Indiana football welcomed in Howard, their yearly FCS opponent, and the offense was explosive all game long. With milder game conditions than last week’s 152-degree field temperature, the Hoosiers grabbed a 55-0 win over Howard earlier today.
Passing Game Efficiency
The offensive player of the game, without doubt, was Charlie Becker, who was able to grab three catches for 81 yards. All three of his catches were touchdowns. Becker now has seven catches this year, and five of those are touchdowns. His red zone efficiency makes him a dominant force for the Indiana offense.
Becker has yet to drop a ball in his collegiate career. Josh Hoover can throw the ball up to Becker whenever he sees one-on-one coverage. It is an automatic connection through two games this season.
Becker credits his success to his work ethic and the number of reps he puts in every day.
“A lot of hard work, working with coach Eddie (Eddie Burk Jr.) during the offseason, getting the footing,” Becker said.
When it comes to success with this Indiana team, it really does seem like it is all about the reps. Getting the extra work in so that when game day arrives, they are extra prepared compared to their opponent. These reps lead to consistency.
Between Josh Hoover and Grant Wilson, there were eight completed passes. Six of those passes ended up as touchdowns. Nick Marsh, Shazz Preston, and Davion Chandler combined for three, alongside Becker’s hat trick. The receiving core has been dominant all season long.
The passing game is efficient and explosive. Marsh had a 51-yard touchdown, Preston had a 39-yard touchdown, and Becker had a 41-yard touchdown and a 34-yarder. This explosiveness really helps the passing game, but also helps the running game, as the safeties have to stay up top.
The Two-Headed Monster
Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. carried the bulk of Indiana’s 267 rushing yards. Both ran it for over seven a carry as well. In the absence of Khobie Martin, Indiana’s running game will be just fine.
Richard had 11 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown, while Beebe had 16 carries for 117 yards. Indiana doesn’t miss a beat no matter who is carrying the ball.
The Hoosiers’ second drive of the game really set the tone for the running game. Beebe started the drive with a 14-yard run. Then he had an explosive 21-yard rush right after. Richard then came in and had a 10-yard run of his own. Then he followed that up with a 14-yard carry. Beebe checked back in and had a 10-yard run. Indiana had five straight first-down runs.
This drive ended in a Charlie Becker touchdown, but the drive was built on running the ball. After the five-straight 10-yard-or-more runs, the offense ran it three more times in a row. Eight straight runs, and then a pass. That was the dominance at the line of scrimmage that Indiana was missing in the North Texas game.
The Hoosier rushing attack was dominant all game, and is missing Khobie Martin. When he comes back from injury, the running back room may be the best in the country.
As a whole, Indiana’s offense was just a more efficient unit than they were last week. They blocked better, they caught better, they ran better, and they scored only touchdowns. The Hoosiers will look to continue their steady improvement next week against Western Kentucky.
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