Wilson, Hoosiers make right moves to vanquish Penn State
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Assistant Editor
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Kofi Hughes had nothing to point to when asked for his favorite moment in four years with Indiana football.
A quarterback and basketball player in high school in Indianapolis, Hughes had moved down the road and over to receiver, only to endure 28 losses with just 12 wins, a 3-21 record in Big Ten play, fans leaving games early and failing to make much noise during them and a general sense of hopelessness and gloom that so often hangs over a historically inept program.
Until Saturday. Until the Hoosiers filled Memorial Stadium with sunny optimism on a dreary, drizzly afternoon. Until Kevin Wilson worked his coaching magic. Until Cody Latimer impressed the NFL general manager in attendance. And until the Hoosiers finally beat Penn State for the first time in school history.
A 44-24 win in the opener of Big Ten play did the trick – for the fans in yellow ponchos, and for Hughes.
“We were talking about this in the locker room, just the fact of going through all these things,” Hughes said. “I’ve been asked a bunch of times in interviews, ‘What’s your highlight?’ I had nothing to say. The last three or four years haven’t been really any good at all. It’s all worth it now. I can say today was definitely a huge highlight for my career.”
Since the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten in 1993, Indiana had compiled an 0-16 record against them. It’s as if the Hoosiers took a giant eraser, scrubbed the doughnut and drew a 1. It was their day.
The rushing defense performed respectably, holding Penn State running backs to 110 yards on 30 carries. Special teams units blocked a field goal and forced and recovered a fumble. The defense produced a safety for the first time since 2009. Latimer went off for nine catches and 140 yards. Tailback Tevin Coleman carried 20 times for 92 yards and a touchdown, setting career highs with seven receptions and 55 yards to boot.
About all that could go right, did go right, with the exception of an athletic interception by Penn State’s fine safety Adrian Amos. The Hoosiers started a little slow only to hit high gear over the final 24 minutes, leading to a third victory this season of at least 20 points. They beat Indiana State by 38 and Bowling Green by 32.
“Coach says all the time we’re too good to be losing close games,” Latimer said.
Translation: Why play them tight? You can see the vision of Wilson slowly coming into focus. The Hoosiers are putting together complete performances in which all three phases hold up their end of the bargain. Penn State’s defense was not sharp, and its special teams play was an avert-your-eyes disaster, and that resulted in the Nittany Lions boarding their bus at 3-2 instead of 4-1.
Meanwhile, Wilson and his staff earned high praise for their bye week alterations, which included more protection on offense and more coverage on defense. Wilson provided answers that reversed the team’s weak efforts on offense and defense against Missouri.
“He deserves a lot of credit,” Hughes said.
While Wilson’s entire coaching background is on offense, he spent much of the off week working with his very young defense.
“The three days we practiced, he was very involved,” cornerback Tim Bennett said. “He was in the meetings and at practice. He did more than usual.”
Touted freshman Christian Hackenberg (30-of-55 for 340 yards, 3 TDs) was outplayed by Hoosiers counterpart Nate Sudfeld, who avoided the critical mistakes made against Missouri and finished 21-of-38 for 321 yards and two touchdowns.
A lot of what Sudfeld was able to do was made possible by a cleaner pocket. Tight end Ted Bolser caught one pass because he stayed in to block more often. Even as Bernard Taylor didn’t start, and right guard David Kaminski left with an injury, the Hoosiers held dangerous pass rusher Deion Barnes without a sack.
One of those plays on which Sudfeld had time to throw was a sliding, 36-yard touchdown reception by Hughes early in the fourth quarter. That pushed Indiana in front 35-17 and let the reality of what was happening start to set in. The ball traveled over 40 yards in the air, with Hughes going low to catch it around cornerback Trevor Williams. After the play, lying flat on his back, Hughes stretched his arms out wide as if to make a snow angel and then leapt up to embrace Latimer. Hughes had four catches for 85 yards.
While the Sudfeld-to-Latimer connection was sizzling, Latimer’s spark on special teams had to impress Seahawks general manager John Schneider, who watched from the press box. Latimer recovered Penn State’s fumbled kick return in the fourth quarter and later secured an onside kick. Coaches asked him in camp to play on special teams, along with a few other starters, and he immediately embraced it.
“We’re relentless,” Latimer said. “They needed us on special teams. I like the overall play. I like the all-in-one.”
Fans did, too. Though the weather and noon start kept attendance at 42,125, the crowd roared thunderous approval as the game went on. Indiana assistants waved their arms to egg on the noise during the second half’s sudden momentum surge. What unfolded at Memorial Stadium had the place buzzing with energy.
“I’ve never felt it like that before, ever,” Hughes said. “I could feel the fans for once. The fans actually stuck around. Very exciting.”
So the Hoosiers conclude their five-game homestand with a 3-2 record and face a tour of Michigan over the next two weeks. The Spartans are 4-1. The Wolverines are 5-0. But Indiana sent a message that it is reaching a point in Wilson’s tenure where they’re ready to compete for something. Getting to a bowl game is now a real possibility. Having a winning record, though less likely, is not out of the question.
“It’s just playing up to our ability,” safety Mark Murphy said. “We did do something special today. We’re just trying to play our best.”
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Follow Chris Goff on Twitter: chrisgoff_ISL.
