Just like the fireworks that shot out from behind the south endzone in Memorial Stadium as IU football poured onto the field to shake hands with Northwestern following their 34-3 victory, sophomore running back Stevie Scott III exploded early in the game and didn’t slow down until the final whistle.
On his third carry of the game, Scott took the handoff slightly side stepping to the right, then exploded up field through the hole. Scott shrugged off two Wildcats and dragged a third for a few yards before finally being wrestled down after sparking IU’s offense with a 27-yard gain.
Scott would rumble his way for 10-plus yards three more times during the game as he rushed for 116 yards on 26 carries.
“I just try to run downhill, be that physical back, and just try to get those short yards because eventually those big runs will pop,” Scott said.
In the beginning of the season, Scott struggled to run the ball as it took him until the Hoosiers' sixth game to finally break the century mark with a 164-yard performance against Rutgers.
To begin the season, teams decided they wanted to try and make whoever was under center for IU — either redshirt-freshman Michael Penix Jr. or junior Peyton Ramsey — beat them and stacked the box against the talented running back.
“We were very frustrated at first,” IU head coach Tom Allen said. “I do feel that there was a concerted effort by the teams we were playing to just make sure Stevie Scott did not beat them.”
To get back to the player he was during his freshman year — the same one that earned him a spot on the preseason Doak Walker Award watch list for college football’s top running back — Scott had to take a step back and re-evaluate his running approach.
Scott had to learn to be more patient and let running lanes develop as he got used to playing behind a makeshift offensive line that was forever being patched together due to injury.
“I’ve focused on taking my time and being patient and letting everything flow,” Scott said. “Instead of just rushing it and thinking about it, I’m just going out there and playing my type of game.”
Scott’s new approach has paid dividends.
Over his last four games, Scott has rushed for over 100 yards in three of them and added five rushing touchdowns as he’s returned to his role as a workhorse back for the Hoosiers.
It’s no coincidence that IU is riding a four-game winning streak at the same time Scott has returned to form while the Hoosiers look to bolster their resume as bowl season approaches and break into the top-25 for the first time since 1994.
“Yes sir, I’d definitely love that,” Scott said. “If we hit that AP top-25 we’ll be very excited, but we won’t get big headed at all. We’ll still be working and grinding hard, keep taking it game-by-game and try to finish this season strong.”
