Hoosiers Defense Has 'First Game' Moments in Win

Indiana’s defense has lots to improve upon Image: Sarah Miller Hoosier Huddle

Written by Nathan Comp

In Kane Wommack’s first game as defensive coordinator, there were plenty of “first game” moments. From the players he was coaching all the way to himself, some first game rust was expected. There were flashes of greatness, coupled with moments that had fans fearing for Justin Fields and Ohio State in two weeks. But ultimately, the new look Indiana defense did enough to secure a 34-24 victory in Lucas Oil Stadium against Ball State.

At its best moments, the Indiana defensive line was able to pressure Ball State quarterback Drew Plitt and stuff running back Caleb Huntley. They finished the day with 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and four quarterback hurries. They allowed just 100 rushing yards and forced multiple three and outs, including one on the first Cardinal possession of the day. After struggling with slow starts in 2018, it was a welcome sight to see a faster and more energized start. Linebacker Raekwon Jones led Indiana in tackles, with 11 total and 2 solo. Plitt finished the day 26-41 for 298 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Huntley finished with 22 carries for 81 yards.

The Hoosiers were also able to continue its nation-best streak of at least 1 takeaway in each of its last 19 games. Jaylin Williams recorded the lone interception in the final minutes of the game to secure Indiana’s victory, just three plays and a long review after a sure interception went directly through Andre Brown Jr’s hands.

Despite the victory, there were certainly times when the Indiana defense left room for improvement. The toughest pill to swallow was the missed tackling. A wide-open missed tackle in the middle of the field by Micah McFadden led to Walter Fletcher streaking down the field for a 45-yard touchdown. After Jaylin Williams went on a corner blitz, Bryant Fitzgerald whiffed on an interception/tackle attempt that led to a 36-yard touchdown by Yo’Heinz Tyler. Speaking of the tackling post game, Coach Allen said, “I thought it was terrible. I was really disappointed in that part of it… [Going forward], if they are not going to wrap up, they are not going to play.”

The next biggest weakness was the defensive line. The position group was certainly a question mark coming into the season and they showed no real reason to remove this question mark today. Instead, there were multiple stretches where the line was unable to get any pressure on Plitt and left empty holes for Huntley. Inconsistency was the name of the game, and this will have to improve in the future.

Even Wommack looked shaky on a fourth quarter drive, when Ball State went no huddle and rattled off plays while the Indiana defense was still looking towards the sideline for the play call. This eventually forced Allen to call a timeout and stop the bleeding.

Fortunately, all mistakes made were in a winning effort.

“Learning from a win is a great feeling, learning from an ugly loss really really stinks,” said Allen.

1-0. On to the home opener, Eastern Illinois.