The Utah Utes and the Indiana Hoosiers meet up at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California to compete in the Foster Farms Bowl. The contest is scheduled to go off on Wednesday, December 28th at 8:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on the FOX Network. Coming into this match-up, the Utes are -7 point favorites and the game’s over/under is at 54.5.
The all-time series between Indiana and Utah is not extensive. The two schools have met on only three occasions. The Utes have won two of those match-ups. The last time they faced each other was in 2002, and Utah walked away victorious in Salt Lake City, 40-13.
Indiana (6-6):
The season has been a successful one for the Hoosiers, based on its recent productivity. Even though head coach Kevin Wilson was fired by Indiana, he wasn’t let go because of production. In fact, he guided the school to bowl eligibility in back-to-back years for the first time since the early 1990’s. Furthermore, the Hoosiers also finished off its season with a 26-24 win over in-state rival Purdue.
The play at the quarterback position for Indiana has been anything but steady. Richard Lagow has thrown 18 touchdowns to 16 interceptions this season, and he’s completed only 59.9 percent of his passes for 3,174 yards. Fortunately, he will be going up against the nation’s 102nd ranked pass defense in the foster Farms Bowl.
In the running game, tail back Devine Redding is the player to watch out for. This year, he’s racked up 1,050 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 236 carries for the Hoosiers. Spelling him is Zander Diamont, who has also rushed for four touchdowns and another 241 yards on 38 carries.
Quarterback Richard Laslow’s favorite target is Nick Westbrook. The team leader has hauled in 49 catches for 915 yards and five touchdowns. Ricky Jones and Mitchell Paige have also combined for over 100 catches for almost 1,400 yards and six scores.
The Hoosiers defense was better than expected in 2016. Considering the competition, Indiana has done well up front, limiting opposing schools to only 152.4 yards per game (46th). The secondary isn’t far behind, giving way to 220 yards per contest (58th).
Utah (8-4):
As for the Utes, their 2016 campaign started off in fine fashion. Utah won seven of their first eight contests, and things were looking up even though they suffered some key injuries. But head coach Kyle Whittingham’s team lost in three of its final four games of the season to Washington, Oregon and Colorado. Now, they will match-up with the Hoosiers in the Foster Farms Bowl.
Through the air, the Utes passing game continued to struggle throughout their 2016 campaign. Quarterback Troy Williams has connected on 53.4 percent of his passes for 2,579 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He is healthy and hopes to bring balance to Utah against Indiana on Wednesday.
Running back Joe Williams has been pleasant surprise by what he’s been able to chalk-up out of the backfield since coming out of retirement. The durable tail back has scampered for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns on 184 carries. Signal-caller Troy Williams is a red zone threat, also running for 246 yards and five scores.
Wide receivers Tim Patrick and Raelon Singleton are the two wide outs that do damage for the Utah Utes passing attack. Together, the duo has reeled in just under 70 passes for over 1,100 yards and nine trips to the back of the end zone.
Even without their defensive guru Cody Barton, who is out with a broken collar bone, Utah’s defense has the edge. They rank 38th in scoring defense, allowing 23.9 points per match. The front seven is stingy against running backs, allowing only 129.4 yards per game (25th).
Trends and Notes:
The Hoosiers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
The Utes are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 bowl games.
The Over is 6-2-1 in the Hoosiers last 9 non-conference games.
The Over is 5-2 in the Utes last 7 Bowl games.
Pro Bowl linebacker Luke Kuechly has won the Foster Farms Bowl MVP award twice (2009, 2011).
Game Predictions:
The Hoosiers might come out throwing the ball around for this match-up against Utah’s 102nd ranked secondary. That could be a good or a bad thing as quarterback Richard Ludlow has been inconsistent out of the pocket.
The Utes will look to get their ground game going, handing the ball off to Joe Williams as much a possible. If they can get him going, quarterback Troy Williams will look to burn the Indiana secondary with the play-action pass.
There is a good possibility that both of these scenarios will play out in beautiful Santa Clara, California for the Foster Farms Bowl on Wednesday night. Joe Williams should find some running room and Richard Ludlow can make some big plays in the Hoosier’s passing game if he remains accurate.
The play in this game is the over 54.5, as both squads should find the end zone at least three to four times apiece. Turnovers could be a story line in this one and that just might even bode well for the total as well.
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