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The Indiana Hoosiers improved their season record to 3-0 as they earned an overtime win against Western Kentucky thanks to execution in the red zone throughout the game. When it mattered most, Indiana was able to make both stops near the endzone and strike, eventually leading to the overtime win.
Indiana scored the final three points of the game in extra time but the other 30 points spawned from success within 20 yards. Indiana scored six out of seven times, finishing with two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown all of which happened in the red zone.
On defense, the Hoosiers were able to hold off Western Kentucky in that part of the field, which ended up being the deciding factor in taking the game to overtime. The Indiana defense sured up, executed well and made some game changing plays in this part of the field.
They were the reason Indiana was even in the game in the second half, holding the Hilltoppers to only 16 points including three field goals.
Redshirt sophomore Myles Jackson also recorded a crucial interception late in the third quarter that completely flipped the momentum and halted a driving Western Kentucky offense. An offense that was looking to take a 30-13 lead.
“Durning the interception we started off in a different call, but the offense audibled so we tried looking to the sidelines, and then we actually audibled,” Jackson said. “That put me in coverage and I pretty much did my job when the ball came right to me. In my mind, I was just thinking go.”
The entire day, the defense for the Hoosiers was able to earn stops when it mattered the most.
They stopped Western Kentucky nine times on third down and once on a fourth down attempt. Head coach Tom Allen talked after the game about the importance of the defense showing up in the red zone and getting those crucial stops.
“It's character. It's grit. It's LEO. It's fighting for the guys around you, playing for the people that you work so much -- spend so much time with and care about and execute with," Allen said. "So obviously we've got to get things cleaned up to get down there, but we do spend a lot of time on that part of the field to be great in that area because we know if we can force field goals in those situations, we have a chance to win a lot of ballgames.”
Holding Western Kentucky to field goals was one point of emphasis by the Indiana coaching staff this week during practice. Western Kentucky had one of the top offenses in college football last year, so keeping them out of the endzone was a must if the Hoosiers wanted to earn the win.
A few mistakes happened through coverage in the red area, but Allen made sure that as time goes on those sorts of mistakes will soon diminish.
“We've still got some younger guys that are still making some mistakes in those second reps, and we've got to get better at that, and we will.
But at the same time, that to me kind of showed up a little bit, but the bowing up in the scoring zone, which is inside the 12, and then the red zone is from the 25 to the 12 for us, the way we define it, but our guys did a great job playing great football in that part of the field.” Allen said.
After the game, the first question that Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton was asked had to do with how well Indiana played in the red area.
“You know, it’s harder when you get in the short area of the field, and we just didn’t get it done. We have to try and find a way to score some touchdowns, and we let Indiana hang around and kick field goals.” Helton said.
The offense's inconsistency in the red zone was saved by the other side of the ball's relentlessness.
Aaron Casey, Cam Jones and Tiawan Mullen made sure they stepped up when it was absolutely necessary, looking to give the offense an opportunity.
"It’s a testament to all the hard work we put in this year, the leaders that we have on this team. We knew that we couldn’t give up. We just had to finish. It was just emphasizing finish, finish, finish. It allowed us to get the win," said Indiana linebacker Cam Jones.
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