Report Card: Run Game Gets Going, Defense Continues to Impress Versus Maryland
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana got back on the winning track on Saturday as it defeated Maryland 27-11 in Memorial Stadium.
"I'm really proud of our football team," Indiana Coach Tom Allen said. "Tough, hard fought win. They are all hard. They are all tough and every win is a big win in the Big Ten. So, very proud of our guys."
Here's my report card after Saturday's win, where Indiana improved to 5-1 on the season.
Pass Offense: D
This was the most surprising development on Saturday as Indiana's passing game really struggled to do much of anything. Michael Penix Jr. was off on his accuracy a number of times, going 6-of-19 for just 84 yards. After Penix went down with an injury, Jack Tuttle came in and managed the game well, but he didn't need to do much as he only went 5-of-5 for 31 yards.
The passing attack has been Indiana's strength this season, so it was odd to see them struggle so much.
Rush Offense: A
The rushing attack finally came alive for Indiana, and it was much-needed with a struggling passing game. Stevie Scott was reliable as always, carrying the ball 24 times for 80 yards and three touchdowns. All three of Scott's TD's came from the wildcat formation.
Then freshman Tim Baldwin Jr. stepped up in the absence of Sampson James. Baldwin had 16 carries for 106 yards, which made him the 14th true freshman to rush for more than 100 yards in IU history.
The Hoosiers rushed for 234 combined yards on the day, which is the most for them this season.
Rush Defense: A
The Hoosiers' defensive line continued to stifle the run game. Maryland had four ball-carriers, and they combined for just 59 total yards on 25 attempts.
Taulia Tagovailoa is a mobile quarterback who can hurt opponents with his legs, but Indiana contained him in the pocket as he had eight carries for minus-12 yards.
It was a solid job by Indiana's defense this week after Ohio State ran all over them a week before.
Pass Defense: B-Plus
The Hoosiers' secondary has been flying around the field all season, and that continued on Saturday. Indiana came away with three more interceptions (Tiawan Mullen, Jaylin Williams, Micah McFadden), which gives the team a nation-leading 16 picks this season.
However, Tagovailoa was able to complete some chunk passes, including a 43-yard touchdown pass at the end of the game, which ended Indiana's hopes of preventing Maryland from getting in the end zone. Tom Allen was not very happy about that play postgame.
Overall, really solid performance from the secondary once again.
Special Teams: B
Punter Haydon Whitehead was called on a little more than Indiana would have like during the game, but he executed well each time. Whitehead had seven punts that averaged 45.4 yards per attempt.
Charles Campbell was called upon in the fourth quarter to make a 33-yarder, which he did.
Reese Taylor and Jacolby Hewitt each returned one kickoff. Taylor ran his back for 21 yards and Hewitt for 18 yards.
Coaching: B
The job Kane Wommack has done as defensive coordinator this year has been extremely impressive. He continues to bring immense pressure to the quarterback and create takeaways.
Tom Allen continues to be solid this season, leading his team to a 5-1 record, knocking of all teams in the Big Ten East except for Ohio State.
The offense struggled again, but Nick Sheridan did do a nice job of using the wildcat to get the run game going a bit. He made some adjustments, which was good to see, but Indiana still got off to a really slow start, which has been a problem Sheridan is wanting to fix.
Intangibles: A
This game just had a weird feeling to it. Penix was uncharacteristically inaccurate, and then when he had to leave in the third quarter with a lower-leg injury, that overshadowed what was happening in the game.
But the Hoosiers' defense continued to roll, and their spirit was never wavered. This is an Indiana team that is going to fight you no matter what, and their mental strength is what's going to help them down the stretch here.
Related Stories:
- INDIANA RUNS TO NEW HEIGHTS: Tom Brew's two cents on the Hoosiers' rushing attack that came alive on Saturday. CLICK HERE
- DEFENSE CONTINUES TO CREATE TAKEAWAYS: The Hoosiers' defense has continued to cause havoc for opponents' offense. CLICK HERE
- MICHAEL PENIX INJURED IN WIN: Michael Penix Jr. sustained a lower-leg injury in the third quarter against Maryland and had to exit the game. CLICK HERE
- INDIANA FINDS NEW WAY TO TOP MARYLAND: The Hoosiers offense had some new formations Saturday that worked out really well. CLICK HERE
