2011 Review: Â
Kevin Wilson came took over the head coaching duties for the Hoosiers last season after a successful tenure as Oklahoma's OC. To say that Wilson struggled in his first season as head coach is an understatement, however Wilson didn't have a lot to work with talent wise, and the right kind of players weren't necessarily there to fit his fast paced system. I'm not saying they are now either, but with a year under his belt, I'm expecting a better performance in 2012.
Indiana 2012 Offense:
Sophomore Tre Roberson will be under center for the Hoosiers in 2012. Roberson did see the field plenty in 2011 however as Roberson attempted 142 passes, and was second on the team in rushing yards with an impressive 529. Roberson has reportedly been working on his throwing mechanics this off season, which is a good thing because he was really, really raw last season. If Roberson can improve his pass efficiency, stay healthy and contribute in the running game, the Hoosiers offense should be much improved over last season.
Behind Roberson in the backfield this season is junior Stephen Houston, who was the leading rusher for the Hoosiers in 2011. Houston rushed for 833 yards last season, while averaging 5.3 yards per carry, and scoring eight times. Houston will no doubt be a large part of the Hoosier offense again this year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Houston eclipse the thousand yard mark with a larger emphasis on the passing game from Roberson.
The Hoosiers also have the benefit of returning their top pass catcher from a season ago in Kofi Hughes. In 2011, Hughes hauled in 35 receptions, scoring three times for an average of 15.3 yards per catch. Kevin Wilson's system utilizes a lot of different targets, so it will be up to players like Jamonne Chester and Duwyce Wilson to pick up some of the slack this season as the receiving corps took the biggest hit in the off season with players leaving.
Indiana's offensive line this season is young, and while I do think this unit will be improved over their poor play last season, that's not saying much. Senior center Will Matte will need to get this unit to work together, and Matte will be under a lot of pressure as Wilson's offense is extremely fast paced, forcing the center to make adjustments on the fly. I'm expecting improvement here over last season, but still it's probably a good thing Roberson is mobile.
Indiana 2012 Defense:
The Hoosier defensive line was pushed around all season in 2011, and at times it looked like the unit was confused and completely out of sync. There is some talent here as the Hoosiers do have a couple of solid interior linemen in Larry Black and Adam Replogie, but the Hoosiers are definitely going to struggle up front against some of the offensive lines they will be going up against in the Big Ten.
The linebackers for the Hoosiers are young and inexperienced. There is some talent here, but the linebacking corps is at least a year away from being considered even respectable, and I'm not expecting much from this unit in 2012. Chase Hoobler is probably the most talented of this group at this point.
The secondary for the Hoosiers is far and away the strongest unit defensively. Indiana has experience in the secondary, and safety Mark Murphy and corner, Greg Heban are the top two returning tacklers on the entire team from last season. Probably not a good sign when a corner is third on your team in total tackles. The secondary will be under tremendous pressure again in 2011 with a weak front seven for the Hoosiers, and expect Indiana to adopt a “bend but don't break†philosophy.
2012 Outlook:
Overall the Hoosiers should be better than a year ago, but that's not saying much as Indiana didn't have a single win against an FBS school. The offense should put up some points again this year and even though Roberson is probably another year away from being considered a legit passing “threat†the improved mechanics should definitely help. Indiana's home and away schedule is favorable this season as the Hoosiers get the Buckeyes, Spartans, Badgers and Hawkeyes all at home, but still that is rough and I really don't expect Indiana to walk away from any of those games with a win. Improved over last season yes, but still a long way to go for the Hoosiers.
I am predicting a 3-9 season for the Hoosiers in 2012.
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