It’s Time for the 2021 IU Football Squad to “Look Itself in the Mirror”

Written by Zach Greene

This 2021 Indiana Football Season has been stressful and exhausting. The Hoosiers are 2-3 on the season and 0-2 in the Big Ten. Their three losses have come against the number three, four, and five teams in the country (Iowa #3, Penn State #4, and Cincinnati #5).

“All I know is that we played three teams and they’re all really good. It is what it is and there are no excuses. We’re going to fight. I can promise you that.'' Stated Head Coach Tom Allen during his press this past Monday.

“The one positive about playing those teams, there’s no question, it exposes exactly what you need to work on,'' Allen said. "And that’s how you get better. You stay together as a football team, and you work.”

“The bottom line is that we need to play better. Yeah, we’ve played some good football teams, but we came here expecting to win. That to me is the bottom line and we didn’t get the job done.''

 For fans, it has been hard to watch at times. While going 2-3 was not out of the realm of possibility, it is how the Hoosiers got there that has been the problem.

"We've got to take a self-reflecting look on everything we are doing,'' "I think so (on hitting the restart button). The overall feeling of our team, I think guys need to take a look at themselves in the mirror and decide what's going to come of this, stated LB Micah McFadden this past week.

Last season was different in every way. Not only was there a pandemic, but the Hoosiers only suffered two losses, and momentum had not been higher for the program in a very long time.

Despite going 14-7 over the last two seasons, many were hesitant to give the Hoosiers credit and believed they would take a step back. They believed this because 2020 was a season full of opt-outs, COVID cancellations, and other issues. Those pundits are looking wise now, but nobody expected Indiana to struggle like this in 2021.

Let’s jump into a recap of the Hoosiers 2021 season.

It started with the first drive of the season when IU QB Michael Penix threw a pick-six to Iowa DB Riley Moss. The Hoosiers were already down to the Hawkeyes 14-0 three minutes into the season. From there, the Hoosiers did not look much better, with Penix throwing two more picks. One more pick-six gave Iowa a 28-3 lead, and the game was over by then.

That is only a brief recap of the first game and the season. After the brutal loss in week one, the Hoosiers came home, played Idaho, a sub D1 team, and crushed them 56-14. While there were some good takeaways from the game, considering they played Idaho, it wasn’t much to build off.

The following week was when the Hoosiers had a chance to get back on track when Cincinnati came to town. Cincinnati was on upset alert for much of the game, but a late-game fumble from now ex-Hoosier Tim Baldwin Jr. fumbled at the three-yard line. After the fumble, all hell broke loose, and the Hoosiers ended up losing 38-24.

After the brutal loss against the Bearcats, the Hoosiers traveled a couple of hours south to take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Going into the game, the Hilltoppers were prone to the run. While they came out with a 33-31 win, the Hoosiers failed to average over 5 yards per carrying. This was highly frustrating, considering the Hilltoppers were giving up about 6 yards per carrying to that point.

While many were hopeful that the offense, especially the run game, could turn things around, they did not. This past Saturday, in the Hoosier’s 24-0 loss against Penn State, the Hoosiers average a terrible 2.9 yards per rush, which often leads them to a lot of third and longs. Overall, they were 3-14 on third down. 99% of the time, no team can win a game averaging almost three yards per carry and converting third-down 20% of the time.

It is now time to RECOVER, REGROUP, and REAMP.

IU has been devastated by Key Injuries. This past Saturday, arguably their best defensive player, Tiawan Mullen, failed to suit up with an injury. In the previous game against WKU, they lost their best offensive player D.J. Matthews Jr.

These injuries have seemed to have devastated the program. While football is a (next-guy-up), there have been very few players to step up. If the Hoosiers want to end their season in a bowl game, they will NEED players to step up, and it’s not an option.

The Hoosiers have their bye week this week, so they will have time to recover and rest, but they cannot afford more critical injuries to big players.

They need to not only get healthy, but they need to get some motivation. I do not doubt that Tom Allen will have something up his sleeve to get his players ready, but it will be interesting to see if it works. In the past, it worked, but it could be because of the players.

Seniors like Micah McFadden on the defense and Steven Carr on the offense will need to be leaders. So far, it seems like the leadership just has not been there. When things have gotten out of hand, there has not been that one player to step in a regroup the team.

Many people, including fans, have hopped off the program. I do not blame them. People love winners, and this team just is not winning. Does that mean this team cannot win and start something special next week against Michigan State? We’ll have to wait and see.

The way the rest of the season plays out will impact players on the field and committed recruits for the 2022 and 2023 classes. It is excellent to hope these players stay committed, believe in LEO, and create their legacy here in Bloomington.