It might be time to look elsewhere at QB.

[Hoosiers47614]

Bazelak has made some big plays and won us two games with drives at the end we probably shouldn't have, but he is simply not consistent enough. The O-Line is bad, but he often gets happy feet and makes it worse by bailing from the pocket even when not under pressure, he has a clear tendency to stare his man down and is extremely fortunate he didn't have two or three picks last night alone, and his accuracy has been frankly unacceptable. And that is the most confounding part of his performance.

He had issues in Missouri, but not with this. In his worst season at Mizzou he completed 65% of his passes. Here? An atrocious 52%. There were at least two blatant, wide-open deep shots that he just straight-up missed, along with a couple others that were more difficult throws, but that a B1G QB needs to make.

You connect on even one of those and it changes the game entirely. One of the biggest differences in the game I've not seen anyone bring up is that Casey Thompson hit his open guys downfield and Bazelak didn't. And while I've given him slack in other games because of the O-Line, the pass pro was not THAT BAD last night.

He either needs to get it together quick and find some consistency and regain his touch, or it should be Dexter Williams time. NOT Tuttle. Been there, done that, and seen that it will definitely not be any better with him.

 

[Jackskip23]

Bazelak has made some big plays and won us two games with drives at the end we probably shouldn't have, but he is simply not consistent enough. The O-Line is bad, but he often gets happy feet and makes it worse by bailing from the pocket even when not under pressure, he has a clear tendency to stare his man down and is extremely fortunate he didn't have two or three picks last night alone, and his accuracy has been frankly unacceptable. And that is the most confounding part of his performance.

He had issues in Missouri, but not with this. In his worst season at Mizzou he completed 65% of his passes. Here? An atrocious 52%. There were at least two blatant, wide-open deep shots that he just straight-up missed, along with a couple others that were more difficult throws, but that a B1G QB needs to make.

You connect on even one of those and it changes the game entirely. One of the biggest differences in the game I've not seen anyone bring up is that Casey Thompson hit his open guys downfield and Bazelak didn't. And while I've given him slack in other games because of the O-Line, the pass pro was not THAT BAD last night.

He either needs to get it together quick and find some consistency and regain his touch, or it should be Dexter Williams time. NOT Tuttle. Been there, done that, and seen that it will definitely not be any better with him.

We desperately need to give him a running game that will lessen the need for him to go down the field so often. “Second and manageable” and “third and short” would do wonders for him, and those will both happen if we can reliably run the ball just a little.

 

[hoosier roadtrips]

We desperately need to give him a running game that will lessen the need for him to go down the field so often. “Second and manageable” and “third and short” would do wonders for him, and those will both happen if we can reliably run the ball just a little.

The problem now is that we can't count on picking up the first down when we only have a yard or two to gain on third down.

 

[IUNY]

Bazelak has made some big plays and won us two games with drives at the end we probably shouldn't have, but he is simply not consistent enough. The O-Line is bad, but he often gets happy feet and makes it worse by bailing from the pocket even when not under pressure, he has a clear tendency to stare his man down and is extremely fortunate he didn't have two or three picks last night alone, and his accuracy has been frankly unacceptable. And that is the most confounding part of his performance.

He had issues in Missouri, but not with this. In his worst season at Mizzou he completed 65% of his passes. Here? An atrocious 52%. There were at least two blatant, wide-open deep shots that he just straight-up missed, along with a couple others that were more difficult throws, but that a B1G QB needs to make.

You connect on even one of those and it changes the game entirely. One of the biggest differences in the game I've not seen anyone bring up is that Casey Thompson hit his open guys downfield and Bazelak didn't. And while I've given him slack in other games because of the O-Line, the pass pro was not THAT BAD last night.

He either needs to get it together quick and find some consistency and regain his touch, or it should be Dexter Williams time. NOT Tuttle. Been there, done that, and seen that it will definitely not be any better with him.

I think this is an excellent assessment. For some reason, a lot of the longtime cheerleaders on here don't want to admit this. Here is the other thing. He throws those sidearm passes to the sideline that tail off and are difficult to catch. I know he is scrambling, but so what? Get the ball down the middle of the field. After five games, shouldn't we have figured out we need a running QB? So yes, Dexter Williams or maybe Brendan Sorsby? whom CTA raved about in camp? What do we have to lose? We're a 3-2 team with a hapless offense that is lucky not to be 0-5. Try something different. I would give every QB on the roster a series of downs. If he gets a first down, he stays in the game. And so on. There is nothing more baffling than a team with our history playing conservatively.

 

[IUNY]

We desperately need to give him a running game that will lessen the need for him to go down the field so often. “Second and manageable” and “third and short” would do wonders for him, and those will both happen if we can reliably run the ball just a little.

OK, riddle me this. How many times this season have we thrown incomplete on first down then run for 1 yard or no gain on second down? We're often facing third and long. What are we averaging per carry on the ground?

 

[Jackskip23]

OK, riddle me this. How many times this season have we thrown incomplete on first down then run for 1 yard or no gain on second down? We're often facing third and long. What are we averaging per carry on the ground?

Well, you’re making my point. Not having a running game cascades in on us. We throw too often on first down because we lack confidence in the run. If it’s incomplete, second down becomes a steeper hill with a more limited playbook. When that doesn’t work, we’re in third and long and that’s never a recipe for success. Sometimes, it feels like we’re close. Other times, we seem miles away from getting things ironed out.

 

[Crossblock]

Here is what a lot of people are missing. If You have a Quarterback Who can't take advantage of throwing the ball down field when the opportunity is there, what are you left with/
If IU takes a touch back kickoff and takes the ball at it's 25 . In order to score, You need to make 7 or 8 first downs or the equivalent. If your QB can complete a pass in a Series 40 Yards Downfield, it cuts 7 or 8 first downs to 3 0r 4. The fewer Plays You need to run to score the less possibility of an error on Offense that kills a Drive(illegal formation, illegal Procedure. Holding. Chop Block, Offensive Pass Interference). If You have a QB who can cut the number of plays in a Drive from 16 to 10, that is a big advantage for Your Offense.

 

[rediufan]

I agree a QB change is needed, BUT putting DW in with no previous playing time with this O-line and against the remaining teams on the schedule would end in the same results as last year when McCaulley got thrust into action at QB. IMO it is better to stay with the mess we have at QB and not risk any injury to DW this late in the season and then make DW the starting QB next year w/CB at #2

 

[RegionHoosiers]

I agree a QB change is needed, BUT putting DW in with no previous playing time with this O-line and against the remaining teams on the schedule would end in the same results as last year when McCaulley got thrust into action at QB. IMO it is better to stay with the mess we have at QB and not risk any injury to DW this late in the season and then make DW the starting QB next year w/CB at #2

Good point. The preaseason games are typically a great time for the backups to get some reps, but we hardly won those. We had trouble with Idaho. You can't just make a change now against the better teams.

 

[CaptainZigZag]

Did anyone really think Ballsack was good and if so, based on what?

 

[82hoosier]

I agree a QB change is needed, BUT putting DW in with no previous playing time with this O-line and against the remaining teams on the schedule would end in the same results as last year when McCaulley got thrust into action at QB. IMO it is better to stay with the mess we have at QB and not risk any injury to DW this late in the season and then make DW the starting QB next year w/CB at #2

I hate to break it to you but McCaulley had one of the worst completion percentages in the history of Indiana football.

To put things in perspective Peyton Ramsey transferred out. Michael Penix transferred out. Tuttle is going to transfer out. Macaulay transferred to a different position. Do you see a theme here.

So how is Indiana going to recruit quarterbacks going forward. Are they going to say that these kids left Indiana because the coaching staff sucked?