Will Indiana Improve in Short Yardage Situations Under Rod Carey?
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana's 2023 offense has been bad in short yardage situations. That is not in dispute, and coach Tom Allen has acknowledged it on several occasions.
The issue first popped up in Week 3 against Louisville, when the Hoosiers' 4th-and-goal attempt from 18 inches out fell roughly four yards short.
Against Akron, Indiana failed to extend its lead in the second quarter after Louis Moore returned an interception to the Akron five-yard line. The IU offense only gained four yards in four plays, and two Donaven McCulley wildcat plays fell short of the goal line.
The short yardage struggles under former offensive coordinator Walt Bell culminated in a truly awful play during Indiana's 44-17 loss to Maryland. Trailing 21-3 and approaching halftime, Allen decided to go for it on 4th-and-1, as the team desperately needed some momentum.
Bell called for Indiana to run a triple option play, which resulted in an 11-yard loss for quarterback Tayven Jackson.
Everyone knows that Allen fired Bell because the offense needs to improve in every area. The Hoosiers can't keep failing to convert in such game-swinging moments.
"[We] have to do better there [in short yardage situations], and it starts up front," Allen said on Thursday. "And it's also execution of things, and communication, and maybe taking some things off the quarterback in those spots, and making it more on the call itself in those spots."
What Allen said about the improvement starting up front is important. Obviously, the offensive line is critical in these types of plays. But specifically, it's more important for Indiana now considering who the new offensive coordinator is: Rod Carey.
Carey played center at Indiana under coach Bill Mallory from 1990-93. He's had an extensive three-decade career as a football coach at the college level. Here's a quick rundown of some of his jobs:
- Wisconsin-Stout: Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach, 2000-06
- Illinois State: Offensive Line Coach, 2007
- North Dakota: Offensive Line Coach, 2008-10
- Northern Illinois: Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach, 2011-12
- Indiana: Quality Control, Interim Offensive Line Coach, 2022
The new Indiana play caller is an offensive lineman, through and through. He was obviously promoted to the full-time offensive coordinator role to fix the running game in general. Through five games, Indiana is averaging negative 0.203 expected points added per designed run, according to CFB-Graphs.com. That ranks 127th out of 133 teams in FBS.
At that point, the Hoosiers might be better just taking a knee on first down rather than trying to run a speed option.
It's hard to ask Carey to step in midseason and completely fix everything wrong with Indiana's rushing attack. That probably requires a full offseason, not just an extra week coming off the bye. But short-yardage situations, particularly those near the goal line, are a specific area where Carey can focus his energy and try to fix what isn't working.
Allen said that taking a few things off the quarterback's plate in those scenarios could help. It sounds like Carey agrees.
"Simplifying the offense doesn't mean that reads necessarily are going to change," Carey said in his press conference during the bye week. "But maybe we are going to do more of the ones they read better and less of the ones that they don't read well."
It's hard to be 100 percent certain what Indiana's new offensive coordinator meant. But it sure seems like there will be fewer triple option plays like the one that failed so spectacularly against Maryland.
Those plays require a lot from a young redshirt freshman quarterback in Jackson. He has to be reading two, if not more, defenders. He has to first decide if he wants to hand the ball off, then decide if he wants to pitch the ball wide and then he has to decide when to pitch it. All while himself trying to be a running threat.
It would be much simpler to run a quarterback sneak or short halfback dive. There's little thought in those plays outside of "push harder than the other team is pushing."
There's no perfect way to tell how or even if Indiana will get better in short yardage situations. Carey's history with the offensive line position should help, but maybe the players at those spots just aren't talented enough to make a difference. Maybe Jackson getting away from the chaos of option plays will help him be more decisive in those spots. But he could also just be a poor running quarterback who won't help his team a ton on 4th-and-short situations.
There's no perfect prediction, but there's no confusion about what Allen, Carey or anyone on the Indiana football team wants to do. They want to start getting the ball across the goal line when they're called upon.
"Get the ball across the goal line. That is about as easy as it can get," Carey said. "We all carry the responsibility, and we have to get the ball across the goal line. By hook or crook, that is what we have to do."
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