Indiana trusts Wilson to attack, finds its balance to finish off USC

Indiana had run the ball six straight times, working its way off its own 7-yard line and into USC territory. With a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers were finally getting the kind of movement on the ground they had struggled to find early.

Then, on 3rd and 3, they put the ball in Grant Wilson’s hands.

Wilson found Charlie Becker downfield for a 42-yard touchdown, finishing a 93-yard drive and giving Indiana the separation it needed in a 27-13 win over USC on Saturday.

The Hoosiers didn’t turn to Wilson and ask him to simply manage the game. They gave him opportunities to attack. And when the run game caught up in the second half, Indiana had enough of both to finish.

“We wanted to play to win and attack and not play with any fear,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said. “And I think you saw that up until the very end.”

Wilson finished 17 of 27 for 305 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He completed 10 of his 13 attempts after halftime, helping an offense that left opportunities on the field early score 17 second-half points without a turnover.

Cignetti said he began settling on the decision to start Wilson the night after Indiana’s win over Minnesota. Wilson said he received all the first-team reps during game week after Cignetti pulled him aside at practice and delivered a short message.

“He goes, ‘You’re going to go with the ones,’ and then turned around and walked away,” Wilson said.

The opportunity came after Wilson dealt with the flu during the bye week and with Josh Hoover working through a shoulder issue. But the change at quarterback didn’t mean Indiana wanted to pull back offensively.

If anything, Cignetti wanted the opposite.

“We’ve been kind of playing in a tent, so to speak, the last two weeks, conservative, and we all hated it,” Cignetti said. “And we wanted to attack this team.”

Indiana showed that on its first possession.

After an incompletion intended for Nick Marsh and a short Lee Beebe Jr. run, Wilson connected with Shazz Preston for 47 yards on 3rd and 6. Later in the drive, he found Brock Schott up the middle for a 13-yard touchdown on 3rd and 9.

Schott finished with four catches for 40 yards and the score, giving Wilson a reliable target underneath to go with the shots downfield.

“We took some shots there on the first drive. Kind of set the tone for the game,” Wilson said.

Those throws were there, but consistency wasn’t.

Wilson’s 65-yard completion to Marsh in the second quarter put Indiana in scoring position, only for penalties to help derail the possession. A 24-yard touchdown to Becker was wiped out by an illegal formation, and Nico Radicic eventually missed from 44 yards.

Becker took responsibility afterward for the alignment mistake, saying it was his fault rather than Schott’s, who was charged with the penalty.

Indiana also had a chance to add to a 10-3 lead late in the half before Wilson’s high throw intended for Preston was intercepted. USC turned the takeaway into a touchdown, sending the teams into halftime tied.

The Hoosiers had 145 passing yards at the break but just 36 on the ground.

That changed in the second half.

Indiana rushed for 110 yards after halftime, with Khobie Martin providing the biggest burst. After USC tied the game at 13 in the third quarter, Martin took a toss left and found room along the boundary for 37 yards.

Initially ruled a touchdown, the run was overturned on review and spotted at the 1. Martin finished it on the next play, giving Indiana a lead it never surrendered.

“My O-line did the job. My receivers did a good job blocking downfield,” Martin said.

Martin finished with 82 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Beebe added 71 yards on 16 attempts.

By the fourth quarter, Indiana was getting more than an occasional opening. It was putting runs together.

“I think you saw it in the second half that we were starting to lean on them a little bit and wear on them,” Cignetti said. “It takes run game time normally.”

The clearest example came after Isaiah Jones’ interception gave Indiana possession at its own 7 with 6:35 remaining.

Beebe gained four yards, then five. On 3rd and 1, Martin spun out of a tackle behind the line, took the outside and gained eight yards. A horse-collar penalty moved Indiana another 15 yards, and Martin followed with a 12-yard run.

Two more Beebe carries brought up 3rd and 3 at the USC42.

Before the touchdown throw, Cignetti spoke briefly with Wilson, going through coverages and reinforcing his confidence in the quarterback.

“He said, you know, just give him a chance,” Wilson said.

Wilson did. Becker came back for the catch, broke a tackle and reached the end zone with 3:30 remaining.

Indiana finished 7 of 13 on third down. Its final conversion was the one that put the game away.

The Hoosiers had spent much of the first half relying on Wilson’s arm to create opportunities. With the game on the line, the backs moved them downfield before Wilson delivered the finish.