IU is Riding High at 4-0, but Wilson and Sudfeld Know Offense Can be Better

Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Hoosiers are 4-0 for the first time since 1990 and leads the conference in two major offensive categories averaging 38.2 points and 522.2 yards per game, but the coach and the quarterback think this offense can be so much better.

At his weekly press availability on Monday IU head coach Kevin Wilson said despite the gaudy numbers, "we are not in sync as an offense, though. We still keep sputtering. We could be so much better. It's disappointing yet encouraging because there's a lot of good things going on. We just got to keep working."

Nothing personified this more than the first quarter of the win at Wake Forest when the Hoosiers could have opened up at lead a two-score lead. IU ran 26 plays and gained 112 yards compared to Wake's 13 plays and 47 yards. The Hoosier offense was stalled out by penalties and a missed assignment on a blitz up the middle which led the three IU punts.

Wilson pointed out that, "the offense needed to capitalize on that, because we didn't, and all of a sudden after three three-and-outs, we were up, it becomes a 7-7 game. We had a chance to gain some early momentum. It would have been nice to capitalize offensively, and we didn't."

Indiana senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld agrees with his coach saying after the victory at Wake Forest, "the cool thing about where we are at right now is that we are really not clicking to the level we that we can."

It is hard to believe that an offense that features the nation's leading rusher in Jordan Howard (675 yards 3TDs) and a receiver who was just added to the Biletnikoff Watch List (Ricky Jones), as well as a senior quarterback who has thrown for 1,143 yards with a 7-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, is not clicking. But when you look back there are missed opportunities that are very correctable. 

Usually when the Hoosiers are leaving points on the field, they are not 4-0. The good news is that in 2015 the Hoosiers do not need to be absolutely perfect to win games. However, on Saturday afternoon the offense needs to be clicking on all cylinders. If this offense is putting up nearly 40 points a game while "sputtering" what will they be able to accomplish when they are running at their highest efficiency.