Written By Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)

The Indiana Hoosiers’ defense held their opponent to zero points for the first time since 1993. Indiana dismantled Charleston Southern’s triple option offense en route to a 27-0 victory on Saturday, October 7th. Those unfamiliar with IU football might deem a shutout against an FCS school as something less of an all-time accomplishment. Well, the last time Indiana played an FCS program, the Southern Illinois Salukis put up an unthinkable 47 points on the Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. Indiana escaped with a win by scoring 48 points on that day in 2015 – just a year before the arrival of Tom Allen. Allowing zero points on Saturday means as much to Allen as anyone as this is among the first tangible “breakthrough” moments for the program. Before Allen came to Bloomington, first as the defensive coordinator, Indiana was known for having one of the most porous defenses in all of college football. Teams routinely put up points on the Hoosiers until Allen returned to his home-state and changed the mentality of the defense. “To hold a team to a shutout, first time since 1993, is a big deal,” Allen said, “I think it's hard to do that, no matter who you're playing.”