No. 13 Indiana visits Michigan State aiming for its first 9-0 start
Indiana's Justice Ellison celebrates as the leaves the field following an NCAA college football game against Washington, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Bloomington, Ind. Credit: AP/Darron Cummings
No. 13 Indiana (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) at Michigan State (4-4, 2-3), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Peacock)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Indiana by 7 1/2.
Series record: Michigan State leads 50-18-2.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
The Hoosiers are playing for a lot more than a third straight road win in this series or taking the Old Brass Spittoon for the third time in five years. They’re one of eight remaining unbeaten teams, in the mix for one of the 12 playoff spots and another win would give them a school record 9-0 start. The Spartans are hoping to rebound from a 24-17 loss at Michigan and keep their postseason bowl hopes alive.
KEY MATCHUP
Indiana’s aggressive defense vs. Michigan State’s turnover-prone offense. The Spartans have thrown more interceptions (nine) than touchdown passes (seven) and are averaging two giveaways per game. Indiana has 14 takeaways and still ranks among the FBS’ top teams in turnover margin.
Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh rushes for a touchdown against Michigan in the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Credit: AP/Jose Juarez
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Indiana: QBs Kurtis Rourke or Tayven Jackson. Coach Curt Cignetti believes Rourke will start after missing one game following surgery on his right thumb. If Rourke doesn’t play, Jackson will make his second straight start. If Rourke plays, all eyes will be on his passing accuracy, something he struggled with before leaving the Nebraska game.
Michigan State: LB Cal Haladay. With leading tackler Jordan Turner sitting out the first half due to his targeting penalty against Michigan, the Spartans will rely on Haladay. In three career games against Indiana, he has totaled 24 tackles, two tackles for a loss of five yards and one interception return for a touchdown. Haladay has the second-most tackles (40) on the team.
FACTS & FIGURES
Indiana and Army are the only FBS teams that have not trailed this season. According to Sportradar, they are the first teams since at least 2003 to not trail in their first eight games. ... Michigan State ranks 21st in the nation in time of possession at 31:48. The Spartans have not for the course of a season held the ball more than their opponent since 2019. ... Cignetti is the first FBS coach to ever start back-to-back seasons at 8-0 with different schools. He went 10-0 with James Madison last season. ... The Indiana team with the best start in school history was 8-0 before a 33-7 loss at Minnesota and went to the 1967 Rose Bowl. ... Michigan State ranks 129th out of 133 FBS teams in red zone offense (70%). … Indiana has rushed for 30 TDs this season, trailing only Army (31), in the FBS.
