Defense
Defensive line: C-
What seemed like a unit dead in the water last week turned it up a notch against Indiana. They were unable to sack Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr., but they got in his face and forced him to make poor throws. Those poor throws didn’t create turnovers, but they helped give the defense a chance to stop Indiana’s offense. The biggest issue was the number of times they jumped offside, which gave Indiana free shots downfield that they executed on for a majority of the time.
The line suffered blows, though, when defensive end Aidan Hutchinson left the game early and didn’t return. Kwity Paye also left the game early with an injury, but he had five total tackles and a tackle for loss. Hutchinson’s replacement, Luiji Vilan, had three total tackles before he left with injury. Defensive lineman Taylor Upshaw played well, finishing with two total tackles, one tackle for loss.
Linebackers: C
The linebackers once again get a C grade. They did well but could have done better. Viper Michael Barret finished with 11 total tackles. While he put pressure on Penix and stopped the run, his pass coverage was tested. He only passed due to a dropped pass from a wide-open tight end. Cam McGrone finished with seven total tackles, and Josh Ross finished with five total tackles.
While the passing attack worked well, Indiana’s attempts at rushing the football didn’t have much success. Indiana finished with 38 carries for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Stevie Scott was held just under 100 yards.
Cornerback: F
The defensive group that needed a big turnaround from last week was the cornerbacks. That turnaround didn’t happen. While Michigan State had one weapon it continuously threw to, Indiana had multiple weapons. Indiana wide receiver Whop Philyor had 11 catches for 79 yards. Ty Fryfogle had seven catches for 142 yards. Cornerback Vincent Gray finished with six total tackles and one pass deflection, but he struggled in coverage once again and was taken advantage of all game long.
The other starting cornerback, Gemon Green, was quiet with a pass deflection, but he drew a holding penalty and struggled to keep his man covered. Penix finished 30-of-50 for 342 yards with three touchdowns. Back-to-back 300-yard games isn’t what you want to allow as a secondary.
Safety: D
The cornerbacks weren’t the only secondary unit that had issues with stopping the Hoosiers offense. Safety Brad Hawkins led the team with 12 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass deflection, but he wasn’t shy in drawing penalties as well. Hawkins also made a mistake, getting in the way of safety Daxton Hill’s interception bid, leading to Hill’s drop of the ball.
Hill, overall, still had a good game with seven total tackles and a pass deflection. Still, his coverage skills were helpful, and he helped slow the Hoosiers’ passing attack as best as he could by stopping the receivers who caught passes and helped come in the box to try and slow down the rushing attack.
Punting/Kicking: A
We didn’t see any field goal attempts, but kicker Quinn Nordin was 3 for 3 on extra-point attempts. When it came to punting, Brad Robbins got the start and did well overall, punting seven times for 375 yards; four landed inside the 20-yard line.
Punt/Kick Return: C
The unit didn’t seem to have too much impact. Wide receiver Giles Jackson returned two punts for 14 yards and three kicks for 49 yards. He made a few good moves to get extra yardage but couldn’t take any to the house.
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