Indiana 2021 Football Preview

2020 Recap

Indiana opened their season with one of the most memorable finishes of 2020. The Hoosiers trailed Penn State for most the game, but came back to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat on a two point conversion in overtime. Michael Penix’ dramatic leap for the pylon set the tone for a very successful season in Bloomington.

Coming off the big win Indiana ran off three straight wins by double digits to set up a showdown with also undefeated Ohio State. The Hoosiers fell behind big and their rally behind a big day from Penix and Fryfogle came up one touchdown short in a 42 – 35 loss. The next week against Maryland, Penix suffered a season ending injury, forcing the Hoosiers to regroup on the fly.

The team rallied behind Jack Tuttle and pulled out a win over Maryland and then closed the regular season with a strong defensive performance to beat Wisconsin 14 – 6. The season ended on a negative note with a 26 – 20 loss to Mississippi in the Outback Bowl. Regardless of the loss in the bowl game, Indiana finished 6 – 2, continuing a positive trend for the program under Tom Allen, one they hope to build on in 2021.

2020 Leaders

Projected Starters

Reasons For Optimism

QB Talent and Depth

Indiana will have Michael Penix back and healthy to start the 2021 season. Penix has had great stretches at quarterback for the Hoosiers, including that memorable comeback win against Penn State, a 342 passing yard performance against Michigan and a 491 yard outing against Ohio State. The problem has been that Penix has also never been healthy for a full season. So while he is a talented quarterback, it’s just as important that Indiana has solid depth at the quarterback position as well. When Penix was injured in 2020, Jack Tuttle filled in for him against Maryland and then started against Wisconsin and Mississippi. Tuttle has some struggles as you would expect when a back-up quarterback is thrown into the fire, but he also completed 61 percent of his passes and proved to be capable as a passer and a runner. With Penix as the starter and Tuttle backing him up, Indiana has a talented starter and a capable reserve ready in case of an injury in 2021.

Weapons in the Passing Game

A quarterback needs weapons to throw to in the passing game and Indiana is equipped with a few good ones. It all starts with Ty Fryfogle, he is one of the best receivers in the country and gives Indiana a go-to receiver and also provides a big play threat down the field. He is difficult to guard one on one and will force defenses to adjust their coverage to contain him. Peyton Hendershot is a quality tight end who will do damage in the middle of the field and gives the quarterback a safety net in the passing game. Miles Marshall had some big plays in 2020 and has the size and big play ability to take advantage of the opportunities Fryfogle’s presence will create. In the slot, DJ Matthews will take over after transferring from Florida State, he has excellent speed and will be a big play threat as well. The Hoosiers have a talented arsenal of weapons in the passing game that will be difficult for defenses to contend with on a weekly basis.

Play-makers on Defense

Not to be outdone, the Indiana defense has several play-makers as well. In the secondary, Tiawan Mullen and Jaylin Williams are a talented pair of cornerbacks who combined for seven interceptions in eight games in 2020. Both players are also comfortable getting downhill and making aggressive plays in the backfield as well. Devon Matthews and Reese Taylor also contributed key plays in the secondary and will help the unit maintain it’s excellent play from last year. Linebacker Micah McFadden was all over the field as well, recording 10.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks and 2 interceptions of his own. He will be a force in the middle of the defense for the Hoosiers this season. The Hoosiers added a few key transfers like Ryder Anderson, Jaren Handy and Deland McCullough who could be contributors in the front seven quickly. Indiana’s defense has plenty of talent for the 2021 season.

Causes For Concern

The Running Game Needs to Improve

Indiana was very successful in 2020, but the running game did not enjoy the success the rest of the team did. The Hoosiers averaged just 3.13 yards per carry in 2020 good for 13th in the conference. The cumulative numbers were not much better, Indiana was 12th in the conference with just 108.63 yards per game. Without an effective running attack to balance out the offense, Indiana was one dimensional in 2020 and opponents were able to focus on stopping the passing attack. Indiana has added former USC running back Stephen Carr to the mix and will hope for Tim Baldwin Jr to build on his flashes of potential in 2020. However the progress comes, Indiana has to run the ball effectively to keep defenses honest.

The Loss of Kane Wommack

One of Indiana’s biggest losses after 2020 came when defensive coordinator Kane Wommack took the head coaching job at South Alabama. Wommack joined the Indiana coaching staff in 2018 and became the defensive coordinator in 2019. Over the past two seasons the defense has been a key part of the program’s success, they have forced turnovers and created an aggressive identity that pressures offenses into mistakes. With Wommack gone, new defensive coordinator, Charlton Warren, will have to prove he has the same feel as Wommack for dialing up the right blitzes and coverage at the right time. Indiana has talent on defense, but the change at defensive coordinator should not be overlooked.

2021 Schedule

Top 25 Players

2021 Projection

Indiana starts the season tough with a big road game at Iowa and then a home date with Cincinnati two weeks later. The schedule doesn’t get easier after that, week five features a trip to Penn State who will be looking to avenge last year’s loss and then in week seven the Hoosiers host Ohio State. The Hoosiers will look to pay the Buckeyes back for last season’s loss in Columbus. Indiana also travels to Michigan and finishes the season on the road against in state rival Purdue. There are a lot of tough games with several of them coming on the road in 2021. A nine win season is likely and though it wouldn’t get Indiana to the Big Ten Championship Game it would continue the positive momentum the program has built the past few seasons.