A Complete Performance

That was one of the better games I have seen Indiana play in a while.  The Hoosiers got off to a perfect start with Ray Fisher's 91-yard kickoff return and they had a dominant second half to finish off the Zips 38-21.  There were several positive things to take from this road victory.  I was impressed with the running game and the defense pretty much shut down Akron all day long.  Let's get the negatives out of the way first.  

Special Teams Miscues

This was the second straight week the Hoosiers have had a kick blocked.  They had a chance to make this a three possession game in the third quarter but Nick Freeland's kick was blocked.  I think Indiana was considering going for it on fourth down because they took a long time to send Freeland in.  The process was rushed and IU paid for it.  They also had a punt blocked in the second quarter which was recovered in the endzone for Akron's second touchdown.  IU cannot afford to give up any points on special teams.  On the bright side, Freeland is still perfect on extra points and he is 5 of 7 on field goals, his only two misses were blocked.  

Slip in Concentration

IU got off to a great start.  Fisher ran the opening kick back, IU forced a punt and they were driving to make it 14-0.  However, they had to settle for a field goal.  Then a blown coverage gave Akron a 49-yard TD pass to Akron and they got the blocked punt for a score.  There was blood in the water and the Hoosiers had a chance to put Akron in a big hole early.  However, their concentration slipped and they let the Zips grab the 14-10 lead.  

Okay, that is pretty much all I could come up with in the negatives department.  It looked like Chappell was headed for a long day but he righted the ship and finished nicely.  I know Akron is not great and they were without starting quarterback Chris Jacquemain but Indiana beat who was in front of them.  

Dominating the Line of Scrimmage

I am not an expert on the offensive or defensive lines but I know dominance when I see it.  IU controlled the offensive and defensive line play.  They decisively won the "battle in the trenches" on Saturday.  Matt Rodgers was under pressure from Kirlew and Middleton all day and IU was able to run the ball when they wanted to.  This was a very nice performance from the IU's big uglies.

Running by Committee

The running game in the opening week was incredibly discouraging.  IU's running game looked like we had seen for years.  However, week two was great as Indiana ran for nearly 200 yards.  I was very interested to see how the Hoosiers running game performed in this contest.  Was the Western Michigan a mirage or would it become a trend?  I don't know if this is something we will see all season but for now, the running game looks great.  IU ran the ball 46 times for 180 yards.  That averages out to 3.9 yards per carry.  The goal is 4 and IU was very close to it.  An important point, that number was not skewed by a few big runs.  The Hoosiers grinded it out with carries of 4 to 5 yards for most of the day.  Darius Willis had 66, Trea Burgess had 59 and McCray had 45.  

The Debut of Darius

Darius Willis was a game-time decision due to an ankle injury.  He played and played very well.  Willis got a couple of carries against Eastern Kentucky but this was the first time he has seen extended action.  I was very impressed with Willis.  He looked good as a blocker, strong with the ball and explosive through the holes.  Willis carried the ball 15 times for 66 yards.  He had a long carry of 22 yards and his first touchdown as a Hoosier.  

Penalties Go Down

Bill Lynch told us we could judge him on the penalties after this game.  I was watching very carefully and I was impressed.  On the offensive side of the ball, IU cut out all of the illegal formations and false starts.  The defense didn't have any pass interference penalties or personal fouls.  IU cut it down to four penalties, nice job coach.

Defense, Defense, Defense

Indiana's defense has been very impressive so far.  The first team unit really only gave up seven

 points to Akron.  The other 14 came from the special teams and the second team defense.  IU forced four interceptions including two by Austin Thomas.  Middleton and Kirlew wreaked havoc on the Matt Rodgers all day.  As long as this unit can stay healthy, they will be pretty tough all year.  

Again, I know this a MAC team but this was very big win for Indiana.  Any time IU wins on the road is a big deal.  They are now 3-0 and hopefully ready to compete at the Big House.  I am not expecting a win but they have improved a lot from game one to game three.  Until next time, stay vigilant and God Bless America.