Freshman quarterback Zander Diamont, who had yet to take a snap in college, was making his first career start against the No. 8 team in the country.
In the second quarter, he scored to give the Hoosiers a 17-14 lead.
All of a sudden I start seeing tweets from some IU fans saying how great Diamont was doing and how he was leading IU to this lead.
I mean, this guy finished the half completing 2-of-7 passes for a total of 6 yards. One could argue that the touchdown run was his only productive play.
He was essentially no part of that lead. He was also no part of keeping it, because that didn’t happen.
Michigan State walked into IU’s Homecoming weekend as the favorite and left with Diamont’s confidence in its back pocket as it trampled IU 56-17.
Despite all the ugliness that ensued at Memorial Stadium, the offensive staff did all they could with a raw freshman quarterback against an elite Big Ten defense.
The Hoosiers put up 224 yards of total offense, and 140 yards of that came from two plays. One was a 65-yard run by junior running back Tevin Coleman that had no business being made.
Michigan State did everything right, but there was a tiny crack, and Coleman burst through it because Tevin Coleman does not waste a hole.
The other was the result of a reverse play that involved Coleman tossing the ball to Shane Wynn and Wynn breaking multiple tackles for a 75-yard touchdown.
The job of a quarterback, among other things, is to get the ball into the hands of playmakers, whether it be by handing it off or tossing the ball down field to a guy who has beaten his defender.
When Zander Diamont is completing 5-of-15 passes and appearing incapable of completing anything besides a screen, getting the ball in the hands of skill players becomes considerably more difficult.
The coaching staff kept trying to run simple plays to allow guys such as Wynn, Coleman or Roberts to do their thing.
Once it became clear that Diamont was not much of a threat down field, Spartan defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi was able to load the box to stop Coleman and send pressure to Diamont on pass plays.
Then, whenever IU tried running screens to skill players, there always seemed to be an MSU defender babysitting that player and stopping him before he could even make his first move.
It makes you miss Nate Sudfeld, doesn’t it?
I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia during the Donovan McNabb era.
Every season, Eagles fans wanted McNabb out, and I couldn’t help but always think, “Hey, this guy is getting you to the playoffs every single year. Enjoy what you have.”
Whenever I heard the scrutiny of Sudfeld, I always thought the same thing. This guy is a good quarterback who puts the Hoosiers in a position to win.
Now we see what an offense looks like without a quarterback.
Wynn said IU’s goal was to keep spreading the field on the Spartans to keep them honest and not allow them to load the box.
There is not much else the IU staff could have done to manufacture offense. When the quarterback is struggling to even put the ball near an open receiver, what else can be called?
Wilson and Johns deserve credit for those 17 points.
Obviously so do Wynn and Coleman and the offensive line.
The offensive line could have done a better job in pass protection, but other than that, this offense played hard and well.
When I say the offense, I’m not including Diamont.
He is young, he will learn and he will have two weeks more to practice as the No. 1 guy.
I am interested to see if this shellacking will be a learning experience against the best defense he will face this season or a damaging outing for a young kid’s ?confidence.
