Few thought the Hoosiers could head into Eugene and beat the No. 3 Ducks, but IU left the Pacific Northwest with a 30-20 win. The stock portfolio is looking good and dividends are paying off. Let’s look at the stock report from IU’s big win in Eugene.
Stock Up
Mental Toughness
The Hoosiers showed that their mental fortitude is reinforced from a year ago. Last year this team may have crumbled after the long touchdown pass or Fernando Mendoza pick six in the fourth quarter to tie the score. Instead the Hoosiers clamped down and dominated the second half and won by two scores. Whatever “It” is, this Hoosiers team has it. They never blinked. As Pat Coogan said after the win at Iowa. “Sh*t, Never Daunted”.
Linebacker Play
Indiana played more sets with three linebackers on Saturday and for great reason. The defense is better with Aiden Fisher, Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones on the field at the same time. The trio combined for 34 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Jones sealed the game with an interception that essentially sealed the game.
Roman Hemby
Running back Roman Hemby has been really good for the Hoosiers this year, but had not reached the end zone until Saturday when he scored two touchdowns. He has a hard fought 70 yards on the ground and 25 more receiving. His versatility is an underappreciated tool in the Hoosier offense. He showed that against the Ducks.
Stock Down
“Expert” Analysis
I will admit I was incorrect about my score prediction. However, the Hoosiers used a tweet from student media to fire up their defensive line. The tweet pointed out that IU’s defensive line was, on average, 46 pounds lighter than the Oregon offensive line. This analysis was stuffed into a trash can when sophomore Mario Landino recorded a sack on the first play of the game. The Hoosiers finished with six sacks (Oregon gave up one all year) and eight tackles for loss. The game is not played on a roster sheet or on PFF.
False Starts
The crowd noise was a factor at Oregon. A combination of Oregon’s defense stemming (maybe illegally) and the crowd noise IU was called for six false starts and a delay of game. Those penalties affected drives and may have taken points off the board. However, the Hoosiers snapped the ball much cleaner and handled the noise much better than at Iowa.
Hold
Reservations in Indy
The path is clearing up for the Hoosiers to make it to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game. The Hoosiers sit atop the conference with Ohio State and the remaining schedule looks less daunting as Penn State continues to vaporize into chaos. So, maybe it is time to start booking the hotels for an extra night if you’re already going to the basketball game against Louisville at Lucas Oil Stadium.