Sawt Falasteen - No. 4 Indiana looks to revive offense against improving Minnesota

The Indiana Hoosiers offense has suddenly stalled.

At Nebraska, a stagnant ground game produced only 65 yards. Against Ohio State, the inability to finish drives with touchdowns resulted in a 19-15 loss. And last week, at Michigan, Josh Hoover completed just eight passes for 81 yards before running for a 4-yard touchdown in overtime to the give Hoosiers a 13-6 victory.

So with a November run looming and the defending national champs hoping to make a third straight playoff appearance, the fourth-ranked Hoosiers want to find a solution Saturday when they face Minnesota and coach P.J. Fleck, who sees few flaws in his next foe.

“They’re two of the best (receivers) in the country on one team,” Fleck said. “That’s a luxury that they have, that they use, and they’re very good in the run game, too, which I don’t think they get enough credit for — how well and how hard (the receivers) block on the perimeter, which allows all their dynamic backs to come shooting out on the second level and finish runs.”

There are plenty of explanations for Indiana’s recent struggles.

Hoover injured his right arm in the loss to Ohio State and played through the pain against Michigan. The weary Hoosiers certainly can use next week’s bye after playing nine straight weeks, and perhaps fans have come to expect more from the typically high-scoring Hoosiers (7-1, 5-1 Big Ten) after the past two seasons.

But Indiana’s last three opponents also rely on strong, physical defenses, capable of making opponents one dimensional. Two-time Associated Press Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti believes Minnesota’s defense can play the same way.

“They get to the ball, they can play man, they can play zone, they can load the box on you if they have to,” Cignetti said. “They’ve got five-man pressures and six-man pressures, that’s where they try to keep you off balance. So they’re really good, and you’ve got to earn every yard, and you’ve got to earn every score.”

The result: Surprising Minnesota (5-2, 3-1) has won four of its last five and has already beaten three ranked foes this season. Can the Gophers produce similar results against Hoover — who Cignetti believes will be healthier and better this week — and against a foe looking for a midseason jump start?

“I think tempo, picking up the pace as fast as we can, really eliminating mistakes, eliminating the clutter so we can play at full speed out there and be fully decisive on the field,” Indiana offensive lineman Bray Lynch said, explaining what still needs to improve. “I think from Week 1 to now, you definitely see improvement there — even though we still need to make improvements (in those areas).”

The Gophers beat No. 15 Iowa last week, giving them simultaneous possession of rivalry trophies with the Hawkeyes, Michigan and Wisconsin for the first time since 1978.

“Just seeing the joy of all the fans, it was one of the best environments I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” quarterback Drake Lindsey said. “It was rocking. Just bringing home Floyd for the state of Minnesota and all the fans, it was an awesome feeling.”

Minnesota doesn’t have time to revel in the victory, though. In addition to Indiana, the Gophers host No. 7 UCLA and still have November matchups with No. 20 Northwestern and No. 25 Wisconsin, plus a trip to Penn State.

Indiana managed to avoid the first back-to-back losses of Cignetti’s three-year tenure by winning at Michigan for the first time since 1967. Now they return home where they came within a foot of extending their home winning streak to 20 against the Buckeyes.

Ohio State remains the only Big Ten team to beat Cignetti’s Hoosiers. Can the Gophers change that storyline in their first contest against Indiana since 2021 and just the third since 2008? Perhaps.

Holding the line

The key to last week’s win was the defense forcing four turnovers and an excellent performance by the defensive line against Iowa’s usually stout offensive line. Defensive end Anthony Smith, one of the team’s top NFL prospects, had his best game of the season, as reported by Fleck.

“I thought they got after it,” Fleck said. “When our d-line’s at their best, they’re active, they’re strong, they’re dominating their gap, they’re violent, disengaging, making plays, and then freeing up those backers. We’re going to need that this week.”

H.Darwish--SF-PST