Five Takeaways From Indiana's 34-28 Triumph Over Maryland
/
Nick Wass/AP
Written by Andrew Walker
In an absolutely nail-biting victory, the Indiana Hoosiers football team squeaked out a victory against the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday 34-28. Indiana walked into Maryland as a 6.5-point favorite, and almost covered. Overcoming adversity will undoubtedly be one of Indiana Football’s most talked about attributes after the season is over, whatever the outcome may be. This victory wasn’t without its downsides though, so let’s take a look at some of the ups and downs of Indiana’s fifth win on the season.
1. Peyton Ramsey: The Closer
Let’s jump right into it. Peyton Ramsey played well. Let’s say it with confidence and believe it. Before getting into the stats and whatnot of his performance, he played well. He played confidently, with poise and with purpose. We all understand that the playbook is limited when Ramsey is QB1, but when it comes to winning football games, you only need to be as convincing as what’s needed for a win. Ramsey put up impressive numbers after coming into the game during the second quarter. Ramsey was 20-of-27 passing for 193 yards and one TD. It was enough for the redshirt junior to lead the Hoosiers to victory. Ramsey did what he had to do and he did it effectively. That’s all that matters for a 5-2 football team playing as confident as ever.
2. Defense learned how to deal with pressure
Talk about high pressure situations. Indiana’s defensive unit was undoubtedly put through the wringer in this one. Constant pressure from Tyrrell Pigrome and his Terrapin offense, including his scrambling ability. Maryland’s leading rusher Javon Leake ran for 158 yards and two TD’s in the loss. It’s not often that someone runs all over a defense like that and doesn’t come away with a victory. The defense for Indiana can always improve, and coordinator Kane Wommack knows that. What mattered though, was an absolutely necessary forced fumble and recovery by Juwan Burgess and an interception by Reese Taylor as time was winding down to put the game away. Through all of the defense’s shortcomings on Saturday, it’s only fitting that the win be sealed away by a defensive play.
3. Hoosier ground game ran well
Stevie Scott and company ran all over the Maryland Terrapins. There’s no way around it. Scott was the leading rusher for the game, but both quarterbacks, Michael Penix and Peyton Ramsey, had 35 and 46 rushing yards, respectively. The ground game was a huge part of the Hoosier victory today, especially early in the fourth when Stevie Scott broke free for a 34-yard rumble to put the Hoosiers within the red zone.
4. QB switch didn’t phase the Hoosiers
For anyone who didn’t watch the game, Michael Penix started the game and played well. He found his receivers well and threw accurate balls for the start of the game. Then in the second quarter, he had to scramble out of the pocket. While scrambling, he managed to get tackled in such a way that he had to come off the field. He did his best to walk it off, playing a few more plays after that, but he wasn’t right. Shortly after that, Peyton Ramsey would enter the ball game and play the rest of the way for Indiana. For the most part, there wasn’t that much of a stylistic or confidence change when Ramsey came into the game. The playbook was adjusted more towards Ramsey’s strong suits and the Hoosiers were able to come out with a win.
5. Big day for receivers
In addition to both of IU’s quarterbacks playing well, a product of that was the elite play of the Hoosier receiving corps. Tight end Peyton Hendershot had a game high 95 receiving yards on the day, an impressive season high for him. Nick Westbrook and Donovan Hale had a touchdown a piece, and they looked great in the win. Indiana’s receivers are constantly improving at catching contested balls. Early in the season, it was apparent that the receiving corps weren’t that comfortable with fighting for the catch. Now, with each game that passes, that’s becoming less and less of an issue.