Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Indiana Hoosiers season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Indiana Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 5-7 overall, 2-7 in Big Ten
Head Coach: Tom Allen. 3rd year, 10-15 overall
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE INDIANA OFFENSE
– There wasn’t enough scoring pop. The Hoosiers were able to mix things up a bit, but the downfield passing game was non-existent at times. The running game worked from time to time, but this wasn’t a running team. Again, scoring was the issue – failing to hit 30 points in eight games – but the talent and depth are there to do a whole lot more.
– IU might just have the Big Ten’s most interesting quarterback situation. Peyton Ramsey took over and had a good year both as a runner and a mid-range passer, but again, there wasn’t a whole lot of explosion. He’s still going to be the guy – most likely – but former star recruit Michael Penix is coming back from a knee injury, and highly-rated prospect Jack Tuttle comes in after first going to Utah. There’s no real wrong answer here.
– The rest of the skill spots are excellent. 1,137-yard RB Stevie Scott is coming off a big freshman season, and there’s more youth behind him. The 1-2 receiving punch of Donavan Hale and Nick Westbrook is strong, and Ty Fryfogle has big-time upside. The line has to do its part with three starters back, but after losing star G Wes Martin.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE INDIANA DEFENSE
– Under new coordinator Kane Wommack, the defense that gets back nine starters was able to come up with a whole lot of takeaways, but it couldn’t stop anyone from bombing away down the field. The pass had a few moments, and the run defense wasn’t totally abysmal, but the key third down stops weren’t there, and allowing 30 points or more in seven of the last nine games wasn’t okay.
– The top two tacklers are done, but the next nine tacklers return led by S Marcelino Ball and CB Raheem Layne. The secondary can hit – four starters return in the 4-2-5 – but it has to be better overall. It was beaten for 240 yards or more six of the last seven games, but it also picked off a pass in every game but one. The interceptions went up, but so did the problems against the good passing teams.
– The defensive front has decent size, and it gets back most of the playmakers who got behind the line, but now the whole group has to be more consistent. Second-leading tackler Dameon Willis is gone from the linebacking corps, but Reakwon Jones is a good-sized tackler to work around.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP INDIANA PLAYERS
Best Indiana Offensive Player
RB Stevie Scott, Soph.
It could easily be one of the quarterbacks here, and the top receivers could and should rise up and be part of the mix, but it’s Scott who rose up and rocked last season, and he’s the one who the offense should operate around.
The 6-2, 233-pound blaster can catch a little bit, but he’s a workhorse who ran for 1,137 yards and ten scores, averaging five yards per carry. Great late in the year, he ran for 100 yards in four of the last five games.
2. QB Peyton Ramsey, Jr.
3. WR Donavan Hale, Sr.
4. WR Nick Westbrook, Sr.
5. QB Nick Tuttle, RFr.
Best Indiana Defensive Player
S Marcelino Ball, Jr.
The team’s leading returning tackler was a do-it-all playmaker with the speed to be used a wee bit on offense and as a kick returner, too. Turned loose, he can get into the backfield – making 2.5 sacks with 7.5 tackles for loss – to go along with his 59 tackles. The 6-0, 219-pounder is shifty enough to be used as a receiver if needed, but he’s too good at getting all over the field and making plays on the defensive side.
2. DT Jerome Johnson, Jr.
3. CB Bryant Fitzgerald, Soph.
4. DE Allen Stallings, Sr.
5. CB Raheem Layne, Jr.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Indiana Offense
The downfield passing has to show up – and that should happen under new offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer. The receiving weapons are there, and Peyton Ramsey – as well as a few other good options – are in place at quarterback. Now the Hoosiers have to start pushing the passing attack more, and they need more yards after the catch.
The passing game worked – going for over 3,000 yards with 20 scores – but it averaged under ten yards per completion. By comparison, the IU O threw for over 14 yards per completion in 2015, 13.5 yards in 2016, and averaged 10.4 yards on every grab in 2017. Now, with tweaks to the attack, get ready for most shots down the field.
Biggest Key To The Indiana Defense
Get off the field. The IU defense wasn’t all that bad, but it wasn’t anything special on third downs. On the year, the Hoosiers allowed teams to convert 42% of their tries, and only four teams were under the 40% mark. How bad was this? IU’s D allowed teams to convert fewer than 30% of their third down tries in 2018.
The defense was even worse on fourth downs. Opposing offenses only tried 19 fourth down attempts, and Indiana had a hard time stopping anyone of them, allowing a second-worst-in-nation 74% of the conversions.
Key Player To A Successful Season
DT Jerome Johnson, Jr.
The Hoosiers have just enough good parts returning up front to be okay, but there aren’t a whole lot of killers on the inside. That’s where the 6-3, 294-pound Johnson comes in, While he’s not necessarily a top pass rusher, he came up with a team-high 3.5 sacks and was just good enough against the run to make 32 tackles. He’s strong, quick, and has the upside to serve as an anchor.
Key Game To The Indiana Season
at Purdue, Nov. 30
For the fifth straight season, get ready for Indiana to be in a win-or-season-over game against Purdue. In 2014 and 2015, wins over the Boilermakers led to bowl appearances – and losses. In 2017 and 2018, it was an elimination game for both teams, and IU dropped them both. For the future of the program – assuming it comes down to this game – it will be a make or break moment.
– Indiana Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Indiana Fun Stats
– 4th Down Conversions: Opponents 14-of-19 (74%) – Indiana 14-of-29 (48%)
– Yards Per Catch: Opponents 12.8 – Indiana 9.8
– Time of Possession: Opponents 31:12 – Indiana 28:48
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. INDIANA WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
The change in coordinators should help a wee bit, but the returning experience will mean even more. This was an okay team last season, but it wasn’t consistent enough, and it wasn’t explosive enough offensively.
Expect the passing game to be a whole lot more dangerous – even if it’s not quite as sharp as it was when it dinked-and-dunked last year – and expect the running game to play a bigger role thanks to another big season from RB Stevie Scott.
The issues will be on the lines – they’ll be fine, but not quite good enough in the biggest games. Fortunately, the offensive improvements will overcome that against the mediocre games on the slate.
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 5
The Hoosiers will go bum slaying against Ball State, Eastern Illinois and UConn early on, and they’ll beat Rutgers at home with a week off to prepare.
They’ll come up with an upset over someone along the way – like Northwestern at home, or Maryland or Nebraska on the road – but it’ll all come down to the Purdue game … again.
With the season on the line, the Hoosiers won’t be able to get it done to finish with yet another 5-7 campaign.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Indiana Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
