Hoosiers Must Change Offense to Get Coleman the Ball More

Tevin Coleman must be featured more in the Hoosier offense if IU wants another win in 2014 Image Source: IndyStar.com

Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Football, like any sport, is a game where adjustments need to be made in order to be successful. This is particularly the case for a team like the Indiana Hoosiers who suffered the trauma of losing their starting quarterback. The Hoosiers came into the game against Michigan State last Saturday having thrown the ball 179 times in six games. While they have featured the run more in the 2014 season with all-American candidate Tevin Coleman, head coach Kevin Wilson is stubborn about changing who they are. Well, coach it is time to start running the ball more often.

The Hoosiers are down to their third string quarterback, fifth string if you are like the Big Ten Network and count Tre Roberson and Cam Coffman on the depth chart. The young man under center for the Hoosiers now is Zander Diamont, a 170-pound true freshman from Los Angeles. Zander has some talent, he threw for 47 touchdowns in his senior year of high school and won the Los Angeles County player of the year, but he was set to redshirt this year.

His performance against the Spartans was nothing to write home about. He finished the game five of 15 passing for just 11 yards. Add in his rushing yards and he accounted for minus-one yard of total offense. However, he is not fully responsible for his performance. Coaches have to set their players up for success and that means giving the ball to your elite running back more than 17 times a game.

When the Hoosiers travel to Michigan Stadium for their next game on November 1st the offense must change. The Indiana coaches now have two weeks to tweak the offensive scheme to help this team avoid a 3-9 season. The last two weeks has seen Tevin Coleman run the ball just 30 times for a monstrous 351 yards and three touchdowns. For all you math majors, that is an 11.7-yard per carry average. Oh yeah, this was against two of the better run defenses in the Big Ten. The bottom line here is that Wilson and offensive coordinator Kevin Johns need to find a way to get the ball in his hands 25 to 30 times a game. If not, something is definitely wrong.

There have been calls in the twitterverse for the Hoosiers to run the ‘wildcat’. Not a bad idea and maybe Hoosier Nation will see that, especially since the Hoosiers have two weeks to right the ship. Whatever the adjustments are, they have to be getting the ball out of the hands of your true freshman quarterback and into the hands of you “beast” Heisman candidate running back.