The IU defense won’t say “I told you so,” so I will.
In a game that made as little sense on paper as it did on the field, it was the defense — led by senior defensive end Nick Mangieri — that created scoring opportunities for the sputtering Hoosier offense.
When Florida International knotted the score at 22 in the fourth quarter, IU controlled time of possession by more than 13 minutes, outgaining FIU by 113 yards and 30 plays.
The Hoosier offense, which scored 48 points a week ago, was unable to capitalize on drives, stalling out multiple times after crossing midfield.
For the second week, IU was trailing at halftime, neck-and-neck with an opponent it was supposed to beat handily.
But this time, it was the defense that picked up the slack. IU scored 20 points off turnovers, the difference-maker in its 36-22 win.
Mangieri forced two fumbles to put IU in the red zone at pivotal moments in the game, setting up the second of two rushing touchdowns for Sudfeld and the first career touchdown for junior wide receiver Mitchell Paige.
The victory was cemented on FIU’s third turnover of the game, when freshman defensive back Jameel Cook took a fourth and goal to the house on a 96-yard pick-six.
“I told Coach Shelby before the game, I go, ‘listen you’re going to have a DB tonight that’s probably going to get burned,’” Wilson said. “I said, ‘Don’t think I’m going to get mad. Don’t jump down his throat because he’s got to keep growing up.’”
Several times, players missed tackles that could have ended drives, but it was the unit’s collective amnesia that allowed them to stick in drives and get the stop on the next set of downs.
By telling his athletes to focus on the next play, Wilson untapped the resiliency IU needed to keep fighting until it made its play. He promised the defense would be better this week, and it was.
Throughout practice, freshman Jonathan Crawford said Wilson stayed with the defense, and it showed — perhaps unfavorably on the part of the offense.
“I was very poor on some third down and red zone thought processes and really could have put us in better positions,” Wilson said. “I’ll take total responsibility for some of those.”
Against Southern Illinois University, we saw what IU was capable of on offense. Against FIU, we saw what they were capable of on defense.
The pieces are all there. Now, it’s just a matter of matching efforts on both sides of the ball.
vziege@indiana.edu
