana needs to make sure it executes error-free.

The Hawkeyes have a very talented returner, Kaden Wetjen, who could certainly become a problem if Indiana gives him a chance to have a clean return. He has two career punt return touchdowns, and he also has two career kickoff return touchdowns.

Brandan Franke will look to prevent Wetjen from returning any kickoffs, while whoever is punting for the Hoosiers — Mitch McCarthy or Quinn Warren — should try to disallow any decent return, even if that means kicking it toward the sideline.

The Hawkeyes are sound in the kicking game as well, but with a dangerous return man, Iowa could gain momentum in an instant. With a home crowd backing it, Iowa will attempt to get the stadium rocking, and a return for a touchdown would be the perfect way to do that.

The mission is simple for Indiana: Execute, no matter what. Don’t give Wetjen a chance to beat you, and the Hoosiers should win the special teams battle.

NEWS: Judge rules Indiana safety Louis Moore eligible for rest of 2025 season

Win the turnover battle

Again, with a home crowd eager to affect the game, turnovers could doom the Hoosiers on multiple levels. For one, it could give the Hawkeyes an early lead if IU gives the ball away early, but in an intimidating environment, errors could quickly spiral out of control.

We saw it in 2021 with several turnovers, as Iowa ran away with a game many thought would be close. In a matchup that Indiana is favored in, one of the only ways Iowa could beat the Hoosiers would be with turnovers, so the Hoosiers need to play clean and crisp.

Indiana is plus-five in turnover margin, while Iowa is even with two takeaways and two giveaways. The Hoosiers have six takeaways and just one giveaway, as they’ve been extremely solid in the turnover battle thus far.

That needs to continue, as without game-changing turnovers, Iowa will have to find other ways to beat Indiana. If the Hoosiers are dominating the line of scrimmage, and Mendoza is doing his thing, it’ll be tough sledding for Iowa in its quest to upset IU if it doesn’t force takeaways.

Not yet a member of TheHoosier?  Join our community for Just $1 for your first week and get a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership. Join here!

Use the code “IND20” on Rhoback.com for a generous 20% off for all new customers through the end of this week. Rhoback — Best Fit, Best Feel.