Indiana Preparing for Rutgers' Unknown Quarterback Situation
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana coach Tom Allen is bracing for an increased level of adaptation as the Hoosiers travel to Rutgers in Week 8.
Rutgers has played three quarterbacks this season, and coach Greg Schiano said the "full quarterback pool" will be available on Saturday against Indiana.
After starting all 13 games for Rutgers in 2021, sixth-year senior quarterback Noah Vedral missed the first four games with a hand injury. Sophomore Evan Simon and redshirt freshman Gavin Wimsatt split time at quarterback to begin the season, but Wimsatt suffered a leg injury in a Week 3 win against Temple. Simon remained the lone healthy quarterback, and Rutgers, similar to Indiana, lost three games in a row after a 3-0 start.
Schiano fired offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson after a 14-13 home loss to Nebraska in Week 6, and Rutgers enters its homecoming game against Indiana off a bye week with Nunzio Campanile as the new offensive coordinator.
For Allen, the Scarlet Knights' quarterback carousel presents both the biggest question mark and challenge for the Hoosiers in this matchup. With this uncertainty, Allen is working to identify the strengths of each quarterback, recognize the way Rutgers aims to maximize their skillsets, and build a flexible game plan on Saturday.
"It's a lot of unknowns," Allen said. "The first couple series are going to be big. We're not really 100 percent sure what we're going to see. So we're going to have to be able to be really, really good coaches and adapt and adjust on the hoof."
Schiano did not name a starter, but one comment in particular speaks to his philosophy regarding winning games and developing talent.
"I look at it like this. We develop talent and we play production," Schiano said. "So when a guy produces, it's my obligation to our players, to our coaches, to our fans to play the guys that give us the best chance to win. There's not one guy here who's, 'Hey, let's make sure we're good in [2025].' Nobody cares about [then], [they] care about right now. And I'm right there with them. So that whole development stuff, we practice a lot and we have spring practice and training camp and we can develop talent. We've proven that over the years, but you got to play production in my opinion. So who do we think is going to produce or who has produced? That's what factors into giving us the best chance to win."
Quarterbacks, Gavin Rupp, Gavin Wimsatt and Noah Vedral as Rutgers held practice at their football practice facility in Piscataway, NJ on March 8, 2022.
Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
Out of the three potential starting options, Vedral is clearly the most experienced quarterback. He's played sparingly this season due to injury, completing 6-of-15 passes for 133 passing yards and a rushing touchdown against Nebraska, but made 13 starts in 2021. He completed 59.3 percent of passes with seven touchdowns and six interceptions, along with 280 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2021. Vedral began his college career at UCF, transferred to Nebraska for two seasons and has made 21 starts for Rutgers since the beginning of the 2020 season.
Across six games this season, Simon has completed 71-of-123 passes for 740 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions. He threw for 300 yards and a touchdown against Iowa, but two interceptions proved costly in Rutgers 27-10 loss. Simon also threw a trio of interceptions in a backup role against Nebraska in Week 6. He took a redshirt year in 2020, and attempted 28 passes in relief in 2021.
Wimsatt is an intriguing option as a true sophomore who arrived last season as a four-star recruit ranked just outside the top 200 in the class of 2021. But in limited college experience, he's had similar turnover issues to Simon. He threw a late-game interception in last year's blowout loss at Penn State, and completed 7-of-16 passes for 30 yards and an interception in Rutgers' Gator Bowl loss to Wake Forest.
Wimsatt has appeared in three games this season, completing 10-of-23 passes for 117 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He's been especially effective in the run game, generating 106 yards on 13 attempts.
Indiana defensive coordinator Chad Wilt doesn't anticipate wholesale changes from Rutgers' new offensive coordinator, but he expects they'll make adjustments typical of any bye week. When it comes to preparing for three quarterbacks, Wilt said it's important to understand each player's tendencies and teach the Indiana defense how to react.
"Can you practice everything against all the quarterbacks? You can't practice it all," Wilt said. "We'll work to have a base knowledge of as much as we can and then make sure that our guys can go execute the fundamentals and details of their jobs to the best of their abilities."
Indiana struggled last week when Maryland backup quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. replaced an injured Taulia Tagovailoa in the fourth quarter. Edwards didn't complete a pass, but he rushed five times for 53 yards and a touchdown as Maryland defeated Indiana 38-33.
Allen was frustrated with his team's tackling effort last week, and said there will be a strong emphasis on tackling drills during practice as Indiana prepares for Rutgers.
"Man, there were so many times we had guys right there," Allen said. "That's where I'm like, 'Guys, we've got to finish the plays. We've got to get them on the ground.'"
Related stories on Indiana football:
- INDIANA WEEK 8 DEPTH CHART, INJURY NOTES: Heading into a Week 8 road trip to Rutgers for a Noon ET kickoff, here's the Indiana football depth chart and few injury updates. CLICK HERE
- GREG SCHIANO PREVIEWS INDIANA: Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano discussed the team's recent change at offensive coordinator, as well as the ongoing quarterback rotation and what he expects from coach Tom Allen and the Indiana Hoosiers. CLICK HERE
- TOM ALLEN, WALT BELL COMMENT ON JACK TUTTLE TRANSFERRING: Indiana backup quarterback Jack Tuttle decided to enter the transfer portal on Monday, but he will remain with the team until the end of the season. Indiana coach Tom Allen and offensive coordinator Walt Bell expressed their appreciation for Jack Tuttle's leadership this season. CLICK HERE
- EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH JACK TUTTLE: Indiana quarterback Jack Tuttle is entering the transfer portal so he can play elsewhere in 2023, but unlike many transfers, the redshirt-senior captain is staying with the Hoosiers throughout this season ''because I love my guys too much.'' CLICK HERE
- INDIANA SLIGHT UNDERDOG AT RUTGERS: Indiana football (3-4) travels to Rutgers (3-3) for a Week 8 matchup at Noon ET. Rutgers begins the week as a three-point favorite. CLICK HERE
