Scouting: Indiana @ Northwestern

Indiana (4-3, 1-2) at Northwestern (4-3, 1-2)

When: 11 a.m. Saturday at Ryan Field, Evanston

TV: BTN; Radio: WGN 720-AM, WNUR 89.1-FM

Series: Northwestern leads 42-34-1

Coaches: Bill Lynch (14-18, third year at Indiana; 95-85-3 overall); Pat Fitzgerald (23-21, fourth year at NU)

Players to watch: Indiana junior QB Ben Chappell set career bests for passing yards (333) and TDs (3) in last week's win over Illinois. His favorite target is sophomore Tandon Doss, who ranks among the nation's top 20 receivers in catches (48) and yards (676). DE Jammie Kirlew will test Northwestern's struggling line as he owns 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles. Senior MLB Matt Mayberry, a Hinsdale South grad who leads IU in tackles (58) will be a co-captain.

Senior QB Mike Kafka and WR Zeke Markshausen continue to be the bright spots on NU's offense. In the last three weeks, they've teamed up on 31 completions for 235 yards. With NU's running game in distress, Kafka leads the Big Ten in completions (173) and ranks second in attempts (255). He has thrown just 1 interception in his last 146 attempts. Senior safety Brendan Smith (broken thumb) remains out while senior safety Brad Phillips (shoulder) is questionable, which in NU parlance means it'll take something extraordinary for the rugged Phillips to get on the field.

The skinny: With three BCS Top 25 teams still on the docket (No. 6 Iowa, No. 13 Penn State and No. 21 Wisconsin), Northwestern needs to win this Homecoming affair to maintain a reasonable chance at bowl eligibility. Oddly enough, Indiana's next three games are against those same three BCS Top 25 teams and therefore views this game the same as NU. The Wildcats' defense must be on high alert for Indiana's "Wildcat" offense. Receiver Mitchell Evans, a QB in high school, handled the snap approximately 15 times in last week's 27-14 win over Illinois and rushed 9 times for a team-high 84 yards.