Inside Out with Josh Wilson
Indiana-Penn State Recap
Written by: Josh Wilson 10/20/2018
I don't know what to say anymore when it comes to Indiana University football. I can't really find the word for it.. Apathetic? Normal? Hopeless? Those were some of the feelings that crossed my mind tonight while sitting in my basement staring at the TV after another weekend of abysmal play and coaching if we are being honest.
The game was Indiana football to a freaking "T" from the start. Penn State received the opening kickoff and promptly ran it back 58 yards, which led an opening touchdown drive that took less than three minutes. Talk about ‘here we go again’. But, Indiana responded on the following drive, scoring a touchdown on it's first drive, in also less than three minutes. A few minutes later, Penn State tried to get cute and run a fake punt, but IU's special teams unit sniffed it out and was able to stop the trick play and set up the offense for a short field and a drive that resulted in a TD, and a 14-7 lead for the Hoosiers. That moment was the best I felt about Indiana football in awhile. I honestly thought they might do it. Penn State has looked vulnerable lately, and this game was going to be the perfect spot for IU to spring an upset. I should've known better. That feeling didn't last long at all.
Indiana is down 17-14 with under two minutes left in the first half, it's a 4th down inside the red zone. Rather than bringing out the field goal unit to just tie the game up, Tom Allen and staff make the decision to trot the offense back out there and try to draw the defense offsides. It did appear that a Penn State player might have jumped offsides, and Mike Penix Jr. calls for the snap and proceeds to throw a fade into the corner of the end zone. The ball sails out of bounds, and IU turns the ball over since no flag was thrown for the possible offsides call. An opportunity well wasted. It's moments like those that truly derail Indiana's hopes in this game and games of the past. The coaching staff always preaches "breakthrough". Yeah, well you can't breakthrough until you get out of your own way. The final 35 minutes of the game was just entirely mismanaged, which led to IU losing 33-28.
Freshman QB Michael Penix Jr. played a lot of minutes in this game, and got injured on the second series of the second half as he was scrambling towards the first down. It appeared his knee/lower leg got rolled up on. He was helped off the field and into the locker room. Coach Tom Allen said in the post game press conference that Penix had a lower leg injury, and there was nothing more definitive at this time. I really hope that he is okay. I have said for a few weeks now that IU should move forward with Penix as the starting QB. It's nothing against Ramsey, I just think Penix offers more upside. He has the bigger arm, he is just as mobile as Ramsey, and did I mention he has a cannon for an arm? He needs to work on his touch a little bit, but he does things that help you beat some of the big dogs in the B1G East division.
****NOTE: Since the release of this story originally, it has been announced Penix will miss the remainder of the season due to injury.
This is one Indiana let slip away. They had an opportunity to get that statement win. But the entire game was mismanaged, and because of that, the Hoosiers fall to 4-4 (1-4 B1G) and are now in dire need of two wins to become bowl eligible. Next up for the Hoosiers, the Minnesota Golden Gophers next Saturday in Minneapolis.