During non-conference play, IU (4-4) converted 45 percent of its third downs.
“We’re not particularly very good,” Wilson said about his team’s third-down performance. “Third and two, three, four, five. Sometimes just statistically our third and real, real long is much better. But the real deal is we have to improve our third and medium and short, where we’re basically not getting any shots. When I say ‘any,’ I mean it needs to be a lot more than it is.”
The lack of third-down and manageable yardage situations is something Wilson said can be helped with the return of junior running back Jordan Howard, where senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld can hand the ball to the back in first and second down situations.
“We’ve gotten a little bit — with (Howard’s) injury — a little bit more pass-oriented, which gets you more behind change with long yardage,” Wilson said. “I think we’ve kind of lost a little bit of our balance where, again, we’ve gotten into more third and longs, which, to me, gets you sledding uphill a little bit.”
Jordan Howard and TJ Simmons
Wilson said that both Howard and junior linebacker TJ Simmons are healthy and working in practice.
Howard suffered an ankle injury in the first half of the Ohio State loss in week five, while Simmons suffered a minor ankle injury before the bye week.
Both players competed against Michigan State, Howard rushing for 78 yards and touchdown and Simmons recording 15 tackles, four tackles for loss and 2 1/2 sacks.
“He practiced every day with no setbacks,” Wilson said about Howard. “We were told going into the Michigan State game he should be able to play and not have any issues, and he didn’t as far as coming back. And now he practiced on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday last week with the work we did. He was really good last night in the work we did.”
Sunday’s practice
Following the Michigan State game Oct. 24, the IU coaching staff left Tuesday for a recruiting trip and returned just before Halloween weekend.
Wilson said the rest was important for the players, but the intensity was ramped up in Sunday’s practice as the Hoosiers began to prepare for Iowa.
“Last night we kind of gassed it back up a little bit,” Wilson said. “It wasn’t a very long practice, but we were padded up. Short version of a preseason or spring ball kind of day. A lot of energy. I liked last night, was one of the better practices we’ve had. And I think we’re a decent practice team. I want to get us into being a better game team.”
National Television
During the recruiting trip last week, Wilson said he stopped in Columbus, Ohio, to get his shoes shined. The man shining his shoes noticed the IU logo on Wilson’s shirt but didn’t know he was the head coach.
“The guy says, ‘Man, that second-team quarterback scared me to death,’” Wilson said about the man who was referring to IU’s near-upset against No. 1 Ohio State. “I go, ‘Really?’ He said, ‘Yeah, that second-team kid, man, he got heart. I was worried.’ I just kind of played along with him there ... It was a good vibe in our recruiting efforts.”
IU Athletics announced Monday morning the IU-Michigan game Saturday will be televised on ABC network at either noon or 3:30 p.m.
