However, in the season opener last Saturday against Southern Illinois University, Sudfeld said he had a fearless mentality.
He told his receivers he was going to throw it to spots and they needed to be there. He told them he was going to just rip it.
That first became evident Saturday when he attempted to fit a pass through three Saluki defenders to sophomore receiver Simmie Cobbs. Luckily for him, the pass was only knocked down instead of intercepted, but it was the aggressiveness that stood out.
Sudfeld was throwing deep passes and leading game-winning drives, throwing for 349 yards along the way.
Coaches and players said he was adamant and clear on the sidelines about what he wanted and helped coaches make adjustments to beat the Southern Illinois defense that showed funky looks.
“Nate’s very smart,” junior receiver Ricky Jones said. “That’s why I think he’s going to play long on Sundays.”
IU Coach Kevin Wilson said Sudfeld’s command on the sidelines stood out. Wilson said he would ask Sudfeld what routes or plays he would like in the past. Sudfeld would respond that he liked them all.
Wilson said Sudfeld is now definitive about what he wants in order to make plays.
“He said, ‘I wanted this, I wanted this, I wanted this,’” Wilson said.
Wilson said he was demanding. Jones said he was still calm. Either way — or both — Sudfeld said it wasn’t a matter of trying to impress Wilson or anything. He was just trying to prepare for the opponent the best he could, so he knew what to tell coaches when he saw certain things.
But he said it was the way Wilson and offensive coordinator Kevin Johns took his recommendations that he appreciated.
“I knew what I didn’t like, and I knew what I was liking,” Sudfeld said. “So just having that communication and trust in my point of view, having the best view on the field.”
It’s never just Sudfeld or a coach, though. It’s the combination of Sudfeld, Wilson and Johns working to call the offense and make adjustments.
Take, for instance, the 71-yard pass from Sudfeld to Jones with the score tied 41-41 that led to the eventual game-winning touchdown.
Wilson had called the play on the snap before. Jones ran his deep route.
“But I wasn’t in love with the look,” Sudfeld said.
So he scrambled away and tried to make a play, but eventually threw the ball away.
Wilson called it again. Sudfeld said he would sometimes give Wilson a nod to call the same play again.
This time, it was Wilson. Same play. Jones had to run back and run the same deep route again.
This time, Sudfeld hung on a little bit longer and let it fly downfield to Jones. The result was the 71-yard gain that completed Jones’ 186-yard performance.
Those around him thought Sudfeld was confident and impressive in his first start in 10 months. He even ran the ball more than most expected, with 46 yards on five carries. Sudfeld said he should have been more careful, especially because he was returning from a season-ending injury. But it was fun to him.
“I should never do that again,” Sudfeld said. “But I was smiling because my first hit just felt so good.”
