If the Hoosiers have won a game in 2016, junior running back Devine Redding has probably recorded at least 100 yards on the ground.
In his first year as IU’s primary running back, Redding has rushed for more than 100 yards in all but two of his team’s wins — recording 79 against Rutgers and 99 against Purdue.
When Redding succeeds, IU succeeds.
But as the Hoosiers get ready to play in Santa Clara, California, in the Foster Farms Bowl, No. 19 Utah’s defensive line could throw a wrench into the gears that make a struggling IU offense turn.
“The biggest thing to me is their defensive line,” IU Coach Tom Allen said. “They’re very talented. It allows them to be in every game and allows them to play — in their mind — championship football.”
That defensive line is statistically the third-toughest IU will play this season, behind Michigan and Ohio State. The Utes allow just 129 yards per game on the ground, ranking 25th nationally and second in the Pac-12.
In terms of tackles for loss, Utah has the second-most of any team on the Hoosiers’ schedule and 15th-most in the nation, as it averages eight per game — thanks in large part to senior defensive lineman Hunter Dimick’s 20 tackles for loss this season.
That’s what Utah Coach Kyle Whittingham said he’s tried to incorporate at Utah since taking the head coaching reins in 2004 — a strong defensive line that can stop the rush, pressure the quarterback and force interceptions.
That goal has paid off for Whittingham, as he has won nine of his 10 bowls as a head coach.
“Anytime you’re good up front it’s attributed to the way they’ve recruited and the way they’ve coached their guys,” Allen said about Utah. “It gives them a distinct advantage.”
Redding sets up to face off against the Utes’ defensive line in much of the same fashion as he charged into IU’s bowl game against Duke last season in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
After failing to run for more than 100 yards for much of the 2015 season, the junior replaced an injured Jordan Howard, who's now with the Chicago Bears, and rushed for a combined 274 yards against Maryland and Purdue in the final two games of the regular season before 227 against Duke.
Now, after failing to rush for 100 yards seven times as the No. 1 IU running back in 2016, Redding is preparing for a tough Utah defense after rushing for 108 yards and two touchdowns against Big Ten Champion Penn State and six total touchdowns in his last five games.
While he’s seen his successes throughout the season, Redding has also seen his struggles, as he couldn’t get anything going against elite opponents Ohio State and Michigan.
As a whole, the Hoosiers are ranked 89th in the nation in rushing offense, but to find success Wednesday, they’ll need to find ways to break down the 25th-best rushing defense in the nation.
There’s no way around it.
“I feel like there’s a lot of room for me and the other running backs to get better,” Redding said. “We just gotta come out and play. They’ve got guys, we’ve got guys. It’s just who wants to win, so we just gotta come out and play.”
