Five takeaways from IU football’s win against Howard

• Zach Horwitz

• 22m ago

 

Indiana did exactly what was expected of it Saturday afternoon.

The Hoosiers overwhelmed Howard 55-0 at Memorial Stadium, improving to 2-0 and putting the game away well before halftime. Indiana led 20-0 after the first quarter and 41-0 at the break, allowing Curt Cignetti to empty his bench throughout much of the second half.

Here are five takeaways from Indiana’s second win of the season.

Indiana’s defense responds in a big way

After Indiana’s season opener, much of Cignetti’s criticism was directed toward the defense.

North Texas possessed the ball for more than 37 minutes, gained 367 yards and repeatedly extended drives as Indiana struggled to tackle in space and generate pressure up front.

There wasn’t much of that Saturday.

Indiana held Howard to just 57 total yards and 0.5 yards per rushing attempt. The Bison averaged only 1.9 yards on first down and never seriously threatened to score.

The Hoosiers finished with five sacks and 12 tackles for loss, a significant improvement after generating just one sack against North Texas.

“We had trouble tackling the quarterback, eventually made adjustments, and got to him,” Cignetti said.

Keishaun Calhoun led the way with two sacks, while Kansas State transfer Tobi Osunsanmi received an extended opportunity along the defensive front. Indiana rotated inexperienced players into the game with little drop-off.

Linebacker Rolijah Hardy provided the defense’s biggest play. With Indiana already leading 27-0 late in the second quarter, Hardy intercepted Ja’Shawn Scroggins and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown.

Indiana also finished with no defensive penalties.

Howard is obviously a much different challenge than what awaits Indiana in Big Ten play, but after Cignetti made defensive improvement one of his biggest points of emphasis this week, the shutout response was difficult to ignore.

Charlie Becker’s dominant start continues

Charlie Becker needed only three catches Saturday to score three touchdowns.

Indiana once again started quickly after Turbo Richard returned the opening kickoff 36 yards. Five plays later, Josh Hoover found Becker for a 34-yard touchdown to give the Hoosiers a lead less than two minutes into the game.

Becker added a six-yard touchdown later in the first quarter before turning a short completion into a 41-yard score in the second.

His final line: three receptions, 81 yards and three touchdowns, all before halftime.

Add that to his four catches for 64 yards and two touchdowns against North Texas and Becker has five touchdown receptions on just seven catches through two games.

Cignetti has called Becker perhaps the “hardest worker on the team,” and the production is beginning to match the praise.

Hoover has plenty of weapons around him, including Nick Marsh, but through two weeks, Becker has established himself as the quarterback’s most productive target.

Indiana’s rushing duo takes another step

Indiana didn’t need to rely heavily on the running game in its season opener.

Saturday offered a much better look at what the combination of Lee Beebe Jr. and Turbo Richard can become.

Indiana rushed for 296 yards as a team, with Beebe finishing with 117 yards on 16 carries and Richard adding 108 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts.

Together, they totaled 225 yards on 27 carries, good for more than eight yards per attempt.

Beebe consistently moved the chains while Richard supplied some explosiveness, including a 14-yard touchdown late in the second quarter.

Their production also allowed Indiana to control the game without asking Hoover to throw much.

With Khobie Martin sidelined for several weeks, there was some uncertainty about how Indiana would distribute its carries early in the season.

Through two games, Beebe and Richard are beginning to look like a capable answer.

Josh Hoover wasn’t as sharp, but still got the job done

Hoover’s final stat line is tough to criticize.

He completed six of 11 passes for 146 yards, threw four touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over. Indiana scored 41 first-half points before Hoover’s afternoon was finished.

But there were still throws he would probably like back.

Hoover underthrew Becker on the opening touchdown, forcing the receiver to slow down near the bottom of the Block I in the end zone. He later missed an open Marsh down the left hash of the south end zone with a chance for another potential touchdown.

That follows a season opener in which Cignetti praised Hoover’s four-touchdown debut while also pointing out several throws and decisions that needed improvement.

It’s a strange position for a quarterback to be in. Hoover has thrown eight touchdown passes without an interception through his first two games at Indiana, yet there are still obvious areas where he can be better.

Against Howard, none of the misses mattered.

Against the opponents Indiana will face later in the season, they might.

Grant Wilson shows Indiana has a capable backup

For the second straight week, Grant Wilson made something happen when his number was called. Last week, Wilson showed what he could do with his legs. Against Howard, he did it through the air.

Wilson replaced Hoover to begin the second half and completed both of his passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns. He found Davion Chandler from three yards out before connecting with Marsh for a 51-yard score on Indiana’s next possession.

“He has to be feeling good about his performance,” Cignetti said. “He’s as good of a team player as we have on the team.”

Wilson also provided some insight afterward into how Indiana is preparing its quarterbacks.

The Hoosiers have used a virtual reality system throughout the season that allows quarterbacks to go through a physical three-step drop and throw against an installed defensive look. Wilson said the technology has helped the quarterbacks continue to accumulate mental and physical repetitions even when they aren’t taking the first-team snaps on the practice field.

That preparation matters for someone in Wilson’s position.

Hoover is unquestionably Indiana’s starter, but Wilson has now made plays in consecutive weeks in two different ways. Saturday was another indication that if Indiana ever needs to turn to its backup, it has an experienced option ready to step in.

IU returns to Memorial Stadium on Sept. 19 for a meeting with Western Kentucky.

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