My mother once bought me ice cream for getting all A’s on my fourth-grade report card. Using my mom’s logic, Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti owes his players ice cream.
In what will almost certainly be the least interesting report card this season, all of the Hoosiers’ position groups scored expectedly well this week following a 73-0 win over Indiana State University Friday night at Memorial Stadium.
A simple look at the box score will explain why, but that won’t get me to my word quota. Therefore, I present to you a rather redundant week three edition of Richards’ Report Card.
Quarterbacks
Grade: A+
Explanation: Cignetti’s biggest complaint of redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s performance was that he completed passes he shouldn’t have thrown. When the biggest flaw in a quarterback’s game is that he completed passes, that’s a good sign. Mendoza finished 19 of 20 for 270 yards and accounted for six total touchdowns. His younger brother, redshirt freshman Alberto Mendoza, added another 104 yards for two scores in the air. Despite Cignetti’s small complaints, I’m not sure what more you could possibly ask for from a quarterback room.
Running Backs
Grade: A
Explanation: Another Indiana win. Another 300 rushing yards. The Hoosiers have cleared that benchmark in three-straight games for the first time since 2001. Redshirt freshman Khobie Martin — Indiana’s fourth string back — had a team-high 109 yards on 11 touches while the team averaged 8.1 yards per carry. The brunt of Martin’s workload came in a run-heavy second half while the Hoosiers churned down the game clock, but success on the ground was a constant throughout. The room’s only mistake came on Indiana’s very first drive when redshirt senior Kaelon Black coughed up the ball on a third-and-four in the red zone. Even still, the Hoosiers’ redshirt senior offensive lineman Pat Coogan recovered the ball giving the offense an unconventional first down.
Receivers
Grade: A+
Explanation: Have a day Omar Cooper Jr. The redshirt junior wide receiver smashed his career highs with 10 receptions for 207 yards and four touchdowns against the Sycamores — the seventh-most receiving yards in a single game in program history. Nine Hoosiers caught passes against Indiana State and combined for 379 total receiving yards.
Offensive Line
Grade: A+
Explanation: The grades above are a good indication of the offensive line’s success against the Sycamores. Indiana was the bigger, taller and stronger team in the trenches and it showed. Redshirt senior right tackle Zen Michalski played well in place of redshirt sixth-year senior Kahlil Benson who was ineligible for the first half due to a “violation of team rules and regulations.”
Front Seven:
Grade: A+
Explanation: I’m going to switch things up this week by combining the defensive line and linebackers. The two units should have probably been charged rent for living in the Sycamores backfield all game long. Indiana racked up 16 tackles for loss that set Indiana State back a whopping 58 yards. If you need more of an explanation, just turn on the game tape and witness a quarterback living in constant misery.
Secondary
Grade: A+
Explanation: Speaking of quarterbacks, the Sycamores’ starter, redshirt junior Keegan Patterson, finished 8 of 16 for 13 yards. The few times Patterson was able to get a throw off, his intended receivers were blanketed by Hoosier defenders. With yet another A+, it’s a flawless showing for Indiana’s defense.
Special Teams
Grade: A-
Explanation: Gasp — an A-! Alas, Indiana made some mistakes — two of them, in fact. In the first quarter, the Hoosiers committed a pair of penalties on special teams which Cignetti was sure to point out in his postgame press conference. That’s all. Sophomore punter Quinn Warren’s lone punt went 57 yards, redshirt sophomore kicker Nico Radicic made his only field goal attempt and redshirt senior running back Roman Hemby brought out the opening kick return for 34 yards.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
