Column: Lack of speed in defense holding Hoosiers back

On a tranquil, sun-splashed Saturday afternoon at Ryan Field, Indiana received a stinging, reality-filled slap in the face.

A superior Northwestern squad defeated the Hoosier football team 44-29, proving IU hasn’t yet reached a level in which it can consistently win within the Big Ten Conference.

However, the program has made visible strides with second-year IU Coach Kevin Wilson, strides that were pleasantly noticeable on the offensive side of the ball during the loss.

After a first half in which the Hoosier offense failed to score, it came out roaring following halftime, outscoring Northwestern 29-24.

Despite lighting up the scoreboard during the final 30 minutes of regulation, it wasn’t enough to overcome Pat Fitzgerald’s Wildcats, who are off their third 5-0 start in the last five seasons.

The Wildcats exposed a slow, porous Indiana defense from the start.

The 44 points allowed by the Hoosier defense was just the tip of the iceberg, though.
Northwestern carved up the Indiana defense like a whittling artist, piling up 704 total yards.

Wildcats’ quarterback Trevor Siemian moved the ball through the air with ease, finishing the afternoon with 308 passing yards. But it was Northwestern’s highly effective zone-read rushing attack that proved to be IU’s demise.

Kain Colter, Venric Mark and Mike Trumpy combined for 387 of Northwestern’s 394 rushing yards that exposed IU’s increasingly suspect front seven.

The Wildcat offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage from start to finish, opening up gaping running lanes for Colter, Mark and Trumpy.

If the Hoosiers had allowed 200 rushing yards, fans wouldn’t have been surprised.

But to allow 394 begins to raise serious questions about any progress that has been made on the defensive side of the ball on Wilson’s watch.

The Hoosier defenders made one execution-related mistake after another, which simply can’t happen against Northwestern’s zone-read attack that requires sound assignment defense as well as superb execution.

Neither of those requirements were fulfilled by the Hoosiers on Saturday.

To place things in perspective, Northwestern won’t come close to eclipsing the 704 total yards it amassed against IU for the rest of the season.

It’s a cold, hard fact that conjures nightmares about how the Hoosier defense will fare against upcoming opponents, particularly the Michigan State Spartans, who will make the trek to Bloomington for next weekend’s Homecoming game.

Unfortunately, a quick fix for the defense is impossible.

Speed, a trait abhorrently lacking on the defensive depth chart, can’t be taught. It can’t be acquired overnight.

Aside from the negative stigma surrounding the defense, there was a positive vibe to remember from Saturday’s contest.

The Hoosiers fought for a full 60 minutes.

While it’s a simple concept, it’s one that past IU teams just couldn’t grasp. IU could have stopped after trailing by 20 points at halftime, but the effort didn’t wane.

That effort alone won’t win football games, but it’s an excellent building block for the project that Wilson has taken.

­— ckillore@indiana.edu