Hackenberg's progress impresses Indiana coach

Indiana coach Kevin Wilson had a chance to watch a lot of film during his team's off week. It's clear he liked what he saw from Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg, the true freshman that the Hoosiers will face on Saturday in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

"From afar when I watch, you just look at body language, and he's a very mature kid that doesn't appear to get rattled," Wilson said Monday at his weekly news conference in Bloomington, Ind., site of Saturday's contest.

"He's not sitting there reading at the third grade level of quarterback play. He's at a very high level for a young guy. And I think with the open week, they'll probably advance and even put more on his plate. . . . He's a quality, good young player, very good."

Hackenberg has completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 1,027 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions. But his last game, played in rainy conditions, was the worst of his young career - 13 of 35 for 176 yards - in a 34-0 shutout of Kent State.

Wilson also praised Hackenberg's supporting cast, and called junior Allen Robinson "maybe the best in our league."

"He's got great leaps and great speed and he's very dynamic, his ability to adjust on the ball and make plays in space and all that deal," he said. "From afar, it looks like he's a tremendous competitor and he likes to play and wants the ball."

The Hoosiers have struggled all year against the run, allowing nearly 248 yards per game, 115th in the FBS rankings. The Nittany Lions have three runners - Zach Zwinak (297 yards rushing), Akeel Lynch (263), and Bill Belton (253) - ranked in the top 100 in FBS.

But Indiana is no slouch on offense, averaging 44.5 points, 10th in FBS. It is eighth in the nation in both passing yards (348.5 per game) and total offense (547.3). Sophomore Nate Sudfeld has completed 65.3 percent of his throws for 1,146 yards and 11 touchdowns but threw three interceptions in Indiana's most recent game, a 45-28 loss to Missouri.