Behind Enemy Lines: Indiana Hoosiers
For the first time since 2001, the Terps have a chance at going 5-0. The Terps are welcoming the Indiana Hoosiers to College Park where they will face off for their second conference game of the season and also look to go 2-0 in conference play for the first time since joining the Big Ten.
This week, we talk with Jack Ankony who writes for Sports Illustrated and Fan Nation at Hoosiers Now who is familiar with the visiting Hoosiers to help Terps fans go behind enemy lines and get a glimpse of what is to come this upcoming Saturday.
John Gugs: The Hoosiers are coming into the game against the Terps 2-2 with both losses coming to the hands of power five teams. What have the Hoosiers done wrong in those two losses that they need to change heading into Saturday?
Jack Ankony: In the season opener against Ohio State, Indiana employed an extremely conservative game play, with the idea that its only chance of winning would be by limiting Ohio State’s offensive possessions, running out as much clock as possible and keeping it a low-scoring game. This worked for a while, as Indiana trailed Ohio State 10-3 midway through the third quarter. But Indiana offensive coordinator Walt Bell admitted he regrets not being more aggressive in the second half when the game was relatively close. This was probably due to Indiana rotating redshirt freshmen quarterbacks Tayven Jackson and Brendan Sorsby, who Bell didn’t seem to have much confidence in in this game. Because of the conservative approach, Indiana never really had a chance to win this game, despite the score being close for a while. They held Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka to five catches for 34 yards combined, which was a real positive for the defense. Against Louisville, Indiana trailed 21-0 at half after giving up multiple big-play touchdowns. They had a really tough time defending Jamari Thrash. Tom Allen called a surprise onside kick to start the second half, and Indiana scored quickly thereafter, creating some momentum. In his first real start (not rotating with Sorsby), Jackson played his best half of the season in the second half. He led Indiana on multiple drives of 90 or more yards, and showed a lot of promising traits as a passer. Indiana cut it to 21-14 with about five minutes left, when Jackson was ruled down at the 18-inch line after diving for the pylon. Instead of a quarterback sneak on 4th and goal, Indiana handed the ball to running back Josh Henderson about six yards from the goal line, and the offensive line gave him no chance to score. It was poor execution and a bad play call, in my opinion. In terms of what they need to fix, better communication on some of those busted coverages in the first half could have made the halftime deficit smaller.
JG: Indiana is coming off a game where they were nearly upset by Akron at home. What went wrong that game and how do they fix it before the game on Saturday?
JA: After a strong second half against Louisville, the offense took two or three steps back at home against Akron. They had many chances to put the game away, but had four three-and-out drives in the second half. Jackson completed 11-of-26 passes and threw an interception, which was surprising to see after he played so well against Louisville. Indiana has one of the worst rushing offenses in the country, and it was really discouraging to see them not be able to run the ball at home against a MAC school. The defense played solid for most of the game, but allowed 141 rushing yards to Akron QB DJ Irons, most of which came on scrambles, not designed runs. The defense had three interceptions and a pick-six, which kept Indiana ahead for the majority of the contest, but gave up a 71-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Akron missed what would have been a game-winning 32-yard field goal as time expired. It’s about as negative as I’ve seen Indiana players and coaches feel about a win in my time covering the team.
JG: Who are two players on offense most people might not know but Terps fans should watch out for this weekend?
JA: Running back/slot receiver Jaylin Lucas and wide receiver Cam Camper are Indiana’s two best offensive skill players and will be used frequently. But to pick a few guys who aren’t as well known, I’ll go with running back Christian Turner and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. Turner played a larger role against Akron since running back Josh Henderson missed the game with an injury, and he rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. He’ll likely get more carries in this game, and has a good combination of speed and power. Cooper is one of the highest-ranked recruits Indiana has landed in recent years, and he had his first breakout game in college in Week 2 against Indiana State, catching seven passes for 101 yards. At 6-foot-1, he’s not the tallest or fastest receiver on the field, but coaches have consistently talked about his route-running precision and ability to come down with contested catches. He only has one catch since that game, so it’s possible this pick is too off-the-radar, but he’s clearly talented and could be a focal point in future seasons.
JG: The Terps defense is only giving up 12.2 points per game which is 12th in the country. What will the Hoosiers need to do offensively in order to pull off the upset?
JA: The pass protection has to be better. The offensive line looked much improved through the first three weeks, then had its worst game of the year against Akron. Tayven Jackson faced pressure all night, and it felt like he rushed a lot of throws as a result. His biggest issue has been missing receivers high, which can lead to interceptions, so he’s got to limit that and have a clean game. Mentioned before, Indiana has one of the worst rushing attacks in college football. There’s not much reason to believe that will improve on Saturday, so I think if Indiana stays in this game it’ll be because of Jackson or explosive plays from Jaylin Lucas.
JG: Who are two players on defense most people might not know but Terps fans should watch out for this weekend?
JA: Western Michigan transfer Andre Carter has been a beast this season at defensive end. He and Aaron Casey, a middle linebacker and team captain, are tied for the Big Ten lead in tackles for loss. It’ll be important for Carter to bring consistent pressure on Tagovailoa. Safeties Louis Moore and Phillip Dunnam have been Indiana’s best defensive backs this year, but Texas Tech transfer Kobee Minor made a few impressive pass breakups at cornerback last week. Especially if cornerback Jamier Johnson remains out, Indiana will need another strong performance from Minor.
JG: The Terps are scoring 37.2 points per game. What will the Hoosiers defense need to do to slow down the Terps high powered offense and pull off the upset?
JA: Along with pressure for Carter that I mentioned above, I think fellow defensive ends/edge rushers like Lanell Carr Jr., Myles Jackson and Anthony Jones need to play well in this game. Tagovailoa is great at keeping plays alive with his legs, so those Hoosiers can’t afford to lose contain on the outside. When that happened last week against Akron, their quarterback ran wild.
JG: What is your score prediction for Saturday and why?
JA: Maryland 28, Indiana 13. This seems like a game that could stay close through two or three quarters, but never really feel like Indiana has a legitimate chance of winning. Compared to Towson, Charlotte, Virginia and Michigan State, I think Indiana has the best defense Maryland has seen so far this year, and that’ll help keep the game relatively close. But after an abysmal performance at home against Akron, I don’t have any confidence in Indiana’s offense performing well on the road against a Big Ten opponent. Indiana’s chances of winning this game likely rely on a defensive touchdown and/or a Jaylin Lucas kick-return touchdown.
The Terps have a chance to make history on Saturday. A win this week will have to Terps at 5-0 and possibly ranked heading into their match up with Ohio State in Columbus next weekend. As fans, lets pack the Shell and show the boys the love they deserve, not just at kick-off, but during warm ups and when they enter the field. The game is set to kick-off at 3:30PM EST and will be airing on the Big Ten Network. Lets give Indiana hell in the shell on Saturday.
