The Hoosiers Defense Got Their Takeaways, But Ultimately Show How Far They Still Have To Go
/
Cam Jones had a big game for the IU defense Image: Sammy Jacobs Hoosier Huddle
Written By Rylie Kyhn
The Indiana defense played well at times on Saturday evening against the high-powered Ohio State offense, but couldn’t find an answer for the Buckeye speed. The young Indiana defense forced three takeaways and got several key stops in the third quarter which they couldn’t take advantage of. However, the defense also showed its youth at times as the Buckeyes put up 609 yards of offense and 49 points. Dwayne Haskins had his way with IU for most of the evening completing 33-of-44 passes for a school record tying 455 yards and six touchdown passes. He was the second quarterback in Ohio State history to throw for over 400+ yards in a win over Indiana.
The defense got going on their takeaway goal early, the first drive of the game for Ohio State resulted in a forced fumble by Brandon Wilson and a recovery by true freshman Cam Jones. A few drives later, Cam Jones put pressure on Dwayne Haskins to force a bad pass and Devon Matthews came up with the first interception of his career.
After that for the remainder of the half, the OSU offense was incredibly dominant and Dwayne Haskins was impressive to say the least. The strong Buckeyes offense put up 28 points in the first half and they opened the second half with a score on a coverage bust by the Hoosiers when Parris Campbell was left wide open for a 71-yard touchdown. After that opening play, the Indiana defense held them for three straight drives and came up with a huge stop on fourth-and-one. A couple of penalties pushed Ohio State back to result in third-and-26. The Hoosiers needed a stop and that’s exactly what they came up with. Allen Stallings applied pressure on Haskins and Bryant Fitzgerald came up with an interception.
Unfortunately, the defensive takeaways in the second half were not capitalized on and the offense struggled once again to produce in the third and fourth quarters and finish the game. It is hard to expect a defense to hold a dominant offense like Ohio State for four straight possessions and not have the offense convert those stops and takeaways into points. As the game neared the end, the defense looked tired and the Buckeyes ran away with it as a final touchdown pass sealed the victory. This game against a talented Ohio State offense was a fantastic test for the young Hoosier defense and will allow them to learn and adjust for the remainder of the season.