Indiana's week four matchup against UConn was the team's final nonconference game on its schedule. From here on out, the Hoosiers will kickoff against Big Ten conference opponents, including Michigan State and and Penn State in the coming weeks.
After a 51-10 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes a week prior to this, it was critical that the team used the Huskies to play fundamental football. TheHoosier.com used data from Pro Football Focus to show that the Hoosiers were able to accomplish everything they needed to in a 38-3 victory.
Indiana put together a complete game on Saturday to leave Memorial Stadium with a 38-3 victory. UConn's only score of the game came after tight end Peyton Hendershot was stripped of the football on the team's first possession. All the momentum was with the Hoosiers after that.
Using statistics from Pro Football Focus, TheHoosier.com highlighted what went well for Indiana against its final nonconference opponent on the schedule.
Indiana got a run game going
Before Saturday's game, Indiana had totaled just 373 yards through three games, and sophomore running back Stevie Scott was averaging just 2.4 yards per carry.
Against UConn, however, offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer stepped away from his usual air raid approach and utilized his 231-pound back to gain easy yards. Scott saw a season-high 21 carries in the game and came away with 97 yards and a touchdown.
“The line definitely came to play today," Scott said after the game. "I thought they were definitely disappointed in the run game, so they really took this week of practice and took it seriously. Now we can just build off of this and look forward. Now we’re getting into Big Ten play."
It was important for the team to gain momentum in its rushing attack. Next week, it'll travel to East Lansing to play Michigan State. The Spartans have held their opponents to an average of 11 points per game and under 100 yards rushing.
Indiana's play selection was extremely balanced with junior Peyton Ramsey at the helm. Eight different players accounted for 40 rushing attempts in the game.
As for Scott, his 21 carries were distributed to all areas of the field, but mostly outside the left tackle and the tight end, if lined up on the line of scrimmage. He garnered 10 carries for 55 yards, including a six-yard touchdown run when running in those directions.
Only one of his carries went for negative yards.
“It always helps in football to have a balanced attack, and Stevie had a great day today and the O-line led the way for him," wide receiver Nick Westbrook said after the game. "That led to some openings in the passing game as well.”
Scott's success allowed Ramsey to make easier throws throughout the game, despite not making many explosive plays down the field.
