NCAA Football Preview – Indiana Hoosiers
They opened the season with lopsided wins over Indiana State (73-35) and Bowling Green (42-10), and a tough, 41-35 setback to Navy. After falling to Missouri by a 45-28 final on Sept. 21, Indiana went into its first bye week at 2-2. Coming out of that bye, the Hoosiers looked impressive in running away from Penn State, 44-24. But when it came time to hit the road for the first time, they were simply unable to sustain that momentum as they lost at Michigan State (42-28) and at Michigan (63-47).
After another bye, they fell at home to Minnesota, 42-39. IU was able to rebound with a 52-35 triumph over Illinois on Nov. 9, but then lost two straight on the road in blowout fashion to Wisconsin (51-3) and Ohio State (42-14). The Hoosiers did end their season on a positive note, thumping Purdue at home, 56-36.
2014 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: Nate Sudfeld is back at quarterback after wrestling the job away from Tre Roberson, who decided in the offseason to transfer. The dual-threat Roberson, a starter in 2012, threw six touchdown passes against Purdue in the 2013 finale. However, the coaching staff is high on Sudfeld, a more traditional pocket passer who knows the system.
Junior running back Tevin Coleman, who scored 12 touchdowns — several on long runs — and averaged 7.3 yards on 131 carries last year, no longer has to share the backfield with Stephen Houston. Head coach Kevin Wilson feels Coleman is up to the challenge of carrying the load.
“I’m looking forward to Tevin having a solid year, a strong year,” Wilson said at media day. “And whether we want to call it breakout or can he handle the load, I think he’s going to be one of the better offensive players in this conference.”
The main question surrounding the Hoosiers offense is who will catch the ball? Gone are Cody Latimer, Kofi Hughes and Ted Bolser, a trio that accounted for 154 catches, 2,155 yards and 22 touchdowns a year ago. Shane Wynn (46 rec, 633 yds, 11 TDs) moves into the No. 1 receiver role. Incoming freshman wideout Dominique Booth (6-foot-1, 208 pounds), a four-star recruit, received scholarship offers from other major college programs but decided to stay close to home at Indiana.
DEFENSE: The school hired coordinator Brian Knorr away from Wake Forest to head up Indiana’s defense. Knorr’s Demon Deacons ranked 38th nationally in scoring defense (24.1 ppg) last season, while IU ranked 114th (38.8 ppg). Linebacker David Cooper (85 tackles, 6.0 TFL) and safety Mark Murphy (84 tackles) are back, giving the defense its top two tacklers from a year ago. Safety Greg Heban, who accounted for 3 of the team’s 7 interceptions, is gone. The Hoosiers desperately need a few quality pass rushers to emerge. Defensive end Nick Mangieri collected 3 sacks last year as a sophomore, the highest sack total among all returnees.
SPECIAL TEAMS: IU must find a replacement for kicker Mitch Ewald, the program’s all-time leader in field goals, field goal percentage and extra points. That leaves redshirt freshman walk-on Aaron Del Grosso as the first man up for the job.
Punter Erich Toth returns, although his 40.6 ypp average ranked near the bottom of the conference.
Wynn handled both punt (14.0 ypr) and kick return (23.1 ypr) duties last year, and he took a 58-yard punt return to the house. However, with his offensive role likely to expand, it is possible his role in the return game will at least be scaled back.
OUTLOOK: The Hoosiers proved last year they can score with just about anybody, as they ranked ninth nationally in total offense (508.5 ypg) and 16th in scoring (38.4 ppg). If the defense can just be middle-of-the-pack, then IU becomes something much more than a stepping stone game for the league powerhouses.
Playing in the Big Ten’s East Division won’t be a walk in the park, not with the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Maryland and Rutgers.
“We shape up with a solid schedule,” coach Wilson said. “Only six home games. Wish we had a few more of those at home, but a very good non-conference schedule starting with Indiana State, traveling to Bowling Green and going to Missouri, and then with North Texas coming to our place.”
Barring a rash of injuries, a bowl game seems like a reachable goal for the 2014 Hoosiers, who in all likelihood are at least a year away from contending for the East Division crown.
Categorized in: NCAA Football