Cant Get A Feel For This Team

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

Maybe it’s because the injuries prevented us from having everybody even in Game 1

Maybe its just the natural player turnover, (although we expected to have 20+ returning starters if you count special teams but took portal guys for a reason).

Penix has been a lesser player.
Scott and James gone, and Carr is new. Run game is still subpar.
Whop gone and Fryfogle hasn’t been as good - he was a 2 who played up to a 1, but probably misses the attention teams had to give to Whop. No WR is flat out reliable yet. WKU games showed better. Loss of Matthews is a setback.
OL has been unsettled and underperformed expectation.
TE is the offensive bright spot.

DL has been pretty good and worked in the newbies best.
LB - Jones is my POY so far. McFadden is still a superior player.
Back 4 hasn’t played much as a full unit.
Mullen is awakening.
Monster has been the Adams family kind so far.
Williams is in protocol. Our MDs usually hold them out for weeks.

So how to feel about the Penn State game?
Penn State is still trying to put it together too.
Their schedule has been weaker than ours.
Clifford is like the kid at Iowa - a 6 or 7 that plays like an 8 or 9.
Their run game has been anemic.
WR Dotson is still superior. Hope Mullen can impact that.
They are last - LAST - in the league for sacks. Surprising.
But they get picks. Penix beware.

Their FG guy has already missed 3.

I flipped a coin. Went 5 and 5.

Ive attended all 4 of our games.

if we play up to our ability for the first time, it’s a dog fight.
if we still show holes, it’s gonna be ugly.
don‘t have any idea what to expect

probably change my mind tonight

I “feel” we have had the wrong mind set. Fix that - concentrate on nuts and bolts - we can rally.

 

[82IU]

If our D shows up and plays like the first half of the Cincinnati game and our O plays like it is capable, we have a shot. I know, excuses,excuses! VBG We can still dream, can't we? (13-2 and National Champs!)
Go Hoosiers!!
82

 

[Bligedy]

We've taken big steps back in a few areas, IMHO.

Wommack was really on his game last year. Carlton Warren is still finding his way. I don't think he knows what he wants to be. I think the defense has been ok but could be really good.

The QB play, as you mentioned.

The back end play hasn't been nearly as good. The corners were incredible last year and just haven't been as reliable. Same with the safety play.....but how could it be as good after losing Johnson, who I view as one of the best players we've had in a long, long time.

And pass rush. I think it's great that Handy used to play for Auburn. That's cool and all but he's been gawd awful. He's just not brought anything to the defense yet. I'd like to see them substitute more everywhere but especially at Handy's spot.

 

[Baller23Boogie]

We've taken big steps back in a few areas, IMHO.

Wommack was really on his game last year. Carlton Warren is still finding his way. I don't think he knows what he wants to be. I think the defense has been ok but could be really good.

The QB play, as you mentioned.

The back end play hasn't been nearly as good. The corners were incredible last year and just haven't been as reliable. Same with the safety play.....but how could it be as good after losing Johnson, who I view as one of the best players we've had in a long, long time.

And pass rush. I think it's great that Handy used to play for Auburn. That's cool and all but he's been gawd awful. He's just not brought anything to the defense yet. I'd like to see them substitute more everywhere but especially at Handy's spot.

We've got 17 tackles between Alfred Bryant and Handy, the two primary BULLS we use, with no sacks. The tackle production is fine between the two of them, but they need to get to the quarterback.

 

[h20pls]

We lost to two games to Top-10 teams.

We beat a couple of teams we should beat...convincingly...even if some of the fan base is unhappy with the way we dominated the game(s).

We have a tough schedule (someone on here can post a "schedule ranking")...we have a tough schedule.

We had a real opportunity against Cincy...we have a real opportunity this Saturday.

We're going to have to beat a bit dog (or two!)

Welcome to the big time boys...the SEC deals with this every...single...year.

 

[vesuvius13]

We lost to two games to Top-10 teams.

We beat a couple of teams we should beat...convincingly...even if some of the fan base is unhappy with the way we dominated the game(s).

We have a tough schedule (someone on here can post a "schedule ranking")...we have a tough schedule.

We had a real opportunity against Cincy...we have a real opportunity this Saturday.

We're going to have to beat a bit dog (or two!)

Welcome to the big time boys...the SEC deals with this every...single...year.

This team has the talent to win against PSU but they must play like a team that can beat the "big dogs" in the conference. They did it last year so we will see if they have become that type of team once again.

 

[Hoosier Clarion]

The D can do what it has to do to throw rocks in the road for PSU offense. The key to an IU W is Penix and the OL. Go HOOSIERS!!!!

 

[Tokyo Steve]

. . . .

And pass rush. I think it's great that Handy used to play for Auburn. That's cool and all but he's been gawd awful. He's just not brought anything to the defense yet. I'd like to see them substitute more everywhere but especially at Handy's spot.

Could you elaborate on your disappointment with Handy (perhaps noting some specific plays). I think he has provided a DL pass rush that we haven't seen in several years----for example, the hit he put on Cincinnati's QB on the play when McFadden was called for targeting. Also, as noted by Coach Peoples in his presser today, Handy caused multiple QB hurries vs. WKU.

 

[eddy4iu]

Maybe it’s because the injuries prevented us from having everybody even in Game 1

Maybe its just the natural player turnover, (although we expected to have 20+ returning starters if you count special teams but took portal guys for a reason).

Penix has been a lesser player.
Scott and James gone, and Carr is new. Run game is still subpar.
Whop gone and Fryfogle hasn’t been as good - he was a 2 who played up to a 1, but probably misses the attention teams had to give to Whop. No WR is flat out reliable yet. WKU games showed better. Loss of Matthews is a setback.
OL has been unsettled and underperformed expectation.
TE is the offensive bright spot.

DL has been pretty good and worked in the newbies best.
LB - Jones is my POY so far. McFadden is still a superior player.
Back 4 hasn’t played much as a full unit.
Mullen is awakening.
Monster has been the Adams family kind so far.
Williams is in protocol. Our MDs usually hold them out for weeks.

So how to feel about the Penn State game?
Penn State is still trying to put it together too.
Their schedule has been weaker than ours.
Clifford is like the kid at Iowa - a 6 or 7 that plays like an 8 or 9.
Their run game has been anemic.
WR Dotson is still superior. Hope Mullen can impact that.
They are last - LAST - in the league for sacks. Surprising.
But they get picks. Penix beware.

Their FG guy has already missed 3.

I flipped a coin. Went 5 and 5.

Ive attended all 4 of our games.

if we play up to our ability for the first time, it’s a dog fight.
if we still show holes, it’s gonna be ugly.
don‘t have any idea what to expect

probably change my mind tonight

I “feel” we have had the wrong mind set. Fix that - concentrate on nuts and bolts - we can rally.

What does the Capper say? I hear you have an "in".

 

[Bligedy]

Could you elaborate on your disappointment with Handy (perhaps noting some specific plays). I think he has provided a DL pass rush that we haven't seen in several years----for example, the hit he put on Cincinnati's QB on the play when McFadden was called for targeting. Also, as noted by Coach Peoples in his presser today, Handy caused multiple QB hurries vs. WKU.

View embedded media

The statistics don’t agree with that assessment.

2021 Football Cumulative Statistics - Indiana University Athletics

The official 2021 Football cumulative statistics for the Indiana University Hoosiers

iuhoosiers.com

 

[Tokyo Steve]

The statistics don’t agree with that assessment.

2021 Football Cumulative Statistics - Indiana University Athletics

The official 2021 Football cumulative statistics for the Indiana University Hoosiers

iuhoosiers.com

The statistics don't tell the whole story, and in the clip I linked, Coach Peoples directly stated that some of the positive things Handy is doing are not showing up in the statistics.

By the way, if McFadden hadn't been disqualified for targeting, Handy's hit on the QB on that play would have led to a Cincy punt and, I think, an eventual IU win, which would have put Handy's play in the running for the play of the game.

 

[IUNorth]

Maybe it’s because the injuries prevented us from having everybody even in Game 1

Maybe its just the natural player turnover, (although we expected to have 20+ returning starters if you count special teams but took portal guys for a reason).

Penix has been a lesser player.
Scott and James gone, and Carr is new. Run game is still subpar.
Whop gone and Fryfogle hasn’t been as good - he was a 2 who played up to a 1, but probably misses the attention teams had to give to Whop. No WR is flat out reliable yet. WKU games showed better. Loss of Matthews is a setback.
OL has been unsettled and underperformed expectation.
TE is the offensive bright spot.

DL has been pretty good and worked in the newbies best.
LB - Jones is my POY so far. McFadden is still a superior player.
Back 4 hasn’t played much as a full unit.
Mullen is awakening.
Monster has been the Adams family kind so far.
Williams is in protocol. Our MDs usually hold them out for weeks.

So how to feel about the Penn State game?
Penn State is still trying to put it together too.
Their schedule has been weaker than ours.
Clifford is like the kid at Iowa - a 6 or 7 that plays like an 8 or 9.
Their run game has been anemic.
WR Dotson is still superior. Hope Mullen can impact that.
They are last - LAST - in the league for sacks. Surprising.
But they get picks. Penix beware.

Their FG guy has already missed 3.

I flipped a coin. Went 5 and 5.

Ive attended all 4 of our games.

if we play up to our ability for the first time, it’s a dog fight.
if we still show holes, it’s gonna be ugly.
don‘t have any idea what to expect

probably change my mind tonight

I “feel” we have had the wrong mind set. Fix that - concentrate on nuts and bolts - we can rally.

Mixed thoughts myself.

I think one thing that I'm learning is Tom Allen coached teams' response to "big moments" isn't consistent in any way.

They obviously failed the big moments against Iowa.

They came out VERY ready to play in the big moment against Cincy.

When their leader got ejected, they failed that big moment for most of the rest of the game.

Last year is a tough one to put a ton of stock into. On one hand its all relative for everyone. Everyone had to deal with no crowds, Covid issues, etc... And we handled it all very well. But to take their performance last season, and compare it to how we should respond to big moments THIS season, in stadiums with full crowds...Not sure its anywhere near an apples to apples comparison.

So...I'm guessing the trend continues Saturday. It'll be an uneven performance by Allen's Hoosiers. We're now talented enough to compete in these games. But uneven won't allow us to win the game at PSU. If its a terrible start like at Iowa, we'll never fully recover. If our start is anywhere near like it was against Cincy, it'll be a great game. I just can't envision a Tom Allen coached team playing a complete game in this situation, and we need that to win.

So...the only handle I'd say I have on this team, is I knowingly have no idea how they're going to react and play.

 

[hoosierfan13]

We beat two teams that aren't in the top 75.

We lost to #5 and #7, and we play play #4 this weekend.

Then, we have a week off before hosting #17 and traveling to #11.

If we lose them all, then I still don't know if we're #18 or #74.

 

[TomEric4756]

Maybe it’s because the injuries prevented us from having everybody even in Game 1
— Yes this was unexpected … the O line may have been handicapped the most by playing out of position, based on where they are playing now.

Maybe its just the natural player turnover, (although we expected to have 20+ returning starters if you count special teams but took portal guys for a reason).
— I think its more than player turnover. We needed to improve coverage team speed. I think we got some talent worthy of the ‘chase’, Being snakebit at Iowa, put the O behind the 8-ball. Nothing went right. In some ways we’re a game of positive reps behind.

Penix has been a lesser player.
Scott and James gone, and Carr is new. Run game is still subpar.
Whop gone and Fryfogle hasn’t been as good - he was a 2 who played up to a 1, but probably misses the attention teams had to give to Whop. No WR is flat out reliable yet. WKU games showed better. Loss of Matthews is a setback.
OL has been unsettled and underperformed expectation.
TE is the offensive bright spot.
— TEs look better than 2019.
— Whop is clearly missed. I think, teams decided to not let Whop beat them last year, because he beat them in 2019. Fryfogle gets that kind of attention this year. Fryfogle in the slot, has clearly been practiced, and was not just an on the spot adjustment for Mathews ACL Injury. I think the team found some things they can build on.
— Carr has hops (change of direction) I haven’t seen since Mike Harkrader, and he’s faster than most to boot. I think your disappointment falls back to the O-line playing out of position, due to injuries. We need 4+ ypc.
— Yes, Penix hasn’t been comfortable, more often than not. He won’t be comfortable Saturday either.
But, it appears he’ll be much better prepared from his WKU outing.

DL has been pretty good and worked in the newbies best.
LB - Jones is my POY so far. McFadden is still a superior player.
Back 4 hasn’t played much as a full unit.
Mullen is awakening.
Monster has been the Adams family kind so far.
Williams is in protocol. Our MDs usually hold them out for weeks.
— McFadden played with outstanding effort v. WKU, and v. PSU last year.
I think he‘ll be the best linebacker on the field Saturday too.
It won’t be a surprise for them either… We’ll need a big game from Cam Jones.

So how to feel about the Penn State game?
Penn State is still trying to put it together too.
Their schedule has been weaker than ours.
Clifford is like the kid at Iowa - a 6 or 7 that plays like an 8 or 9.
Their run game has been anemic.
WR Dotson is still superior. Hope Mullen can impact that.
They are last - LAST - in the league for sacks. Surprising.
But they get picks. Penix beware.
— Clifford cleaned up v. Villanova; we’ll need to move him off his spot … and not let him escape for first downs.
He was really handy at that last year and at Wisc.

Their FG guy has already missed 3.

I flipped a coin. Went 5 and 5.

Ive attended all 4 of our games.
— I’m jealous, ;^)

if we play up to our ability for the first time, it’s a dog fight.
if we still show holes, it’s gonna be ugly.
don‘t have any idea what to expect
— Game notes say recent games have been close; our dog won’t just bite an ear and hang on for dear life.
— We had holes last year … and then out moxied … PSU to tie the game and win in OT.
— We have nothing to lose. I don’t see a collapse in the cards.

probably change my mind tonight

I “feel” we have had the wrong mind set. Fix that - concentrate on nuts and bolts - we can rally.
— Maybe fans forget games get played for a reason. Any given Sunday, has become any given Saturday.
Unlike, 3 yards and a cloud of dust, games have become more dynamic — more unpredictable.
We got the benefit of such unpredictability, last year. I don’t think the talent regressed to 4-8.
It was the talent last year that that wreaked havoc. We haven’t found the recipe for this year’s secret sauce yet.

 

[vesuvius13]

IU so far hasn't shown the magic of last season whether that is the rust from Penix and receivers due to just returning from his injury or coordinators still figuring out this team.

Teams can rise up and have a game no one else thinks they can win and this is one of those games for the Hoosiers. Having the offense click and DBs and rushers making life tough for Clifford will make it easier for the Hoosiers to win.

 

[td75]

A very big reason that we do not have an accurate feel for this team is because of the McFadden ejection during the UC game.

Indiana has never dominated a top 10 team the way they did UC with McFadden at MLB. They simply had no answer for Micah and the game was probably going to be decided in Indiana's favor when our offense got the ball back.

That targeting penalty robbed Indiana of victory that they certainly would've achieved with Micah in the game. It has definitely clouded the picture of our team...

 

[kmathum]

We've taken big steps back in a few areas, IMHO.

Wommack was really on his game last year. Carlton Warren is still finding his way. I don't think he knows what he wants to be. I think the defense has been ok but could be really good.

The QB play, as you mentioned.

The back end play hasn't been nearly as good. The corners were incredible last year and just haven't been as reliable. Same with the safety play.....but how could it be as good after losing Johnson, who I view as one of the best players we've had in a long, long time.

And pass rush. I think it's great that Handy used to play for Auburn. That's cool and all but he's been gawd awful. He's just not brought anything to the defense yet. I'd like to see them substitute more everywhere but especially at Handy's spot.

where's ziemba?

 

[h20pls]

We lost to two games to Top-10 teams.

We beat a couple of teams we should beat...convincingly...even if some of the fan base is unhappy with the way we dominated the game(s).

We have a tough schedule (someone on here can post a "schedule ranking")...we have a tough schedule.

We had a real opportunity against Cincy...we have a real opportunity this Saturday.

We're going to have to beat a bit dog (or two!)

Welcome to the big time boys...the SEC deals with this every...single...year.

Just finished re-watching the WKU game...and I would rewrite this post...WKU wasn't a convincing win per se...but a road win where, historically, we've found ways to lose...gotta find a way to win at PSU and it's all about eliminating some mistakes....

 

[turney333]

Just finished re-watching the WKU game...and I would rewrite this post...WKU wasn't a convincing win per se...but a road win where, historically, we've found ways to lose...gotta find a way to win at PSU and it's all about eliminating some mistakes....

The offense played well, and probably should have easily scored 40+, but made some mistakes that forced FGs.
WKU's offense got insanely hot for 4 consecutive drives, but IU's defense eventually got that under control.

 

[Sope Creek]

Maybe it’s because the injuries prevented us from having everybody even in Game 1

Maybe its just the natural player turnover, (although we expected to have 20+ returning starters if you count special teams but took portal guys for a reason).

Penix has been a lesser player.
Scott and James gone, and Carr is new. Run game is still subpar.
Whop gone and Fryfogle hasn’t been as good - he was a 2 who played up to a 1, but probably misses the attention teams had to give to Whop. No WR is flat out reliable yet. WKU games showed better. Loss of Matthews is a setback.
OL has been unsettled and underperformed expectation.
TE is the offensive bright spot.

DL has been pretty good and worked in the newbies best.
LB - Jones is my POY so far. McFadden is still a superior player.
Back 4 hasn’t played much as a full unit.
Mullen is awakening.
Monster has been the Adams family kind so far.
Williams is in protocol. Our MDs usually hold them out for weeks.

So how to feel about the Penn State game?
Penn State is still trying to put it together too.
Their schedule has been weaker than ours.
Clifford is like the kid at Iowa - a 6 or 7 that plays like an 8 or 9.
Their run game has been anemic.
WR Dotson is still superior. Hope Mullen can impact that.
They are last - LAST - in the league for sacks. Surprising.
But they get picks. Penix beware.

Their FG guy has already missed 3.

I flipped a coin. Went 5 and 5.

Ive attended all 4 of our games.

if we play up to our ability for the first time, it’s a dog fight.
if we still show holes, it’s gonna be ugly.
don‘t have any idea what to expect

probably change my mind tonight

I “feel” we have had the wrong mind set. Fix that - concentrate on nuts and bolts - we can rally.

You are your record.

This team has regressed. Not sure why, not sure they can turn it around . . . but it ain't the same team as played last year. Might be that we have crowds back, and they are better with silence . . . but they ain't as cohesive as they were last year. More individuals, less team = lesser performance.

So far.

 

[vesuvius13]

We need the team to start playing at the level we see for parts of the game and do it all game long. When the team and coordinators figure it out and come together we will know hat this team is like.

Your record isn't always what you are, case in point I had a State championship team that started off 2-2 in the season but didn't lose another game the rest of the year. IU will show us the type of them they are as the season continues.