ANN ARBOR, Mich. — After the game ended, I sat at my computer for a few minutes trying to decide what to write about.
Nothing.
I couldn’t come up with anything because there was nothing to say about IU’s 34-10 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor.
I could talk about how freshman quarterback Zander Diamont struggled, has again in his second start as he combined for 35 passing yards in the two outings.
Nah, that’s obvious.
I could talk about how the IU coaching staff kept trying to propel the offense with creative schemes and play calls that never quite ?panned out.
What can I say about it?
Then, I realized that all the things that went wrong today were an indication of how the rest of the season will go for an IU team that is without junior quarterback Nate ?Sudfeld.
Yes, the team looked comparably poor two weeks ago against Michigan State. On the other hand, that could have been chalked up to a freshman making his first start against one of the better defenses in the Big Ten. Maybe he would improve.
Now, we probably know what will be what the next four games will be like.
Michigan was a team that stood at 3-5. Its season was crumbling before its very eyes. The Wolverines’ athletic director resigned Friday.
IU made that team look pretty darn good.
Diamont said the speed of everything is a lot of what makes the jump to playing college football difficult.
He said things are starting to slow down for him and he is learning a lot.
I believe that is true.
However, he simply does not have the arm to make the needed throws, making it hard to expect many changes in productivity.
In several plays, he had a man open toward the sideline, and he made the right decision, but his pass was too slow or too short.
IU Coach Kevin Wilson didn’t seem to harp too much on offensive struggles, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he realizes there is just not much they can do.
The only area he mentioned that bothered him was junior running back Tevin Coleman’s fumble.
Other than that, though, not much can actually be fixed on offense in the coming weeks. This may be how it will look.
The offensive line did fine, considering teams can load the box, and Diamont was slow to make decisions. The receivers didn’t do much, but they didn’t have much to work with.
No, the defense did not look good. They were fine, though.
Let’s remember how many offensive three-and-outs kept the defense on the field and the interception opportunities they let get away.
I liked what Wilson said he tells the guys about missing those chances.
“If it wasn’t a good call or if you weren’t a good player, you wouldn’t be in position,” he said.
You want to catch the ball, but I would rather have a team that plays great defense and drops interceptions than one that often allows the big plays.
IU closes the season with games against Penn State, Rutgers, Ohio State and Purdue.
I don’t know if I am ready to get into the ins and outs of their chances in each.
I will say, however, that IU’s performance Saturday will likely be what they bring against those four teams. This may be the Hoosiers for the rest of the year.
brodmill@indiana.edu
