Indiana football routed Howard 55-0 Saturday at Memorial Stadium, claiming its second victory of the season. Although the Hoosiers didn’t play a flawless game, their offense continued to dominate while their defense improved significantly.
Without further ado, let’s examine how each position group graded:
Quarterbacks: B
Redshirt senior Josh Hoover completed 6 of 11 passes for 146 yards and four touchdowns. His day was over at halftime. Although Hoover produced an efficient stat line, he missed several open intermediate routes while opting for unsuccessful deep shots. He also rushed six times for 18 yards, showing he could escape the pocket when pressured. With the game well in hand, seventh-year senior Grant Wilson and sophomore Tyler Cherry played in the second half but combined for only five passing attempts and 64 yards.
Running backs: A+
After failing to establish the run against North Texas, the Hoosiers rebounded Saturday with 296 total rushing yards. Redshirt senior Lee Beebe Jr. led Indiana with 118 yards on 16 carries, while junior Turbo Richard added 108 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts. Assisted by strong interior blocking from the offensive line, both backs consistently found open running lanes and combined to average 8.4 yards per carry.
Receivers: B+
Junior Charlie Becker delivered a superb performance, catching three passes — all touchdowns — for 81 yards in the first half. With Indiana leading 41-0 at halftime, Becker sat for the remainder of the contest. The rest of the unit received only 13 targets between six other players. Junior Nick Marsh recorded 72 yards on two receptions, including a 51-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Graduate student Shazz Preston also caught a 39-yard touchdown in the second half. It’s difficult to evaluate the receivers when the starting quarterback plays only one half, but Becker’s performance elevates the unit to an above-average grade.
Offensive line: B+
Aside from allowing two sacks and five tackles for loss, Indiana’s offensive line was steady throughout the game. The Hoosiers' dominance in the trenches allowed their rushing attack to excel. The only concern was Hoover’s need to escape a collapsing pocket on several second-quarter plays, lowering the overall grade of the offensive line. Still, Indiana’s group should find similar success next week against a Western Kentucky University defensive front that surrendered 234 rushing yards in a 70-20 loss Saturday to the University of Georgia.
Defensive line: A-
Expectations were high for Indiana’s defensive front entering the season, but the unit delivered a lackluster performance against the University of North Texas in Week 1. However, the defensive line looked rejuvenated Saturday, holding the Bison to 13 rushing yards while recording four sacks and eight tackles for loss. Junior Daniel Ndukwe and sophomore Keishaun Calhoun led the Hoosiers with TFLs apiece. In the second quarter, graduate student Josh Burnham hit Howard graduate student quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins’ throwing arm, forcing an interception that junior linebacker Rolijah Hardy returned for a touchdown.
Linebackers: B+
Indiana’s linebackers didn’t dominate the box score like last week, but they didn’t need to. The group’s alignment and perimeter tackling compensated for their limited statistical production. Hardy made the defense’s most notable play, catching an underthrown pass from Scroggins and returning the interception for a touchdown. He also finished tied for the team lead with five tackles as well as one TFL. As Hoosier fans know from last season: Try five, get six.
Secondary: A-
The Hoosiers again played without redshirt senior Jamari Sharpe and senior A.J. Harris, who were ruled out before kickoff because of injuries. Still, the second-string secondary performed well. Graduate student Ryland Gandy recorded one pass breakup and two tackles. Sophomore Jaylen Bell excelled in coverage and was not targeted. Junior Byron Baldwin Jr. had three tackles. Howard finished with only 44 passing yards on 10 completions. It’s difficult to criticize the unit’s performance, but forcing a turnover would have elevated its grade to an A.
Special teams: B-
After making a career-long 49-yard field goal last week, senior kicker Nico Radicic sustained an injury during Thursday’s practice and didn’t play Saturday. In his place, redshirt senior Paddy McAteer converted 7 of 8 extra-point attempts, missing one in the first quarter. Graduate student wide receiver Tyler Morris also bobbled two punt returns. He recovered the first but lost the second, giving Howard the ball in Indiana’s territory. It was neither a flashy nor clean performance from a group that earned a perfect grade in Week 1, but Indiana has time to correct the mistakes heading into a matchup against Western Kentucky on Saturday.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and columnist Elakai Anela (@elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season
