Defense makes penetrating statement as Hoosiers bounce back
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The formula for the Hoosiers’ defense against Bowling Green was a simple one: More penetration, better results.
Sparked by forays into the offensive backfield, which contributed to the wobbly play of sophomore Falcons quarterback Matt Johnson, the Indiana defense finished with five tackles for loss and two sacks. Hard to argue with the outcome. The last time the Hoosiers prevented an offensive touchdown in a game was Sept. 6, 2008 against Murray State.
The timing couldn’t have been better for a defensive unit that surrendered 444 rushing yards to Navy last Saturday and was seemingly called into question that night after Kevin Wilson gambled deep in his own territory on an early fourth-and-1 play instead of punting.
On this sunny afternoon, against their toughest opponent yet, it was a totally different story.
According to school records, the Hoosiers stopped only one of the Midshipmen’s 69 designed rushes for a negative gain. They went smaller and quicker against Bowling Green, blowing up four runs for no gain and forcing Johnson to scoot around the pocket in the first meeting between the teams, a 42-10 Indiana victory.
“Indiana was stout up front and very sound, they stopped us on third down and in the red zone,” Falcons coach Dave Clawson said.
Johnson flailed under the pressure, with Nick Mangieri recording a sack to give him a team-high 2.5 on the season. Mangieri added four tackles, batted down a third-down pass to halt a drive and made it a day to remember with his first career interception, which popped right off the body of a receiver and withstood a replay review.
It was a welcome sight.
“They did get pressure on the quarterback and it was nice to see the defensive players do what they practiced and it was nice to see them come out and play well,” Indiana coach Wilson said. “Aggressive early. We were pretty good.”
From a strategy standpoint, the Hoosiers played their pass-rushing linemen (Mangieri, Bobby Richardson) inside on early downs, then left them at defensive tackle in passing situations.
Even the nickel and dime alignments were solid against the run, as Falcons back Travis Greene entered the game ranked fifth in the Mid-American Conference by averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He was limited to 3.9 Saturday, a credit to a much-improved primary front seven of linemen Mangieri, Richardson, Zack Shaw and Ryan Phillis and linebackers T.J. Simmons, David Cooper and Flo Hardin.
Meanwhile, the defensive backs mostly took care of their business down the field. Tim Bennett and Michael Hunter continued to succeed as starting corners, with Greg Heban and Mark Murphy at safety. Antonio Allen continued to see the field in sub situations.
Johnson finished 25 of 44 for 248 yards and a pick.
“I think the defense had a lot more fun flying around today,” Heban said. “We talked about how the defense was holding us back. We were able to cut loose.”
No component was more productive than the offense, whose 150 points have set a school record for a three-game stretch, although players on that unit talk about the defense and special teams because of how important they are.
The first big play on penetration set the tone for the day, with Simmons’ fourth-down stop at the Indiana 22 denying Bowling Green a chance to extend its 10-7 lead.
“The defense had a heck of a game shutting out a great offense,” said Hoosiers wideout Cody Latimer, who had six catches for 137 yards and a touchdown.
Wilson said he felt the defense, which had allowed 41 points in nine drives to Navy and gave up three points in 11 series against Bowling Green, reacted well to the pressure of straightening itself out.
“I had a lot of respect for Bowling Green coming in,” Wilson said. “Coach Clawson’s guys are mature on offense. I was proud of how we responded. We had 10 stops: 8 of 20 on third downs, 2 of 6 on fourth down and they were 0 of 3 in the red zone. We have a big challenge next week with Missouri.”
Follow Chris Goff on Twitter: chrisgoff_ISL.
