The Hoosiers looked good early a day after Gunner Kiel decommitted, but the IU defense gave up far too many big plays to keep the Hoosiers in this one. Following IU's 45-24 loss to the Hawkeyes -- its fifth consecutive defeat -- here are five things we learned.
1. Roberson has poise...The true freshman quarterback got his first career start against the Hawkeyes, and he looked really good. Roberson showed a great amount of poise in the pocket all afternoon, and he made a number of plays with both his arm and his legs. For the day, Roberson was 13-for-16 for 160 yards a TD. He also carried it 13 times for 42 yards.
After Kiel wavered on his commitment, it made sense for IU Coach Kevin Wilson to start Roberson and start planning for next year. I'm sure IU fans are all concerned about the current quarterbacks on the roster, but Roberson showed on Saturday that he has the potential to be a capable guy going forward.
2. Big play bites...again...The IU defense did a good job limiting big plays early in the season, but they have come back to bite the Hoosiers over and over again since Big Ten play began. Penn State WR Derek Moye had a long one, Illinois WR A.J. Jenkins had two, Wisconsin RB Montee Ball had one, and Iowa's Marvin McNutt had a couple more on Saturday.
This time, though, it didn't even look like the IU defensive backs were interested in making a play on the ball. They routinely ran behind the Iowa receivers and looked content to try and make the tackle after the ball was caught. If a team is going to put up a huge number against you, you have to make them earn it. Big plays, like they were under Bill Lynch, continue to be a killer for the Hoosiers.
3. No chance for make up...IU wide receiver Damarlo Belcher, who dropped a potential game-winning touchdown pass against Iowa last year, didn't dress against the Hawkeyes on Saturday.
In his absence, the young IU receivers didn't look bad. Freshman Cody Latimer made some big catches, sophomore Jamonne Chester had a nice long grab and sophomore Kofi Hughes had another complete game. With a young receiving core, a freshman QB and a lot of young guys playing on the offensive line, we may have seen the future of the IU offense on the field against Iowa.
4. A humble Homecoming...After five consecutive losses -- including three on the road -- the Hoosiers will return to Memorial Stadium next Saturday for a Homecoming game against Northwestern.
I'm sure the team will be happy to be home. They have to be. But how will they be greeted? With the knowledge that Kiel won't be IU's savior after all, combined with the fact the Hoosiers are 1-7, will fans come out for the game against the Wildcats? I certainly don't expect to see a big crowd.
5. Wilson continues to go young...As I mentioned before, Wilson played a number of young guys on offense. But he also made a couple more changes on defense, including inserting freshman Michael Hunter at cornerback for Lawrence Barnett.
With the season all but lost, it makes sense. It's time to start looking toward the future. But what's going to happen with some of these guys being replaced? Are they going to stick around? Are they going to pack it in?
Keep an eye on that as we move forward.
Your thoughts on the game?
