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Despite Losing Streak, Season Goals Still In Reach


KelleyHoosh
  • The Michigan game was sort of like a microcosm of this year’s football season. Always close, but never enough. Opposing teams fans are calling the Hoosiers the best winless team in the conference.

Memorial Stadium was like a bubble swelling with excitement.

 

The Hoosiers had conference foe and nationally ranked University of Michigan on the ropes in the fourth quarter. In anticipation fans gathered near the bottom of the stands, waiting for their chance to rush the field after Indiana’s breakthrough moment. All season this team had seemed on the cusp of getting an elusive win against a stacked Big Ten schedule. It seemed fitting that Senior Day would be when they finally put it all together and stop a five-game losing streak.

 

With 2:52 on the clock and Michigan getting the ball back, everyone in the stadium knew Indiana had left too much time on the clock to win in regulation.

 

Once in overtime, students felt an excitement about IU football that’s normally reserved for the team that plays across the parking lot.

 

4th and 2, Indiana ball on the two yard line. Pop. That excitement bubble? It was popped by an incomplete pass and replaced with Wolverine fan cheers. IU fans began wondering aloud if they really expected anything different.

 

The Michigan game was sort of like a microcosm of this year’s football season. Always close, but never enough; this Indiana football team has taken almost every opponent excluding Penn State down to the wire. Opposing teams fans are calling the Hoosiers the best winless team in the conference.

 

That is not the accolade anyone on the team wanted, especially after the first undefeated start of the Kevin Wilson era. What seemed like a turning point season for the program has shaped up to be just like the other forgettable ones before it.

 

At 4-6, there are two games remaining in the season and a lot is on the line.

 

“We are very excited about the opportunities we have and the challenges ahead,” senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld said. “We are definitely just taking it one day at a time.”

 

Next opportunity for the Hoosiers? 2-8 Maryland. The next week Indiana takes on rival Purdue, who is also 2-8. There is plenty of reason to think that with only two relatively weak teams remaining on the schedule that Indiana can finish strong and achieve 6-6 and a bowl game appearance. The team however, isn’t looking that far ahead.

 

“We need to make sure guys don’t let their guard down because they’re 2-8,” Sudfeld said about Maryland. “Defensively they’re extremely good and aggressive.”

 

While defense may be the strength for the Terrapins, that isn’t necessarily saying much. Their total offense is ranked an abysmal 114th while their total defense is ranked at about middle of the division one pack at 64th.

 

Compare that to Indiana whose total offense is ranked 28th and total defense is ranked 119th. On paper, IU should pull this one out. But the game isn’t played on paper and the fact is small mistakes can cost a whole team.

 

IU secondary coach Brandon Shelby put it like this, “…if there are 55 passes and you do everything right 50 times but mess up 5, you’re giving up 3 or 4 touchdowns.”

 

The defense, specifically the secondary, has been inconsistent this year. That can probably be chalked up to youth as freshmen and sophomores are getting the bulk of the reps.

 

“These guys are 17, 18 years old going against seniors who are going to be lottery picks, so at the end of the day they can get overwhelmed,” Shelby said. “Unfortunately we are taking our lumps now but in a few years we are going to have some very good veterans back there.”

 

While all of this experience may pay dividends down the line, someone has to answer for the poor play this year. Shelby says that is his brunt to bear.

 

“I take full responsibility for us not doing a good job,” Shelby continued. “It’s not on those guys, I have got to do a better job coaching.”

 

Coaching is a really controversial topic around this program in the midst of a six game losing streak when the coaching staff will likely have their contracts either extended or terminated this offseason. Fans are pretty evenly split on what direction they’d like to see the program take.

 

Right now, Sudfeld says the coaches are instilling a winning attitude.

 

“Coach Wilson is doing a great job of facilitating a culture right now of us being a winning team.”

 

That may sound silly when historically IU football has anything but a winning culture, but if that is ever going to change, so too must the expectations that the team has for themselves.

 

Before any games were played this year, the fan base had hopes for being around 6-6 and bowling. After the four game win streak to start the year, optimism soared to perhaps unrealistic levels.

 

Despite the disappointment, that original goal is still achievable. And that’s progress.

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For anyone who prefers adjusted stats:

 

Maryland Offense - 103. Great on the ground (21st). Terrible in the air (98th).

Indiana Offense - 19. The ground really was negatively affected by Howard's missed time (42nd). Sudfeld is Studfeld (20th).

 

Maryland defense - 34. Pretty good at everything (36th pass and rush)

Indiana defense - 104. Bad against the rush (87th). Bad against the pass (85th). 

 

We have a great shot here. A truly terrible defense up against a truly terrible offense should end up with more defensive stops when we need them. They have a good D, but they aren't Iowa, Ohio State, or Michigan. They're nearly tied with MSU. If we could move the ball there, we can move it in college park.

 

It's a road game, but don't expect Maryland fans to show up. They have already fully written off the season and moved on to basketball. Our fans surely have too, but we don't have any more home games so...

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Thanks for those adjusted stats. It's a good thing they're not good passing wise so we can hopefully hide that deficiency

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Let's finish the season on a 3 game winning streak!!! The Season of Streaks!

How are adjusted stats calculated? I've seen them used but never had a good grasp.

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Thanks for those adjusted stats. It's a good thing they're not good passing wise so we can hopefully hide that deficiency

I think our defensive stats don't show how good we actually are against the rush, even adjusted. When our rush D fails, it gives up huge plays (Elliot), but when it's holding we are decent. Definitely better against the rush than the pass. This is a team we match up against really well. Which, is kind of a bummer to match up so well against a bottom rung team...

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Let's finish the season on a 3 game winning streak!!! The Season of Streaks!

How are adjusted stats calculated? I've seen them used but never had a good grasp.

Depends on which stats you use.

 

I like S&P from football outsiders. The big things they do to adjust are strength of opponent (which is the most important one to me) and removing stats accumulated in garbage time. No one cares if you can score well against the second stringers after Baylor put 92 up on you. And no one cares if you can score well against New Mexico State. But, with unadjusted stats, the teams who do those kinds of things get pushed up, while the teams who play OSU to the last play get pushed down.

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The team is feeling pressure now no doubt. The coaches have been saying it all year that preparation and consistency are key. That's obviously a whole lot of coach speak but I honestly think it's true for any team, especially one with a young defense. Granted, they haven't played WELL against the better teams, but they've made enough stands to not choke it away in the 1st quarter. Bring that intensity consistently and you win games like Maryland and Purdue

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