Indiana football had plenty to clean up on the defensive side of the ball after last week’s opener.
The Hoosiers made those corrections Saturday.
Indiana shut out Howard 55-0 at Memorial Stadium, holding the Bison to just 57 total yards, 13 rushing yards and four first downs. The Hoosiers finished with 12 tackles for loss, five sacks and a defensive touchdown in a game that was never close.
It was the type of response head coach Curt Cignetti wanted to see after a week where the defense was challenged to be more locked in and play to its standard.
“Better taste in our mouths after this game, which was the goal,” Cignetti said. “Defense got the shutout and also scored, which was good.”
The biggest difference for Indiana was up front. Howard could not get its run game going at all, finishing with 13 yards on 27 carries for just 0.5 yards per rush. The Bison had one run of nine yards, but other than that, Indiana’s front was consistently in the backfield.
Besides a couple first down catches, Howard also could not make it happen through the air. The Bison completed 10 of 20 passes for 44 yards and went 2-for-14 on third down. They punted nine times and never got close to putting together a scoring drive.
Indiana linebacker Rolijah Hardy said the defense spent the week correcting things it did not do well in the first game.
“I think it was about the corrections we made this week,” Hardy said. “Coach challenged us to play better, be tuned in to what we were doing, and I think that made a difference.”
Hardy was at the center of the biggest defensive play of the afternoon.
Late in the second quarter, Howard faced 3rd and 8 while trailing 27-0. Indiana edge rusher Josh Burnham got to quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins as he threw, sending the ball high into the air. Hardy came underneath it, grabbed the interception and returned it 19-yards for a touchdown.
The score gave Indiana a 33-0 lead and ended any chance Howard had of making the first half interesting.
“I think it was just me doing my 1/11,” Hardy said. “We had pressure up front with the D-linemen. I think Josh tipped it, so I was able to come under it.”
The play showed what Indiana’s defense was trying to be all day. The defensive line created the chaos, and the players behind it were ready to capitalize.
Burnham said the Hoosiers had a good plan going in, but they still want to be better at finishing plays once they get pressure.
“I think it was great,” Burnham said. “I think we still have a lot to do with finishing those plays. I know we left quite a few out there on the field that we wish we could get back, but I think that’s a big thing for us, bringing that pressure.”
Cignetti agreed with that assessment. He liked the way Indiana got after Howard’s quarterbacks, especially as the game went on, but said the Hoosiers initially had some trouble bringing down Scroggins when they had chances.
“Back to how we used to be,” Cignetti said. “I thought as the game went on they couldn’t block us and our biggest challenge was tackling the quarterback when we were getting to him. And then we got to him and tackled him.”
Indiana had contributions all over the defense. Hardy finished with five tackles, one tackle for loss, and the pick-six. Keishaun Calhoun had two sacks and two tackles for loss, while Tobi Osunsanmi had a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Jacob Savage also had a strong game, recording a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss. Joe Hjelle, Daniel Ndukwe, Steven Daley and Isaiah Jones all helped Indiana control the line of scrimmage.
The Hoosiers also got back defensive linemen Daley and Jones after both dealt with eligibility issues. Their return matters for a group that wants to use its depth to stay fresh and keep bringing pressure.
“It adds a whole another level of depth,” Burnham said. “Their knowledge of the game, they’ve been through it all last year. They’ve played. Even for us new guys if we still have questions about the defense, it’s super easy to be like, ‘Hey, what should we do here?’ They have that knowledge, and it’s been a huge help.”
Indiana rotated a lot of players as the lead grew. The Hoosiers forced a turnover on downs after a Tyler Morris muffed punt in the third quarter, with Calhoun coming through on fourth down for a sack. Even with the game well out of reach, the defense continued to make Howard earn everything.
That depth was important, especially once the teams agreed to shorten the fourth quarter to 10 minutes. Cignetti said the decision was made with the officials and Howard’s coaching staff after the third quarter.
Hardy said the message to the younger players was simple, do not let the standard drop because the game is out of hand.
“We had a lot of young linebackers, young guys that were able to play today,” Hardy said. “That’s what we wanted. Coming out of half, we always talked about the standard on drop. We were hammering those guys, ‘be ready, be focused, locked in the whole game.’
This was still Howard, and Indiana knows the level of competition will rise once Big Ten play begins. Cignetti made it clear that there were still mistakes that could become much more costly in bigger games.
But Saturday was the response Indiana needed. The Hoosiers played faster, got pressure consistently, took away the run and showed what the defense can look like when everyone is doing their job.
“We keep a high standard,” Hardy said. “The standard always going to be the standard. Coach Cig challenged us to get better this week, and I think we did that.”
Coach Cig and the Hoosiers continue play next Saturday at home against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
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