Indiana’s 55-0 win over Howard looked like the kind of clean, complete result that leaves little to nitpick. But a deeper dive into the film and the grades shows why the Hoosiers have looked so dominant through two weeks: the biggest winners weren’t just piling up numbers, they were winning their individual snaps.
Charlie Becker led the way on the offensive side with an 81.4 overall grade, and the production matched the evaluation. He hauled in three catches for 81 yards, and every one of them ended in the end zone. That kind of output speaks for itself, but Becker also did his part as a run blocker, giving Indiana more than just splash plays from its top receiver.
Joe Brunner was right behind him at 80.0, and the 6-7, 320-pound guard showed why he was such a steady piece of the offense. The former Wisconsin Badger was solid in both pass protection and the run game, logging 48 snaps before Curt Cignetti began working in reserves. Brunner was slightly better in pass pro, but he also played a major role in Indiana’s success on the ground.
Nick Marsh added another layer to the passing game and the blocking effort. He finished with two receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown, with his score covering 51 yards.
Marsh also posted a strong 78.4 grade as a run blocker, and that was a big part of the story up front and on the perimeter. Indiana got strong downfield blocking from both Marsh and Becker, and that helped open up the run game.
The grades also offered a reminder that box scores don’t always tell the whole story. Josh Hoover was much lower on the list than you might expect after four of his six completions went for touchdowns.
Even so, he completed just a shade over 50% of his passes and didn’t pile up a huge yardage total. Still, Indiana fans are more than happy with what they’ve seen from him over the first two weeks.
The workload tells another part of the story. Indiana ran 62 offensive snaps, but the starting offensive linemen only needed 48 of them, and Hoover was out there for 38. In a blowout like this, the ability to rest the main guys matters, and Indiana got that luxury.
Turbo Richard posted the top earned grade of the game at 84.1. He played just 15 snaps while splitting work with Lee Beebe Jr., but his time on the field was explosive: 108 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
On the other end of the spectrum, Tyler Morris had a rougher day than he did the week before. After grading among the best players last week, he finished at 49.6 against Howard, didn’t record a catch, and struggled as a run blocker while playing 20 snaps.
In Other News...
Charlie Becker Has A Real Heisman Case Indiana Fans Should Notice
Charlie Becker has been one of the early surprises in Indianas season, piling up 145 receiving yards and five touchdowns through two games despite seeing limited playing time. For a Hoosiers offense still sorting itself out, that kind of production has been impossible to ignore, especially when it comes from a player who has made such a quick impact on the field and already climbed onto the Heisman conversation board.
Becker is sitting 45th on DraftKings Sportsbooks odds list at +16000, which is long-shot territory but still enough to get attention if the production keeps coming. The real test is still ahead, though, with Big Ten play set to bring a different level of physicality and scrutiny. If Becker keeps finding space and staying this efficient once conference defenses start keying on him, Indiana fans may have reason to keep one eye on the standings and another on a bigger national race. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Rise Just Added Real Juice To The Big Ten Race
Indianas latest rout did more than pad the scoreboard, it nudged the Hoosiers another step up the national ladder and into a more prominent spot in the Big Ten conversation. After a 55-0 win over Howard, Indiana climbed one place in the US LBM Coaches Poll, a move that comes at a moment when the conference picture suddenly looks a lot different after Ohio States loss to Texas.
The ranking surge gives the Hoosiers a new kind of visibility, especially with the season still taking shape and the top 25 starting to settle around a fresh pecking order. The coaches poll panel continues to serve as one of the clearest weekly snapshots of how the sport views Indiana, and the next few polls will show whether this rise is just a strong early push or the start of something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Freshmen Are Already Pushing For Bigger Hoosiers Roles
Indianas second win over Howard brought more than another check in the standings for the Hoosiers. It also offered a first look at several true freshmen on offense, with Jayreon Campbell, Parker Elmore, Lavar Keys and Kenton Mondeau all getting their first college game snaps as the staff kept widening the circle early in the season.
Campbell showed enough in his limited work to hint at a bigger role down the road, while Mondeau and Sam Simpson led first-year players in snaps as Indiana continued sorting out who can help fastest. On the other side of the ball, linebacker Jacob Savage keeps making a case of his own, following up his earlier showing with a disruptive day that included 1.5 tackles for loss and his first sack. [Read more 🡒]