Indiana’s offense had a little of everything in Friday’s 29-23 win over Northwestern: a quarterback who settled in after a rocky start, a running back who ripped off chunk yardage before leaving with an injury, and a wide receiver group that did a lot of the dirty work beyond the stat sheet.
Josh Hoover kept his season rolling with his 11th touchdown and no interceptions, and he was on the field for a season-high 32 drop backs. His night followed a familiar pattern. He started slowly, opening 4-of-9 through the air, then found a groove and finished 15-of-20 the rest of the way.
That early stretch could have looked a lot worse. Hoover missed Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh on several throws that had big-play potential, including at least three touchdowns.
He also showed some patience against pressure, reading a nickel blitz and running for a first down. PFF, though, charged him with one of Northwestern’s sacks because he held the ball.
The backfield was explosive before Turbo Richard’s night ended early. On only nine carries, he forced seven missed tackles and piled up 70 yards after contact.
That was enough to earn him the top PFF rushing grade on the team and the best overall offensive grade. But he left the game injured.
Lee Beebe, Jr. was right behind him in PFF grading and handled the workload after Richard went out. Beebe forced five missed tackles and added 94 yards after contact.
Even with IU beginning the year with a three-back setup, the staff didn’t really go back to a rotation once Richard was injured. It was Beebe the rest of the way.
Both backs were also credited with strong pass blocking.
At receiver, the blocking mattered almost as much as the catches. Shazz Preston, Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker posted the best PFF run-blocking grades among IU’s wideouts, with Preston leading the group. That work helped spring several runs into bigger gains.
Preston also turned in the top receiving grade after catching both of his targets. Becker led the team with 11 targets, while Marsh had two contested catches to pace the group in that category. Northwestern’s tackling kept yards after the catch in check, but Becker still led IU’s receivers with 16.
There also appears to be movement in the slot. Tyler Morris seems to be sharing snaps with Davion Chandler, and Chandler looked like the more dynamic option at times, with more separation and more burst after the catch.
IU’s tight end usage shifted too. Andrew Barker appears to have separated from the rest of the group in total snaps, while Trevor Gibbs has moved ahead of Brock Schott, who had only a minimal role.
Barker caught the first pass of his career, and it was just the second completion to a tight end this season. Still, none of the tight ends earned strong PFF marks, matching Curt Cignetti’s postgame criticism.
Up front, Carter Smith earned the best run-blocking grade and Drew Evans posted the top pass-blocking number. Most of the line graded well in pass protection, with one exception: Adedamola Ajani.
Cignetti said after the game that the play at right tackle needs to improve, and Ajani gave up the only two pressures Indiana allowed, including a sack. Hoover also absorbed some big hits from Ajani’s side.
The line was flagged four times, including multiple snap-related penalties on center Bray Lynch.
Indiana used 74 offensive snaps overall. Hoover, the entire starting line, and Ajani all played every snap.
Charlie Becker was on the field for 69, Marsh for 68, and Beebe for 59. Andrew Barker logged 51 snaps, while Trevor Gibbs had 26.
Chandler and Preston each played 20, Morris also had 20, Richard 15, and Brock Schott six. Stephen Daley, Joe Hjelle, Josh Burnham and Mario Landino each played three snaps, and Sean Cuono and Jayreon Campbell each got one.
In Other News...
Indiana May Have Avoided A Bigger Problem Before Rutgers
Indiana got a little breathing room on the injury front as it turns its attention to Rutgers on Saturday night. Curt Cignetti said running back Turbo Richard and linebacker Rolijah Hardy, both hurt in the win over Northwestern, are expected to be available, easing some concern after both players left the game with injuries and were labeled day-to-day.
Richards lower leg and ankle issue had the potential to become a real complication for an offense that needs its depth intact, while Hardys exit after a tackle attempt briefly raised alarms on the defensive side. For a Hoosiers team heading into a primetime matchup, getting both back in the mix would help keep the rotation steady and prevent one game from turning into a bigger problem. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Defense Has A New Standout And A Secondary Twist
Indianas win over Northwestern came with the kind of defensive backbone the Hoosiers have been looking for, and Stephen Daley was right in the middle of it. In limited snaps, he kept showing up around the ball with multiple pressures, tackles and a forced fumble, giving Indiana a disruptive edge that helped shape the 29-23 result. The broader snap counts and grades painted a fuller picture of a defense that had some strong individual work to lean on even while the unit sorted through a few uneven stretches.
The secondary was the other part worth watching, because the review of the game suggested more than one player made a case for a bigger role moving forward. Indiana got useful contributions across the back end, but the grades also pointed to a few spots where the coverage still has room to tighten up. For a team trying to build on a hard-fought conference win, that mix of emergence and uncertainty is exactly the kind of thing that can define what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Keeps Winning But AP Voters Still Arent Buying In
Indianas latest result looked like the kind of win that usually steadies a poll position, if not lifts it. The Hoosiers survived Northwestern 29-23 to stretch their winning streak to 20 games, stay unbeaten at 4-0 and keep adding to a run that has made Memorial Stadium feel like a weekly obstacle course for visiting Big Ten teams.
Still, the AP voters were not moved much. Indiana dropped one spot to No. 6 in the latest poll despite earning a first-place vote, the second straight week the Hoosiers have slid after a close conference opener. Under Curt Cignetti, the program has banked 19 straight home wins and taken 18 of its last 19 Big Ten games, but the rankings stubbornly remain one of the few places where the respect has not quite caught up. [Read more 🡒]