Don’t call me basic but one of my favorite songs by The Beatles is “Help!”. The song is technically from the fifth studio album of the iconic English rock band and serves as the titular track to the 1965 film sharing the same name.
Below is an excerpt from the song’s chorus.
“Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round
Help me, get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me.”
If you read that in John Lennon’s voice, I applaud you. If not, I suggest you go to your preferred music platform and give the song a listen. Either way, I’m saying all this to paint a picture of how I assume redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza felt after Indiana football’s 31-7 win over Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon.
I can only imagine the lyrics above are the words he recited to his offensive line after each of the five sacks he took against the Badgers. Mendoza didn’t get much help. It really didn’t matter. After another blowout win, here’s another edition of Richards’ Report Card.
Quarterbacks
Grade: A+
Explanation: The student section inside Memorial Stadium began chanting “Heis-man-doza” after the win. If you’re confused why, look no further than Mendoza’s 299 yards and four touchdowns through the air. Oh yeah, and he only had two incompletions. Indiana’s signal caller continued his case for college football’s most prestigious award with another near-flawless performance against Wisconsin. He did all of it behind an offensive line that had more holes than a cartoon depiction of Swiss cheese.
Running Backs
Grade: B
Explanation: For the first time this season, the Hoosiers failed to surpass the 100-rushing yard mark. A large part of that was a result of the five aforementioned sacks that set Indiana back a combined 29 yards. Redshirt senior Roman Hemby spearheaded a trio of Hoosier backs with his 14 rushes for 58 yards, but it was fairly tough going against the Badgers’ run defense as the three averaged just 3.6 yards per carry. I hesitate to blame that on the running backs because oftentimes the run gaps simply weren’t there. One thing’s for certain: Indiana’s offense is at its best when its rushing attack gets going early and that didn’t happen. Something has to change up front.
Receivers
Grade: A
Explanation: Somehow, Indiana’s receiving room continues to get deeper. Initially, it was redshirt sixth-year senior E.J. Williams Jr. who broke onto the scene as a reliable third option for Mendoza. Now, since star senior wideout Elijah Sarratt has been sidelined with a lingering injury, sophomore Charlie Becker has emerged as a big play machine. Becker’s team-high five catches for 108 yards featured a 48-yard grab early in the third quarter. The success Indiana’s had on the outside in Sarratt’s absence has been a pleasant surprise for an offense that continues to raise its ceiling 11 games into the season.
Offensive Line
Grade: D+
Explanation: The Hoosiers’ play up front is becoming a glaring issue. To make matters worse, Indiana’s offensive line is running out of opportunities to turn things around. Injuries have been a factor no doubt during a gauntlet stretch that featured six-straight weekends of Big Ten matchups. With a bye week upcoming, getting redshirt junior left guard Drew Evans back in the lineup will be critical. The Hoosiers have sorely missed his presence. Especially in the first half, miscommunication and failure to execute up front led to negative plays that kept Indiana's offense out of rhythm, derailing otherwise promising drives.
Defensive Line
Grade: A
Explanation: For once, the Hoosiers’ defensive line, not its linebackers, terrorized an opponent's backfield. Senior edge rusher Stephen Daley had a productive afternoon with three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. The Badgers were unable to consistently move the ball on the ground as Indiana’s front swallowed up holes and contained the edge, forcing inside runs that yielded little to no yardage. In the second half, Wisconsin averaged just 1.5 yards per carry.
Linebackers
Grade: B+
Explanation: Senior Aiden Fisher did what he does best — tackling — and finished with a team-high seven wrap ups. Sophomore Rolijah Hardy was responsible for one of the Hoosiers’ two sacks and came close to his veteran teammate with six tackles. This unit gets docked a few letter grades because, after a quick trip to the film room, a miscommunication between linebackers was the reason for the Badgers’ sole score. Late in the first half, Fisher and redshirt junior Kaiden Turner lost track of a leaking tight end on a play action pass on 4th and 1, giving Wisconsin a wide open 45-yard touchdown pass.
Secondary
Grade: A+
Explanation: Aside from the fourth down pass that was in no way the secondary’s fault, the Hoosiers allowed just 53 total passing yards. Redshirt sixth-year senior cornerback Devan Boykin earned his second interception of the year as Indiana clamped the Badgers’ passing attack. There’s really not too much more to say. The other team couldn’t pass the ball, so Indiana’s secondary earned a perfect score.
Special Teams
Grade: B
Explanation: Redshirt sophomore kicker Nico Radicic made his lone field goal attempt from 37 yards out late in the first half. He’s been great. One area the Hoosiers’ special teams haven’t been great is the punt unit. Among punters with at least 20 attempts this season, senior Mitch McCarthy ranks fifth worst in the country at just 39 yards per boot. Fortunately for Indiana, he doesn’t punt often, but it's something worth noting. He had four opportunities to kick in the windy win over Wisconsin and averaged just 34.3 yards per punt.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
