Numbers That Matter: #22 Indiana vs. Indiana State

Photo Credit: Indiana University Athletics Numbers drive so much in today’s world and the sports world is no different. Now more than ever teams are hiring and building analytics teams to get every edge possible over their opponents. Over the course of the season, we’ll look into many of those numbers ahead of the Hoosiers’ matchups each week, so be on the lookout for that! (If you are a paid subscriber and cannot access this, please reach out and I will email you a copy of the article) Subscriber Content Without further ado, let’s get into it: 174% Growth ...Represents the improvement Indiana showed in EPA/Play (Expected Points Added per Play, a metric that measures how many extra points a team or player gains or loses on average every time they run a play) when comparing the Old Dominion game against the Kennesaw State game. Against ODU, Indiana was in the 35th percentile in the country when it came to EPA/Play. Against Kennesaw State, Indiana was 96th percentile in the country (both metrics thanks to gameonpaper.com). In both games, Indiana was efficient on offense, but against Kennesaw State the Hoosiers were able to turn more of that efficiency into points. Facing Indiana State and the Big Ten schedule to come, the Hoosiers will need to stay in that 90th - 99th percentile ranking in the country when it comes to EPA/Play to stay successful against good teams. 15th ...Represents Indiana's place on Pro Football Focus' (PFF) updated power rankings. Sandwiching the Hoosiers are Texas A&M and Mizzou ahead of them and Florida and upcoming opponent Illinois below them. Per PFF, the Hoosiers have a 90% chance to make a bowl game, a 5% chance to win the Big Ten, a 23% chance to make the College Football Playoff, and a 1% chance to win it all. So you're saying there's a chance! A few more stats on the team as a whole: the Hoosiers thus far have had the 108th hardest schedule in the country. Expected, but wanted to share nonetheless. The rest of the way, the Hoosiers have the 46th toughest schedule in the country as Big Ten play approaches. These numbers fluctuate quite a bit and if IU's opponents continue to see success, the Hoosiers' strength of schedule ratings will rise as a result. 2nd ...Represents Indiana's overall rank - nationwide - when it comes to pass blocking grades on PFF with a grade of 93.0. That's right, through the first two games of the season the Hoosiers are the 2nd best pass blocking team in the entire country. Only Oregon has performed better, with a grade of 93.2. The drop off is stark as well, as the 3rd best team - Navy - has a score of 89.9, accentuating how well the Hoosiers have performed thus far. This is a huge testament to the work coach Bob Bostad has put in to the offensive line and running back groups in learning protection schemes and consistently picking up their assignments. I am a firm believer that games are won in the trenches, and the Hoosiers are putting that on full display with their early performances. 11.2 ...Represents Fernando Mendoza's aDOT (average depth of target, a metric measuring how deep receivers are yardage wise upon being targeted by the quarterback), which we have talked about at length entering the season. We saw that last year, Kurtis Rourke's aDOT was 10.4 and Mendoza's (at Cal) was 8.4. We expected Mendoza's aDOT to rise as he entered a more aggressive offense in Bloomington, and we're now seeing the payoffs of that as his aDOT has ballooned to 11.2. This number may be a bit inflated due to the poorer competition the Hoosiers have faced early on this season, but is still a huge testament to the Hoosiers working downfield and Mendoza growing his confidence in hitting those deeper targets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOcqXWMBVik 2nd and 3rd ...Represents the ranking where two Hoosiers fall nationwide on PFF when it comes to pass blocking grades. Among all offensive linemen, Drew Evans shines and ranks 2nd overall in the country at pass blocking with a grade of 90.8. Additionally, among all running backs, Kaelon Black rises to the top and ranks 3rd overall in the country at pass blocking with a grade of 85.0. This gritty, high effort play is what Cignetti wants in a football team. The Hoosiers have high caliber pass blockers who work hard and aren't afraid to throw someone onto the ground. It's reflected in the team grades we examined above and in the individual player grades we see here. If the Hoosiers want to compete in the College Football Playoff again this season, maintaining this pass blocking success will be paramount. Game Information Indiana kicks off against Indiana State on Friday, September 12 at 6:30 PM EST! The game will be shown on BTN for those watching at home. Stay locked in with Hoosier Huddle for all things Indiana football and Indiana sports – all season long. Subscribe to get access Read more of this content when you subscribe today. Log in

Numbers That Matter: #22 Indiana vs. Indiana State

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Numbers That Matter: #22 Indiana vs. Indiana State

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