Outback Bowl Game Wrap and Reaction: Ole Miss 26 No. 11 Indiana 20

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Opponent: Ole Miss Rebels

Location: Saturday, January 2, 2021

Why They Played: The Hoosiers and Rebels played for the first time ever as they were matched up against in the Outback Bowl.

What The Game Meant: This was a chance for the Hoosiers to end a five-game bowl losing streak and grab a win over an SEC team. IU also raised the stakes by being petty and covering over the B1G logo and with how they handled being left out of the Fiesta Bowl.

Top Offensive Performers

Stevie Scott, RB, Indiana- The Indiana running back had 133 total yards and two touchdowns. He got going in the second half.

Charles Campbell, Kicker, Indiana- Campbell showed why he was a five-star kicker. He made two 50-yard kicks and set the IU and Outback bowl record for longest field goal made by nailing a 53-yarder.

Matt Corral, QB, Mississippi- Corral proved himself to be probably the best QB IU faced in the 2020 season. He was surgical completing 30-of-44 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns and did not turn the ball over. He added 37 yards of offense.

Dontario Drummond, WR, Mississippi- With many of Ole Miss’s receivers out Drummond stepped up in a major way. He made six catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Top Defensive Performers

Micah McFadden, LB, Indiana- McFadden made six tackles and two tackles for loss including a sack.

Jamar Johnson, DB, Indiana- Johnson led the Hoosiers with nine tackles and a pass break up.

Jacquez Jones, LB, Ole Miss- Jones led a disruptive linebacker group for Ole Miss. He led the Rebels with 13 tackles including a tackle for loss.

Otis Reese, LB, Ole Miss-Reese added nine tackles and an interception that ended a promising Indiana drive.

Special Team Performance

Most of Indiana’s special teams were great on Saturday. The only hiccup was in the in the kick and punt return games where Ole Miss gained 17 yards.

Charles Campbell was outstanding and set both an Outback Bowl and IU bowl record with a 53-yard field goal. It was set up for Campbell to win the game with an extra point, but the Hoosiers never broke the red zone on their final drive.

In what could be his final game as a Hoosier punter Haydon Whitehead was outstanding as he averaged 55 yards per punt and had a long of 62. He pinned Ole Miss inside the 20-yard line twice and had two punts over 50 yards.

The Hoosiers also blocked a field goal and Ole Miss missed a short field goal and an extra point.

​Key Stat(s)     

2-0

Takeaways were the name of the game. Indiana did not create any while Ole Miss forced two when Indiana was driving into Ole Miss territory and probably took points off the field.

Turning Point

The turning point of the game came in the second quarter when Jack Tuttle threw a bad interception on third-and-10 when IU was trailing 13-3 with the ball on the Ole Miss 26-yard line. If Tuttle throws the ball away or IU runs the ball, Indiana probably goes into the half down 13-6 and getting the ball to start the third. AN optimist would point out that if the Hoosiers got a first down they may have scored a touchdown.

I Knew it Was Over When…

Jack Tuttle’s desperate fourth down pass fluttered incomplete with 55 seconds left.

Players of the Game

Stevie Scott, Indiana-Totaled 133 yards and two touchdowns in his best game of the season.

Matt Corral, Ole Miss- Corral showed why he was one of the high-rated quarterback recruits in his class. He put up 342 yards through the air and a score.

What I took away from the game

The Hoosiers whiffed big time in the Outback Bowl and there may be several reasons why this happened. First, Indiana’s defense did not look prepared for the Ole Miss offense. They were gassed and confused as the Rebels neutralized the IU disguises with up-tempo play. Indiana had their worst tackling performance of the year as well. They did not create many takeaway opportunities and when they did, they could not hang on to them. Was this a lack of focus from Wommack, who was announced as South Alabama’s new head coach during bowl prep? Possibly. Was it rust from having not played in a month? Maybe, and it explains the slow start. Was it that IU’s conditioning was impacted from their COVID pause? Sure. However, the bottom line is the Hoosiers vaunted defense didn’t do enough to get the win.

On the flip side, the offense no showed. Against a team that was allowing 40 points per game the Hoosiers only scored 20. The game plan was confusing as the Hoosiers just did not look like they knew what to attack. They forced the ball to Whop Philyor who had a school record 18 catches, but only fo 81 yards. Philyor also fumbled and many times moved backwards trying to fight for extra yards. Quarterback Jack Tuttle played OK, especially considering he played most of the game with a separated shoulder.

This game was a gut punch to Hoosier fans. The offense looked like the attack run under former Hoosier OC Mike DeBord. There were lots of go routes and crossing routes. No real creativity in route combinations and no use of the tight ends. Were there plays that were good calls that IU just missed? Yes, there was a late throw to Miles Marshall that would have been a touchdown. Several times Tuttle missed open receivers completely or over/under threw them (likely due to injury). As soon as the Hoosiers found success on the ground with Scott and taking the yards that Ole Miss were giving them, they ran an ill-advised RPO pass to Philyor for a two yard loss, followed by a six yard sack where Tuttle needs to just throw the ball away. It was just ugly.

So what does this loss mean? Well, it means a lot more since there was so much complaining about being left out of the New Year’s Six and an ill-advised covering up of the B1G patch on the IU jerseys. If you are going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. While the loss doesn’t wipe out the 6-2 record or the three top-25 wins, it does wipe out much of the good will the program earned this year. IU was a big favorite on Saturday and they looked overmatched in every phase of the game outside of special teams.

The trajectory of the program is still going up and it will be another big off season for the Hoosiers. Tom Allen has many things to evaluate and make decisions on. First, he has to find a defensive coordinator to replace Wommack. Second, he needs to re-evaluate the offensive scheme and the offensive line. Nick Sheridan showed what he was capable of against Michigan and Ohio State, but most of the rest of the year left a lot to be desired. Is that because IU struggled to block consistently or didn’t put players in positions to succeed? That’s for Allen to figure out. IU will also have to sort out who is coming back, who will test the transfer and NFL waters and who may just hang up the pads for good.

It will again be a funky offseason. There is no in-person recruiting until at least mid-April and spring football could be affected as well.

Did the 2020 season end on a sour note? Yes. Does it put IU back to square one? No. The 2021 season is still far off, but the Hoosiers will hit the ground running with an opening game at Iowa and also play Cincinnati, a possible top-10 team, in week three. Four of the first six games are on the road and the Hoosiers will have to play their usual Big Ten East schedule and have Iowa, Minnesota and of course Purdue in the crossovers.