Indiana football: Reaction to another winnable loss for the Hoosiers

Indiana football dropped its fourth consecutive game on Saturday, losing 38-33 in Bloomington to Maryland, who were without their star quarterback for most of the fourth quarter. Yet another winnable game for Tom Allen and the Hoosiers that they just gave up because of poor tackling, and not enough backing from the offense when it mattered most.

I’ll be quite honest, when it was 14-3 at the end of the first quarter and Connor Bazelak and Indiana came out and went three-and-out on the next drive, I was ready for Dexter Williams II to step into the game and takeover. Whether that meant the Hoosiers get blown out or surprise the Terrapins, Bazelak wasn’t doing enough in my eyes.

There were really only two plays in the first half that impressed me from Bazelak and the Hoosiers offense: Bazelak’s scramble and 44-yard touchdown pass to Josh Henderson (below) and the trick play that had Donaven McCulley (former quarterback) throw to Bazelak on the run for 23 yards. Besides that, Indiana football should not have been winning at the end of the first half.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers were beating the Terrapins 27-24, and the Indiana defense had stymied Taulia Tagovailoa and the Maryland offense completely. Disregarding the second half opening drive, Tom Allen’s defense allowed just 66 yards of offense and a field goal in the third quarter. Then, Tagovailoa goes down with an apparent knee injury, and somehow, someway, the Hoosiers still found a way to lose to backup quarterback, Billy Edwards Jr.

Probably the most saddening part of this game is that the Indiana football program recorded its 700th loss in school history, becoming the first team ever to reach 700 losses in Division I history. If that’s not sad, I don’t know what is. Better luck next week against Rutgers!

Three weeks until the college basketball season tips off!