Time to change up the approach

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — IU coach Bill Lynch said it, as he so often has.

“We put together little drives, but we didn’t finish anything,” Lynch said after his team’s 55-13 loss to Illinois on Saturday night. “We give up way too many big plays. Teams have really done a good job taking away our big plays.”

Try this – snag some pages from Illinois coach Ron Zook’s playbook, because, boy, that guy knows how to conduct a productive offense. And with IU’s season becoming sickening to watch, now would be an appropriate time.

Zook’s game plan, apparently, was to stay the course and allow quarterback Juice Williams to march to his own beat.

But after witnessing the Hoosiers go three-and-out on their opening drive, Zook changed his mind. Figuring IU would struggle with quarterback Ben Chappell, Zook went for gusto early, and I mean very early.

On his team’s first offensive play, Williams threw a 60-yard strike to wide receiver Will Judson. The opening crescendo led to a one-yard touchdown pass on the very next play, and the Illini never looked back. Touchdown after touchdown, Zook’s offense was flawless in its clobbering of the Hoosiers.

You might say IU’s defense modeled a FCS school from then on. Whether it was a pass, run or sneak, Williams kept establishing a definite difference between those on his sideline and their counterparts from Indiana.

However, the offense’s lack of productivity left the defense with no momentum to ride. The Cream and Crimson offense, yet again, couldn’t strike throughout, and the defense, consequently, found itself battling for the duration of the conference clash.

The Hoosier offense hasn’t given the rest of the team an incentive to play. In its last three games, IU has been outscored 116-29.

Don’t point your finger at Chappell’s performance Saturday night. He might have thrown for a mere 172 yards, but he wasn’t the sole reason why the Hoosiers appeared so abysmal.

Rather, hold the coaching staff accountable, because the play calling was terrible.

Of course, the players are going to say they’re the ones to blame. Sorry guys, I’m not buying it.

The onus has to fall on the honchos atop the totem pole. They, like every other staff in college football, must take full responsibility for their team’s actions on the gridiron.

Enough already, coaches.

As every game passes, the offense appears worse and worse. You have to put your team in a better position.

Ben Chappell, Kellen Lewis – it doesn’t matter who’s taking the snaps. If you don’t change your system now, a 2-10 regular season record could result.

Like Zook has done with the Illini, Lynch has to establish an identity for this offense. That’s his responsibility, his job and his No. 1 task right now.

Honestly, was the team prepared for this match-up? I think not.

Better yet, has the team been prepared for the past five contests?

On second thought, don’t answer that.

IU coaches have to get these guys ready for hard-nose football games. After all, they’re not dealing with cupcake opponents like Western Kentucky and Murray State.

This is the Big Ten. And the Hoosiers need to prove they belong.