Game Wrap and Reaction: Indiana 24 Rutgers 17
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Image: Getty Images
Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
Opponent: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Location: Saturday September 29th, 2018 Piscataway, NJ
Why They Played: The Hoosiers and Scarlet Knights play annually as Big Ten East foes.
What The Game Meant: This was a chance for the Hoosiers to bounce back from a frustrating loss against an inferior opponent.
Top Offensive Performers:
Peyton Ramsey, QB, Indiana- Ramsey wasn’t spectacular, but did enough to get the win. The redshirt sophomore completed 27-of-40 passes (67.5%) for 288 yards and a score. He added 51 yards and another touchdown on the ground.
J-Shun Harris, WR, Indiana- It was a throwback day for Harris who caught his first touchdown pass since 2014 (Missouri). He led the Hoosiers with seven receptions for 54 yards.
Raheem Blackshear, RB, Rutgers- Blackshear averaged eight yards a carry and added 22 yards receiving. Good news for the Hoosiers is that he only carried the ball eight times. He finished with 64 yards rushing.
Top Defensive Performers
Reakwon Jones, LB, Indiana- Reakwon Jones recorded three tackles and broke up two passes and provided the veteran leadership and voice needed to survive this game.
Freshman Defensive Backs, Indiana- The Hoosiers were down A’Shon Riggins and Marcelino Ball (first half) in this one. The Hoosiers freshman defensive backs stepped up big time. Jaylin Williams, Devon Matthews, Bryant Fitzgerald, Juwan Burgess and Jamar Johnson combined for 12 tackles, a sack and an interception.
Deonte Roberts, LB, Rutgers- Roberts was the game’s leading tackler with 14 stops including half a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery for the Scarlet Knights.
Special Teams Performance
A week after struggling in areas on special teams the Hoosiers did nothing spectacular in this phase of the game on Saturday. They gave up two longer than average kickoff returns. Punter Hayden Whitehead punted just twice for a net average of only 34.5 yards and did not down a punt inside the 20-yard line. Logan Justus hit all his extra points and nailed a 44-yard field goal which should give the Hoosiers more confidence in his range.
Key Stat(s)
24
The Hoosiers scored 24 first half points, which would be just enough to squeak by Rutgers after being shutout in the second half.
Turning Point
The turning point came early in this one. After Rutgers seemed to have forced a fumble at the goal line on a run by Stevie Scott replay gave the Hoosiers back the ball inside the one-yard line on a fourth down. Peyton Ramsey kept the ball and just barely got the ball over the goal line for a 14-7 lead.
I Knew it Was Over When…
I thought it was over when IU took a 24-7 lead into the half, but IU stalled out on offense and had to sweat out a one score win. This one was officially over when Ramsey drew Rutgers offsides and hit Peyton Hendershot on with a pass with around 1:40 left in the game.
Players of the Game
Peyton Ramsey, Indiana- Over 300 yards of total offense and two touchdowns will get you the player of the game for this one, but improvements are needed.
Deonte Roberts, Rutgers- Roberts was a force at linebacker and led a second-half shutout. He had 14 tackles and a fumble recovery.
What I took away from the game
The Hoosiers need to find their killer instinct because they were playing with fire on Saturday letting a bad Rutgers team hang around. Maybe IU did not take this team seriously and thought the Scarlet Knights would just roll over without a fight. You just cannot sit on leads at IU, or any school in college football. Crazy things happen. Being 4-1 is nice, but this one left a sour taste in everyone’s mouths.
Offensively the Hoosiers started out great as they scored 24 first half points and were throwing the ball well enough while sprinkling in the run. However, the second half made people want to chuck their TV’s, phones or whatever device they were watching on out the window. The Hoosiers unsuccessfully tried to establish the run as they gained just 56 yards on 22 carries (three of which were kneel downs). IU had just 159 total yards in the second half. That’s just unacceptable.
Peyton Ramsey played well enough, but still cannot push the ball down field as Rutgers adjusted and moved people up in the box as the game went on. He averaged 7.1 yards per completion, which is better than his season average, but not good enough to take the Hoosier offense to the next level as he continues to over, or under, look open receivers down field. The Hoosiers also lost the turnover battle as Stevie Scott lost a fumble that led to a second half touchdown and Ramsey threw an interception on a throw that was just awful. It was a fourth-and-nine from the 18-yard line and he tried to hit Harris on a fade (not a great play anyway), but his throw never had a chance as he under threw his receiver.
The Hoosier defense played well in spurts, but continued a disturbing trend of committing costly penalties. IU had Rutgers stopped on a three-and-out when Dameon Willis was flagged for a late hit on the quarterback. Rutgers would go on to score a touchdown on that drive. I’ll call it an unearned touchdown.
The bottom line is that Indiana was lucky that they were playing Rutgers and not anyone else. Tom Allen and the offensive staff became too conservative and sat on a lead in the second half. Yes, they are at four wins and need just two to make a bowl. But there is the dreaded feeling that they’re leaving plays on the field, or locked in the playbook. I don’t understand that strategy, especially at Indiana. I have said this all summer and fall, the Hoosiers have to be aggressive this season. They NEED to get to six wins by any means necessary (sitting on leads and trying to save Mike Penix for a run in 2021 will not work). In some cases being conservative is great, but when it comes to Indiana football sometimes you just have to close your eyes and roll the dice on the unconventional.