Game Wrap and Reaction: Indiana 77 WIU 3

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Opponent: Western Illinois Leathernecks

Location: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN

Why They Played: 

The Hoosiers and Leathernecks played as the fill-in game for the canceled game with Louisville.

What The Game Meant: 

The Hoosiers were six-touchdown favorites against the Leathernecks and played like it. IU did whatever it wanted on their six first half drives, scoring six touchdowns.

Top Offensive Performers:

The Offense: It is hard to single out any player on the offense, so let’s do the whole unit. The Hoosiers set program records for points (77) and total yards (701) in the win. No matter who was on the field IU did whatever they wanted and probably could have scored even more.

Top Defensive Performers:

Mikail Kamara, DL, Indiana- Kamara had a big night on the defensive line making four tackles and two sacks.

Rolijah Hardy, LB, Indiana- The redshirt freshman was our defensive feature on Friday. He had a great second half recording a pick six and forcing a fumble on a sack.

Special Teams Performance:

Nico Radicic set the program record for most extra points made in a single game with 11. IU did not punt so James Evans’ only duty was to hold on place kicks. Solomon Van Horse looked good on his long kick return getting 32 yards and while Myles Price didn’t have a huge return he made excellent plays in the punt return game and saved IU yards on a couple punts that could’ve bounced further down field. Overall, an excellent night for the specialists.

There is a concern however. IU kickoff man Derek McCormick appeared to injure his leg on his third and fourth kickoffs of the night. Alejandro Quintaro filled in for McCormick, but his kicks did not reach the end zone often. This will be something to keep an eye on.

Key Stat(s):

78, 77, 701, 11

IU played 78 players, scored 77 points, gained 701 yards and kicked 11 extra points. It was a great day for the Hoosiers.

Turning Point:

On Western Illinois’ first drive Shawn Asbury II laid a huge hit on a receiver that caused him to drop what would have been a first down pass. That set the tone for the defense and the rest of the night.

I Knew it Was Over When…

It was over before it began

Players of the Game:

The Indiana Offense- There were questions heading into this game whether or not IU’s offense was explosive enough. Even with the quality of the opponent, those questions were answered well. A record-setting performance makes everyone feel better.

What I take away From the Game:

This will be short and straight to the point, like a Cignetti press conference. The Hoosiers did what good teams do to really bad teams. Western Illinois is a really bad team. The Hoosiers will head to UCLA with a ton of confidence in each phase of the game for the Big Ten opener. It is swing game number one for the Hoosiers in a fall filled with swing games.

What’s Next

The Hoosiers (2-0) head west to open up Big Ten play with a trip to UCLA and the Rose Bowl.