Here's a link to the recap on idsnews.com of today's 23-19 IU victory against Western Michigan.
Now for some quick observations from today's game:
Mitchell Evans
How many of those plays came from the Kellen Lewis playbook? All-purpose wide receiver Mitchell Evans took several snaps at quarterback, finishing the game with 35 rushing yards and one incomplete pass. The new look was used primarily in the first half.
"The coaches had enough confidence in me to put me back there, so I tried to make the most of it," Evans said. "It's something else (the other team) has to keep in the back of their mind that they have to think about."
Red Zone offense
IU struggled to score TDs inside the red zone for the majority of the game. Let's review:
- First drive of the game: 76 yards, stopped at 4-yard line, Freeland chip shot field goal
- Drive spanning end of first, beginning of second quarter: 73 yards, Chappell TD (the only red zone TD)
- Third quarter drive: 60 yards, two consecutive incomplete passes to stall drive at 15-yard line, Freeland FG
- Early fourth quarter (not quite in the red zone): Drive stalls at 21-yard line, another Freeland FG
- Fumble recovery: IU recovers at WMU's 14-yard line, goes nine yards, has field goal blocked
That's a 25 percent TD rate inside the red zone. This will be an interesting trend to follow this season. Just as IU has struggled to score in the second half (see below), Ben Chappell's stats aren't great inside the red zone. Last year, all of his five TD passes were more than 20 yards. According to this stats Web site, IU scored on 65 percent of its red zone appearances in 2008. With FGs included in that percentage, that ranked near the bottom of FBS schools.
Follow the jump for more recap.
Improvement from last week
- Rushing game
IU's pistol offense got off to a rough start last week with only 73 rushing yards. The Hoosiers matched that total early in the second quarter, finishing with 187 rushing yards. Last week, IU averaged 2.4 yards per rush. Inflated a bit by Demetrius McCray's 59-yard TD run, the team averaged 5.7 yards per carry against WMU. Outside of Evans and McCray, Bryan Payton took advantage of his opportunities with a 5.8 yard-average on five carries.
- No turnovers
Coaches always talk about the turnover battle. Last week, IU lost the battle 3-1. This week, IU did not have a single turnover and forced three Western Michigan turnovers. The last time IU did not commit a turnover was the team's upset win over No. 22 Northwestern on Oct. 25, 2008.
Yellow flags
IU committed 13 penalties totaling 106 yards. Let's review:
- False start - 4
- Personal foul - 3 (late hit, roughing passer, face mask)
- Offside - 2
- Offensive holding - 1 (1 declined)
- Illegal block - 1
- Pass interference - 1
- Illegal participation (12 men) - 1
All three personal foul penalties occurred on WMU's crucial fourth quarter drive. Seven of the penalties involved pre-snap mistakes.
Second half scoring
Last week, IU did not score in the second half. This week, the team scored two field goals. This trend carries over from last year. Except for the team's first two wins, IU averaged just four points in the second half in 2008, including five second half shutouts. Along with the red zone efficiency, these two stat categories will be important to follow in the next few weeks, especially as the Big Ten season approaches.
Next week's opponent
If you're already looking to next week, Akron knows how to take care of an FCS school. The Zips shut out Morgan State 41-0 today, after losing in the first week to No. 9 Penn State. No huge stats jump off the box score offensively, as Akron QB Chris Jacquemain completed 162 yards with 3 TDs. Defensively, Akron held Morgan State to 127 yards, forcing two turnovers.
