Reviewing the 2019 Indiana Hoosiers

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Indiana is much improved in 2019, and is just one win away from bowl eligibility.

The Indiana Hoosiers are off to their best start in 25 years, bringing a 5-2 record to Lincoln to face the Huskers. That’s not to be completely unexpected, though, with games against Ball State (34-24), Eastern Illinois (52-0), UConn (38-3), Rutgers (35-0) and Maryland (34-28) to open the season. The Hoosiers got whacked like everybody else by Ohio State, losing 51-10, but Michigan State needed a chip shot field goal with five seconds left to beat Indiana at home last month. The margin of victory widened to 40-31 with a defensive touchdown scored after the Hoosiers fumbled during the Stanford band lateral drill on the game’s final play.

In that game, Indiana struggled to run the ball, gaining only 70 yards on the ground, but redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 33 of 42 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns. 14 of those completions went to junior receiver Whop Philyor for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Penix has started five games this season, missing the Ohio State and UConn games due to a shoulder injury that he may have re-aggravated last week against Maryland. Head coach Tom Allen says the two injuries are not related, but that Penix is questionable and probably a game-time decision for this week’s game. In Penix’s absence, junior Peyton Ramsey returned to action. For the season, Penix has completed 69% of his passes for 1,232 yards and ten touchdowns with four interceptions. Ramsey has completed 74% of his passes for 843 yards and six touchdowns with two interceptions. Ramsey is more likely to run than Penix is, though Penix is averaging 6.8 yards per carry on 17 carries.