Becker is Confident in Wilson, Should IU Have to Make a Change at QB

Indiana Quarterback Josh Hoover watched from the sidelines in the second half as Indiana football overcame struggles to defeat Minnesota in overtime. Indiana has since had the bye week, but there is now a large question mark in the quarterback room.

“We’ll see how the week plays out, and we’ll see who we trot out there,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said when asked about the quarterback situation.

Indiana might turn to seventh-year quarterback Grant Wilson, who was able to help the Hoosiers take down Minnesota in that second half. He is a quarterback that the team has a lot of faith in.

When asked about the differences between Wilson and Hoover, Indiana receiver Charlie Becker had confidence in both.

“I wouldn’t say there’s much difference,” Becker said. “I like to say it’s about the same. It’s just my job to catch the ball and get open for him”.

Indiana proved the confidence that they had in Wilson when they pushed the ball down the field to Becker, in order to set up a game-tying field goal to end regulation.

Becker and Wilson have been in the same locker room for two years now, and in the Minnesota game it became clear that they have indeed worked up a bond throughout those years.

“I think it started back when Grant (Wilson) got here at the very beginning last year,” Becker said. “We would always be throwing, kind of doing the same thing that I did with Fernando (Mendoza) and Josh (Hoover). He’s been out there the whole time, getting ready, throwing with us. So I think we’ve started building that connection since he got here”.

That connection was on display at the end of the game when Becker caught a pass to get into field goal range, and then the overtime game-winning touchdown catch.

This connection will be key if Indiana does indeed turn to Wilson going forward. Indiana takes on USC this next Saturday at home. USC has a very high-powered offense that will test IU, so it might be vital for this Indiana offense to start to figure some things out quickly this week. The offense has been shaky since the Nebraska game, but the bye week might be able to help out with that. IU played in nine straight games and now finally got some rest to regroup.

“I think the bye week came at a perfect time,” Becker said. “I know a lot of the guys after a lot of weeks of football have are a little banged up, a little bruised. We were able to get in the treatment room; Coach did a great job of settling us down and kind of giving our bodies time to rest over the bye week”.

Whether it is Wilson at quarterback or not, Indiana is confident in the offense going forward.