Indiana Football End of the Regular Season Mail Bag Part I
/
Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle) and T.J. Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)
-Q: “How did the red zone offense get so bad and what can IU do to fix it?”
-Bruce
Thanks for the question Bruce, we appreciate it. I wish the IU coaches had the answer to this one because it probably kept the Hoosiers from getting to eight wins. Alas, the red zone woes have yet to be fixed and we are left to speculate and ponder on what could be done to make it better.
There’s no way to sugarcoat it, IU’s red zone was horrific. Despite having a lot of talented players and an above average offensive line, the Hoosiers had the Big Ten’s second-worst red zone attack (only Rutgers was worse). Indiana had 45 red zone trips and they only scored on 32 of them (71.1%). 22 of those scores were touchdowns (13 rush, 9 pass) and they were 10-14 on field goals.
The possessions ended with three turnovers (one fumble, two interceptions) and they lost the ball on downs six times. In my opinion, IU’s play calling became far too conservative inside of the red zone. There were too many interior handoffs to Devine Redding and too many predictable throws into crowded areas. In addition to the play calling, the four missed field goals are entirely unacceptable and the kicking game needs to be significantly better in 2017.
So, what can the Hoosiers do to solve the red zone issues? There’s no silver bullet and I’m confident IU’s coaches know much more than I do but my suggestions are as follows: I think the red zone offense was at its best when they went to the “Bacon ‘n Legs” package or when they ran some “gimmick” plays like reverses. I’d love to see more of that in the bowl game and next season (see below for more on the future of the “wildcat” in Bloomington). I would also like to see IU utilize big targets like Danny Friend, Ian Thomas, Austin Dorris and Nick Westbrook. You can throw Jonah Morris and Simmie Cobbs into that mix next season. Those guys are big targets and Richard Lagow has proven he can throw the out route pretty well. Let’s use those big targets as opposed to trying to find a smaller target like Mitchell Paige in the middle of a packed defense. By connecting on a few more field goals and then turning a few more scoring chances into touchdowns, the Hoosiers could go from the bottom of the Big Ten into the middle of it in red zone efficiency. It was awful this season but it should be a few adjustments away from being adequate.
-Q: Which players should IU be most worried about losing early to the NFL?
-Titus
Thanks for reading Titus and great question! I think there are three players that immediately come to mind. Many expected Simmie Cobbs to be in this group after the 2016 season but his early foot injury has forced him to return for the 2017 season to form a terrific one-two punch with Nick Westbrook. That leaves seniors-to-be Rashard Fant, Marcus Oliver and Tegray Scales. All three of them had very nice seasons as part of a defense that was the most improved in the nation.
Rashard Fant has been a staple in the IU secondary for a few years now and he opted to go through Senior Day ceremonies last Saturday and he will graduate from Indiana before the 2017 season. He still has the option to play his redshirt senior season for the Hoosiers but it’s a major possibility he decides to take a shot at the NFL. Fant led the Big Ten in pass deflections (19) and he’s clearly a very good cover corner. NFL teams will have concerns about his size and ability to hold up against the bigger receivers in the professional ranks but I’m sure he’ll take a look at his draft stock. If he opts to leave, the Hoosiers will turn to A’Shon Riggins to be the #1 corner and there will be a major competition for the second starting position.
Marcus Oliver and Tegray Scales both excelled as the starting linebackers and both earned All-Big Ten honors for their play. Scales led the Big Ten in solo tackles (and it wasn’t close) and averaged 9.7 tackles per game in his first year under Tom Allen. I think he could boost his stock with another year of production and development in this system but his play this past season will rightfully earn him some looks from NFL personnel.
Marcus Oliver has been one of IU’s best defenders in back-to-back seasons and his ability to create fumbles is remarkable. He doesn’t have the same level of quickness or raw physical tools that Scales has but he’s a wonderful linebacker that I really enjoy watching. I’m hoping he returns for his final season but he really doesn’t have too much left to prove in Cream and Crimson. There may be other guys that look at turning pro early but I think these are the three likeliest candidates.
We’ll also have Dan Mogollon from NFL Draft Bible on our podcast at some point this off-season to get his opinion on who will go pro.
-Q: For 2017, how does Indiana replace or replicate the running spark Zander Diamont brought?
-Chrome Domes
“Chrome Domes”, I have a feeling that is not your real name but we appreciate the question! For those that are unaware, Zander Diamont’s final football game will be the Hoosiers bowl game later this month. We wrote more about that a few days ago if you’d like more information on that. So, how does that departure impact IU’s offense in 2017? We know the previous version of the much beloved “Bacon ‘N Legs” package will be no more. Will we see any kind of “wildcat” attack? Will there be a running quarterback that emerges to replace Zander? In short, we can’t be sure because the “wildcat” package came out of nowhere and was a very pleasant shot in the arm for IU’s offense that we had only speculated about before seeing it.
I’ve been asked if redshirt freshman Peyton Ramsey could take over that role in 2017 and I’ve responded that I don’t see that happening. Ramsey has done a tremendous job on the scout team this season (according to the coaches) and he definitely is more mobile than Lagow (or Austin King) but he doesn’t have the breakaway speed Zander Diamont provided. If Ramsey sees the field, I’m confident the zone read option and some scrambling will be a part of his game but I don’t think he will be used as a change of pace “wildcat” quarterback. I do think we’ll continue to see Tyler Natee used similarly to how he was used this season (and I’d like to see him more in short-yardage situations) but I think his new “Bacon ‘N Legs” style partner will be Camion Patrick. We saw this wrinkle of the “wildcat” during the Michigan game and it helped the Hoosiers score a rare rushing touchdown against the Wolverines. He showed flashes of his potential this season but he wasn’t fully healthy or in game-shape and I think we’ll see a more integrated weapon next season. Other options in that role are Donavan Hale and Isaac James. Both are good athletes with prior quarterback experience. The Hoosiers won’t be able to replicate the speed Diamont brought to the game but I think the “wildcat” package can, and will, still be used very effectively as a part of IU’s offense.
Q: How important is a Bowl win for the Program- Brian Tonsoni
Brian, thanks for the question and all the food at your tailgate all season. I believe a bowl win would be huge for IU for three reasons. One, it would clinch a winning record for the first time since 2007. Going 7-6 just looks better than 6-7 as well, and IU will have another trophy to put in a case and parade around alumni gatherings.
Two, the win would likely be over a quality opponent. Right now we have IU in the Foster Farms Bowl against a solid Washington State squad, while ESPN has us in the Music City Bowl against Tennessee. A win against another good Power-Five foe is a great accomplishment and would give IU five Power-Five wins this season.
Finally, the game will be on national TV. The Foster Farms Bowl is on FOX and the Music City Bowl will be on ESPN. A win would show a national audience how far the program has come and have a positive impact on recruiting.
The bowl game became a little bigger deal when Kevin Wilson resigned and Tom Allen was named permanent head coach. Allen has the job, so this isn't an audition, but it'll be intriguing to see how the team responds to turmoil. The networks will no doubt be salivating to talk about Wilson's departure, but a good performance and a win should move the attention back onto Allen and navigating the program out of this storm and into calmer waters.
An added bonus to a bowl win is that the Victory Flag would be flying high all offseason long.
Will (Hunter) Littlejohn ever get in a game? - Chris F.
Chris, thanks for the question. Hunter Littlejohn should be in the mix to take over the center or a guard position next season. He was a redshirt freshman this year and even though he couldn’t crack the lineup in this injury riddled year, fans should not be discouraged. He is still very young and IU had a fifth-year center this season, so it would have taken a great effort to unseat Wes Rogers. However, he should get plenty of reps in the bowl practices and spring ball. One of the major benefits of going to a bowl game is that the team essentially has a second spring practice schedule. IU will likely rest their veteran players and allow younger players like Littlejohn and Simon Stepaniak to take some reps with the first and second team offenses. I’d be shocked if Littlejohn does not crack the lineup next season.