You're listening to the back home network presented by home field apparel. Welcome back to Crimson cast, the third of September of 2022. We're back once again and joyous Ian Scott, I you as a winning record there aren't a big 10
win. Feels like they're just start, we haven't done enough podcast with IU, having a winning record in our whole span of time doing this and it's normally happens around this time but it almost never happens with a win over a Big Ten team to start a season, and that is certainly something special. We got a lot to dig into with this game. Indiana knocking off Illinois. Last night. Lot of stuff in that. Game and in the aftermath of the game. Scott, first of all, how are you doing?
How was your experience? Are you are you, are you? What's your Vibe right now, sir? I'm good, I'm good. It was, it was a fun experience. We came down and tailgated, it was actually funny. I'm walking down with my son, picking them up from the bus. Stop. I apologize for the longer story, but this is a great dad story and I'm like, Hey, we're going to the game James, and I was a kid. We can go to my friend Gibby,
uh, mister gheylens pot. You know, tailgate, we can go to our friend, Carolyn Jeff. Like we could do our own thing just kind of he's like well nothing's better than tailgating with your dad is like you and I have to do it together and I'm like how do you say no to that? It's like, guys, like I had not planned on it so I got, we're going to Walmart, we're buying the cheap Grill. We're buying a charcoal, so bought all the stuff came on down through some burgers on.
Had a great time. I have some Grill questions for you because I ended up getting like a cheap twelve dollar grill at Walmart, I left it there because we come back to drive home and like Members are still hot and like I don't want to fire my car for a 12 dollar Grill, but that we had a great time. The crowd was students, brought IT Crowd was really good and had a great time. Weather was fun. I mean, it was, it was a really
good time. Unfortunately, I'm that guy having I have a nine-year-old, son. I'm trying to end up indoctrinated into football games at, you know, the 8:00 kick with a slow-moving college game. It's like, at 11:15. My son was sleeping on me and it's like, this is not. We have plans today. I don't want my entire A weekend to be. So I had to bring him home a literally, but I listen to the game on the way home and got home, just in time to watch the last drive.
There you go. Well, good timing. On your part, you have fun times for us as well up in Lot, 12. As lot of people stop by the tailgate and then the game was, it was an experience. I'm not entirely sure. You're entirely sure. How I want to classify it in my brain yet, but we'll try to dive into that, on the podcast before we get to that. Just a reminder, that Crimson cast is part of the back home network. In the back home network is brought to you by home.
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H ome get 15% off your first order. If you have an ordered already they're sure to have some great stuff coming out throughout the course of the college football season. So keep your eyes on it. Let's talk. About the game Scott. So Indiana wins this one by the final score twenty three to twenty and there's there's really a lot of stuff to think about with this game and it's like, you can go.
I mean, first and foremost. Indiana winning is a big deal especially when you consider all of the things that we're going into this game, you had obviously all of the doubt around the program. With what happened last year, going to and 10 winless in the conference, you have a new quarterback, you have a new wider, new set of wide receivers basically, new starting running back. You've got a lot of guys back from injury on defense. So you think you're going to be pretty good?
But hard, to say, for sure? Because we haven't seen them play? Well in a while, you have no depth chart so nobody knows who's playing what and you've got new coaches on The, you know, on the assistant staffs were both offense and defense just a lot of stuff and you're also playing in Illinois, team that frankly had a better year. Year. Last year than Indiana. Already played a game against Wyoming last week that they won.
Pretty handily and it just seemed like a lot there that I. You had to overcome as they thought about what this game was going to entail. And they I think the the bright line item here obviously, is that. Indiana did not play great and yet they still managed to win this game and that by itself, I think, without digging into a lot of the Rationales as to, you know, why they weren't good.
I think we can start there and say, that is growth for this IU team because that's exactly what we didn't see pretty much at all last year. So, during the game I'm thinking about, you know, and it feels like this was going to be another ayehu loss, where there's lots of opportunities to win and I'm thinking about what we're going to talk about, you know, today and I was going to be really bothered by any kind of narrative of, you know, how you Ooh, so close.
But just give a little bit more time. Like, it's got to get this, right, like, just a lot of the stuff that you and I've dealt with over the years of like they lost, but, you know, we're really seeing progress. And, you know, Illinois is really good. You don't understand. It's like, I was going to kind of come in really hot on that and lay out the eight things that you should have done to to win. And as you pointed out, we can talk about those.
There's some things that definitely make me very concerned for the season, but as you look at this game, it's only fair. It's only right on the flip side. If Would have been, you know, that annoyed at, you know, talking about growth in a loss. You just I feel like you have to be. This is a fan like we gotta win and for a program where we're at
for last year. Like this was a game that you just had to find a way to win and they did and yeah there was a lot of things that could have been better. That probably shouldn't have been that close. There are things that again are concerning for, you know, the rest of the season but they got a win and they want a game and this is going to propel them hopefully to to know maybe a 3-0
record before. They go to Cincinnati but you know they did what they couldn't do against Maryland last year against Michigan State last year, you know, have a game where you have chances to win and they waited to the last one they went to the last possible one, but they gotta win. So like, you know, to me the top of the head line that you know, largest Point font and then we can dig into some of the other concerns. But I walk away. Happy I'm excited. I'm happy for this team.
I'm is great to see, you know, Alan the team, get fired up. It's like yes, like all that. Hard work. You've got to win your hopefully, moving in the right direction. And so top level, you know, that is the main thing you gotta win. You did what you had to do. You beat a big 10 team. So yeah, that to me, that's the
top level thing. Yeah, I mean, and it was the way that it happened with Indiana, winning on the final drive of the game essentially, and, you know, driving down the field, 12-play 75-yard Drive taking a minute, 53.
I mean, it was such a it was such a A difficult second half, if you were an Indiana fan because you know, Illinois comes out immediately scores in the third quarter and then it's just kind of like it actually kind of the game essentially devolved into what I thought it was going to be for the whole game, which was a game where neither offense could really do a whole lot. You know, Illinois was moving the ball really well between the 30s and then Indiana would stiffen.
And we've seen that before like Tom Allen likes to play that way. We saw That a lot during the first couple of years when he was defensive coordinator that bend? But don't break style. They were letting a lot of yards on the ground, they weren't letting it a lot of yards up through the air and then offensively I use offensive wine. Just it may have looked worse than last year and I'm not sure
if that was possible. Like, it was really bad not just in the running game but the pass protection was almost non-existent. You felt like Connor basal-like was just constantly trying to find anybody. That was open as early as possible. Possible. So we could avoid getting hit but I give it to you. I'm very proud of my top level. You preview, just talk about the o-line. Yeah. Oh yeah.
This is really bad, you know? And so you look at that and you say, well, there's a lot to be concerned about in terms of those things, but What mattered in this game was the fact that Indiana was able to stick around. It looked like they had given it up there at the end, you know, Illinois, drives down the field. It looks like they could potentially go in for a touchdown. They don't, they Kicking a field goal and you I really felt like.
Okay, the game is probably over at this point because we've not seen anything this half from. I you that would make you think they're going to move the ball down the field and yet somehow they put together a drive and I think Connor basil lack in his debut as an Indiana. Hoosier deserves a tremendous amount of credit not just for making those throws but being able to shake off. What had been a really bad previous 30 minutes of play and get himself in the mindset?
Where he was just connecting with receivers. I mean, this was the first debut for an Indiana. Starting quarterback where he throws for 300 yards since antwaan, Randle, L against Western Michigan in 1998. That's a long time. We're talking about their and well, it's not a great, it's not a great correlation, you gave wise but you know, the night before you had a Purdue Penn State game, where it kind of was just devolving.
It's like, gosh, Purdue has a chance to win this and Penn State's going to blow this and then Penn State makes OneDrive wins the game. And, you know, you think about it, like, very similarly here, you know? I was thinking about that game going into the IU game, it's like, Purdue's got to be kicking themselves. Like, damn, we had a chance to win, we didn't. And if your Penn State, it's like all right, you know?
We probably played that a little too close, but in the end, like we got to win and that's what you do. I know it's a road game versus different but it's like, that's a similar feel like this is and I'm not saying we're a great team that we're Penn State or were at that level, but like this is what teens who are competitive and good, they do
this. It's like they make some mistakes and they get themselves to the edge but then it's like we're going to pull it back and when it's not crunching time. So to speak where he had it done, and I felt very much like Indiana was similar to Penn State in the night before kind of coming out. Like we got some things to work on but it's much better to work on them at 10 in the Big Ten, the no 11. Yeah, that's the thing.
I mean, ultimately, there's a lot of little concerns that are probably going to be big concerns as you go forward in the season. But the Is want to know winning a big 10 game, maybe that's that's that matters a lot and at the end of the day, I think this is the type of Team. They're not going to be able to win a lot of games going away.
They're probably going to have to eke out whatever they get outside of, maybe the Idaho game next week, you would expect them to play really well in that, and maybe they can knock some of the rust off and things, but every other team on the schedule that they're going to be matching up against his, got a pulse at least as strong as Illinois. Boy, you know, maybe not stronger, in the case of like Rutgers, but but strong enough that you're probably not going to build comfortable, 14, to 17
point leads. And so, any win is a good win for Indiana football in any year. But I feel like especially this year and especially early in the year when we saw what not winning did to the psyche of the team last year to be able to start off on the right foot, belief covers a multitude of sin.
It really does make a big difference in terms of how teams Perceive themselves perceive the way they're playing and what they're actually able to do and it can allow you to do things that maybe you wouldn't normally be able to do. And having a win under your belt at this point is a big thing.
And so I look, I look at the when Illinois, scored that field, goal that subsequent quick kick off, Illinois's win probability was 90.5% and so for Indiana to be able to go and take the ball down the field and score and Essentially reverse that win probability clip. It's not just that they won. The game, is that they won the game in a way that was improbable. And I think that that will hopefully help them from a psychological perspective.
As they move ahead, one a Connor, Bay's lack thought. So the the telling you, before we started the guy behind me we move seats one. Row over is a yeller big fan, but it's and he's very loud, which I'm also a loud person. So I can't really, you know, can't throw stones, but the offense is coming out and he's telling his wife.
She's like, I wonder who quarterback is like, well, you know, there's no depth chart but you know, to me, it's got to be Tuttle like, you know, Tuttle was the starter and you know, you got to loot you you got to earn that spot. It's like he's done. Nothing to lose the spot and then phase lag comes out. He's like oh, it's base lack. And so then the first play is that little, you know, that little Flair steel, Flex screen and he just gets the receiver.
I think it was Shiver drivers drivers. Yeah just gets blown up the guy behind these. Like man total would have read that like total wooden to put that nut. Position. Like total would have seen that coming. Would hit the Deep kind of like, what are you talking about? Like, okay. Yeah, knocking title. But it's not like they paying you for this analysis are like god. Wow, that's that's that's it.
Did was there it? Was there a brace available so that he could deal with the Whiplash of that. But, but, but I will say it to your point like, beige black looked for, as, as much pressure as he was getting, as far as little the offensive line, which Getting him, you know, any kind of blocking. He looked calm out there like it didn't feel like he was running around or making quick decisions. We had a couple of work. He threw some really good passes under duress and threw it in the
right spot. He's got a nice deep ball, he's, you know, tight with the ball. He overthrows it a little bit. So it was a lot of guys in college football and we could talk about that pick at the beginning of the second, half of that was a huge Turning Point table. Just a high throw. But, you know, I I think that your point is, is needs to be taken also. With the huge caveat in a positive direction, as well. This is a guy who gets 300 yards.
Passing your average is six yards, a pass and he's also the leading has the longest run of anybody on IU. He has a 12 yard run. You know, he only gets 32 yards of rushing behind him of which he brought 12, so there was only 20 yards of rushing. That he had supporting the Run game. So, I mean, you talk about a team that knows like, we're going to be throwing a lot. They know that and Illinois knew that and he still got 300 yards. So it's like that has to be brought.
It's not like, oh, he did that with you at Evan Coleman, you know, getting 185 yards behind him. It's like that, that really threw the defense office like, no. Like, he was also the leading rusher. It's like there's way more Parallels for Randall. L, or it's like, I don't think of Base like as a guy, you know, with his feet. But it's like, I wouldn't have bet money on a 300 yard game passing. Plus longest rush for Bay's. Lack going into this game. Yeah, no it's a basil.
Act did a really good job. And look, I think part of the problem part of the trepidation of the, the previews of the season is you didn't know what Connor basil, act. You were getting. You really didn't know what he was going to be able to do, because frankly they're just what there wasn't a lot of material there to go off of in terms of, you know, I mean he getting freshman year or sophomore year Basil act from from Mizzou, is he going to be
able to step right in? And he's working with a bunch of receivers. He's never worked with before. And this was about, the best case scenario that you would be expecting for a guy making his first start in a, not ideal situation from a blocking perspective. Certainly. And also, you know, just not knowing his targets and not quite understanding what all is going on. And so, I think that you got to be really optimistic about that. And I hope that his protection
improves. I do worry with any and this, he does to. I mean, it's one of those things. It's like the number of injuries that I, you quarterbacks have suffered over the last decade whether it was Trey, Ro J. K+ tray, Robeson ornate sud, felled, or obviously Michael penix multiple times. You are the only guy I can't think of ever actually getting injured was Peyton Ramsey, but he was just kind of built in a
way that it was unlikely. He was also pretty smart with the ball and with him, Self, you know. But it's a dangerous job of being how you quarterback, you should get like Hazard pay or some better level of workman's comp. And so I do hope that the protection improves because I think when he's given time to throw and scan the field, he's demonstrated already. He can make pretty much all the throws that you would want a starting quarterback to make and the difference.
And this is where the Tuttle thing. Kind of surprises me. A little bit from the your newfound friend in the stands. It's like we've seen Jack Tuttle. Be a serviceable quarterback. You know, that Wisconsin game, the the Maryland game in 2020 they had to come in and, and play in even I mean he obviously had the shoulder issue in the Ole Miss game. But then, You didn't really see him, making throws like that.
Like a lot of his throws were high, especially in like, the Michigan State game and some of the others that you saw last year. He just hasn't really as of yet and maybe he will develop into this eventually, but he has not demonstrated that intangible was actually pretty tangible but that thing that's hard to describe about quarterbacks when they are in the pocket and the ball comes out and it goes exactly where it's supposed to go.
That you know, you can always tell when you have a quarterback that can't do that and it's also So one of the cool things and I think I said this after like the third or the fourth row, not too shy Ivar's. One on the first play, obviously, but the way that he was started throwing, I was like almost immediately. Okay, this guy's got it. There's some Secret Sauce here that I think will be helpful for. Are you moving forward? Unfortunately, to your point where you say, I hope that the
line play gets better for him. There's really no history of our line play. Normally is what it is and then gets worse throughout the year. That's kind of been the history. Why and play? I think, ever since I've watched IU football, he remember a year where it's like man, they're really blocking better. They did it September. Yeah. So unfortunately like that and this is where we can start talking about some of the things that are a little bit concerning or some alarms.
As like the line play did not look fantastic. You know you talk about rushing this is you know chivers for what you know 15 carries for 28 yards, average of one point nine Henderson, you know six yards. This is also you know it all Annoyed team that gave up 182 yards to Wyoming the year before their sorry, the week before, you know why?
Tell me having a guy with you averaging five point eight yards a carry another one averaging nine point five yards a carry so it's not like you're playing, you know, the Alabama defensive
line here. The fact there is very little running and it's not like it's a game that we were down, twenty five, we had to throw all the time, like the line play is one thing and the ability to get runs or just even Again, it's like the I've seen this so many times that I, you fan, where I don't even know where the I can't blame the running back. I don't know where you're supposed to go. Like, there's not a hole and, you know, people are like, why
is dancing around? It's like, well, because there's no, the whole That was supposed to be there is not there well. Now he's trying to figure out like, what do I do when it's like, I'm supposed to run forward. There's not a whole and so much try and hope something happens. But this is a, it's a massive flashing red light. It's like the on your car, the, the beacon is going, Going off like you know engine problem take you to the dealer.
It's something that is very concerning it is and the number of running plays that went outside because clearly there is zero trust in the guard Center guard.
Combo to block on the interior. Yeah, I mean it was it was amazing watching in person from The End Zone the way that all of that came to be because it you're just, you're looking at it and you're like, what They have to do this but watch how it gets to a point again after the last couple of years with the offensive line, being as bad as it's been in, really both run blocking and pass blocking that you're coming into this year and you're playing Illinois. Who's I mean, you know, there
are big 10 team but in total talent in level of defensive line you're talking about, probably a bottom, three team, I'm guessing. Maybe it's like Illinois, Indiana Anna and Rutgers perhaps Wyoming average. Five point nine yards arush against right and and you know sort of average 1.2 yards rush for the whole game to essentially and that's what 12 on a quarterback scramble and I'd be like I know not immaterial when you're talking
about 32 total yards got you. If you took that out you're probably you're averaging less than 1.2 maybe. Yeah, it's not maybe you're definitely your. I mean, it's absolutely incredible and I think if you're going to be the rain cloud on the parade of this game, I think it's very, very reasonable and legitimate to say, look what they won the game and they deserve credit for that.
But wow, this is this is a line that is not going to be functional moving forward if it's going to play like that now. Yes you've got, you know, a first game maybe there's some Jitters there but the flip side of that is ultimately, this is about the second or third. Easiest game, you're going to play all year. Probably, maybe the fourth, he's I don't know. It depends on where in Illinois ends up landing and you got to play Idaho next week. So you're not going to get a lot
of tuned up there. This is like the one of the more experienced groups of players on the team in terms of returning people that have played together and there's just not a lot of optimism right now on this front and so I think it's going to take a lot of adaptation from Walt Del the offensive coordinator to figure out. Okay, I got a scheme around this because Cuz once again, the early returns, do not look positive on this line. And I don't think there's a fix.
I mean, you've already started the season. It's not like you're going to somehow watch the line blossom into this amazing thing. Especially, if Matthew bedford's out. I mean, he goes down and what look like a non-contact injury in the first quarter.
That's bad news because, you know, that's a guy that, if you were going to pick a bright spot of the line out, maybe he's, you know, one of the two that you would pick out so that only makes things potentially worse and it also worsens one of the edge blockers as opposed to Problems being mostly in the
middle. So that, you know, it needs to be mentioned and it's something that is absolutely a concern as this iut moves forward because they're just not going to be able to survive and keep people healthy. If they try to win games the way that they tried to, they had to win this one. I'm glad they won this one. I think they deserve credit for it, but that's that's not that, that's not one of those like annual return yields. That's probably going to be very positive.
Yeah, I will also say this like just being a Taking a positive spin on this though is it was nice to see what we'll know more about Walt Bell and how he runs his offense when we get a couple more games under our belt, but it did seem like he understood that line issue very early on and then did something we haven't seen in two years. Not to mention who you Sparrow coordinator made adjustments during the game and ran
different types of play. We saw a couple option plays, you know, it's like, you could see it's like, oh, this is not working. I'm going to try something new and Playbook in a different part. I'm going to I'm going to turn the tab, go to a different color page. We're going to try something else and that was really nice to see. I also appreciated the pace. I like them coming up. I liked seeing a team that took advantage of situations.
What I mean and I can't think of a situation in the past, I feel like it's happened. Many times under Sheridan, where we'd come to the line, the up, the defense was not set and then we'd to be about ready to hike it and we pull back and look for the play because like that's what we're supposed to do, and it's a goal. Like the defense is already like
run the play. And there is two or three times last night where Illinois was doing these massive you three or four people, you know, shifts after our substitutions after every play and early in the first quarter there is one words like we lined up and you could tell they IU was not going to snap it but they snapped it because like it was not ready and it's like we took advantage of that. They I like the pace, the offense play with a nothing
drives. Me more drives me more nuts than when we used to get to the line and like get set and then pull back and like get the play. It's What what are we doing? Like, I like the pace. I like the seeing different types of play. So I will say in a positive note, you know, the early returns from what I've seen from Walt Bell thus far have been much better that we had the last two years. It was absolutely reminiscent of
Kevin Wilson in the early days. Yeah, I mean, really was, I felt like I was back in 2012 again and it was, it was fun, it really? I mean and it was it would have been more fun if they had been better on offense in terms. Of having a running game but I will say that they got as our friends. A kosterman often says they did a good job of getting some athletes in space at times.
That DJ Matthews touchdown was really well, delivered cam camper who sounds like a creative player, you know, from a name perspective, from a video game, you know, 11, catches 156 yards, 14.2 yards per catch it three guys who were Were 10 yards per catch, Emery Simmons, had 11 yards per catch Matthews with 15 and a half and AJ Barner play. Okay, I think he could have been a little bit better, but he was there as a safety valve and a couple of points.
I mean it was nice to see, are you spreading things around a little bit and getting the ball to multiple receivers. And you could clearly tell that there was a lot of effort placed on trying to get the ball in the interior of the defense about five to seven yards down past. At that first level and they did a good job. I think of mixing it up like you said, and making some adjustments based on what Illinois was trying to do throughout the course of the
game. So yeah, I was I was really pleased with what I saw all around from, from that. And, you know, I think it's still too early to say, oh, yeah, Walt Belgrade higher simply because we don't know how I mean. We've got one game so far, what we've seen Walt belt coach for IU in and there will be a Spoons made. Because now everybody knows what Bells going to do if there was any benefit to keeping everything, so close to the vest, that's kind of out the window now. So, now what sorts of
adjustments does he make? And how does this line fix itself? Because I think you're never going to see a fully unlocked offense here, unless you're able to rush the ball a little bit and 26 carries for 32 yards is just not going to get the job done over the course of the season and so we'll see what happens with that.
But one other thing I'll stay on the offense and then I want to talk about the defense a bit is, as you go through and you think about the way that I use drives, went a lot of it. I think, you know, the the second half it was the thing that was fascinating to me was just how difficult it will annoy was able to make it on Indiana in terms of getting a whole lot of time to themselves and I keep going back to that last Drive. That they put together and what I found fascinating about.
It was how effectively basil a con that drive was able to see the field. Where is that really didn't seem to be the case on the rest of the drives in that second half? And I'm I just keep coming back to this idea. Like, what was the trigger point there, that allowed things to
work out the way that they did? I mean, obviously sometimes it's like, well, you know, rubber hits the road, every play slightly better in that last drive, but I am curious, if they Were holding stuff in reserve until they got like down to a point where they had two minutes left and it's like, all right. We're going to because I felt like they were doing a lot of in breaking stuff. They were doing a lot of stuff that was really like even higher Tempo than what we'd seen
earlier on in the game. And you know, it was all it was essentially just all camper and Matthews all the way down the field. I mean, you look at the chain of things, Matthew's six yards incomplete, pass to Matthews 12, yard pass to Matthews three. Our pasta Matthews 17-yard, Stick a incomplete to camper 14 yards to Matthews, nine yards to camper nine yards, to Matthews incomplete to camper, and then the scramble. And then the touchdown.
It's like that's that's like I'm going to push all my chips into the table on this particular thing and it worked. And you know I'm just that's I don't it feels like we haven't seen that in a few years where it's like we're just going to zero in on these two guys and say you cannot stop one or the other, they're getting the ball and every play and and it really seemed like Illinois, couldn't stop that.
So I do give you credit for it. I just think it's kind of an interesting sequence, the collective which I don't feel like we've seen that much without you. It was really nice to see DJ Matthews come back. I was kind of where he left off last year because last year he was looking like he was going to be our number-one receiver. Maybe he was at the time and then just kind of went down the freak injury so it was great to see him. Come back at that long play. It's also interesting.
This is Kind of goes into, you know, the two things I love to hate the most is recruiting. And then, you know, spring practice and fall practice. Updates is parched partially, I fully get it. Like we had, you know, we're not media. But the media had zero information on depth charge or how people were doing.
So people kind of just, you know, went wild, but a lot of talk about Donovan McCauley and he's so tall and I moved to wide receiver and he, you know, everyone's got a bad night, maybe it wasn't his number to be called, but he had, you know, one reception 41-yard, it was basically under unnoticeable there and it's going, it's going to be interesting to see, you know, especially a game like Idaho.
Does he get some, you know, attempts like it would be just a weird move if, you know, you have this super high level recruit and everyone talking about what a great recruiter as a quarterback in the to come in and be like, oh he looks over Master quarterback, love them, wide receiver, that's the great move and then if he just becomes a non-factor and again it's one game but I just that is something I want to keep an eye on is like is McCully going to move up at least become one of
the you know, higher too? Because you're right, if nothing else that's often showed in one game that you know, Walt Bell has the receivers that he likes and that he trusts and right now it's camper and you know, Matthews Junior like those are the guys when it was a final drive time, those are the guys who are getting the call and nobody else and so, you know, it makes you wonder like, it's just going to be a team that spreads
it around. I'm just, I'm curious to see where where McCulley fits in moving forward. I get that and I understand where you're coming from, but But I am not sure if that's fair because it's the first game that he's ever played at the college level at that position and it was clear. I think that Matthews and camper were the guys that were easily getting open.
And I think and I looks like Simmons is like the third guy there it. So you've got, you've got to start in group that are more experienced. I look at McCully and I say, if he's, if he makes one or two games of really sizable, Contributions this year where he catches you know, four or five balls, maybe breaks are for a touchdown or is able. I really think like what he
brings to the table. We don't know really what his speed looks like, but I think where he will be really effective is on fade routes or sideline routes or things where I you has to throw the ball above defensive backs. And you can have a 65 guy, go up and get it. And that just really wasn't a scenario that played out. I honestly think like if they don't get that third Goal, touchdown him. I like him because he is because I mean, he's this guy is at the size or at least the height of a
tight end. I think you could have seen him getting integrated there, but at the end of the day, there are better options for IU from a receiving perspective. And I think that, you know, for this one you want to make sure he's moving into that role slowly. So that you're not putting too much pressure on him and I will say it's nice. That I use seems to have some depth at wide receiver. Again, where they can afford to not throw him into the fire and then That is not actually
prepped. Anyway, let's talk defense this defense we had some questions from last year. We weren't sure exactly how things were going to play out that they took a big step back in terms of they forced a lot of turnovers in 2019 and 2020. And they really didn't last year, they struggled to shut down teams at key points and it wasn't like the defense was awful awful. I mean that sort of happened at the end of the season but the early and middle part of the season, the defense was put into
a lot of bad. Bad situations by the offense here that happened again. But I really liked what I saw out of the defense for almost the whole game. The fact that they were able to force three turnovers, they technically forced for but that last one doesn't count. It was a fumble on the last play of the game, you know. But to to be able to force, you know, a fumble. There was that Drive-In. What was it in? Like it was I think it was the third quarter.
Of course, the end of the third quarter where, you know, they get all the way down to the Indiana, 20 yard line and then DeVito fumbles the ball and I you picks it up. And that kills a drive that almost certainly would have resulted in at least a field goal attempt, if not a touchdown
attempt. I you with that play with the, with the shutting down Illinois and the goal line situation that should count as a turnover as well, you know, That was really, really cool to see this Indiana defense kind of get its mojo back, a little bit and assert itself. And this was something we talked about in our pre-season podcast where it's like you know, this is if Indiana is going to win this year. It's probably not going to come from the offense. It's going to be the defense
putting them in position. Keeping the other team out of the end zone, keeping them to field goals and I really feel like we saw a lot of that in this game, great game by cam Jones, you know, I think he finished with what Of tackles, which was almost double, what anybody else, had no appear at a great game, you get a couple of sacks rather what they ended up with three sacks on the game overall and you get an interception out of dress sanguinetti like overall.
I felt really good especially about the back seven but overall just a good effort by this defense in total. I'll take a different approach but gets the same answer as you had the again. What I didn't like to see was after half time you come out you're up 9:44 you throw an interception on the second play not great. It happens. That was a great time for the defense to kind of pick you up and keep it you know keep it to 16 213 if they can but you know you have Illinois and five plays
gets a touchdown, some of your down. 1716, it was Little bit, you know, worrisome like, oh my God, we're coming out of halftime again. Looking sloppy, the defense, just kind of let Illinois, you know, push them around and get right in there and score a touchdown. It's like that really killed the Mojo of most the second half. But when you look at the defense, the rest of the second, half after that touchdown play, it's a punt. It's a fumble. It's de turnover on Downs, it's
an interception. It's a field goal. That's why they held didn't break, and then it's a fumble. Like, that's a great second half. After a bad first series right after halftime. So to your point yes. Like they they really stepped it up and they had to him and that he was 17, 16 obviously until it was 2016 but any one of those are you had again punt.
Fumble turnover on Downs. Interception field goal you had four series there where I think any one of those if there's points, you know, obviously it one more field goal would have tied the game at the end, but it does feed it be. They're watching the game. It felt like any points could have pushed it over the edge, and any kind of touchdown felt like that might have been the game at that point.
And so did feel like the game was in the balance in the defense held tight for basically the rest of the second half. So I've with you I was I was really happy to see that again. There's would like to see us come out a little bit crisper right out of halftime, but again, let's work on that.
Yeah, I mean you're gonna ultimately I think see the defense get better and it'll look I mean we're According this on Saturday afternoon, I mean Tom Allen takes the defense back over and and there's some I think good and bad with that. It's a different style from what we are used to with quinoa.
Make it's certainly different from last year and I think more successful Charlton Warren. His DC is now I think the coordinator at North Carolina they just gave up 61 points and they won but they gave up 61 points. So I think Indiana made the right choice here. All things considered and moving on and so I do tip My cap to Alan for being able to motivate that defense and put them in a position where they could be this level of successful.
And you know look again it's Illinois it's not a great opponent from an offensive perspective, it might be one of the three or four worst offenses, that Indiana will face this year but it's a nice starting point. And the fact that they're generating turnovers again is really good to see because I think that so much of this defense is ability to change games comes out of their
ability. To change fields and get get the other team's offense off balance by creating turnovers and creating doubt in what they're doing. So, just in general, I like that start and I think honestly that is probably going to be what carries Indiana through the
early stages. If they're going to obviously Idaho is more of a fine-tuning game one would hope, but I think if they're going to beat Western Kentucky, it's going to start with their defense giving their offense enough time to put together, momentum and confidence.
In what they're doing and so that we'll have probably have to be what it goes along with until the offensive line either gets it stuff together or Walt Bell, figures out, how to reconstruct the approach to try to game plan around that as much as best he can. Yeah. But if I go back to his like, OneDrive really changes the view of this game because if Indiana comes up short or, you know, we just go out on Downs or, you know, you said, we we don't get
it on that. Fourth down, third down, play we go to 4th and we, you know, drop a pass. In The End Zone. You know, we're having a different talk about the defense today, honestly were just like, you know, it didn't do enough. I can't give up 20 points like, you know, you gotta hold them after it, is it, you start looking at all of the mistakes and all of the problems and it could become a snake. Eating its own tail very quickly and so it it was a game you really couldn't lose.
Not again back to the initial point. I wasn't ready for a moral Victory. So it's a well that you really had to win and they found a way
to win. And look, I also think it's important to mention That ultimately I you I mean got something we always complain about is I, you not baked getting the benefit of calls and I you benefited from a couple of calls in this game where you're just, you look go back and look at it. Like the touchdown that didn't count that should have been should have been a touchdown, I
don't know, I still don't know. And then keep in mind, you know, for those of you who go to the games, you lose a lot of context that those of you who are watching at home, get because you've got cameras everywhere. There's no replays of note in Memorial Stadium at this point. I don't know what happened with that 12 men on the field that, you know, where they just essentially canceled the play. Yeah, and said, there's no, I'm TV. That's why I was driving over that. They even the TV.
They're like, I've never heard of play. Be canceled. Is a the, the umpires mic wasn't working. So they're all right. Like, what we're all doing. What he said. It's like, I guess the play was cancelled, like I guess the plate is didn't happen. We were we were all standing there because it like you said, there was no Mike. And so it's like, what, what? Exactly occurred here and I still don't Good explanation on that. And so I look I use gotten screwed by Big Ten officiating
enough times in its history. I am I I have no sympathy for Illinois fans or their team on this at all. Like this is just occasionally this good things have to happen to Indiana when it comes to officiating. So I guess this means we can't complain when these same things happen against Michigan, or Ohio State later this year, which almost certainly will occur because it happens every year, but There was also a play in the first half for us. It was my buddy. Tom is like, a defensive shift
or something? Like I don't know. I'm not sure what they called and we're like, I don't know. And like my joke is always been two things. First off with IU, I've seen things called at IU games, I've never seen call, but I remember five or six years ago, we had two players with the same number. It's like, I didn't, I guess, I guess that's a rule. Like I didn't know that was a rule.
And then my joke, always is like, as my wife was learning more, the intricacies of football, we'd go to IU games that I realize, like I shouldn't be Teaching you football with IU because every these questions like what does that rule? Like I don't know. Because actually never heard that rule before, I'm not sure. And then there'll be things. Like, remember one time she like, well why would you punch it there? I'm like well, you know I'm like
punching get some yardstick. Well, our pump will only went 22 yards like why not just throw and take a shot? I'm like, yes it, yes. Again, let's watch Alabama. Like that's how football supposed to be out but yeah, again weird weird calls but yes, don't feel bad for anybody else in the Big Ten they can suck on it. That's right. So anyway any other thoughts from the game overall? Anything else that stuck out to you. You just brought it. Yeah, I do just brought it, they were fantastic.
The crowd was awesome. It's funny. I was joking after halftime my buddy, Tom group Bloomington with he hasn't been to a game in a while was like this for the students are coming back because now like that that's kind of the way it rolls here. Like they're gonna people leave, they don't come back because like honestly normally the team kind of doesn't give them a reason to come back.
And then once we had the interception, the touchdown like, this is why they're right, but again I you proved him wrong. Think do this enough times, people will start coming back. But, you know, let's not get into that. The crowd was all way bigger than I thought, it was going to be the students were fired up cheering stuff to start the game. Really cool. Fly over a little bit late but
that's fine. But yeah, great crowd really nice atmosphere, and most of the get a good amount of crowd stayed, but you had kind of that normal after halftime, you know, leaving but I was very pleasantly surprised at the Pants and just the overall crowd atmosphere to start that game. Yeah, I was really, really happy with the students. Especially, I mean, the student section was full, the Overflow. For the student section was full.
I was disappointed in the alumni showing, I'm not surprised, it's a Friday night, I get it. There's there's High School football. It's a Labor Day weekend, but it's still, I think a long night need to do better overall, and if you're going to get sick, don't get sensitive about that. If you getting sensitive about that, you don't have a good reason to be, don't give me excuses. Like, this was a big ten home opener. You can find your way to the game.
I know it's a long drive home, like, that's okay. You'll live the but no, I mean, the fact that the students were able, even though they left some of them left at halftime. A decent number came back like and yes, it was. It had been a little bit by the end of the game. That was a long game. I mean, that was one of those games where your people who are only on board, like, 30 or 40 percent. It's like, am I going to really stick with this that game time? Total was three hours and 58
minutes. And that's that is some Kettle. So reminder of Kevin well that isn't Kevin Wilson had some for our games. Yeah, I mean the longest game the only game Indiana played last year. That was over. Three hours and 42 minutes was the Cincinnati game which of course was also the hottest game
of the year, you know. But but this is you know, this is one of those things where outside of overtime games we haven't seen a lot of games go. This long like Penn State went four hours and five minutes in 2020 but that was an overtime game. Those, most of those Kalin de bourgh games were pretty Speedy. So this did feel kind of like, you're back in the, in the day and, you know, my wife and I walked out of the stadium and it was what 12 10, 12 15 in the morning. So I am to some degree.
Not surprised. I'm actually surprised there wasn't more leakage of fans as you got further down the line. Especially honestly, I mean, there were people in our section. I was up in the roof top section who would drifting Out at the end of the third, beginning of the 4th because it really kind of felt like Indiana didn't have
what it took to win. It felt like you were just going to stick around be very disappointed and feel like well there's IU football doing IU football things to me again, but it was, I think really satisfying for the folks that stuck around. And again, I think the students deserve a lot of credit for, for being there, General, I mean, atmosphere was good, I was out tailgating at 1:00 and the vibe was not some, it was, it was a good traditional kind.
It wasn't as hot as I was worried that it was going to be that the overcast Skies helped quite a bit. And so yeah, it was a good first game day for IU. And I'm happy that it worked out the way that it did. Because it felt like the people that went out and decided to do The Full Experience, had a good time. It was a great way to kick off a Labor Day weekend. Now, you get to do it all over again at the exact same time. Next week, another, another leaving the game at the next day
at 12:15. My Em. I'm hoping they're up by like 45 and it's like, you know, I think they got this one. Let's go home and watch the fourth quarter kind of thing. Maybe, but now in this, in this case, it's exciting to see Indiana have a good crowd and be able to do the things that they did in that game. Anyway. Final thoughts on anything else.
Indiana playing Idaho next week. I mean, obviously line play, we've talked about Quite a bit is something that needs to be addressed like ASAP and clearly, they got to wait to see what the situation is with Matthew Bedford. Anything else that you would really like to see them work on before we wrap up? I don't know. I mean, because even if they get a running game going it's like if they can get a hundred yard rusher, it's like all right. Well it's Idaho. It's kind of like fools gold.
It's kind of like you know, NBA Summer League like if you think somebody's good and you're like, oh my God, you got 28 points. You think they're bad? It's like, you know, you're playing against guys who are not going to be in. The NBA. So I think you have something similar here. Where, if they say, I will say this, if they struggle to get the Run going against Idaho like they did against Illinois. I think that we are in for a very long season and maybe we need to call Mike Leach.
And just like, hey, do you mind coming on as a consultant to see what we can do? Without any running backs but you know if if they can get some running game going and open some holes, I guess that's good. I'm not sure if that's going to be a preview of anything. Going to see against other Big Ten teams but I would like to see them work on that a little bit. Yeah I don't know how much again, I think you're right, you just got to get up.
I like 21, 28 points and just that you can work on some stuff in a game atmosphere, where, you know, there's no choice. There's no real possibility of losing. You don't want to be where Iowa is today, where they scored seven points on on two safeties against South Dakota State. It's like your squeak. Like, oh man, good thing we got those safeties. You needed those, like, that's not the place you want to be. Be in the most Iowa game in history, my God. Yes, sorry.
Yeah, so not all bi that's I'm kind of wrapping up its there's there's really not much you can ever take away from this game. We blown out teams like Idaho before and then had bad Seasons. We've struggled then had good Seasons, but I do think with this team psyche, with where the fan base is at. I do think that struggling inside a ho would be suboptimal. Like let's just go out when by 21:28 and that I don't think the little things. I'll talk about it next week
with you. I, I'm just gonna have a hard time being God will run game. Solve icaro lines, good. It's like it's probably not but maybe a little bit of a mirage for a week would be nice. So, I'll say that. I mean, the one thing I'm a little bit curious about, not just the Bedford situation, but I guess Jaylyn Williams left the game with an injury. Like am Jones, had an injury came back in I'm assuming he'll be okay, but it's always the big question. Mark with IU football.
It's like they don't have the depth generally speaking to sustain a lot of injuries so you know this Idaho game comes at a really good time because maybe they can get some younger players into those spots. Give guys a week to rest on the defensive side of the ball. And see if they can get some depth developed because there's just not a lot of time to do that in the season but no overall good.
Good way to start the year and and again look we talked about this in the pregame or the pre-season podcast which I guess was technically also, our pregame podcast, this is a flawed Indiana T. We know it going in. We know this is not going to be a team that is going to blow a bunch of teams out or win a lot of games convincingly. This is an IU team that is going to struggle a lot.
Not with basic things but they're also look like they've got a pulse in a way that they did not have last year and that is promising. I don't know if it's going to equate to. I mean right now, you know, I picked them to win the game. Although I also bet money on Illinois, before the game, I was like, I couldn't decide as I go. I'm going to talk about about a bet. I would pick Indiana on the podcast but it was very close and it was like well I kind of feel like I like Illinois in
that spot. And I'm certainly glad Indiana prove me wrong and I still think that five and seven is probably about where this team is going to end up Landing because I didn't see anything in this game that made me think. Oh they're going to be able to really overcome and really compete in the games against much better competition, but it's nice to get that first one. Under the belt of the team and who knows, you know, you get a couple of wins under your belt
and stuff can happen. So, we'll see what happens with all that. But anyway, Scott good to try to talk with you once again, we appreciate as always, getting the opportunity to speak college football and I you football. Together with you folks and continue to check in with us we'll have a couple more podcast coming up this week as we will preview the Idaho game. Probably Thursday some time.
So be sure to check the feed either Thursday night or Friday morning and then we'll be back with a recap of Idaho after that, to be sure to tune it in here for Scott Caulfield on Galen klaviyo. This is Crimson cast brought to you by home-field Apparel in the back home network. We will catch you folks on the flip side, bring back the bicycle. Ison so long, everybody.