Hey, a win is a win is a win. Right?
The Hoosiers beat FCS opponent South Carolina State 38-21 Saturday night at Memorial Stadium to move to 1-2 on the season. It was the first win of the Kevin Wilson era. But what did we learn from this mismatch? Here you go:
1. EWB is, well, still the guy...QB Ed Wright-Baker got pulled for one series in the third quarter when he fumbled in the red zone, but he was very good overall. The redshirt sophomore was 21-for-27 for 273 yards and two touchdowns.
Even better for him was the fact that Dusty Kiel didn't look all that great. Kiel replaced Wright-Baker and immediately threw a terrible interception that was wiped out by offsetting penalties on the play. But Kiel looked nervous in his short opportunity and doesn't appear to be a challenger for the starting job. If EWB was looking over his shoulder before, he shouldn't be after Saturday.
2. Nobody's job is safe...And when I say nobody's, I really mean it. Senior offensive lineman Justin Pagan was pulled from the starting lineup Saturday for a freshman -- even though he's long been one of the Hoosiers' better guys up front. EWB was pulled at one point. Kofi Hughes was only playing every other series because the young wide receivers looked pretty good.
Basically, what we heard from Kevin Wilson early on holds true -- the best players will play. It doesn't matter how old or young they are, they will only get on the field if they are playing better than the other guy.
3. Duwyce Wilson is a beast...I kind of hinted at this in my IDS column on Friday, but Wilson was even more impressive on Saturday. He made an early touchdown catch and went up to make a couple unbelievable catches on some of EWB's passes. Any time IU absolutely needed a completion, EWB looked Wilson's way instead of at guys like Damarlo Belcher.
With Wilson and Belcher on opposite sides and Hughes in the slot, this group of wide receivers is going to be tough to contend with as the season goes on. The freshmen aren't slouches, either.
4. D'Angelo Roberts has a bright future...The freshman running back ran for 102 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. He is so explosive out of the backfield, even for his slight stature. Coach Wilson said after the game that he still makes mistakes in route running and blocking, but he's still young and has plenty of time to improve. Will he replace Matt Perez as the starter next week at North Texas?
5. The punting has to be better...I don't want to kill Adam Pines here, but he's simply not getting the job done. He never downed a punt inside the 20 and he averaged only 34.8 yards per kick against South Carolina State. The Bulldogs returned one of those short punts for a touchdown, but it was called back after a block in the back.
My question is: Doesn't there have to be somebody better? This is a Big Ten school, and field position is a big part of football. If I'm coach Wilson, I'm finding a soccer player or a walk-on to be my new punter.
