Matchup to Watch Week Four: Indiana's Offensive Line vs. Connecticut's Defensive Line

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Image: Sarah Miller Hoosier Huddle

Image: Sarah Miller Hoosier Huddle

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Coming into the 2019 season the Hoosier running game was supposed to be one of the strengths of this team. Through the first three weeks however, it has become a major concern. The Hoosiers sit 13th in the conference in rushing averaging 3.1 yards per carry (a full yard ahead of Purdue though). It has been said for 150 years and it’ll be said for the next 150 years. ‘In order to win games, you must run the ball’. IU just isn’t doing that early in the season.

In Indiana’s three games the Hoosiers have averaged 4.48, 3.35 and 1.35 yards per carry. Sure, Ohio State is an outlier, but it’s still not good enough, especially against the other competitions.

Is it the running backs? Is it the Indiana offensive line not opening up holes? Is it a combination of both? Whatever it is has to get fixed and that starts on Saturday against Connecticut.

Connecticut ranks right, smack in the middle at 7th in the American Athletic Conference in rushing yards allowed at 116.5 yards per game. It’s not terrible, it’s not great. Either way, Indiana needs to find a way to run the ball. The Huskies defensive line has just two players over 287 pounds and only one of them, Lwal Uguak has a tackle for loss. If the Hoosiers cannot run against this team better than they have run the ball all season, it’s time for a long, hard look in the mirror.

Running the football is about toughness and having a mentality that you’re just stronger than the other person. We all have heard about and seen what this offensive line can do in the weight room, but it has not translated to the field in 2019 yet. There is way too much talent both on the line and in the backfield with Stevie Scott, Ronnie Walker, Cole Gest and Sampson James to be sitting 13th out of 14 in the Big Ten in rushing. We called this game an ‘attitude game’ on this week’s podcast and that attitude and toughness need to be on full display in Bloomington on Saturday or this team may start getting the reputation as being soft in the run game.