Indiana's receiver room is full of talent that has been demonstrated all season long, with new players shining through week after week.
Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt, two of Indiana's wide receivers, had big games against Maryland in week five. Indiana is one win away from bowl eligibility as it enters a 3:30 p.m. game at Northwestern, and production in the passing game will continue to be important.
The Hoosiers’ passing offense is currently ranked fourth in the Big Ten Conference. Across five games they’ve completed 99 of 139 passes (71%), 1,512 yards and 12 touchdowns. They trail behind USC, Ohio State and Maryland. Week in and week out the receivers talk about their trust they have in quarterback Kurtis Rourke and what it does for them in the game, including Cooper, who had an exceptional performance against the Terps.
Cooper had four catches for 83 yards and one touchdown. The second quarter snag over a Maryland defender helped push Indiana into the lead 14-7. When asked about what made Saturday's performance so successful, Cooper talked about knowing when he had leverage in a play and being ready, running every route to the best of his abilities.
“I know that Kurtis will always trust me, So I just wanted to make sure that I did my best and made a play when the ball was in the air,” Cooper said.
Against Maryland some of Cooper's biggest grabs came when Indiana needed them most, including multiple first downs. He was able to win a lot of the one-on-ones he faced in his routes during the game, which was big for the Hoosiers.
“His big thing is day in, day out consistency, because he has talent,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said.
Cooper shares time on the field with Sarratt who notably made some noise as well in the week five matchup.
Sarratt has recently given himself the name “Waffle House” due to always being open during the game when on the field — much like how a Waffle House restaurant is open 24/7. He had seven catches against Maryland and also recorded 128 yards and one touchdown. Similar to Cooper, Sarratt was also finding success and winning his one-on-ones on the press coverage which was exactly what Indiana hoped for.
Cignetti has made note many times over the season about how much Sarratt loves and knows the game. As to his Waffle House name and reputation, it got a chuckle out of Cignetti.
“I heard that he had created that name,” Cignetti said. “I can't attest to the validity of Waffle House always being open. But even when he's not, he'll find a way to come down with the ball.”
The duo proved to be a strong match for Maryland which is what Indiana had expected of them to be.
Indiana's passing attack ranks among some of the top in the Big Ten standings so far. Sarratt is currently listed as No. 4 in the Big Ten in receiving yards. With 22 catches for 378 yards and two touchdowns. Cooper is not far behind at No. 8 with 16 catches, 328 yards and three touchdowns.
Northwestern's defense struggles against the pass game. They're ranked 15th in the conference, and that's going to be a hardship for them this weekend going against Indiana who dominates in pass attack. Against Washington they fell apart when they faced that adversity on defense.
Their strength is in stopping the rush game — they're ranked fifth in the conference. The Cats defense gave up 144 yards rushing in the Washington game and if they want to break up this Indiana team in their uphill battle this Saturday, Northwestern will have to rely heavily on the defense in stopping Indiana's run game. As for Indiana, they'll have to put their focus on defeating Northwestern through the air.
But playing in a talented and gritty receiver room like Indiana week in and week out is not for everybody. Cooper addressed post game Saturday about what it's like to be part of a group like this.
“It helps a lot because it helps me be able to see different moves and things that the players do in their routes,” Cooper said, “and us just being able to rotate roles and being able to stay fresh.”
As for what the grind is like Cooper explained, “sometimes it can get a little overwhelming but we always end up making the best of it so I'm grateful to have the receiver room that we have.”
The talent of Indiana's receiver room has led to having one of the most commanding passing offenses in the conference. The depth will be tested moving forward, with the absence of Donaven McCulley who made the decision to leave Indiana in news that broke on Tuesday afternoon.
Cooper and Sarratt are two key pieces to the attack, and if their performances against Maryland were any indication, they will continue to ignite IU’s passing offense.
