BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Mistake after mistake, the snowball continues to get bigger and worse for Indiana. The Hoosiers fall to a 2-5 record after suffering another loss in 2023, this time to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. It was a similar story to the previous games of the season, costly mistakes that dig Indiana into a hole and a lack of offense that puts up minimal points. Another week has gone by and Indiana is still making a lot mistakes.
Special teams has been an issue for Indiana this entire season and this week was no exception. Jaylin Lucas, the former All-American, muffed a punt with 28 seconds left in the first half which allowed Rutgers to add three more points to their name just before the end of the second quarter. Lucas is coming off a great 2022 season as a return/kick specialist but this season has been quite different. Things have gotten to a point where he was taken out of the game in the fourth quarter and replaced with Camden Jordan.
The shocking moment of the day came when Indiana had no solution for Rutgers’ rushing punt block. Just seven seconds into the second quarter, Indiana lined up ready to punt the ball away. Rutgers lined up on the opposite end and with basically no effort, Rutgers sent a handful of defenders in the direction of James Evans and blocked the easiest punt of their lives. Rutgers would scope the ball back up, find the end zone, and go up by seven points.
That blocked punt highlights the immense struggles Indiana has had on special teams. Head coach Tom Allen has said multiple times this year that the special teams unit hasn’t been doing their part, and today was a clear example.
“Just too many mistakes,” Allen said. “Special teams just hurt us, sadly, and inexcusable blocked punt. Obviously the points right before halftime, defense played hard up to that point there and did some good things, but obviously just were on the field too much and then gave up that long run at the end, which was really, really tough.”
From the blocked punt to the mistakes by Lucas, Indiana’s special teams have continued to hurt the team in more ways than one.
Indiana’s defensive performance didn't help the situation either. Entering today, Rutgers hasn't been shy about what makes them successful this year. The Knights has run the ball well all year long and have put on a surprising season because of their ability to run the football with Gavin Wimsatt and Kyle Monangai. It’s no secret what has propelled Rutgers this season but still, Indiana was unable to put a stop to their game plan.
Rutgers had close to 300 total rushing yards, 276, and was able to control the pace of the game the way they wanted to. The Scarlet Knights punished Indiana in a slow and cruel way. Rutgers had the ball in their hands for a total of 37:38, 15 minutes more than the Hoosiers. Indiana had no solution to stop the run and with that, Rutgers played the game in their own way.
“We just didn't do a good enough job on first downs, got too many third and shorts, had a big quarterback gain that we knew they would do, and yeah, just frustrating we couldn't get off,” Allen said. “Had a couple drives that I thought we should have, and either there was a penalty or just poor execution and just got to play better. Just really can't do that. I know we've got to be able to get off the field defensively, and cannot give that kind of run game. It just bleeds the clock, bleeds your energy, and keeps our offense off the field. Just tough.”
Injuries didn’t help Indiana’s situation but the combination of that and a lack of stops, resulted in another disappointing performance. Monangai and Wimsatt alone combined for over 200 yards and Rutgers finished with just three yards less than Indiana’s total yards of the game. From whatever angle you look at it from, this defense hasn’t been able to function due to a number of reasons. Rutgers came in with one simple game plan and was able to be just fine.
“It's obviously not what we wanted,” Linebacker Aaron Casey said. “We prepared for it. We knew it was coming. We have to do a better job of stopping it.”
It’s the same story week in and week out for this Hoosier team. The defense hasn't played up to the level they once had at the beginning of the season and the offense continues to be all but functional. It’s a bleak time right now for the program.
2-20 in their last 22 Big Ten games. A three-game losing streak with no end in sight and an offense that has no hope right now. The game against Rutgers was the end of week eight and as we get further into the season, Indiana’s hopes of a somewhat successful year continue to fade into the frustrating and unforgiving nature that is Indiana football.
“I think it's a reality that you get to this stage of the year and you've got several losses now in a row,” Allen said. “That's a tough reality. That's where you don't hide from it. You've got to address it head-on, and you've got to really work hard together to help your guys. We've got to do a better job as coaches, make better calls, and put them in better positions, and those guys got to finish, as well…We've obviously got another opportunity next week, which is what we're facing, on the road again, but at the same time, it's about us right now being able to band together and continue to battle. That's what we're going to do. We're just going to lock arms and fight.”
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