How many points will Indiana score on us?

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JPIIGopher

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After watching some replays of Indiana games I can't help but be impressed with their offense. It may be the best offense they have had there since the Antwaan Randle-EL days. Check out these scores they've put up in the last year against schools with significantly better defenses than ours:

Michigan 47
Penn St. 44
Ohio St 49

Obviously their defense leaves little to be desired but assuming that they will score 40-55 points on us can our offense keep up? Really starting to hate this match up for us. Coaches really have their work cut out for them this week. We have to control the ball on the ground or we will have no shot.
 

I mentioned this in another thread...the only way the Gophers win this game is by holding the ball for 40 minutes and being +2 in turn overs and even then they might not make it.

Indiana will have at least 4 drives of 3 minutes of less for touchdowns in this game...we have to match those drives with 4 drives of 8 minutes or more. If we do, then the turnovers will seal the deal.

I am not looking forward to this game...
 


Well, whatever we do, we always have to assume the worst-case scenario.
 

I think the fact that they are the only team to score more than 20 points against a very good Michigan State defense tells you all you need to know about their offense. Totally agree that we have to take care of the ball and keep their offense off the field as long as possible. We should be able to run off some long drives against their really bad defense but no doubt we are going to need to score because I will be shocked if we are able to hold them to anything less than their season low point total of 28.

And speaking of Michigan State, just looked at their schedule, if they get by Michigan this weekend they have an awesome chance to run the table the rest of the way and finish 11-1. Remaining games are home against Michigan, at Nebraska, at Northwestern, and at home against us to close out the year.
 


JPIIGopher said:
After watching some replays of Indiana games I can't help but be impressed with their offense. It may be the best offense they have had there since the Antwaan Randle-EL days. Check out these scores they've put up in the last year against schools with significantly better defenses than ours:
Click to expand...

How did you determine this? I think the Gophers are improving each week on both sides of the ball. If we tackle well, we'll be fine. I say they score less than 30.
 

They run a no huddle offense that is designed not to let you setup defensively.
I worry about that because we alternate our front 4 quite a bit. If we can hold them between 30-35 I think we've a shot. I was hoping for bad weather to slow them down. As I mentioned in another thread, I hope Holers don't go bonkers if we lose to Indiana. It sets up to be a very tough game.
 





Whatever it is I hope it's at least one less than we score on them...
 

killme said:
How did you determine this? I think the Gophers are improving each week on both sides of the ball. If we tackle well, we'll be fine. I say they score less than 30.
Click to expand...

+1 They won't be able to drop back and pass deep because of our pass rush. That leaves the short, quick slants, curls and outs. They will make a lot of those but sooner or later something breaks down. If we make them go the length of the field, and have long drives ourselves, we'll be fine. Actually I expect them to run more than they have in the past with screens and draws but I don't think that will work very well for them - it is hard to run a draw play when there are two Gophers in the backfield "helping" you with the handoff. As for screens, look at Neb., our guys were really good I thought in smelling out the screens.

While I'm at the keyboard I'll point out that Bell and Enunwa were covered all game. Those are two very fast, good receivers. Our secondary is not chopped liver and should be close enough to IU receivers to make the tackle right away and/or break up the pass.

Gophers win, IU scores 24, their lowest of the season, and the Gophers finally start to get some respect
 


The amount of points that Indiana scores is a direct result of tempo. Mch, MSU, PSU "played the game" with Indiana. If you want a horserace, you will get one. Not one of those teams tried to control the tempo. In fact, PSU ran 93 plays. 93. Indiana had 80. That's 173 plays not including kicks. That's 20 seconds a play. Ludicrous.

Mch (83-76 plays) and MSU (78-74) were trying to accumulate as many points and as big of a stat line as they could. All about ego there.

Minnesota will dictate the tempo in this game. I predict that Indiana will have less than 70 plays from scrimmage, as will the Gophers. Minnesota will frustrate Indiana all day with the pace of the game, using 25-30 seconds a play. They will force the Hoosiers into 3 turnovers while rushing for over 300. Final score, Minnesota 34, Indiana 21.
 




Who cares? Just as long as the Gophers score one more than the Hoosiers.
 

ruppertflywheel said:
They run a no huddle offense that is designed not to let you setup defensively.
I worry about that because we alternate our front 4 quite a bit. If we can hold them between 30-35 I think we've a shot. I was hoping for bad weather to slow them down. As I mentioned in another thread, I hope Holers don't go bonkers if we lose to Indiana. It sets up to be a very tough game.
Click to expand...

Plus we have struggled mightily defending the hurry-up at times. Think end of third quarter vs. Nebraska and New Mexico State when they went hurry up.

Maybe, just maybe, the offense will learn some hurry-up to help the defense practice this week...nah, won't get my hopes up.
 

Like others have said, our running game will hopefully allow us to sustain long drives. In the games listed in the OP, the other teams got into a shootout with them.

Another small thing that could disrupt the Indiana offense is if we substitute every time Indiana does. The offense has to allow the defense time to make changes so that could slow them down a little. I'm not sure how often Indiana subs in the middle of their drives though.
 

AEmerson40 said:
Plus we have struggled mightily defending the hurry-up at times. Think end of third quarter vs. Nebraska and New Mexico State when they went hurry up.

Maybe, just maybe, the offense will learn some hurry-up to help the defense practice this week...nah, won't get my hopes up.
Click to expand...

I sure hope the regular offense isn't learning someone else's offense.

I'm sure the scout team is running some kind of version of what Indiana does. Even if they just run the same 5-10 plays in the practice, at least try to emulate the speed and tempo of Indiana's offense.
 


A high-scoring game with both teams over 40 and OT a possibility. Remember, we are 2-16 at Bloomington since 1969.
 

MNVCGUY said:
I think the fact that they are the only team to score more than 20 points against a very good Michigan State defense tells you all you need to know about their offense. .
Click to expand...

This is a somewhat valid point, but there are a couple of differences worth mentioning. First, I don't think MSU has quite the rushing game that the Gophers are going with right now. The Gophers will be running the ball much more against Indiana than MSU did. MSU threw it 31 times against Indiana, and ran it 47, with a good chunk of that at the end of the game, running out the clock. The Gophers will probably run it 55-60, and throw it for 15 or so (hopefully).

Secondly, Indiana was arguably the first quality opponent MSU had played that wanted to play at an up-tempo pace. Not the same offenses, clearly, but the Gophers have played a majority of their schedule to this point against teams that wanted to run a lot of plays; UNLV, NMSU, SJSU, Northwestern, even Nebraska. They've got plenty of experience going against teams that want to get off a lot of snaps.

The key for this game will be frustration. Keep that offense not just off the field but frustrated by sitting on the sidelines. PSU didn't have a drive that lasted longer than 5 minutes against Indiana; MSU had one drive that lasted over 5 minutes and Michigan had just one also.

I like the matchup. I think it's a good one for the Gophers. If it was at TCF, I wouldn't hesitate to bet my money on the Gophers to win. Tough to win on the road though. Really tough.
 


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