Game Wrap and Reaction: Indiana 34 Maryland 32
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Peyton Ramsey (12) celebrates with Ty Fryfogle (3) and Peyton Hendershot (86) after scoring a TD Image: Sammy Jacobs Hoosier Huddle
Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
Opponent: Maryland Terrapins
Location: Memorial Stadium Saturday November 10th, 2018 Bloomington, IN
Why They Played: The Hoosiers and Terrapins now play annually as part of the Big Ten East.
What The Game Meant: This was a must win game for both teams if they wanted a chance to get to six wins without needing to have a historic upset over the last two weeks.
Top Offensive Performers:
Stevie Scott, RB, Indiana- It was tough sledding early on for Scott, but he was effective in carrying the ball 19 times for 103 yards and a score. He set the true freshman record for rushing touchdowns on the season with eight.
Peyton Ramsey, QB, Indiana- Ramsey only completed 16 passes, but because he was taking shots down field it was effective. Ramsey threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns and added 46 non-sack rushing yards including a 35-yard touchdown where he put two defenders on skates.
Donavan Hale, WR, Indiana- Hale is becoming a force at wide receiver in the Big Ten and IU is finally starting to use him. The big receiver caught three passes for 92 yards and a touchdown.
Anthony McFarland, RB Maryland- Although McFarland didn’t find the end zone he sliced the Indiana defense for 210 yards on 29 carries. That’s 7.2 yards per carry.
Tyrell Pigrome, QB, Maryland- Maryland’s backup quarterback played well in relief of the injured Kasim Hill. Pigrome has had success and was Maryland’s starter against Texas at the start of the 2017 season, but was lost to injury in that game. Pigrome was efficient passing, completing 10-of-13 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown while adding 19 yards on the ground.
Jeshaun Jones, WR, Maryland- The freshman wide receiver is going to be a really good one. Jones had 98 total yards (31 rushing and 67 receiving) to go along with a late go-ahead touchdown.
Top Defensive Performers
T.D. Roof, LB, Indiana- On a day when Indiana was without Reakwon Jones, Roof stepped up at linebacker. The sophomore totaled 10 tackles (8 solo) and a tackle for loss, giving the Hoosiers some stability at linebacker.
Jaylin Williams, CB, Indiana- Another young defensive back who is making his mark on the game. Williams made three tackles and picked off a pass that would result in seven points on the ensuing IU drive.
Tre Watson, LB, Maryland- The grad transfer from Illinois had seven tackles and an interception for Maryland.
Antoine Brooks, LB, Maryland- Watson’s partner in crime was Brooks who made five tackles including one for a loss.
Special Teams Performance
This was the best all-around game Indiana has had on special teams in over a month, despite one coverage bust and a couple close calls in punt protection, and it was highlighted by kicker Logan Justus nailing a late 42-yard field goal to put the Hoosiers ahead for good. Justus has made the transition from Griffin Oakes look easy as he has connected on all but two of his field goal attempts in 2018.
On a day when both teams decided to squib and sky kick for most of the afternoon Indiana saw their best day in the return game as they started across the 30-yard line more often than not on kickoffs. Indiana also got a late boost putting Marcelino Ball in an upback position. He returned two kicks to the 40-yard line.
Key Stat(s)
17/34
Indiana was dominated in most statistical categories on Saturday except in points off turnovers and total points.
Turning Point
There were more twists and turns in this game than there are driving through Brown County, but the final twist came when Logan Justus nailed a 42-yard field goal with 2:32 left to give IU a 34-32 lead.
I Knew it Was Over When…
Defensive tackle Kayton Samuels stripped the ball from Tyrell Prigrome and defensive end Nile Sykes fell on it to seal the game with 52 seconds left.
Players of the Game
Peyton Ramsey, Indiana- You can live with mistakes made when you’re aggressive and throwing down field. Ramsey made it a point to push the ball vertically and it worked with a 15.2 yards per completion average.
Anthony McFarland, Maryland- The highly-touted freshman should why he was offered by Alabama and Penn State. He torched IU for 210 yards.
What I took away from the game
While most fans will look at the fact IU blew a 16-point second half lead and missed tackles, I saw a team that started to change the narrative that surrounds this program. As my phone blew up with texts and tweets saying “I’ve seen this movie before”, Indiana was driving down field for a go-ahead field goal that stood up as the defense took the ball away from Maryland for a fourth and final time on the ensuing drive. This was a game that IU probably loses 99 times out of 100. Maryland put up 168 more yards than Indiana and held the ball for two-thirds of the contest. Usually when that happens, the team who holds those statistical advantages win. However, Indiana’s defense stiffened at the right time and held Maryland to four field goals and turned four takeaways into 17 points.
Yes, the Hoosiers have a lot to clean up. There were too many missed tackles and too many dropped passes. However, it seems like something clicked with Tom Allen during the open week that he has to be more aggressive and maybe, he is starting to grow as a head coach. Aside from throwing the ball consistently down field, Allen rolled the dice on the first drive of the second half with his team facing a fourth-and-three at the Maryland 48-yard line and leading 21-15. IU went for it and Ramsey rewarded them with an 11-yard run. Three plays later the Hoosiers were celebrating a Nick Westbrook touchdown. Later in the game Allen would use starting husky Marcelino Ball on the kick return team and was rewarded with two returns to the 40-yard line.
There is no sugarcoating the importance of this game. Indiana came in reeling, losers of four straight and a loss most likely ensured that Indiana would be sitting at home for the second December in a row. However, they flipped the script (even if it’s just for a day) and are now just one win away from a third bowl berth in four years.
What’s Next
Indiana will head to Ann Arbor to face off against CFP contender Michigan. The game kicks off at 4pm on Fox.