Cignetti: Richard Day-to-Day, Hoosiers Eye Full Backfield at Rutgers
Indiana running back Turbo Richard avoided a serious leg injury and could play this weekend when the sixth-ranked Hoosiers travel to face Rutgers, coach Curt Cignetti said Monday. "We got really good news on Turbo, and he'll be day to day, and I'm optimistic he can play Saturday as well as Rolijah Hardy," Cignetti told reporters during his weekly news conference.
Richard was hurt during Friday night's 29-23 win over Northwestern, when he was driven out of bounds on a 2-yard run in the second quarter and a Wildcats defender landed on his lower right leg near the Indiana bench. No penalty was called on the play, and Richard did not return to the game. Cignetti offered no update afterward, saying only, "We'll see." bkfc bitcoin betting
Richard, who transferred to Indiana from Boston College this year, had been the team's leading rusher before the injury, with 50 carries for 383 yards and four touchdowns, plus two catches for 43 yards. His absence thrust backup Lee Beebe Jr. into a larger role; Beebe responded with 24 carries for 203 yards and a touchdown, including a 70-yard run that set up Indiana's clinching score. Beebe now leads the team with 71 carries for 398 yards and three rushing touchdowns, a marked turnaround after a right knee injury limited him to three games during last season's Big Ten and national championship run.
The Hoosiers' running back depth remains thin regardless of Richard's status, since Khobie Martin, the third back in Cignetti's rotation, is still sidelined with a broken arm. Cignetti gave no fresh update on Martin on Monday, though the back is expected to return within weeks. Indiana also received encouraging news on linebacker Rolijah Hardy, who left Friday's game with an undisclosed injury after racking up eight of his team-high 18 tackles before heading to the locker room. "We expect him to be fine," Cignetti said.
Indiana (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) carries the nation's longest active winning streak at 20 games and the longest active home winning streak at 19, along with 12 straight conference victories. The Hoosiers will look to extend those marks Saturday in their first road game of the season, against a Rutgers team they have not yet faced this year.
