Insider: What I'll be watching for as IU football tries to get to 2-0 vs. Idaho

Tom Allen has been forthright since IU's 23-20 win over Illinois that the effort the Hoosiers had in Game 1 probably won't be enough to win many games the rest of this season. There are frustrating issues on both sides of the ball, he said, and they need to get corrected for the Hoosiers to win any more conference games.

"Just got to get better," Allen said at his news conference Monday. "But it's a whole lot more enjoyable correcting these issues after a big conference win to start the season."

Week 2 marks something of an immediate downshift, as the Hoosiers not only leave the conference but the Football Bowl Subdivision to play Championship Subdivision opponent Idaho at 8 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The Vandals are coming off a 4-7 season in 2021 which included a 56-14 loss to Indiana, the only easy victory the Hoosiers had in a soul-crushing 2-10 campaign.

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This week should allow the Hoosiers to regroup and serve as the build-up game season openers usually are, but it might be less of a total walk-over than last season's game was. Under new coach Jason Eck, the Vandals put a scare into a Power 5 opponent in Week 1, losing 24-17 to Washington State in a game in which they drove into Washington State territory with a chance to tie in the game's final minute before an interception stopped their drive. They caused three turnovers, one of which went for a scoop-and-score touchdown.

"You got a new scheme in all three phases," Allen said. "... What sticks out to me is a more disciplined team. Executed well for their first game. I just saw athletes running around. They have a lot of new faces, a new system."

Here are five things I'll be watching on Saturday.

The IU offensive line

Indiana fans saw the performance of the offensive line vs. Illinois and saw more of what they considered the same, and even further evidence in their argument that offensive line coach Darren Hiller should have been let go after last season. The Hoosiers rushed for just 32 yards on 26 carries and couldn't get any push in the running game. Pass protection was better as quarterback Connor Bazelak was sacked just once, but he was forced to throw the ball away on no small number of occasions.

The Hoosiers coaching staff, though, saw a unit that was bound to have a rough first outing because of its opponent's approach. The Fighting Illini used a Bear front with three down-linemen and two standup-outside linebackers on the edge and on the line of scrimmage and they usually put at least one linebacker behind them, so the IU O-line was dealing with six men in the box at minimum every time they ran the ball. When they brought in blockers to help, that number only increased. Offensive coordinator Walt Bell said he only ran the ball at all to prove the Hoosiers were willing to try and the Hoosiers passed twice as often as they ran because the O-line was simply outmanned.

"Math tells you when you've got six blockers and they have seven guys in there, it's not going to be a good day," Bell said. "For what we asked our offensive line to do, they did a fantastic job."

Saturday's game might give a better sense of what the IU offensive line can do against a more conventional defensive front, although a smaller one than they're used to seeing. The Vandals run a 4-3 and none of the starters on their depth chart weigh more than 260 pounds. The Hoosiers should have an opportunity, frankly, to prove they can overwhelm a smaller opponent.

They do, however, have to prove they can function without right tackle Matthew Bedford, arguably their most-talented offensive lineman, who tore his ACL in the season opener and is out for the rest of the year. West Texas A&M transfer Parker Hanna has taken over the starting job there for now. Allen said the job isn't up for further competition at the moment, but Hanna will obviously need solid game performance to stay in his position.

IU's running backs

With the running game being something of a lost cause in Week 1, the Hoosiers didn't get to show off their running back room much.

Auburn transfer Shaun Shivers finished with 28 yards on 15 carries. North Carolina transfer Josh Henderson had 7 yards on six carries, and all the rest of the touches went to quarterback Connor Bazelak.

Last season the Hoosiers rushed for 201 yards on 50 carries against Idaho and gave carries to seven running backs before the position unit was crushed by injury later in the season. If Indiana can run the ball like that again, they can not only give Shivers and Henderson an opportunity to show off in roles bigger than they had at their last schools, they can also get dynamic freshman Jaylin Lucas some work out of the backfield and get a better sense for where redshirt freshmen David Holloman and Trent Howland stand, though Howland missed the Illinois game due to injury. Week 1 was big for IU's wide receivers, but the Hoosiers would obviously like to get a better sense for what they have in the backfield as well, who they can trust in game situations and who they can't. In Week 1 against a loaded front, they relied on their veterans to keep the ball secure during runs they knew would be short. This week they should get more of an opportunity to get athletes out in open space.

Does the tackling improve?

IU's defenders were proud of the game-changing plays they made against Illinois, including four takeaways, three sacks, and a critical second-half goal-line stand that held the Illini to 20 points even though they posted 448 yards of total offense. Allen builds his defense on being aggressive while also averting disaster, which means he's willing to give up chunks of yardage but not touchdowns while blitzing and playing zone defenses that keep defenders eyes on the ball and ready to attack it and take it away, so Friday night's game was an example of that philosophy.

That being said, 448 yards is still a number a little too high for IU's liking, especially because it didn't have to be that high. Allen said he counted 23 missed tackles and showed those on film. His defenders are very much aware that's not sustainable going forward.

"I was pretty upset about the amount of tackles that we missed," linebacker Cam Jones said. "I truly believe in our guys, I know that we work on every single day. That's something we definitely have to do better at. We gave up a lot of yards after contact. It's hard to win a lot of games doing that."

Idaho does have some players who can make people miss, including 5-7 wide receiver Jermaine Johnson, who caught five passes for 110 yards against Washington State, so in order to put the game away, the Hoosiers will have to make plays. Quarterback Gevani McCoy was sacked six times but threw for 212 yards and Allen was impressed with him too

"They've got some dynamic receivers that caught our attention," Allen said. "Some dynamic running backs that I think are really talented and a talented young quarterback. That's what caught my attention."

The freshman class

NCAA rules now allow for football players to appear in four games in a season and still be able to take a redshirt, so this would seem like the best opportunity for the Hoosiers to take advantage of that rule and get at least some work for their highest-rated recruiting class of the recruiting service era. That won't happen if Idaho keeps it close as it did with Washington State, but if the Hoosiers do manage to create a blowout as they did last year. , this would become an opportunity for younger players.

The Hoosiers used four of their 20 scholarship true freshmen against Illinois, two from each side of the ball. On defense, four-star recruit Dasan McCullough lined up mostly at the Bull spot, but also got some work at linebacker and Husky. Four-star Nick James also got some time at defensive tackle. Wide receiver Omar Cooper and Jaylin Lucas didn't get time on offense, but they both operated as kick returners on special teams with Cooper returning one for 21 yards.

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The Hoosiers might not empty the bench entirely should they manage a blowout win, but a few more players who have impressed the coaching staff immediately might get looks late in the game. Lucas could see some time at running back, Cooper and Kamryn Perry might get to play some wide receiver and Brody Foley might see some action at tight end. Offensive linemen Bray Lynch. DJ Moore and Carter Smith could potentially see some snaps. On defense, lineman Venson Sneed, linebackers Isaiah Jones and Kaiden Turner and defensive backs James Monds Jr., Trevell Mullen, Jamari Sharpe and Phillip Dunnam could potentially see some action. Many of them might still redshirt, but some might put themselves in position to have their names called down the line.

The other quarterbacks

Washington State didn't get to pull its quarterback in the season opener vs. Idaho. But a year ago, the Hoosiers got to take starter Michael Penix Jr. off the field in the second half against the Vandals and they'd like to to the same for Connor Bazelak this season. Jack Tuttle threw a 76-yard touchdown pass to tight end AJ Barner in that game. He fell short of winning the starting job this season, but the Hoosiers would obviously like to get Tuttle in games when they can to keep him ready if he needs to be called upon.

Also, redshirt freshman Dexter Williams has yet to take a snap in his third year of college football, having not played in 2020 and then tearing his ACL in spring of 2021. The IU coaching staff was thrilled with his performance in preseason camp, so they'd like to get him some work in this game to get a better sense of whether he can be IU's quarterback of the future.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: IU football vs. Idaho preview: Watch run game, freshmen, backup QB