IU head coach Tom Allen is proud of his team after its win, but once Monday comes his attention is solely on the next opponent.
Allen said he believes the Hoosiers’ best football is yet to come.
“I'm encouraged by the way our guys responded after a big win week one, and making sure we stayed locked in and focused,” Allen said during a Zoom call on Monday.
Allen said there are still a lot of mistakes the team needs to clean up going forward in order to increase production.
“We didn’t start as fast offensively in either half like we need to,” Allen said.
Sophomore quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for three completions in his first 10 attempts while the Hoosiers went three and out on their first two drives. On the third drive, the offense started moving the ball with more ease. Penix had a 25-yard rush and junior running back Stevie Scott III had a 22-yard rush before a bad snap stalled the drive and IU settled for a field goal.
The second half also started with a three and out.
On the second drive of the half, Penix hit senior receiver Whop Philyor for a 63-yard pass, but a face mask penalty on Philyor put IU on the 20-yard line instead of the Rutgers 5-yard line leading to another IU field goal.
Allen announced that junior tight end Peyton Hendershot was selected as the offensive player of the game. Hendershot had six receptions for 34 yards and two touchdowns. Junior cornerback Jaylin Williams was chosen as the defensive player of the game after having three tackles and an interception, and sophomore kicker Charles Campbell was the special team player of the game.
Campbell also was honored as the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after kicking three field goals.
Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said the offense is working to limit unforced errors and increase offensive production.
“When you play in our conference, there are going to be errors sometimes that are forced by the quality of your opponent,” Sheridan said.
Penix said he and Sheridan have gone back and forth in discussions about how to increase production and execution. Sheridan makes sure Penix is comfortable with running certain plays, which helped on Saturday.
“The execution level was way higher than the first week,” Penix said. “We’re just increasing, we’re getting better each week."
The defense held Rutgers to 60 total yards in the first half Saturday, but Allen still wants to see the team finish their opponent late. Between Rutgers recovering an onside kick in the fourth quarter and nearly completing a 55-yard lateral touchdown, Allen said the game should have been over sooner.
This week is about two things for IU: preparing for Michigan and voting.
IU will have Tuesday off to allow for players to vote on Election Day. Allen said many players who aren’t from the area have already voted, but he and some local players will have the opportunity to vote Tuesday without worrying about practice.
“It’s part of our democracy,” Allen said. “It’s a privilege and a responsibility to be a part of, and we want to challenge our guys to vote based on the principles they believe in.”
As the team gets ready for Michigan, IU is ignoring its 24-game losing streak to the Wolverines. Allen isn’t concerned with the Hoosiers’ past struggles.
“We talk about the past not being predictive,” Allen said. “I don’t believe it is unless you don’t change what you do on a daily basis.”
