Hoosier offense a mixed bag
After a so-so performance in week one against the Ball State Cardinals, the Hoosier offense put forth a similarly uneven performance against the Virginia Cavaliers.
The ground game showed improvement, gaining nearly 150 yards, accounting for two touchdowns and helping Indiana to dictate the pace more than they did the previous week.
Matt Perez ran hard for the second straight week, breaking several tackles and scoring both of IU’s rushing touchdowns. He was joined in the backfield rotation by true freshman D’Angelo Roberts. Junior college transfer Stephen Houston had run well the previous week, but Roberts replaced him in the rotation this week and played impressively in his first college action.
Roberts showed both the speed and the elusiveness to provide an adequate change of pace to the slower but more powerful Perez. The backfield rotation will bear watching going into next week’s contest, because all three running backs have played well when they’ve been given carries.
Edward Wright-Baker did his part to improve the ground game as well, looking more assertive when he chose to run than he had the previous week. For the most part, he looked more confident in his reads when scrambling and he succeeded in breaking a couple of long runs to move the chains.
He still needs to cut down on his scrambling and develop a little more patience in the pocket, but he was marginally more judicious this week against a more talented defense, which is a welcome development.
Wright-Baker appears to be a work in progress passing the ball though, as he frequently struggled with his accuracy. He overthrew open targets downfield several times, leaving a couple of touchdowns on the field.
At the same time, he improved his accuracy on the shorter swing passes that he struggled to hit last week, and showed nice touch on the 4th quarter touchdown pass to Duwyce Wilson that put the Hoosiers up 31-23 with 6:34 to play.
The offense, as a unit, made some big plays but they missed on some as well, failing to score a touchdown in the first half. They found a rhythm in the second, including a stretch where they scored touchdowns on three of four offensive possessions, but faltered again late, giving up a turnover that led to a Virginia field goal as time expired.
Overall, this is a unit on the brink – often playing well enough to win the game, but missing plenty of opportunities as well. Its success hinges on the continued development of Wright-Baker, who has been equal parts electrifying and frustrating. If he improves enough to capitalize on his talent, this team could be in for some big things. If not, Hoosier fans could be in for a long and frustrating season.
Second half run brings Indiana to cusp of victory
While Indiana indeed lost the game in a heartbreaking manner, it’s a testament to the team’s resolve that the loss hurt as much as it did.
As Robert Randolph’s extra point sailed through the uprights to give the Cavaliers a 23-3 lead mere minutes into the third quarter, fans on both sides of Memorial Stadium could be seen filing to the exits, and those who remained were noticeably devoid of energy.
That series of events seemed to do nothing but strengthen the team’s resolve though, as the offense scored on its next drive to make the score 23-10.
The Hoosiers were only getting warmed up, as an offense that scored only three points in the first half found its groove and added two more touchdowns. The defense did its part as well, putting together one of its more impressive stretches in recent memory.
They began flying to the ball, batting down passes at the line of scrimmage and proving they could stifle the Virginia ground attack. As a result, a unit that had forced only one turnover and two punts in the first half forced two turnovers – one for a touchdown – and two punts (including a near safety).
They even saw the special teams get in on the fun as they recovered a punt after a Virginia special teams gaffe. When the smoke had cleared, Indiana had put together its first solid stretch of the Kevin Wilson era, scoring 28 unanswered points and taking a 31-23 lead.
It was definitely disappointing that the team couldn’t finish the job, but before putting together that stretch, Indiana hadn’t shown anything indicating that they were capable of beating a decent opponent. Saturday’s contest proved they have it in them, now they just need to show it on a consistent basis.
Aggressive play call costs Hoosiers points, possibly game
There’s no denying that Kevin Wilson has guts, as for the second straight week he elected to be aggressive and go for a touchdown on fourth and goal rather than settle for a chip-shot field goal. Unfortunately, for the second straight week, the Hoosiers failed to score and it may have cost them the game.
“As coaches, we wanted to create something and went for the fake,” Wilson said after the game, “We were trying to be aggressive there and it didn’t work.”
The decision to eschew the field goal reared its head late in the game, as the Cavaliers tied the game at 31 on a Kevin Parks touchdown with 1:36 remaining in the fourth quarter. With an extra three points, Indiana would have forced Virginia to attempt a difficult onside kick, which the Hoosiers would have likely recovered. Instead though, the Indiana offense gained only five yards, burned only :23 and gave Virginia the ball on the Hoosier 14 yard line when Wright-
Baker was sacked by Cam Johnson on 3rd down. The Cavaliers promptly gained eight yards, drained all but two seconds from the game clock and sent in their kicker to win the game from 23 yards.
It’s said that hindsight is 20/20, but it’s also said that those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it. For the second straight game, Wilson’s intestinal fortitude may have cost his team a win and it will be intriguing to see how bold he is should a similar situation arise next week.
Image courtesy of the Herald Times
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