Indiana’s Defense Has Rocky Start to the Season

Indiana Football played its first game since the Hoosiers hoisted up the national championship trophy in Miami last year. The North Texas Mean Green came into Bloomington, Indiana, for a noon bout with the defending Champions. North Texas lost a majority of their team last year to the transfer portal, but rebuilt its roster around a familiar face for Indiana fans in quarterback Tayven Jackson.

Indiana’s defense was the focal point of their success last season, but now they have a lot of holes to fill. Indiana’s defense didn’t have the efficient night that they would’ve hoped for. They only gave up 16 points in their 52-16 victory, but there were certainly several defensive moments that didn’t hold up to Indiana’s standard.

Indiana did end up with one turnover in the game, but it came in garbage time on a throw that wasn’t anywhere near a receiver. Nonetheless, Quan Sanks was able to reel in the interception late in the fourth quarter.

The Secondary

Besides the pick, Indiana’s secondary didn’t have an amazing game. Now, they did lose both AJ Harris and Jamari Sharpe in the first quarter due to injuries. These injuries certainly were a major blow, but they are both expected to return soon.

“The way both corners go down in the first quarter never return. They will be back,” Cignetti said.

Byron Baldwin Jr. had a really solid game out of the backfield, with seven total tackles. This is especially impressive in a game where Indiana’s defense struggled to tackle. Ryland Gandy had a solid game, stepping into a larger role after Sharpe and Harris were hurt.

Indiana did end up with one turnover in the game, but it came in garbage time on a throw that wasn’t anywhere near a receiver. Nonetheless, Quan Sanks was able to reel in the interception late in the fourth quarter.

The Defensive Line

Indiana’s most talented position group is its defensive line. They might have the deepest unit in the country. The defensive line didn’t play up to that standard today.

There were still players who stood out from the group, specifically Tobi Osunsamni, the transfer from Kansas State. He had four tackles, and two of them were for a loss. As a whole Indiana had five tackles for loss, which is solid, but not as many as they would want.

Indiana also only had one sack. It came early in the first quarter from Tyrique Tucker. It felt like Indiana couldn’t get any hits on Tayven Jackson all day until they eventually landed the hit that would knock him out for a few plays. Indiana’s tackling was poor, but so was there rushing of the passer.

Part of the reason they didn’t get much pressure was that they didn’t blitz often, but they still should’ve generated more than they did.

Indiana’s defensive line had some highlights, but couldn’t consistently stop North Texas’ rushing attack to the point they would’ve wanted. North Texas ran for 152 yards, which is 20 more than what Indiana was able to do. Indiana’s run defense will need to improve as the season continues.

The Linebackers

The duo of Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy is still a lethal combination. They both showed why they are elite linebackers. Jones led the team in tackles with 12, eight of which were solo. Hardy had seven, but also flashed his unique speed when making plays on the outside. Hardy will be an amazing run defender all season. Hardy also was solid in pass protection with one pass breakup in the first quarter that forced a turnover on downs.

Takeaways

The defense will be fine, but it does have some legitimate issues currently. They were sloppy in tackling and weaker in the secondary than Indiana had planned for. These are coachable issues, and it is no secret that defensive coordinator Bryant Haines will have a fun time this week fixing these issues.

This game is still the best week-one game in the Curt Cignetti era. It is to be expected to have some early-season issues. If they didn’t have these issues, Cignetti wouldn’t have any coaching to do.