Indiana vs. Ball State: what to watch for

This Saturday at 4 p.m., Indiana will play their home debut against the Ball State Cardinals. In what should be an easy win, there are a few emerging storylines to watch out for.

Indiana’s game against Florida International on Thursday may have ended with a score-line that surprised few, but the way they got there – fighting a tight contest for three quarters, the defense scoring as many touchdowns as the offense, and a few bench players coming up with some late big plays, turned into an interesting storyline.

With one week, and a victory, under their belt, Indiana should begin to settle down and operate the way they want. Kevin Wilson addressed the situation to the media, telling them that they weren’t executing plays right, which is something they will tighten up when Ball State comes to Bloomington, Saturday. While it should be another win for the Hoosiers, which could produce and even more lopsided score, there will be a few new stories to look out for.

Will Devine Redding lose the ball, and some carries?

Sep 1, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Devine Redding (34) runs the ball against the FIU Golden Panthers during the second half at FIU Stadium. The Indiana Hoosiers defeat the FIU Golden Panthers 34 -13. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

A 1,000 yard season as a back-up, four 100 yard plus rushing performances stretching back to last year, and a bruising running style that makes defenders wince before attempting a tackle, Devine Redding should not have to worry about having his carries taken away. Except for one problem – he keeps fumbling. Wilson was quoted saying that it wasn’t about stats, it was about wins, and a crucial fumble by Redding in the FIU side of the field which cost them points, and a couple fumbles during the following practice, has some wondering whether Redding is about to see some more bench time.

Sophomore Mike Majette rushed 10 times for 47 yards, and seems to be an effective replacement if Wilson does not feel safe with the ball in Redding’s hands. Another point worth mentioning is that the Hoosiers will soon have Camion Patrick at their disposal, and if the stories are true about him being the most athletic player on the team, Indiana will want to be getting the ball in his hands as much as possible. There shouldn’t be too much to worry about for Redding at the moment, he just needs to put both hands on the ball before a tackle and keep doing what he’s doing.

Can Richard Lagow find his rhythm early?

A fourth quarter dime pass to Tight End Danny Friend gave Indiana the lead, and the momentum shift they needed to close out the game. Just minutes later Richard Lagow took it in himself for another score. But before that, there wasn’t much to write home about. A couple of fumbles cost Indiana points, but Lagow didn’t necessarily look poised against a weak defense for much of the game. While he won’t be going up a daunting defense for at least a couple of weeks, it will be important that Lagow proves he can find his rhythm early in games.

A slow start can be a death sentence against some Big Ten teams, and Indiana isn’t necessarily renowned for their ability to close out contests. Luckily for Lagow, he will be getting top receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr. back, who was serving a one-game suspension for not living up to the responsibilities to the program. Plus, it was Lagow’s first game wearing the Cream and Crimson, and naturally, it will take a little bit of time to adjust. Even if the offense was frustrating to watch for the first three quarters, he still ended up with over 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns, with no interceptions. The JuCo transfer gets a pass for his early game woes, but will need to do a little bit better to prove he is the right man for the job. A spectacular home debut may be just what he needs to win over the Hoosier faithful.

Can Tom Allen’s new defense continue to take the ball away?

Sep 1, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Fiu Golden Panthers quarterback Alex McGough (12) scrambles under pressure against the Indiana Hoosiers during the second half at FIU Stadium. The Indiana Hoosiers defeat the FIU Golden Panthers 34 -13. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

In one game, Indiana’s defense showed more energy and determination than they had in the last few years. Other than a couple o

f missed tackles, which are to be expected, the defense looked sharp and better yet, appeared to trust each other. This all stems from new defensive coordinator Tom Allen, whose attitude and enthusiasm they seem to feed off of. Allen seems to already have a great relationship with the unit, and was visibly happy with their ability to take the ball away, which was evident when he was jumping up and down on the sidelines following Tegray Scales interception return for a touchdown.

All offseason he preached how the defense would be more aggressive, and change the word “turnover” to “takeaway” because he didn’t just want to get the ball back, he wanted to take it back. Players like Scales, Marcus Oliver, and Richard Fant, are playing at an extremely high level. This bodes well for Indiana, as their main weakness last season was the inability to stop teams on third-down, as well as miss tackles and give up big plays. It will be interesting to see if Indiana’s defense can continue to be as aggressive down the stretch, but my gut says it should not be a problem in front of their first home crowd. They will be looking to continue on their solid performance, and aim for more than three takeways, which was still an impressive feat on Thursday.

The energy at Memorial Stadium