Written by: TJ Inman

The Curt Cignetti era got off to a strong start as the Indiana Hoosiers got off to a 21-0 start and then shutout Florida International in the second half to comfortably win 31-7. The Hoosiers ran for 5.9 yards per carry and 234 yards on the ground and the defense was all over the Golden Panthers from the very beginning of the contest, rarely letting up. The game was not without some issues and Curt Cignetti was less than pleased with the offensive execution in the middle portion of the game.

That was particularly true in the passing game as the Hoosiers missed multiple opportunities for big plays with either missed reads, slightly off throws or mistakes by wide receivers. The outcome of Friday night’s game will likely not be in doubt but this is a real opportunity to work out the passing game kinks before heading West to UCLA.

The Western Illinois Leathernecks are one of the worst FCS programs in the country and the defense struggled mightily in week one against Northern Illinois. The Huskies were 23-for-29 through the air for 394 passing yards and five touchdowns. That was part of a 706 yard offensive performance with an average of 10.1 yards per play. Starting quarterback Ethan Hampton was 18-for-20 for 328 yards with five touchdowns. Northern Illinois is not typically a big-play passing offense but they carved up the Leathernecks and got whatever they wanted through the air. Hampton set a school-record for quarterback efficiency and had the third-highest yardage total in school history. The lesson: if Indiana chooses to try and throw the ball, they should be able to find success against this defense and a failure to do so would be a real red flag. This is, by far, the weakest secondary IU will play all season and the Hoosiers should have a good day on offense and be able to get a lot of players on the field for experience.

Diving into the IU receiving numbers from Saturday, the Hoosiers had only 180 passing yards from 15 completions with Myles Price leading IU with four receptions. Miles Cross had the longest reception of the day, 30 yards, with his lone catch. Beyond that, Omar Cooper Jr. had a 26-yard catch and Justice Ellison had a 19-yard reception but the passing game was secondary, pardon the pun, to IU’s dominant rushing attack. That was likely not by design but the game certainly played out in a way that favored the Hoosiers bludgeoning the Golden Panthers on the ground. If the Hoosiers wanted to, they could likely run the ball 90 percent of the time this coming Friday night and win comfortably but it will be important to build some confidence in the passing game.

Elijah Sarratt only had two targets for 12 yards. Donaven McCulley was limited due to an injury. Ke’Shawn Williams was not targeted and EJ Williams did not play. IU is not going to show a whole lot and putting things on film for UCLA is not smart but there is a balance that will be walked. Indiana will toe the line between getting the passing game into a rhythm and building confidence while also not revealing much of your attack ahead of a critical game against a matchup opponent in the Rose Bowl next Saturday.

Regardless of just how aggressive the Hoosiers are on Friday night, seeing the passing attack look crisper and sharper than it was in week one will be important for IU against Western Illinois.

The Huddle

Matchup to Watch: Week Two – Indiana’s Passing Game Execution vs. Western Illinois’ Secondary

Hoosier Huddle