For Maryland’s upcoming game against Indiana, we wanted to get the lowdown on everything you need to know about the Hoosiers. So we found an expert: Jordan Guskey of the Indiana Daily Student.
Head coach Kevin Wilson’s record at IU has been 23-45 overall and 9-35 in Big Ten play. What’s your opinion on how he has done so far as a coach and is his seat hot right now?
Wilson had a lot of ground to make up when he took the job, and steadily each season he’s shown progression.
Last year the Hoosiers reached a bowl game since 2007, and although they lost, use the game as an indicator that the team is ready to become a perennial contender in the Big Ten. This season, so far, hasn’t turned out the way Wilson and IU would have wanted, but that doesn’t mean Wilson’s seat is hot right now.
IU Athletics Director Fred Glass said last year as the Hoosiers went on a six-game losing streak that Wilson’s job was safe, and the contract extension after the season was an indicator of that. The team should have a better record than the 3-4 one it possesses now, but even if IU has a losing record this season Wilson will be its head coach in 2017.
Ty Johnson and Lorenzo Harrison have both had a lot of success running the ball this season. Do you think IU’s run defense will have trouble stopping them?
That depends on which IU defense shows up this weekend.
Northwestern’s Justin Jackson torched the Hoosiers in the first half last week, but in the second half the defense stepped up and kept the Wildcats from doing much at all on the ground, or through the air. The key in this matchup will be winning the edge.
If Johnson and Harrison can bounce outside with ease and get into the second level, IU’s defense will open up and become easy to attack. If the Hoosier defense can force Johnson and Harrison to pound the inside, IU can load the box, stop the run and make Maryland one dimensional.
Maryland’s secondary is already missing two starters due to injury. Do you think quarterback Richard Lagow will be able to exploit that and have success passing the ball?
The simple answer is yes, he should. But, that doesn’t mean he will.
Lagow hasn’t exactly faced the best passing defenses in the nation in recent weeks, but instead of continuing his development in his first year at IU, he’s regressed. If Lagow can cut down on his overthrows and under-throws, the IU passing attack has the capability to pick Maryland’s secondary apart.
The Hoosiers have two receivers in the top four of the Big Ten with regards to receiving yardage for a reason.
Who do you see being a difference maker for IU on Saturday?
The three times IU’s won this season junior running back Devine Redding has amassed at least 100 yards on the ground. The four times the Hoosiers have lost, he hasn’t.
Redding averages 115 yards per game when IU wins and about 61 when IU loses. The Hoosier offense works best when the run game and passing attack compliment each other, and if Redding can find success on the ground, that could be the difference in this one.
What’s the biggest improvement IU has made from their first game to now?
The most significant improvement IU has made from its first game to now is trust, trust in its defense’s ability to keep it in games.
Last year the Hoosiers’ defense was so porous games were decided by how much the offense was able to score. This year, even if the IU offense gets off to a slow start, the Hoosiers know they’re still in the game because the defense is going to hold strong and give it a chance in the fourth quarter.
IU’s offense still needs to meet the defense halfway, but the team trusts its defense now more than ever.
Fill in the blank: IU wins if ________
IU wins if it cuts down on the little mistakes.
Against Northwestern, IU had at least three dropped interceptions on defense and minor errors on offense that killed possible scoring drives. A minor uptick in the quality of blocking in the run game and decision making by Richard Lagow will take IU from the 14 points it recorded against Northwestern to the 34 it scored against Florida International.
Simply taking advantage of blatant mistakes by opposing offenses and playing a full four quarters on defense would have a similarly beneficial effect for IU.
