Here’s what to watch for when the Indiana Hoosiers take on the Utah Utes in the 2016 Foster Farms Bowl at Levi’s Stadium.
The Utah Utes will try to secure their third consecutive season of nine wins or more when they take on the Indiana Hoosiers on Wednesday night in the 2016 Foster Farms Bowl at Levi’s Stadium.
Kyle Whittingham led the Utes to another solid year with a record of 8-4, with no defeat coming by more than a touchdown.. Consecutive losses to Oregon and Colorado to close out the season kept Utah from the Pac-12 South title after being ranked as high as 11th earlier in the year.
The Utes continued to play tough, physical defense under Whittingham, with lineman Hunter Dimick leading the way. Running back Joe Williams came out of retirement early in the season to spark the offense with 1,185 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in eight games.
Indiana is headed to a second straight bowl game for the first time since the early 1990s following a 6-6 season. The Hoosiers took care of business against the bottom part of the Big Ten and played contenders like Ohio State and Nebraska tough in losses.
Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, head coach Kevin Wilson was dismissed after the regular season following reports of player mistreatment. The Hoosiers are now led by former defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who assembled a solid unit that includes one of the top linebackers in the Big Ten in Tegray Scales.
Even with the tough stretch run, Utah is a touchdown favorite in what is expected to be a low-scoring Foster Farms Bowl.
Odds
Spread: Utah -7
Moneyline: Utah -300, Indiana +250
O/U: 54
Indiana was a little underrated in 2016, particularly on the defensive side. The big unknown is how the Hoosiers will respond to Wilson’s dismissal.
Allen has proven himself to be a capable defensive coach, and Indiana should be able to hang in against a sluggish Utah offense. The Hoosiers allowed 4.8 points per game to rank 22nd in the nation, which could present a problem for a Utes offense that commits a lot of turnovers and doesn’t feature much of a passing attack.
Williams will still be tough to contain throughout the whole game, and Indiana’s offense faces a major challenge. The Hoosiers aren’t very efficient on the ground and could get dominated in the trenches by Utah, putting a lot of pressure on Indiana quarterback Richard Lagow and top receiver Nick Westbrook.
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Lagow threw 16 interceptions this season, something Brian Allen and the ballhawking Utes secondary can take advantage of. Don’t expect the Hoosiers to get run off the field, but Utah’s superior playmakers like Williams and Dimick will eventually make the difference.
As long as Utes quarterback Troy Williams isn’t careless with the ball, look for Utah to win an ugly, low-scoring affair.
Prediction: Utah 24, Indiana 17