Keys to a Hoosier Win Over the Eagles on Saturday

Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Indiana Hoosiers will be seeking win number two of the 2017 season on Saturday when they face-off against the Georgia Southern Eagles. Here are four things the Hoosiers must accomplish in order to walk away winners of two-straight.

1. Stay Disciplined on Defense

One of the biggest keys to being successful in defending the option is to stay disciplined. Meaning that everyone needs to know their assignments and trust that the player next to them will simply do their job. There are usually three different responsibilities to defend. The dive, pitch and QB keeper. Tegray Scales will have to be able to react to what the offensive line does and then follow the ball and keep everyone else focused on their responsibilities. A failure to do so will result in busted coverages and big plays for the Eagles.

2. Capitalize on Every Possession

Another aspect that the Hoosiers have to take into consideration when facing the Eagles is that triple-option teams usually do a great job of shortening the game and limiting possessions. Georgia Southern and other option based offenses know that they cannot compete straight-up with other teams so they run the offense that they do. The Hoosiers will need to make the most of every possession. If they have to settle for a field goal, so be it. They just need points on the board. What they cannot do is go three-and-out or turn the ball over. Those two things are a recipe for disaster.

3. Get out of the Gate Quickly

Indiana struggled on offense for the first 20-plus minutes in their game at Virginia, before pulling away for a 34-17 win. This week, the Hoosiers have to get out of the gate quickly against the Eagles. IU is playing at home and playing a team whose season is almost at the point of no return. Getting on the board early and often will put GSU into submission and allow the Hoosier to cruise to a win. As we said on the podcast on Wednesday night, Indiana needs to keep pace with the rest of the improving teams in the conference (Maryland and Purdue) and putting together a complete game against an inferior foe is the logical next step.

4. Establish the Run

The first two games of the 2017 season have done little, if anything, to ease concerns about the rushing attack. Saturday should be a chance for Indiana that they can run the ball against an inferior opponent. There is no magic number of yards IU needs to get, but they do need to show they can bully people on the line and get some big plays on the ground. The competition at running back is wide open and this could be the chance for someone, anyone, to prove they can be the every-down back IU needs to be successful. If the running attack can materialize on Saturday, IU should be able to put this one away by halftime and get some young players some much needed game time.