ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The same words are used repeatedly to describe sophomore quarterback Peyton Ramsey.
He is “gritty.” He has a “heads-up savviness” about him. More than anything else, he is “tough.”
All these characteristics attributed to Ramsey were on display Saturday during IU’s 31-20 loss at No. 4 Michigan at Michigan Stadium, but the same can’t be said for all IU coaches and players.
Ramsey elevated his play against the Wolverines, as he’s done down the stretch of this season.
He finished Saturday’s contest with 246 yards of combined offense against a team that allowed an average of 3.1 yards per rush and 4.8 yards per completion entering the game. Ramsey bettered both those statistics himself, averaging 7.3 yards per rush and 12.2 yards per completion.
In particular, his hard-nosed running style picked up several first downs for the Hoosiers when faced with third and long situations.
“If I could make one guy miss, or step up in the pocket and find a lane, then there was nobody for me left,” Ramsey said.
But, Ramsey is nearly alone when it comes to IU team members who have stepped up during this critical part of the season.
IU’s defense has turned porous, or semi-permeable at best, allowing an average of 37 points per game to Big Ten Conference opponents not named Rutgers.
The special teams unit has had critical breakdowns in kickoff coverage, forcing the Hoosiers to sometimes change their kickoff strategy, yielding better starting field position to opponents by kicking the ball a shorter distance down the field.
Even the unit operated by Ramsey on the field has let down IU in recent weeks. Ramsey has scrambled a ton after receiving snaps this season, and often not by choice, but because the offensive line can’t effectively block pass rushers and leaves Ramsey exposed like a tantalizing piece of steak to hungry defensive linemen.
If the Hoosiers had the ball against the Wolverines on Saturday, there was a good chance Ramsey was in possession of it while running chaotically to his left, right or straight ahead because he was being chased.
Fortunately for IU Coach Tom Allen and Ramsey’s teammates, Ramsey has grown accustomed to these situations and thrives in them.
His 35-yard touchdown run against Maryland last week was a glimpse of his improved decision-making and agility running with the ball, as was his 15-yard run on IU’s opening drive this week, in which he avoided a sack by the narrowest of margins and dashed for a first down.
“He just finds a way,” Allen said. “That’s why he’s our quarterback. That’s why he’s a special young man.”
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone in the IU program could elevate their performance the same way Ramsey has?
IU’s wide receivers show up sporadically to help Ramsey in the passing game, with junior Nick Westbrook, sophomore Ty Fryfogle and seniors Donavan Hale and Luke Timian all taking turns being the go-to man. But, no one has stepped up consistently, game after game, to help their quarterback out in the way he has with them.
Freshman running back Stevie Scott has been one of the few players to regularly come to Ramsey’s aid offensively, as he had his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season Saturday.
This means he’s one of the few Hoosiers permitted to appreciate the play of his quarterback.
“One thing I definitely love about Peyton, when there’s nothing happening, he can make a play out of it,” Scott said. “That’s why I love being in the backfield with him and I can trust him at all times.”
Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Mike DeBord’s decision to run an option play on 3rd and 1 near the Michigan end zone midway through fourth quarter was baffling, resulting in a four-yard loss by Scott and forcing IU to kick a field goal while down 11 points.
Much like DeBord’s hesitancy to utilize IU’s downfield passing game this season, it kept IU’s offense off the field and the ball out of the hands of Ramsey, who has become IU’s best offensive playmaker.
Simply put, Ramsey is doing his job during a period in which very few other Hoosiers are doing theirs.
Next week’s game against Purdue will pit a pair of 5-6 teams against one another, just like last season’s Old Oaken Bucket game.
The winner makes the postseason. The loser's season will end.
The amount of help Ramsey gets will determine whether or not IU football is relevant past next Saturday’s nightfall.
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