3 Instant Takeaways As Indiana Football Pulls Away Late, Defeats USC

It wasn't always pretty, but Indiana football found a way to win another big game Saturday night.

Behind a bend-but-don't-break defensive performance and some timely explosive plays offensively, the Hoosiers pulled away from USC for a 27-13 victory at Memorial Stadium, improving to 9-1 on the season.

Here are three instant takeaways from Indiana's win over the Trojans.

Indiana's red zone defense is elite

USC moved the ball against Indiana's defense Saturday. Finishing drives was another story entirely.

The Trojans repeatedly marched into Indiana territory, but Bryant Haines' defense consistently tightened up when the field shrank.

USC reached the red zone five times Saturday and came away with just one touchdown, two field goals and two empty possessions. The Trojans missed a short field goal early in the fourth quarter before Isaiah Jones intercepted Jayden Maiava in the red zone later in the period.

For a defense that entered Saturday allowing just 259 total yards per game, surrendering north of 400 yards wasn't particularly impressive. But holding an offense as talented as USC's to 13 points certainly was.

Indiana's defense has developed a remarkable ability to make plays when they matter most. The Hoosiers may give up yards between the 20s, but good luck consistently finding the end zone against them.

With the game still hanging in the balance late on Saturday, Jamari Sharpe added another interception to help put the finishing touches on the win.

Grant Wilson brings explosiveness, but offensive questions remain

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Indiana's opening offensive possession Saturday was a breath of fresh air.

Making his first start of the season in place of Josh Hoover, Grant Wilson wasn't afraid to let it fly. He connected with Shazz Preston for 47 yards before finding Brock Schott for a touchdown, giving Indiana's passing attack a vertical dimension it has lacked in recent weeks.

Wilson later hit Nick Marsh for 65 yards, and the Hoosiers continued taking shots downfield throughout the game.

But for all the explosiveness Wilson brought, Indiana's offense still struggled to consistently sustain drives.

The rushing attack remained largely ineffective for stretches, and the Hoosiers continued to find themselves in difficult third-down situations. Wilson also made several questionable decisions through the air, including an interception late in the first half that helped USC erase a potential two-score deficit before halftime.

Indiana's offense looked more dangerous Saturday, but it wasn't necessarily more consistent. Too often, the Hoosiers seemed reliant on hitting a big play rather than methodically moving the ball downfield.

Wilson showed plenty of promise in his first start for the Hoosiers, but the offense still has considerable room for improvement.

Indiana finally puts an opponent away

For much of Saturday, Indiana appeared headed for another nail-biter.

The Hoosiers repeatedly squandered opportunities to build a comfortable lead, including a disastrous sequence before halftime when Wilson's interception helped USC turn a potential two-score deficit into a 10-10 tie.

It was another example of the self-inflicted mistakes that have become uncharacteristically common for Curt Cignetti's team in recent weeks.

But unlike Indiana's recent games, the Hoosiers finally delivered the knockout blow.

Leading by seven in the fourth quarter, Indiana put together a seven-play, 93-yard touchdown drive capped by a 42-yard catch-and-run from Charlie Becker on third-and-3.

Then, on USC's ensuing possession, Sharpe intercepted Maiava to effectively seal the win.

Indiana hadn't made things easy on itself for much of Saturday, but when the opportunity came to put USC away, the Hoosiers did exactly what championship-caliber teams are supposed to do.

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