Coming off of the biggest loss of the Tom Allen Era, there were some adjustments the Indiana staff wanted to make, and on offense, it appeared to balance the offense in terms of committing to the running game against a weak Connecticut rushing defense.

But what will loom over the 3-1 finish to the non-conference season, in addition to Mike Penix's injury, will be how IU responds to what appeared to be a serious injury to left tackle Coy Cronk. Th eHoosiers, who extended what was a 19-game streak of at least one takeaway on defense in the season-opener, only forced one turnover against an inexperienced and reckless Connecticut offense.

Regardless, the Hoosiers won, 38-3.

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Indiana offensvie coordinator Kalen DeBoer had mentioned wanting to run the ball earlier and more often than the Hoosiers had through three games in 2019. After passing 41 times in each of the first two games, Ohio State made it difficult to get anything going on the ground in week three. Peyton Ramsey was the leading rusher with 14 carries, and his 20-yard carry in the first quarter was the only semblance of success the Hoosier shad on the ground.

Tom Allen expressed a desire to see more of a tempo on offense and more seams for his running backs, and what the staff showed against Connecticut was a more balanced attack. At halftime, IU had carried the ball 19 times and thrown it 18. By the end of the third quarter, the Hoosiers had split 25 and 25.

Against a rushing offense that rates outside of the top-100 in the FBS, it was clear that Indiana wanted to continue to work toward an identity, or "style," as DeBoer referred to it Monday. Stevie Scott benefitted for the most part, carrying the ball 21 times for a season-high 97 yards, as well as a touchdown in the fourth quarter to go up 38-3.

Midway through the first quarter, left tackle Coy Cronk went down with what appeared to be a serious lower right leg injury after a defender fell into him from behind. Several Connecticut players reacted in shock when the injury happened, and Cronk was immediately put into a cast and carted off the field.

As of the end of the game, there was no information given as to what the injury was specifically or how severe it was, but Cronk did not return.

Right tackle Caleb Jones moved into Cronk's spot at left tackle, and fifth-year right tackle DeVondre Love took over at right tackle.

Against a weaker Connecticut line, the two tackles appeared to avoid too many struggles, as the running game continued to find space and Peyton Ramsey remained upright for much of the game following Cronk's injury.

The future at the position, though, becomes questionable, as Matthew Bedford sits behind Cronk on the depth chart at left tackle but remains inexperienced in comparison to Love's five years within the program. That experience on the line is something Tom Allen has addressed as recently as this week.

The Hoosiers had managed to avoid injuries in the non-conference season, as Cam Jones, A'shon Riggins and Mike Penix have been the only injuries addressed by the staff. Jones was active in Ohio State and played much of the Connecticut game Saturday, and without knowing much about Penix's injury, it's tough to tell how significant that injury will play in the long-term.

Connecticut is not an experienced team, nor is it a team that takes care of the ball. Just two weeks ago, the Huskies turned the ball over to Illinois three times, but against Indiana, it only turned the ball over one time.

It would be assumed that a defense that forced an average fo two turnovers per game in 2018 would be able to force more than one turnover – a turnover created on a desperate throw from a two-star true freshman quarterback down 17-3 in the third quarter.

That shouldn't take away from the impact of the interception returned for a touchdown by Cam Jones, though. The linebacker, who had worked his way back from injury to be available two weeks ahead of schedule, made plays Saturday afternoon that flashed his potential, and that interception was the highlight.

But if takeaways come in bunches, as defensive coordinator Kane Wommack and Tom Allen have said in recent weeks, the Hoosiers have yet to find those bunches this season.

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