September 30, 2025 • 36 mins
No. 8 Indiana defeated Iowa at Kinnick Stadium for the first time since 2007. The Hoosiers struggled offensively for much of the game, but Elijah Sarratt's 49-yard touchdown catch allowed IU to escape still undefeated. Peegs.com's Matt Weaver and Jared Kelly break it all down.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome and everybody.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
It is Tuesday, September thirtieth. Indiana is five and zero
on season. Heading into a bye week, Hoosiers go on
the road to Kinnick Stadium win twenty to fifteen over Iowa,
the first win in Iowa City since two thousand and seven.
Piece Dot cons Matt Weaver. Jerry Kelly here to break
it all down. Matt, you were there in Iowa City.
Is what were your your overall takeaways from this game?
(00:25):
And you know, obviously the Elijah Serrat touchdown at the
end completely turned that game on its head.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
You know, we both thought that Indiana would would have
a chance to win this game, you know, fairly handily.
Not not anything like the Illinois game, but we thought
it would be, you know, a game where maybe they
could win by a couple a couple of touchdowns. Uh
the one you know some of the things that I
said that I thought Iowa had to do. The number
one thing was control of the time and possession. And
(00:50):
they did they did. I mean it was I think
it was like thirty two and changed to twenty seven
and change. They had to get you know, they had
to get They didn't want to turnover battle they did
get a big interception that took him down, they didn't
get points off of missfield go on that one. They
got a decent punt return and McCarthy was actually a
good punt. It looked like the way he kind of
out kicked the coverage and wet gin I think that's
(01:12):
how you say his name, which and he he had
a pretty good return to I think around midfield or
maybe just passing midfield. And then defensively they had to
really cause Indiana problems, and that's where I thought they
did the best job.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
They're blitzeing, you know, cast.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Some issues for IU up front, and really I thought,
and it was it was born out in the PFF grades.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
I thought caleon Block really struggled to block to protect.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
I mean he there was a couple of times, and
I think the one I remember the most is on
the interception when he was throwing when Mendoza was throwing
to Cooper, I mean he literally got lifted off the
ground and knocked backwards like three or four yards. And
I know it's tough, but I mean his blocking grade
was like five point three, which is I didn't even
know you could go that low in those grades. So
that to me was probably the biggest issue. You know,
(01:57):
I thought they could have been a little bit more
aggressive with play calling coach Shanahan, Mike Shanahan, could have
a little bit been a little bit more aggressive because
going in, you know, Sean Block from the Iowa site
said that one of their weaknesses was, you know, their
their corners. You can pick on them a little bit,
you could, you know, they don't really let anything over
their heads, but you could get some yards by throwing
the ball in front of them. And you know, I thought,
(02:19):
I thought maybe they could try a little bit more
of a the running game.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
You know, obviously struggled a little bit, but you know,
listen get by with credit.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
That was homecoming. That place was rocking. It was super loud.
They had a great crowd. And Phil Parker is really good.
I mean this the guy has been doing this for
almost thirty years and he knows how to you know,
find the chinks in the armor of offenses or or
find things or maybe he can exploit.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
And their blitzes were on time.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
You know, it's hard to know it's the press box,
but I guess Indiana was doing the patent on the
leg with the Linemen, and so.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
To me, you know that really that really screwed you
up at Ohio State.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
So I'm kind of I'm kind of wondering why they
haven't really changed it, you know, with a silent count.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
So I don't know, maybe that's something they'll look at more.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I didn't notice it in the press box, but people
told me afterwards they saw it on TV and it
looked like I was basically timing up the snaps and
was able to basically, you know, almost you know, know
exactly when the ball is gonna be snaps. So you know, listen,
it's a good win. It's not a pretty win. It
was not an esthetically pleasing win. But it's a good
win because that's a tough place to play, and anytime
(03:20):
you can win in Iowa, it's a good it's a
good victory.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
And it really it's a it's a win Indiana needed
to have going into these you know, Oregon Penns Day
type games.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
If Indiana was gonna keep you know, at c.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Ifp hopes alive at least to a great as great
of extensive as is now. All right, we can look
at this game from a multitude of different angles. Matt
you know, there were I felt like we watched like
five different football games in one football game. Here you
had the let's let's let's first address the fourth quarter
because that was wild. Iowa gets the interception, they drive
(03:53):
down the field, they miss a field goal. Mark Arnowski
goes out with an injury.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Quarter. The backup Hank Brown comes in.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Uh, he's not really able to do much on offense,
asking a lot of a backup to come in and
try to lead you down the field. In your mind,
do you feel that Indiana was fortunate to walk out
with this win? Because I thought you played. I thought
you played as well as it could have given the circumstances,
given that i Will played the game that it sort
of wanted. But to me, it kind of felt like
Indiana is is is feeling a little fortunate just to
(04:23):
just to walk out with a victory.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Well, for anybody who watched that, we did a postgame
video me and Rabbi and Sammy Jacobs from Who's Your Huddle?
And I think Sammy described it as he felt like
they may be kind of stole a win, which is
probably a fairly, you know, a fair statement about that game.
I mean, you know, I thought there were I thought
there were times. I mean, Indiana came out, they get
the turnover a lot on like the first or second
(04:46):
play of the game.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
Two plays later they're up seven to nothing.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I'm thinking, Okay, I didn't think it was going to
be easy, but I was like wow, and then and
then it was just an absolute It was a grind
to be perfect.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Honest.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
I thought the defense played really really well. They had
the one drive and you know, there were probably a
couple of question of calls on that drive, the run
right before the touchdown from the tour on the twenty
that got them down to about the five, like there
was a hold on that.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
But you know, that's that's the way it goes. But yeah,
you could probably say that they were fortunate to come
out with a win.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Iowa in a lot of areas probably outplayed them, you know.
And but again, while this is not a vantage Iowa team,
this is a proud, proud program, and they're not going
to roll over because Indiana comes in and they're ninth
in the country or whatever and they just blew out
Illinois and this is the first road game. But this
is these are not excuses, this is just facts. Indiana's
first road game an incredibly hostile environment. Indiana teams, No
(05:39):
Indiana team in the past ten years wins that game.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
They just don't.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
It doesn't happen until these last And they went in
there and they found a way to win. And you know,
I think it'll really set them up in two weeks.
We'll talk about, you know, next week, but this this
gives them something to lean back on when they go
on the road in the future. Storty next week, the
organ and they go to Penn State later in the year,
some other games. But yeah, there's I think I think,
you know, when you when you struggle as much as
(06:03):
they did offensively, and you know, you have some mistakes
that you have, you're probably fortunate to come out with
a win. But they also they made enough plays and
they made a big play at the end there with
Mendoz and.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Sat to get to get that out of victory.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
So offensively, I guess that's the best play place to start,
because that's really what bogged Indiana down. Like you mentioned,
like Indiana's defense played about as well as you could
have hoped. Held I what a two hundred and eighty
four total yards, which on the road in a big
ten environment is really really good. H So, Brian Haynes
had that group playing really well so offensively. You mentioned
(06:37):
the that was one of the big things you mentioned.
Kaylon Blacks run blocking in Roman Henvy too. He had
a couple of plays where he just completely whipped on
blocks Indiana. I felt like I felt like they had
the right idea of what they wanted to do against
the Blitz. It was just that Iowa was so overwhelming
and like you mentioned, they probably would war timing up
some of the snaps. It felt like Indie and knew
(07:00):
what I wanted to do, but the execution.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
In that area was pretty poor in this game.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yeah, And you know it's interesting on the in the
past blocking grades going back and looking at it, uh,
the right side struggled. Bray Lynch and Khalil Benson's grades
were I think in the forties and like again take
pff for what for what, but I think there are
some things they can probably activate, and I mean there
was I think I think it was on the sack
of Mendoz that bray Lynch just got abused, Like the
(07:28):
guy just kind of did a little move and swim,
move and use and just and I think he ended
up on the ground.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
You know.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
So now on the other side, Carter Smith I think
had a pretty good past block grade if I remember right.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
And Pat Coogan I don't remember. Evans. I think it
was decent. I don't want to say it was maybe
maybe around seventy or so.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
But there's you know, and I'm not saying they need
to make changes or anything like that, but you know,
it was kind of one side that was kind of
giving them problems. But I you know, if you watch Iowa,
what they're at least from my point of view, their
game plan is we are going to throw the house
at you. We're gonna bring We're gonna bring this monster
blitz and we believe we can either get to your
quarterback before he can get rid of the ball, or
(08:06):
even if he does get rid of the ball, it's
gonna be a poor throw that ends.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Up an incompletion or possibly a turnover. And that's what
they did. And give him Mendoza credit.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Like on the pass of Sarat I think he got
rocked on the pass to Cooper where and the reason
why the biggest thing on that was Cooper was open.
He just couldn't finish his throw because the guy was
right there in his face. If he finishes that throw,
that's a completed pass. But he stood in there and
took some hits. I mean, that dude was tough as
can be, so give him pred on that. But I
was game playing was good. Like I said, I would
(08:36):
have maybe liked to see in Indiana the other thing
I maybe like to see, you know, I kind of
maybe play a little bit quicker, maybe go two minutes
maybe a Notre Dame. They're having trouble, and I know
some of it was the score and the time of
the game, but maybe go a little bit quicker and
do some two minute and try to get eyewa so
they can't tee up so much and they're more on
their heels. Maybe they can't sub certain guys in situations,
(08:56):
you know, Like I'm not a coach. Those guys know
better than me. But I would have maybe tried something
a little bit different. But at the end of the day,
they got the win, and that's what the win and
that's what matters.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, this is a This is a vintage of Phil
Parker defense. Maybe not in terms of talent level, but
just the way they're playing in the Perth. I think
I saw a stat that was like, I would pressure
on seventy two percent of the snatch or something something
outrageous like that and really forced Indiana to work. And
that kind of goes hand in hand Matt that the
play calling, we should probably address that too, because there's
(09:26):
there's one side of the fan base that that says,
you know, IU has to change something up in these
in these big road games, because you know what's what
they've been doing hasn't been working offensively going back to
last year. And the other side is like, and this
is maybe where I lean more, is you can only
call what you can block right in Indiana for them
to get these explosive plays and these long developing.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Routes, UH, you gotta build the block.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
And I felt like Mike Shanahan's hands were tied a
little bit now going back to the first half, especially
in the first quarter, second quarter, when Indiana had a
little bit of momentum, I would have liked to see
them try some things, you know, before high started teeing off,
but especially in the second half.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
For me, it's hard.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
It's hard to fault Shanahan because of how poorly UH
Indiana was dealing with the blitzes and and it's a
situation where you know, you can throw one hundred slants
to Elijah Shirat, but at some point you got to
try something different, and there wasn't a whole lot. I
felt like Indiana could call to make up for first
block and struggles.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Yeah, And the one thing I would say to the
fans you talked about these road games. I mean, listen,
Indiana was out class talent wise at Ohio State and
Notre Dame. I mean, that's just the fact of the matter.
I mean, you can say what you want, but they
those teams both had superior personnel to Indiana on both
sides of the ball. So it's a little bit that
to me, that's not really the to this game. You know,
it's not really apples to apples. I I do think,
(10:45):
I you know, I do would have like I said
I said earlier, I would have liked to send them
be a little bit more aggressive, maybe try and you know,
like again maybe the two minute kind of offense would
have would have done something different. But you're right, you know,
Kevin Wilson told this to me years ago. I drop
all the great plays in the world. I want Matt,
but if we can't block it, it doesn't matter. And
you know, the blocking overall wasn't awful. They were struggling.
(11:08):
It was really kind of I thought the old line
for the most part, did a solid job of giving
Thedows a time. It was just some of those blitzes
and picking them up where they struggled. And it goes
back to running backs and Kaylon Black.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
You know, his curse.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Seems like he's been a pretty solid, you know guy
in pass protection, but he struggled.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
He struggled Roman heavy.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
We've never seen him until this year, so I don't
really know have a great feel for his pass protection
and how much he was asked to do it in Maryland.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
But it was a struggle for him.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
And these guys were coming from I mean, they were
on a dead sprint from ten yards away, like safeties
and stuff, and they were just kind of lighting up
Indiana's running backs and giving them all kinds of problems.
So you know, I mean, listen, it's always easy hindsight.
It's always twenty twenty. It's easy to sit here and nitpick.
Mike Shanahan's been pretty darn good. And you know, I
(11:52):
saw a post about Signetti can't win big.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
I mean, there's just some nonsense, no offense. I don't
care who, I don't care if they get mad. There's
nonsense on the board. He's sixteen and two and.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Indiana, I mean, you know what I mean, and you
talk about a how State now State Norday played for
the national championship. There's only two teams that beat Indiana
last year with the two teams that played for the title,
you know. So, I it's it's just it's mind boggling
to me that people who followed the program that's been
dog crap for years are complaining about a guy who's
gone sixteen in.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Two, especially when it in a place they haven't won
into two thousand and seven, like several coaches have tried
in Indiana and have not been successful there.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Uh So, curtz Ignetti, I mean, yeah, uh now, I'm
with you on that. Uh.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
It should be noted too with Fernanda Mendoza, especially, you
know he finished thirteen to twenty three. Especially I remember
in the first quarter he had that one long, that
deep shot to Omar Cooper, which which should have been
a touchdown, looked like Mendoza might have underthrown the ball.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Some people wanted to pass their appearance.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Yeah, Elijah Surat, I remember there was a I think
it was just a quick slamt that they threw to
him and he dropped the pass, which is very uncharacteristic
for him.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Yeah. Was that the third down play?
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I believe so. Yeah, Yeah, it was a.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Third downplay and the Cooper won. That was a p
I that should have been called.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
So there was a couple instances here where where it
felt like Indiana had a chance to find its footing,
and you know what, whether it's their own mistakes or
you know, things like officiating that we can debate, it
felt like Indian was kind of stuck in the mud
for most of this game. Offensively, I thought, you know,
and you uh, going back to Roman Henby. While while
Indian's running backs weren't great in the pass pectioname, I
(13:25):
thought Roman Henby played a really really good game. Fifteen
carries eighty six yards. Now, he didn't find the end zone,
it didn't didn't break off any explosives in the run game.
He ran super, super tough in this game and turned
a bunch of what would have been like you know,
won two yard games into into you know, five six,
seven eight yard gains. I thought that was a real
bright spot, especially against an eye with defense that's as
(13:46):
pisical as it is.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Yeah, and this is a game where and like I said,
I think Kaylon Black has solid speed and he showed it.
But this is a game where there are holes that
any holes that.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Were there were not open for long and you kind
of needed.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
I mean, Hemby was able to get through some of
those holes that Black I don't think was you know,
was able to get through. And I'm with you. I mean,
on the way home, I was talking with me and
Rabbi were talking. I thought Heimby looked great running the ball.
I mean he not only ran with speed, but he
ran with power, physicality. You know, he was he was,
you know, breaking through some tackles or at least pushing
you know. I mean, I don't he might have had
(14:21):
some some runs that that went for negative yards, but
that was probably more on the fact that they were
in the backfield. I thought he was terrific. I thought
he looked out standing running the ball. And you know,
I've said it to you guys, at some point he's
going to break like a fifty or sixty yard run
for a touchdown.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
He came close.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
I think there was one where he just barely got
tripped up in this game. But he he is going
to break one. And you know he's been and he
has been an outstanding addition to this team with what
he can do running the ball and also catching it.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
But I'm with you one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I thought he played really really well in his in
his role as as a running back.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Let's stay with the run game here because one area
where Indiana has had some trouble this year and it
continued in this Iowa game.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Those short yards plays.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
I believe they had four different instances of a third
and short, fourth and short where they got completely stuffed
at the line of scrimmage and and kurtzing Nadie mentioned
after the game that, you know, Frando Mendoza couldn't check
out of those because of the crowd noise and things
like that. So whatever they were running, they were running,
and Indiana basically tried everything it could to get thee
to gain these one two three yards on those plays.
(15:26):
You know they brought Zen Mahalski in a couple of
times as a sixth blocker. Obviously, Riley Nokowski was in
there's a seventh blocker. You basically you basically through the
kitchen sake at Iowa and said stop us, and Iowa
stopped them several times. Uh, whatever Indiana is doing, I
would like to see I would like to see them
make some adjustments here because it feels like they're not
(15:47):
letting Bana mon doesn't necessarily work in these short yard situations. Uh,
whether it's a play action something, Something's got to change
in that regard, because this Iowa game especially showed that
Indiana's still has a lot of.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Room for improvement in any short areas.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Yeah, and the thing I think I didn't ask it,
but I think somebody asked about was Mendoza. Did Mendoza
have the freedom to pull the ball because on the
last fourth and one where they ran black and he
ran basically right, I think he ran into alignment and
like ran into his back.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
It really looked.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I can't remember the first one as well, but the
second one if Mendoza keeps the balls first out because
that DN had crashed in and I think it was
a I want to say it was a fourth and one,
maybe fourth and one and a half or something like that.
But and coach Signetti said something it sounded like that
they those weren't read they kind of read options. It
was basically a handoff all the way, which I was
(16:38):
a little bit surprised at, although somebody I took to
said they they thought Mendoza was a little bit surprised
that Black took the ball when they watched on TV.
That looked like Mendoza almost wanted to keep it. So
I don't know, I just wonder how much freedom he
has to because I think if he keeps the ball
in a couple of those, those are probably first downs.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
That's and and you know, I don't know, I'm not
sure how much crowd noise to playing a part in that.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
I think that's to him, it's just all about reading.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
The defensive line, so you know, I mean, and I
know there's been a couple of issues earlier in the
year where Mendoza where Signetti got on him. I want
to say it was was a Kamisau state or any estate.
He called the time out and yelled at him basically
because I think he was maybe he thought he should
hand it off, or he wasn't pulling the ball or
whatever it may be So I'm not sure exactly what
the freedom is there for those because I thought those
(17:24):
were but the fact that you didn't have, you know,
the option, and I think he has an option where
he puts in the bell and he stands up and
he throws the ball.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
I didn't. I don't remember seeing any of those plays
and he throws it.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
He did the outside It looked like they were predesigned,
like he just immediately turned it through the ball. There
was no fake handoff or anything like that. So it
makes it tough. It makes it tough when it's loud
like that, and it's not again it's I'm making excuses,
it's just the fact the matter. When it's super loud,
it's sometimes it's hard to communicate on the field. But
I would have liked to see him. This to me
was a game where maybe you could have used him
(17:56):
a little bit, but I don't want you. I don't want
to get him hurt. But maybe use him a little
bit more in the run game, especially in those short
yarded situations.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Before we flip over to uh the defensive special teams.
That last play, Matt where when when Mendoza hooked up
with sarat what were you guys down on the field yet,
just what was like the atmosphere like around the stadium
when when that when that play happened.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
No, we actually didn't.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
We we stayed in the press box this time all
the way to the end of the game. Mainly I
wasn't sure what the policy was. I mean, we were
down the field before the game, but I didn't go
down at the end of the game.
Speaker 4 (18:29):
But it was like you could.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
I mean, when you hear the price box, you're obviously insulated,
so but you can still tell it's loud, like you know,
you can hear the noise and the air just went
out of the balloon as soon as they as soon
as he broke that tackle and people realized it, and
then people started like I was looking down and people
were starting to stream out of the stream towards the
exits and and and leave the game. So yeah, I think,
I mean, that was obviously that was obviously uh, I.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
Mean, no, I'm being captain. Obviously here was a huge play.
But it really sucked.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
The life out of the Iowa fans. I mean, I
think they thought they had a real shot there and
and and they did, but it was a monster play,
great throw by Mendoza, and it was great that they
they you know, they talked backwords, they read it because
they were blitz and they were playing a little bit
softer at corner and so that play, that one that
you talked about earlier, they were kind of pressing Sarat.
(19:18):
That was a tough I mean, he's probably he should
have caught it. That's a tough throw because the guy
was pressing. These were a little bit softer, and I
think they were okay with him completing the past because
I think they figured we'll come up and we'll make
a tackle. Well, Sarat obviously beat the guy one on
one and the rest is history. So but yeah, you
it definitely was a deflating moment for that fan base
for and obviously probably for Iowa too.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Yeah, I remember too though. On that play, I believe
it was TJ Hall at cornerback. He took a pretty
bad angle to he's trying to make an ankle tackle
on Serat, which he's gotten out out a lot of
those this year. And yeah, once he was gone, he
was it was walking to the end zone. So and
let's let's you know, let's not forget too. I alway
still had like, what a minute twenty eight with three
(19:59):
time out left to drive down the field. So it
wasn't completely over at that point, but after they had
already missed that field goal and after Gronowski had exited
the game with an injury, it kind of felt like,
you know, the winds are blowing in India's favor at
that point, so let's go to you know, we've made
it this far. We got to talk about Nico Ratiiciic
(20:19):
because he was stones in this game, two kicks of
forty plus yards a career long, both of them actually
were career a loongs forty six and then the forty
four yarder to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
I was, you know, I don't know if I if
I was necessarily surprised, but I didn't think Signetti was
going to send Raditiciic out there for some of those
(20:41):
field goals that that he ultimately did, because you know,
we've seen in the past where Signetti has sort of
favored the offense and kept the kicking unit on the
sidelines in those situations. And then you factor in the
road environment, you factor in that Ratichicic has never really
attempted anything outside of forty yards in his career for
him to step up and make those kind of kick
in those moments, his confidence has to be sky high
(21:04):
right now. And for his sake, you hope that Indiana
is a you know, the staff is more confident in
setting him out there for those kinds of situations now
that he's done it and has that experience.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Yeah, and I think this.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
We might have talked about this in our vedeo after
the game, but me and you have talked about it.
What you know, at some point you're gonna need your
field goal kicker. You're not gonna blow everybody out. And
he was fantastic, And listen, I always kicker was awesome too.
That first kick he made for forty seven yards, that
ball was hammered like that would have been good from
that had at least another thirteen to fifteen yards of
(21:36):
distance on.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
I mean, it hit so high up on the net
if you can see it on TV, but at the
game you could see it.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Now, he missed a big one, the twenty two yarder
that really would have put Indiana where obviously would put
a ton of pressure on him there at the end.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
But Radi Chickens, I mean, we know the talent's there.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
I mean we've seen it, it's just we haven't we
haven't seen it in these kinds of situations where there's
a ton right now. I mean those kicks were in
that last drive before for half for uh was that
right before halfing h they got three points. I think
that was it. They that that was uh, that was key.
I mean they Radishchik was fantastic. I mean, and uh,
(22:13):
the special teams were good. Brendan Frankie continues to be
unbelievable kicking the ball off. I mean, they had no chance,
no chance to do anything, you know, And and this
is this is this is a really kind of under
the radar. This is a kind of under the radar. Yeah,
that draft started at twenty two seconds for Indiana and
they got and really give it to him.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
He sixteen yards on first down. Then he gets it
to shrot for a big game.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
I mean that was a that was a big because
really Iowa had all the momentum. They're up ten to seven,
and they had kind of seized control of the game
in my opinion, and Indiana got some back and that
was kind of a floating for them. But the special
teams have been awesome. I mean, mis McCarthy came back,
I thought he put on the ball. I know he
had the return, but all of a sudden, I just
thought the pump was so good. He kind of out
and kicked his coverage. But overall it was it was
(23:00):
a special teams was it was a big factor in
Indiana winning this game, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Yeah we knew it.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
It probably would be against an Iowa team that prides
itself on special teams, and that was one of the
keys going to this game was was stopping Wigen And
speaking of him, Matt, I mean every time he touched
the ball, because I would did a couple of things
with him obviously in the return game, but offensively, they
try to throw him a couple of screen passes, you know,
quick passes in space. That guy is scary because every
time he touches the ball like he he looks like
(23:28):
he's a shot out of the cannon. So for Indiana,
you know, both defensively and and coverage unit wise on
special teams, for for them to be able to tackle
in space like that against a guy like that who
was who was so dangerous, that was really impressive to
me and I think it's something that goes underlooked. But
Indiana's tackling in this game, especially against you know, guys
like Leigen, was really phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Yeah, I think if I remember right my PFF store
I mentioned, I think they had a pretty good tackling
grade for this game.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
I'm actually was surprised that I doesn't get him the
vault more. Yeah, I I you know, I'm I don't
know the whole story there. I don't follow him, I
don't cover him, but I was kind of surprised that.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
They didn't try to get him the ball more than
they do, you know, because he is he is a
dynamic guy.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
But yeah, Indiana is tackling.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
I thought, you know, I can't remember the exact great,
but I want to say it was just below eighty eight,
eighty eighty on the PFF scale. They they tackled well,
Maury Ferrell had a good game, Lewis Moore played well again.
Isaiah Jones, which seems like we're talking about him every week,
Aidan Fisher. So all these guys, the guys that you
needed to play well, Tyreek Tucker, they all did a
(24:34):
good job.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
So but yeah, tackling was definitely huge in this.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
Game in Indiana, and Indiana, you know, came to play
in that regard.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
All right, defensively the best place to start here. I
cannot believe how well well I can believe it because
Indiana has one of the best defense coordinators in the nation,
one of the best run des But for them to
go into Iowa and completely shut down Iowa's own game
on offense, which is is the ground game just so impressive.
Hold Iowa's under one hundred yards rushing in this game,
(25:03):
and I don't think I would be shocked if any
other I know, they still play Ohio State this season
in Penn State, but I would be I would be
fairly surprised if any team is able to hold them
under one hundred yards rushing at home this season. For
what Indiana's defensive line in front seven was able to do,
because it almost felt like Iowa didn't want to even
play that battle once it once it kind of felt
(25:23):
that Indiana had had a control of the run game.
What Indiana was able to do and dictate the terms
there at the line of scrimmage was super impressive to me.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
Yeah, and just looking at I'm looking at the box score.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
I mean, even if you take out the negative yardage,
they only had one hundred and five yards and thirty
one carries.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
Now, I ended up being ninety two with the negative yardage.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
But I mean, so that's that's what not even that's
three point something yards with even when you do the
one hundred and five. Indiana, on the other hand, I
know we're talking about the defense, but they ran one
hundred and seventy frean fo one hundred and seventy three
yards on.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
Thirty nine carries. Now, they lost a bunch of yards,
especially with the Neil downs and the run in the
end zone. That's not bad carries. That's a little over
four yards to carry against Iowa defense. That's not bad.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
But you're right, Indiana really made them, they.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
Really and they did a good job.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
They did a pretty good job against I thought against
Gronowski hit his long run was three yards. He only
had said he had some losses, but seven yards and
eight carries. I thought I thought he might be a
little bit more successful, you know, uh mooton. I mean
he had a twenty two yard and run, but you know,
other than that, he had one of that be fifty
eight yards on seventeen carries. That's pretty good and he's
(26:30):
he's a solid back. So yeah, they they they shut
down what you had to shut down, you know, passing wise,
you know, he completed a high percentage passes, but they
weren't really throwing.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
They're not throwing the ball down the field.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
It was a lot of get the ball out quick
three stat drops, quick throws.
Speaker 4 (26:46):
So Indians defense did a good job.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
You know.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
It's interesting. At the end of the game, one of
the guys.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
In the media in the press box, coup covers IM
gonna say who it is, and I understand where he's
coming from. He he mentioned will should Throat had gone
down instead of scoring there at the end, I if
they would have had Byowa has one or no timeouts,
I can maybe live with that logic on this premise
only because you can run the clock out. But with
three timeouts, you can't run the clock out. And if
(27:10):
you take if you kneel down, run it three times,
kick a field goal, something crazy can happen.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
You can lose that game.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
You put it in the situation where the worst case
scenario is you tie at the end of regulation. And
my other thing is even if they didn't, if they
didn't have the timeouts. Listen, your defense should be good
enough to stop buying one one more drive and you're.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
Two plus million dollars a year. Coordinator should be able
to come up with a scheme for one drive to
shut them down. That's my feeling on it.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
And then and they did it, and you know, I'm
you know, to me taking the knees kind of playing,
I don't know, it's that's really conservative.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
And like I said, if it's.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
If it's they have no timeouts, it makes sense because
you can take three knees to run the clock down
to like two seconds, kick a field goal and you're done.
But I'm also the thing, go take the points. You
should always take those seven points. But the defense was great.
They they came through at the end. Obviously it was
against the backup, but you know they were they came
through at the end, they shut him down, They got
the ball back and obviously Indiana, you know, well you
(28:04):
talk about the last series for Indiana, which was I
neither one of us, I think understand what the heck
was going on.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Yeah, yeah, you're read in my mind because that's where
I was going next, that final drive. So kurtis Gneddi
of course was asked about I think you might have
asked about it in the press conference.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
He has no clue what was going on after the game.
We don't have any clue what's going on after the game.
I guess.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Rhet Lewis, who does a different IEU podcast, mentioned that
he had got clarification from the Big Ten. They said
that Mendoza was simulating taking a knee, which you know,
blows and play dead whatever. The victory delay thing is
that Indiana likes to call it where where Mendoza takes
a few steps back before actually taking the knee. Apparently
the reps didn't agree with it. And this is this
(28:46):
is part of a large picture map because especially you know,
the end of the third quarter and then the entire
fourth quarter, I thought the referees completely lost control of
the game. It started when Mendoza got decked out of bounds,
which granted that was a legal play, but I thought
Indiana was was in the you know, if I'm Indiana,
I have no problem with them sticking up for Mendoz
after taking that hit, But for the reps to have
(29:07):
like a whatever, five minute chat about it and then
call a holding penalty just a completely errant holding penalty.
I didn't even see it, like, and it just felt
like the referees had no control of what was going
on in this game, especially towards the end.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Yeah, And the other thing that was.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Weird about that play we talked about in the press
box because we could see it. I don't know how
much you can see on TV. They all hubbled on
the field. Nobody spotted the ball, like usually you have
one guy over he's put his foot. He puts his
foot right there on the sideline where they say that
where the balls spotted.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
There was no referee on the sideline. Now some of
it was.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
Indiana's players were all right there, but still they never
spotted the ball. So we for a while we had
no idea if Mendoza it was close. It was hard
to see, and and the TV's I didn't see. I
never called a replay. Maybe they showed it and I
dismissed it, but we didn't. I didn't know if he
had if he was made, if he made it, or
he was a little bit short, because he was right
at the line when he went out of bounce, and
it turned out he was a little bit short. Yeah,
(29:58):
And then I think the penalty. Was it a was
it a defensive off sides or something? Because they said
at first they said, Indiana accepted it. Why would you
take a five yard penalty on third and like I
think it was like third and ten or eleven, and
then they said no and it's fourth down.
Speaker 4 (30:12):
Yeah, it was, it was, it was.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
I thought the refereeing was this was not one of
their better games, let's put it that way.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
And there were missed calls on both sides.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
There was a time where Indiana their dB came through
the back of an eye receiver and even probably a
little bit early. I thought the more egregious one was
on Cooper because that's probably that was under thrown.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
But that was a big call. And and correct me
if I'm wrong, but if.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
There's a penalty passer Ferris and the ends on the ball,
I think it spotted down at what the three yard
line or something in college football, So that was that
was kind of a big note call. But yeah, I'm
with you. I thought the referees it got a little
bit got a little bit sideways late in that game,
and they could have done a better job of, uh,
you know, maybe doing that. And like we'll get into
the thing. But the last three or four plays, I'm
(30:55):
still completely in the dark.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
Why you couldn't run out sixteen seconds?
Speaker 3 (31:00):
You know, especially when you know, to me, simulating means
you you start to put your knee down and then
you stand back up. I don't remember Mendoza ever doing that.
He took three or four steps back, and he was
basically waiting for I to rush, and they never rushed,
So why would you blow that dead?
Speaker 4 (31:15):
That's what I don't understand.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
And for the people too that are saying that Indiana
was participating in some kind of point shaving with that safety,
like you need to get a grip on reality here,
Like I understand that it probably killed a bunch of
people's betting whatever spreads and rushing totals and this, and
that Indiana did what it had to do to uh
to win that game. And part of me would have
(31:39):
liked to see Mendoza just throw that ball out of
bounds because that that that that last defender who tackled
Mendoza in the end zone was barreling down and I
was worried that he was gonna try to punch the
ball out or something.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Un Fortunately he did not, But I.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Don't blame Indiana for taking that safety there, because you
can't at that point, with with how incompetent the rest
were at that point, Uh, you got to just do
You gotta just find any way to believe the rest
of the clock off.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Yeah, and I mean the point shave and then that's
ridiculous because Indiana tried to run. They tried to run
the clock out and have to score twenty to thirteen.
What was weird about that play? And I asked the
coachy about it was and maybe it didn't look like
this on my team. It looked like Mendoza ran and then
slowed down a little bit and like like looking.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
Back to see if somebody was coming, and then started running.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
And he was from what Sinasa, he was supposed to
run out of the back of the end zone, but
he like turned like the way he was running, he
turned to his right towards the IU sideline and then
kind of went down and then the guy came.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
So that's what I was like, Well, that's why I
was like, what is he doing?
Speaker 3 (32:33):
I mean, if you know, I remember years ago, Xander
Diamo in the game ran out of the end zone
and took a safety when Indiana was gonna have to
take what they were gonna have to punt and the
smart play, and that was a smart play at that
point because the referees completely mishandled those last three the
first three downs of that possession. That clock should have
run out. They should have run that clock out. They
(32:55):
should not have blown it dead early. But it is
what it is. They got to win. For the people
who lost money, you know, that's it sucks. I mean,
Mendoza apologize to him. I mean, he wasn't trying to
do it, but it was funny when he said he
cooked their spreads. It was I mean, that got a
pretty good chuckle everybody in the in the press room.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Yeah, that was hilarious. At least he's self aware.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Also, all right, Indiana winners twenty to fifteen over Iowa. Matt,
just quick thoughts. We're gonna we're gonna leave the Oregon
preview for next week since the Indiana's gonna buy this week,
but obviously.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
A huge win for Indiana.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
Just any quick thoughts going into this bye week and
and and game planning ahead for Oregon.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
Yeah, and we didn't get to it today and it's
probably better for but you know, I'm curious to see
if there's any kind and they're productly much. An update
on D'Angelo Ponds. It was interesting.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
I was standing right by where the team comes out
real quick for the pregame warm up, and he had nothing.
I'm not sure what the injury is. I would assume
it's something like with an ankle or knee. He had
nothing on any and and Ponds wears those pants that
come up about they're almost like shorts.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
His football pants look like short.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
There was nothing on his leg or knees, so part
of me wonders if there is something. Was Indiana, you know,
trying to maybe fool Eyewall because I'm sure they knew
what the injury report was when it came out. But
I did not see him going through warm ups on
the field, like even like individual stuff. Now maybe he did,
because I was on one side and I was by.
Speaker 4 (34:16):
I think they might have, but I didn't see him
when they went through team stuff. I did not see
him out there.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
It was Rylan Gandy all the way, So you know,
it'll be interesting to see where where that is. My
guess is he'll be ready to play. When he jogged out,
he looked okay, but he was just jogging, so I
don't know. You know, again, I don't know what the
injury is, but yeah, it's gonna be a tough game.
We me and Rabby on the way back kind of
watched the Penn State Oregon game as we were driving
back in the car, and it looked like Penn State
was gonna I'm sorry, Oregon was gonna win handling, and
(34:40):
then Penn State made a run there at the end
and really probably should have had a chance to win
that game. It's gonna be a tough matchup. As loud
as I was, Oregon's gonna be louder. And we'll get
into it more next week. But you know, this is
they're five and oh they're what are they know, eighth
in the country? Uh, number two versus number eight. I
would have I would assume one of the pregame shows
will in Eugene. I don't know that for a fact,
(35:03):
but I mean that's got to be the biggest game
on the schedule for that weekend, I would think. So
it's you know, this team has put themselves in a
position to achieve everything that they want to achieve for
this season.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Certainly everything on the table is still a head for
Indiana to play for this season. Hoosiers are five and zero.
They just announced yesterday it is a three thirty pm
kickoff Eastern Time, which will be twelve thirty in Eugene.
That game will be on CBS, so it'll be CBS's
big game of the week. We'll ultimately if any of
the national pregame shows go there, but it'll be number
eight Indiana versus number two Oregon. Well I was posed
(35:36):
the ap AP rankings might change, but regardless, it should
be a top ten matchup going into next week. Hoosiers,
you know this is gonna be a huge litmus test
for them. We'll see ultimately if they can get that
really really signature win in the Signetti era at Oregon
in a few weeks.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
All right, but Indianda's on a buy this week.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
We'll be back next week to preview the Oregon game,
but for now, Peace dot coms Matt Weaver Jerry Kelly
will see folks over on the site.
Welcome and everybody.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
It is Tuesday, September thirtieth. Indiana is five and zero
on season. Heading into a bye week, Hoosiers go on
the road to Kinnick Stadium win twenty to fifteen over Iowa,
the first win in Iowa City since two thousand and seven.
Piece Dot cons Matt Weaver. Jerry Kelly here to break
it all down. Matt, you were there in Iowa City.
Is what were your your overall takeaways from this game?
(00:25):
And you know, obviously the Elijah Serrat touchdown at the
end completely turned that game on its head.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
You know, we both thought that Indiana would would have
a chance to win this game, you know, fairly handily.
Not not anything like the Illinois game, but we thought
it would be, you know, a game where maybe they
could win by a couple a couple of touchdowns. Uh
the one you know some of the things that I
said that I thought Iowa had to do. The number
one thing was control of the time and possession. And
(00:50):
they did they did. I mean it was I think
it was like thirty two and changed to twenty seven
and change. They had to get you know, they had
to get They didn't want to turnover battle they did
get a big interception that took him down, they didn't
get points off of missfield go on that one. They
got a decent punt return and McCarthy was actually a
good punt. It looked like the way he kind of
out kicked the coverage and wet gin I think that's
(01:12):
how you say his name, which and he he had
a pretty good return to I think around midfield or
maybe just passing midfield. And then defensively they had to
really cause Indiana problems, and that's where I thought they
did the best job.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
They're blitzeing, you know, cast.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Some issues for IU up front, and really I thought,
and it was it was born out in the PFF grades.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
I thought caleon Block really struggled to block to protect.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
I mean he there was a couple of times, and
I think the one I remember the most is on
the interception when he was throwing when Mendoza was throwing
to Cooper, I mean he literally got lifted off the
ground and knocked backwards like three or four yards. And
I know it's tough, but I mean his blocking grade
was like five point three, which is I didn't even
know you could go that low in those grades. So
that to me was probably the biggest issue. You know,
(01:57):
I thought they could have been a little bit more
aggressive with play calling coach Shanahan, Mike Shanahan, could have
a little bit been a little bit more aggressive because
going in, you know, Sean Block from the Iowa site
said that one of their weaknesses was, you know, their
their corners. You can pick on them a little bit,
you could, you know, they don't really let anything over
their heads, but you could get some yards by throwing
the ball in front of them. And you know, I thought,
(02:19):
I thought maybe they could try a little bit more
of a the running game.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
You know, obviously struggled a little bit, but you know,
listen get by with credit.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
That was homecoming. That place was rocking. It was super loud.
They had a great crowd. And Phil Parker is really good.
I mean this the guy has been doing this for
almost thirty years and he knows how to you know,
find the chinks in the armor of offenses or or
find things or maybe he can exploit.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
And their blitzes were on time.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
You know, it's hard to know it's the press box,
but I guess Indiana was doing the patent on the
leg with the Linemen, and so.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
To me, you know that really that really screwed you
up at Ohio State.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
So I'm kind of I'm kind of wondering why they
haven't really changed it, you know, with a silent count.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
So I don't know, maybe that's something they'll look at more.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I didn't notice it in the press box, but people
told me afterwards they saw it on TV and it
looked like I was basically timing up the snaps and
was able to basically, you know, almost you know, know
exactly when the ball is gonna be snaps. So you know, listen,
it's a good win. It's not a pretty win. It
was not an esthetically pleasing win. But it's a good
win because that's a tough place to play, and anytime
(03:20):
you can win in Iowa, it's a good it's a
good victory.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
And it really it's a it's a win Indiana needed
to have going into these you know, Oregon Penns Day
type games.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
If Indiana was gonna keep you know, at c.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Ifp hopes alive at least to a great as great
of extensive as is now. All right, we can look
at this game from a multitude of different angles. Matt
you know, there were I felt like we watched like
five different football games in one football game. Here you
had the let's let's let's first address the fourth quarter
because that was wild. Iowa gets the interception, they drive
(03:53):
down the field, they miss a field goal. Mark Arnowski
goes out with an injury.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Quarter. The backup Hank Brown comes in.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Uh, he's not really able to do much on offense,
asking a lot of a backup to come in and
try to lead you down the field. In your mind,
do you feel that Indiana was fortunate to walk out
with this win? Because I thought you played. I thought
you played as well as it could have given the circumstances,
given that i Will played the game that it sort
of wanted. But to me, it kind of felt like
Indiana is is is feeling a little fortunate just to
(04:23):
just to walk out with a victory.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Well, for anybody who watched that, we did a postgame
video me and Rabbi and Sammy Jacobs from Who's Your Huddle?
And I think Sammy described it as he felt like
they may be kind of stole a win, which is
probably a fairly, you know, a fair statement about that game.
I mean, you know, I thought there were I thought
there were times. I mean, Indiana came out, they get
the turnover a lot on like the first or second
(04:46):
play of the game.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
Two plays later they're up seven to nothing.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I'm thinking, Okay, I didn't think it was going to
be easy, but I was like wow, and then and
then it was just an absolute It was a grind
to be perfect.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Honest.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
I thought the defense played really really well. They had
the one drive and you know, there were probably a
couple of question of calls on that drive, the run
right before the touchdown from the tour on the twenty
that got them down to about the five, like there
was a hold on that.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
But you know, that's that's the way it goes. But yeah,
you could probably say that they were fortunate to come
out with a win.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Iowa in a lot of areas probably outplayed them, you know.
And but again, while this is not a vantage Iowa team,
this is a proud, proud program, and they're not going
to roll over because Indiana comes in and they're ninth
in the country or whatever and they just blew out
Illinois and this is the first road game. But this
is these are not excuses, this is just facts. Indiana's
first road game an incredibly hostile environment. Indiana teams, No
(05:39):
Indiana team in the past ten years wins that game.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
They just don't.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
It doesn't happen until these last And they went in
there and they found a way to win. And you know,
I think it'll really set them up in two weeks.
We'll talk about, you know, next week, but this this
gives them something to lean back on when they go
on the road in the future. Storty next week, the
organ and they go to Penn State later in the year,
some other games. But yeah, there's I think I think,
you know, when you when you struggle as much as
(06:03):
they did offensively, and you know, you have some mistakes
that you have, you're probably fortunate to come out with
a win. But they also they made enough plays and
they made a big play at the end there with
Mendoz and.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Sat to get to get that out of victory.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
So offensively, I guess that's the best play place to start,
because that's really what bogged Indiana down. Like you mentioned,
like Indiana's defense played about as well as you could
have hoped. Held I what a two hundred and eighty
four total yards, which on the road in a big
ten environment is really really good. H So, Brian Haynes
had that group playing really well so offensively. You mentioned
(06:37):
the that was one of the big things you mentioned.
Kaylon Blacks run blocking in Roman Henvy too. He had
a couple of plays where he just completely whipped on
blocks Indiana. I felt like I felt like they had
the right idea of what they wanted to do against
the Blitz. It was just that Iowa was so overwhelming
and like you mentioned, they probably would war timing up
some of the snaps. It felt like Indie and knew
(07:00):
what I wanted to do, but the execution.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
In that area was pretty poor in this game.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yeah, And you know it's interesting on the in the
past blocking grades going back and looking at it, uh,
the right side struggled. Bray Lynch and Khalil Benson's grades
were I think in the forties and like again take
pff for what for what, but I think there are
some things they can probably activate, and I mean there
was I think I think it was on the sack
of Mendoz that bray Lynch just got abused, Like the
(07:28):
guy just kind of did a little move and swim,
move and use and just and I think he ended
up on the ground.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
You know.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
So now on the other side, Carter Smith I think
had a pretty good past block grade if I remember right.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
And Pat Coogan I don't remember. Evans. I think it
was decent. I don't want to say it was maybe
maybe around seventy or so.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
But there's you know, and I'm not saying they need
to make changes or anything like that, but you know,
it was kind of one side that was kind of
giving them problems. But I you know, if you watch Iowa,
what they're at least from my point of view, their
game plan is we are going to throw the house
at you. We're gonna bring We're gonna bring this monster
blitz and we believe we can either get to your
quarterback before he can get rid of the ball, or
(08:06):
even if he does get rid of the ball, it's
gonna be a poor throw that ends.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Up an incompletion or possibly a turnover. And that's what
they did. And give him Mendoza credit.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Like on the pass of Sarat I think he got
rocked on the pass to Cooper where and the reason
why the biggest thing on that was Cooper was open.
He just couldn't finish his throw because the guy was
right there in his face. If he finishes that throw,
that's a completed pass. But he stood in there and
took some hits. I mean, that dude was tough as
can be, so give him pred on that. But I
was game playing was good. Like I said, I would
(08:36):
have maybe liked to see in Indiana the other thing
I maybe like to see, you know, I kind of
maybe play a little bit quicker, maybe go two minutes
maybe a Notre Dame. They're having trouble, and I know
some of it was the score and the time of
the game, but maybe go a little bit quicker and
do some two minute and try to get eyewa so
they can't tee up so much and they're more on
their heels. Maybe they can't sub certain guys in situations,
(08:56):
you know, Like I'm not a coach. Those guys know
better than me. But I would have maybe tried something
a little bit different. But at the end of the day,
they got the win, and that's what the win and
that's what matters.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, this is a This is a vintage of Phil
Parker defense. Maybe not in terms of talent level, but
just the way they're playing in the Perth. I think
I saw a stat that was like, I would pressure
on seventy two percent of the snatch or something something
outrageous like that and really forced Indiana to work. And
that kind of goes hand in hand Matt that the
play calling, we should probably address that too, because there's
(09:26):
there's one side of the fan base that that says,
you know, IU has to change something up in these
in these big road games, because you know what's what
they've been doing hasn't been working offensively going back to
last year. And the other side is like, and this
is maybe where I lean more, is you can only
call what you can block right in Indiana for them
to get these explosive plays and these long developing.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Routes, UH, you gotta build the block.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
And I felt like Mike Shanahan's hands were tied a
little bit now going back to the first half, especially
in the first quarter, second quarter, when Indiana had a
little bit of momentum, I would have liked to see
them try some things, you know, before high started teeing off,
but especially in the second half.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
For me, it's hard.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
It's hard to fault Shanahan because of how poorly UH
Indiana was dealing with the blitzes and and it's a
situation where you know, you can throw one hundred slants
to Elijah Shirat, but at some point you got to
try something different, and there wasn't a whole lot. I
felt like Indiana could call to make up for first
block and struggles.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Yeah, And the one thing I would say to the
fans you talked about these road games. I mean, listen,
Indiana was out class talent wise at Ohio State and
Notre Dame. I mean, that's just the fact of the matter.
I mean, you can say what you want, but they
those teams both had superior personnel to Indiana on both
sides of the ball. So it's a little bit that
to me, that's not really the to this game. You know,
it's not really apples to apples. I I do think,
(10:45):
I you know, I do would have like I said
I said earlier, I would have liked to send them
be a little bit more aggressive, maybe try and you know,
like again maybe the two minute kind of offense would
have would have done something different. But you're right, you know,
Kevin Wilson told this to me years ago. I drop
all the great plays in the world. I want Matt,
but if we can't block it, it doesn't matter. And
you know, the blocking overall wasn't awful. They were struggling.
(11:08):
It was really kind of I thought the old line
for the most part, did a solid job of giving
Thedows a time. It was just some of those blitzes
and picking them up where they struggled. And it goes
back to running backs and Kaylon Black.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
You know, his curse.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Seems like he's been a pretty solid, you know guy
in pass protection, but he struggled.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
He struggled Roman heavy.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
We've never seen him until this year, so I don't
really know have a great feel for his pass protection
and how much he was asked to do it in Maryland.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
But it was a struggle for him.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
And these guys were coming from I mean, they were
on a dead sprint from ten yards away, like safeties
and stuff, and they were just kind of lighting up
Indiana's running backs and giving them all kinds of problems.
So you know, I mean, listen, it's always easy hindsight.
It's always twenty twenty. It's easy to sit here and nitpick.
Mike Shanahan's been pretty darn good. And you know, I
(11:52):
saw a post about Signetti can't win big.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
I mean, there's just some nonsense, no offense. I don't
care who, I don't care if they get mad. There's
nonsense on the board. He's sixteen and two and.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Indiana, I mean, you know what I mean, and you
talk about a how State now State Norday played for
the national championship. There's only two teams that beat Indiana
last year with the two teams that played for the title,
you know. So, I it's it's just it's mind boggling
to me that people who followed the program that's been
dog crap for years are complaining about a guy who's
gone sixteen in.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Two, especially when it in a place they haven't won
into two thousand and seven, like several coaches have tried
in Indiana and have not been successful there.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Uh So, curtz Ignetti, I mean, yeah, uh now, I'm
with you on that. Uh.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
It should be noted too with Fernanda Mendoza, especially, you
know he finished thirteen to twenty three. Especially I remember
in the first quarter he had that one long, that
deep shot to Omar Cooper, which which should have been
a touchdown, looked like Mendoza might have underthrown the ball.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Some people wanted to pass their appearance.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Yeah, Elijah Surat, I remember there was a I think
it was just a quick slamt that they threw to
him and he dropped the pass, which is very uncharacteristic
for him.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Yeah. Was that the third down play?
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I believe so. Yeah, Yeah, it was a.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Third downplay and the Cooper won. That was a p
I that should have been called.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
So there was a couple instances here where where it
felt like Indiana had a chance to find its footing,
and you know what, whether it's their own mistakes or
you know, things like officiating that we can debate, it
felt like Indian was kind of stuck in the mud
for most of this game. Offensively, I thought, you know,
and you uh, going back to Roman Henby. While while
Indian's running backs weren't great in the pass pectioname, I
(13:25):
thought Roman Henby played a really really good game. Fifteen
carries eighty six yards. Now, he didn't find the end zone,
it didn't didn't break off any explosives in the run game.
He ran super, super tough in this game and turned
a bunch of what would have been like you know,
won two yard games into into you know, five six,
seven eight yard gains. I thought that was a real
bright spot, especially against an eye with defense that's as
(13:46):
pisical as it is.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Yeah, and this is a game where and like I said,
I think Kaylon Black has solid speed and he showed it.
But this is a game where there are holes that
any holes that.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Were there were not open for long and you kind
of needed.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
I mean, Hemby was able to get through some of
those holes that Black I don't think was you know,
was able to get through. And I'm with you. I mean,
on the way home, I was talking with me and
Rabbi were talking. I thought Heimby looked great running the ball.
I mean he not only ran with speed, but he
ran with power, physicality. You know, he was he was,
you know, breaking through some tackles or at least pushing
you know. I mean, I don't he might have had
(14:21):
some some runs that that went for negative yards, but
that was probably more on the fact that they were
in the backfield. I thought he was terrific. I thought
he looked out standing running the ball. And you know,
I've said it to you guys, at some point he's
going to break like a fifty or sixty yard run
for a touchdown.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
He came close.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
I think there was one where he just barely got
tripped up in this game. But he he is going
to break one. And you know he's been and he
has been an outstanding addition to this team with what
he can do running the ball and also catching it.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
But I'm with you one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I thought he played really really well in his in
his role as as a running back.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Let's stay with the run game here because one area
where Indiana has had some trouble this year and it
continued in this Iowa game.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Those short yards plays.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
I believe they had four different instances of a third
and short, fourth and short where they got completely stuffed
at the line of scrimmage and and kurtzing Nadie mentioned
after the game that, you know, Frando Mendoza couldn't check
out of those because of the crowd noise and things
like that. So whatever they were running, they were running,
and Indiana basically tried everything it could to get thee
to gain these one two three yards on those plays.
(15:26):
You know they brought Zen Mahalski in a couple of
times as a sixth blocker. Obviously, Riley Nokowski was in
there's a seventh blocker. You basically you basically through the
kitchen sake at Iowa and said stop us, and Iowa
stopped them several times. Uh, whatever Indiana is doing, I
would like to see I would like to see them
make some adjustments here because it feels like they're not
(15:47):
letting Bana mon doesn't necessarily work in these short yard situations. Uh,
whether it's a play action something, Something's got to change
in that regard, because this Iowa game especially showed that
Indiana's still has a lot of.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Room for improvement in any short areas.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Yeah, and the thing I think I didn't ask it,
but I think somebody asked about was Mendoza. Did Mendoza
have the freedom to pull the ball because on the
last fourth and one where they ran black and he
ran basically right, I think he ran into alignment and
like ran into his back.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
It really looked.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I can't remember the first one as well, but the
second one if Mendoza keeps the balls first out because
that DN had crashed in and I think it was
a I want to say it was a fourth and one,
maybe fourth and one and a half or something like that.
But and coach Signetti said something it sounded like that
they those weren't read they kind of read options. It
was basically a handoff all the way, which I was
(16:38):
a little bit surprised at, although somebody I took to
said they they thought Mendoza was a little bit surprised
that Black took the ball when they watched on TV.
That looked like Mendoza almost wanted to keep it. So
I don't know, I just wonder how much freedom he
has to because I think if he keeps the ball
in a couple of those, those are probably first downs.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
That's and and you know, I don't know, I'm not
sure how much crowd noise to playing a part in that.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
I think that's to him, it's just all about reading.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
The defensive line, so you know, I mean, and I
know there's been a couple of issues earlier in the
year where Mendoza where Signetti got on him. I want
to say it was was a Kamisau state or any estate.
He called the time out and yelled at him basically
because I think he was maybe he thought he should
hand it off, or he wasn't pulling the ball or
whatever it may be So I'm not sure exactly what
the freedom is there for those because I thought those
(17:24):
were but the fact that you didn't have, you know,
the option, and I think he has an option where
he puts in the bell and he stands up and
he throws the ball.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
I didn't. I don't remember seeing any of those plays
and he throws it.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
He did the outside It looked like they were predesigned,
like he just immediately turned it through the ball. There
was no fake handoff or anything like that. So it
makes it tough. It makes it tough when it's loud
like that, and it's not again it's I'm making excuses,
it's just the fact the matter. When it's super loud,
it's sometimes it's hard to communicate on the field. But
I would have liked to see him. This to me
was a game where maybe you could have used him
(17:56):
a little bit, but I don't want you. I don't want
to get him hurt. But maybe use him a little
bit more in the run game, especially in those short
yarded situations.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Before we flip over to uh the defensive special teams.
That last play, Matt where when when Mendoza hooked up
with sarat what were you guys down on the field yet,
just what was like the atmosphere like around the stadium
when when that when that play happened.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
No, we actually didn't.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
We we stayed in the press box this time all
the way to the end of the game. Mainly I
wasn't sure what the policy was. I mean, we were
down the field before the game, but I didn't go
down at the end of the game.
Speaker 4 (18:29):
But it was like you could.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
I mean, when you hear the price box, you're obviously insulated,
so but you can still tell it's loud, like you know,
you can hear the noise and the air just went
out of the balloon as soon as they as soon
as he broke that tackle and people realized it, and
then people started like I was looking down and people
were starting to stream out of the stream towards the
exits and and and leave the game. So yeah, I think,
I mean, that was obviously that was obviously uh, I.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
Mean, no, I'm being captain. Obviously here was a huge play.
But it really sucked.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
The life out of the Iowa fans. I mean, I
think they thought they had a real shot there and
and and they did, but it was a monster play,
great throw by Mendoza, and it was great that they
they you know, they talked backwords, they read it because
they were blitz and they were playing a little bit
softer at corner and so that play, that one that
you talked about earlier, they were kind of pressing Sarat.
(19:18):
That was a tough I mean, he's probably he should
have caught it. That's a tough throw because the guy
was pressing. These were a little bit softer, and I
think they were okay with him completing the past because
I think they figured we'll come up and we'll make
a tackle. Well, Sarat obviously beat the guy one on
one and the rest is history. So but yeah, you
it definitely was a deflating moment for that fan base
for and obviously probably for Iowa too.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Yeah, I remember too though. On that play, I believe
it was TJ Hall at cornerback. He took a pretty
bad angle to he's trying to make an ankle tackle
on Serat, which he's gotten out out a lot of
those this year. And yeah, once he was gone, he
was it was walking to the end zone. So and
let's let's you know, let's not forget too. I alway
still had like, what a minute twenty eight with three
(19:59):
time out left to drive down the field. So it
wasn't completely over at that point, but after they had
already missed that field goal and after Gronowski had exited
the game with an injury, it kind of felt like,
you know, the winds are blowing in India's favor at
that point, so let's go to you know, we've made
it this far. We got to talk about Nico Ratiiciic
(20:19):
because he was stones in this game, two kicks of
forty plus yards a career long, both of them actually
were career a loongs forty six and then the forty
four yarder to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
I was, you know, I don't know if I if
I was necessarily surprised, but I didn't think Signetti was
going to send Raditiciic out there for some of those
(20:41):
field goals that that he ultimately did, because you know,
we've seen in the past where Signetti has sort of
favored the offense and kept the kicking unit on the
sidelines in those situations. And then you factor in the
road environment, you factor in that Ratichicic has never really
attempted anything outside of forty yards in his career for
him to step up and make those kind of kick
in those moments, his confidence has to be sky high
(21:04):
right now. And for his sake, you hope that Indiana
is a you know, the staff is more confident in
setting him out there for those kinds of situations now
that he's done it and has that experience.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Yeah, and I think this.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
We might have talked about this in our vedeo after
the game, but me and you have talked about it.
What you know, at some point you're gonna need your
field goal kicker. You're not gonna blow everybody out. And
he was fantastic, And listen, I always kicker was awesome too.
That first kick he made for forty seven yards, that
ball was hammered like that would have been good from
that had at least another thirteen to fifteen yards of
(21:36):
distance on.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
I mean, it hit so high up on the net
if you can see it on TV, but at the
game you could see it.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Now, he missed a big one, the twenty two yarder
that really would have put Indiana where obviously would put
a ton of pressure on him there at the end.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
But Radi Chickens, I mean, we know the talent's there.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
I mean we've seen it, it's just we haven't we
haven't seen it in these kinds of situations where there's
a ton right now. I mean those kicks were in
that last drive before for half for uh was that
right before halfing h they got three points. I think
that was it. They that that was uh, that was key.
I mean they Radishchik was fantastic. I mean, and uh,
(22:13):
the special teams were good. Brendan Frankie continues to be
unbelievable kicking the ball off. I mean, they had no chance,
no chance to do anything, you know, And and this
is this is this is a really kind of under
the radar. This is a kind of under the radar. Yeah,
that draft started at twenty two seconds for Indiana and
they got and really give it to him.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
He sixteen yards on first down. Then he gets it
to shrot for a big game.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
I mean that was a that was a big because
really Iowa had all the momentum. They're up ten to seven,
and they had kind of seized control of the game
in my opinion, and Indiana got some back and that
was kind of a floating for them. But the special
teams have been awesome. I mean, mis McCarthy came back,
I thought he put on the ball. I know he
had the return, but all of a sudden, I just
thought the pump was so good. He kind of out
and kicked his coverage. But overall it was it was
(23:00):
a special teams was it was a big factor in
Indiana winning this game, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Yeah we knew it.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
It probably would be against an Iowa team that prides
itself on special teams, and that was one of the
keys going to this game was was stopping Wigen And
speaking of him, Matt, I mean every time he touched
the ball, because I would did a couple of things
with him obviously in the return game, but offensively, they
try to throw him a couple of screen passes, you know,
quick passes in space. That guy is scary because every
time he touches the ball like he he looks like
(23:28):
he's a shot out of the cannon. So for Indiana,
you know, both defensively and and coverage unit wise on
special teams, for for them to be able to tackle
in space like that against a guy like that who
was who was so dangerous, that was really impressive to
me and I think it's something that goes underlooked. But
Indiana's tackling in this game, especially against you know, guys
like Leigen, was really phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Yeah, I think if I remember right my PFF store
I mentioned, I think they had a pretty good tackling
grade for this game.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
I'm actually was surprised that I doesn't get him the
vault more. Yeah, I I you know, I'm I don't
know the whole story there. I don't follow him, I
don't cover him, but I was kind of surprised that.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
They didn't try to get him the ball more than
they do, you know, because he is he is a
dynamic guy.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
But yeah, Indiana is tackling.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
I thought, you know, I can't remember the exact great,
but I want to say it was just below eighty eight,
eighty eighty on the PFF scale. They they tackled well,
Maury Ferrell had a good game, Lewis Moore played well again.
Isaiah Jones, which seems like we're talking about him every week,
Aidan Fisher. So all these guys, the guys that you
needed to play well, Tyreek Tucker, they all did a
(24:34):
good job.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
So but yeah, tackling was definitely huge in this.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
Game in Indiana, and Indiana, you know, came to play
in that regard.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
All right, defensively the best place to start here. I
cannot believe how well well I can believe it because
Indiana has one of the best defense coordinators in the nation,
one of the best run des But for them to
go into Iowa and completely shut down Iowa's own game
on offense, which is is the ground game just so impressive.
Hold Iowa's under one hundred yards rushing in this game,
(25:03):
and I don't think I would be shocked if any
other I know, they still play Ohio State this season
in Penn State, but I would be I would be
fairly surprised if any team is able to hold them
under one hundred yards rushing at home this season. For
what Indiana's defensive line in front seven was able to do,
because it almost felt like Iowa didn't want to even
play that battle once it once it kind of felt
(25:23):
that Indiana had had a control of the run game.
What Indiana was able to do and dictate the terms
there at the line of scrimmage was super impressive to me.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
Yeah, and just looking at I'm looking at the box score.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
I mean, even if you take out the negative yardage,
they only had one hundred and five yards and thirty
one carries.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
Now, I ended up being ninety two with the negative yardage.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
But I mean, so that's that's what not even that's
three point something yards with even when you do the
one hundred and five. Indiana, on the other hand, I
know we're talking about the defense, but they ran one
hundred and seventy frean fo one hundred and seventy three
yards on.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
Thirty nine carries. Now, they lost a bunch of yards,
especially with the Neil downs and the run in the
end zone. That's not bad carries. That's a little over
four yards to carry against Iowa defense. That's not bad.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
But you're right, Indiana really made them, they.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
Really and they did a good job.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
They did a pretty good job against I thought against
Gronowski hit his long run was three yards. He only
had said he had some losses, but seven yards and
eight carries. I thought I thought he might be a
little bit more successful, you know, uh mooton. I mean
he had a twenty two yard and run, but you know,
other than that, he had one of that be fifty
eight yards on seventeen carries. That's pretty good and he's
(26:30):
he's a solid back. So yeah, they they they shut
down what you had to shut down, you know, passing wise,
you know, he completed a high percentage passes, but they
weren't really throwing.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
They're not throwing the ball down the field.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
It was a lot of get the ball out quick
three stat drops, quick throws.
Speaker 4 (26:46):
So Indians defense did a good job.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
You know.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
It's interesting. At the end of the game, one of
the guys.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
In the media in the press box, coup covers IM
gonna say who it is, and I understand where he's
coming from. He he mentioned will should Throat had gone
down instead of scoring there at the end, I if
they would have had Byowa has one or no timeouts,
I can maybe live with that logic on this premise
only because you can run the clock out. But with
three timeouts, you can't run the clock out. And if
(27:10):
you take if you kneel down, run it three times,
kick a field goal, something crazy can happen.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
You can lose that game.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
You put it in the situation where the worst case
scenario is you tie at the end of regulation. And
my other thing is even if they didn't, if they
didn't have the timeouts. Listen, your defense should be good
enough to stop buying one one more drive and you're.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
Two plus million dollars a year. Coordinator should be able
to come up with a scheme for one drive to
shut them down. That's my feeling on it.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
And then and they did it, and you know, I'm
you know, to me taking the knees kind of playing,
I don't know, it's that's really conservative.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
And like I said, if it's.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
If it's they have no timeouts, it makes sense because
you can take three knees to run the clock down
to like two seconds, kick a field goal and you're done.
But I'm also the thing, go take the points. You
should always take those seven points. But the defense was great.
They they came through at the end. Obviously it was
against the backup, but you know they were they came
through at the end, they shut him down, They got
the ball back and obviously Indiana, you know, well you
(28:04):
talk about the last series for Indiana, which was I
neither one of us, I think understand what the heck
was going on.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Yeah, yeah, you're read in my mind because that's where
I was going next, that final drive. So kurtis Gneddi
of course was asked about I think you might have
asked about it in the press conference.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
He has no clue what was going on after the game.
We don't have any clue what's going on after the game.
I guess.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Rhet Lewis, who does a different IEU podcast, mentioned that
he had got clarification from the Big Ten. They said
that Mendoza was simulating taking a knee, which you know,
blows and play dead whatever. The victory delay thing is
that Indiana likes to call it where where Mendoza takes
a few steps back before actually taking the knee. Apparently
the reps didn't agree with it. And this is this
(28:46):
is part of a large picture map because especially you know,
the end of the third quarter and then the entire
fourth quarter, I thought the referees completely lost control of
the game. It started when Mendoza got decked out of bounds,
which granted that was a legal play, but I thought
Indiana was was in the you know, if I'm Indiana,
I have no problem with them sticking up for Mendoz
after taking that hit, But for the reps to have
(29:07):
like a whatever, five minute chat about it and then
call a holding penalty just a completely errant holding penalty.
I didn't even see it, like, and it just felt
like the referees had no control of what was going
on in this game, especially towards the end.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Yeah, And the other thing that was.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Weird about that play we talked about in the press
box because we could see it. I don't know how
much you can see on TV. They all hubbled on
the field. Nobody spotted the ball, like usually you have
one guy over he's put his foot. He puts his
foot right there on the sideline where they say that
where the balls spotted.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
There was no referee on the sideline. Now some of
it was.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
Indiana's players were all right there, but still they never
spotted the ball. So we for a while we had
no idea if Mendoza it was close. It was hard
to see, and and the TV's I didn't see. I
never called a replay. Maybe they showed it and I
dismissed it, but we didn't. I didn't know if he
had if he was made, if he made it, or
he was a little bit short, because he was right
at the line when he went out of bounce, and
it turned out he was a little bit short. Yeah,
(29:58):
And then I think the penalty. Was it a was
it a defensive off sides or something? Because they said
at first they said, Indiana accepted it. Why would you
take a five yard penalty on third and like I
think it was like third and ten or eleven, and
then they said no and it's fourth down.
Speaker 4 (30:12):
Yeah, it was, it was, it was.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
I thought the refereeing was this was not one of
their better games, let's put it that way.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
And there were missed calls on both sides.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
There was a time where Indiana their dB came through
the back of an eye receiver and even probably a
little bit early. I thought the more egregious one was
on Cooper because that's probably that was under thrown.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
But that was a big call. And and correct me
if I'm wrong, but if.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
There's a penalty passer Ferris and the ends on the ball,
I think it spotted down at what the three yard
line or something in college football, So that was that
was kind of a big note call. But yeah, I'm
with you. I thought the referees it got a little
bit got a little bit sideways late in that game,
and they could have done a better job of, uh,
you know, maybe doing that. And like we'll get into
the thing. But the last three or four plays, I'm
(30:55):
still completely in the dark.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
Why you couldn't run out sixteen seconds?
Speaker 3 (31:00):
You know, especially when you know, to me, simulating means
you you start to put your knee down and then
you stand back up. I don't remember Mendoza ever doing that.
He took three or four steps back, and he was
basically waiting for I to rush, and they never rushed,
So why would you blow that dead?
Speaker 4 (31:15):
That's what I don't understand.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
And for the people too that are saying that Indiana
was participating in some kind of point shaving with that safety,
like you need to get a grip on reality here,
Like I understand that it probably killed a bunch of
people's betting whatever spreads and rushing totals and this, and
that Indiana did what it had to do to uh
to win that game. And part of me would have
(31:39):
liked to see Mendoza just throw that ball out of
bounds because that that that that last defender who tackled
Mendoza in the end zone was barreling down and I
was worried that he was gonna try to punch the
ball out or something.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Un Fortunately he did not, But I.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Don't blame Indiana for taking that safety there, because you
can't at that point, with with how incompetent the rest
were at that point, Uh, you got to just do
You gotta just find any way to believe the rest
of the clock off.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Yeah, and I mean the point shave and then that's
ridiculous because Indiana tried to run. They tried to run
the clock out and have to score twenty to thirteen.
What was weird about that play? And I asked the
coachy about it was and maybe it didn't look like
this on my team. It looked like Mendoza ran and then
slowed down a little bit and like like looking.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
Back to see if somebody was coming, and then started running.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
And he was from what Sinasa, he was supposed to
run out of the back of the end zone, but
he like turned like the way he was running, he
turned to his right towards the IU sideline and then
kind of went down and then the guy came.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
So that's what I was like, Well, that's why I
was like, what is he doing?
Speaker 3 (32:33):
I mean, if you know, I remember years ago, Xander
Diamo in the game ran out of the end zone
and took a safety when Indiana was gonna have to
take what they were gonna have to punt and the
smart play, and that was a smart play at that
point because the referees completely mishandled those last three the
first three downs of that possession. That clock should have
run out. They should have run that clock out. They
(32:55):
should not have blown it dead early. But it is
what it is. They got to win. For the people
who lost money, you know, that's it sucks. I mean,
Mendoza apologize to him. I mean, he wasn't trying to
do it, but it was funny when he said he
cooked their spreads. It was I mean, that got a
pretty good chuckle everybody in the in the press room.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Yeah, that was hilarious. At least he's self aware.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Also, all right, Indiana winners twenty to fifteen over Iowa. Matt,
just quick thoughts. We're gonna we're gonna leave the Oregon
preview for next week since the Indiana's gonna buy this week,
but obviously.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
A huge win for Indiana.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
Just any quick thoughts going into this bye week and
and and game planning ahead for Oregon.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
Yeah, and we didn't get to it today and it's
probably better for but you know, I'm curious to see
if there's any kind and they're productly much. An update
on D'Angelo Ponds. It was interesting.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
I was standing right by where the team comes out
real quick for the pregame warm up, and he had nothing.
I'm not sure what the injury is. I would assume
it's something like with an ankle or knee. He had
nothing on any and and Ponds wears those pants that
come up about they're almost like shorts.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
His football pants look like short.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
There was nothing on his leg or knees, so part
of me wonders if there is something. Was Indiana, you know,
trying to maybe fool Eyewall because I'm sure they knew
what the injury report was when it came out. But
I did not see him going through warm ups on
the field, like even like individual stuff. Now maybe he did,
because I was on one side and I was by.
Speaker 4 (34:16):
I think they might have, but I didn't see him
when they went through team stuff. I did not see
him out there.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
It was Rylan Gandy all the way, So you know,
it'll be interesting to see where where that is. My
guess is he'll be ready to play. When he jogged out,
he looked okay, but he was just jogging, so I
don't know. You know, again, I don't know what the
injury is, but yeah, it's gonna be a tough game.
We me and Rabby on the way back kind of
watched the Penn State Oregon game as we were driving
back in the car, and it looked like Penn State
was gonna I'm sorry, Oregon was gonna win handling, and
(34:40):
then Penn State made a run there at the end
and really probably should have had a chance to win
that game. It's gonna be a tough matchup. As loud
as I was, Oregon's gonna be louder. And we'll get
into it more next week. But you know, this is
they're five and oh they're what are they know, eighth
in the country? Uh, number two versus number eight. I
would have I would assume one of the pregame shows
will in Eugene. I don't know that for a fact,
(35:03):
but I mean that's got to be the biggest game
on the schedule for that weekend, I would think. So
it's you know, this team has put themselves in a
position to achieve everything that they want to achieve for
this season.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Certainly everything on the table is still a head for
Indiana to play for this season. Hoosiers are five and zero.
They just announced yesterday it is a three thirty pm
kickoff Eastern Time, which will be twelve thirty in Eugene.
That game will be on CBS, so it'll be CBS's
big game of the week. We'll ultimately if any of
the national pregame shows go there, but it'll be number
eight Indiana versus number two Oregon. Well I was posed
(35:36):
the ap AP rankings might change, but regardless, it should
be a top ten matchup going into next week. Hoosiers,
you know this is gonna be a huge litmus test
for them. We'll see ultimately if they can get that
really really signature win in the Signetti era at Oregon
in a few weeks.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
All right, but Indianda's on a buy this week.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
We'll be back next week to preview the Oregon game,
but for now, Peace dot coms Matt Weaver Jerry Kelly
will see folks over on the site.
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