2013 Indiana Spring Football Analysis

Indiana Hoosiers - 2013 Season ... Head Coach: Kevin Wilson

Indiana Hoosiers 

2013 Schedule
8/31 Indiana State
9/7 Navy
9/14 Bowling Green
9/21 Missouri
9/28 OPEN DATE
10/5 Penn State
10/12 at Michigan State
10/19 at Michigan
10/26 OPEN DATE
11/2 Minnesota
11/9 Illinois
11/16 at Wisconsin
11/23 at Ohio State
11/30 Purdue

Why To Be Excited: This is one of the Big Ten’s most experienced teams with just enough experience and options to finally break through under Kevin Wilson. It’s been a few years to build to this point, and with 21 starters returning the competition should be terrific in several key spots. Tre Roberson returns from his broken leg to challenge Cameron Coffman and Nate Sudfeld for the starting quarterback job, while Stephen Houston and D’Angelo Roberts should provide a nice 1-2 rushing punch behind a good-looking line.

Why To Be Grouchy: The team might be loaded with veterans and depth, but is there any real talent? Strides were made across the board last year, but after giving up 163 points in the final three games, there are still plenty of question marks. The defensive front still has to prove it can stop someone’s running game, and now it has to go on without grinding tackles Adam Replogle and Larry Black. The secondary is deep, but it has to start making more big plays and picks and has to keep the deep balls to a minimum.

What Needs Working On: The defense has to get nastier. It’s a try-hard group that hustles and tries to do everything right, but it was beaten to a pulp in several ways last season. Wisconsin ripped off 564 yards and seven scores one week, and then Penn State was bombing away for 395 yards and four touchdowns before Purdue came up with 373 passing yards and five scores. With just 13 takeaways, there wasn’t much help coming when the offense wasn’t clicking.

Non-Conference Games: Indiana State, Navy, Bowling Green, Missouri
Games Against The Legends: at Michigan, at Michigan State, Minnesota
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Worst Case Record: 3-9
Likely Finish: 5-7

Pre-Preseason Projected Wins: Navy, Bowling Green, Illinois, Purdue

Pre-Preseason Projected Losses: Missouri, Penn State, at Michigan State, at Michigan, Minnesota, at Wisconsin, at Ohio State

Schedule Analysis: Can the Hoosiers hold serve at home? It’s not going to be as easy as it seems with Indiana State not a complete and total pushover to start the year and Navy (offense) and Bowling Green (defense) two nasty games that should be battles. Beating Missouri would be gravy, but the team should be comfortable at home with the first road game not coming until mid-October.

Missing Nebraska from the Legends is nice, but after starting out the Big Ten campaign at home against Penn State, back-to-back road games against Michigan State and Michigan will be a problem. Fortunately, there’s a week off before two of the easier games on the slate – Minnesota and Illinois – followed up by a pair of road killers against Wisconsin and Ohio State before finishing up at home with Purdue.

Team Concerns For 2013: The Hoosiers have to stop the run. Kevin Wilson's offense will only get better and better with ten starters returning to an attack that led the Big Ten in passing, but the defense gave up points and yards faster than the O could crank them out. IU was last in the Big Ten in total defense and scoring defense, having the biggest problems against the run despite leading the league in sacks and tackles for loss. The Hoosiers needs defensive tackle help as soon as possible.

The 2013 Class Is Heavy On ... Defensive linemen. No team in the Big Ten has a bigger area of need than Indiana has on the defensive line. It's asking too much for anyone to start right away, but 6-5, 285-pound Darius Latham and JUCO transfer Jordan Heiderman might be too good to not be thrown to the wolves. End David Kenney has all the tools to quickly turn into one of the team's top pass rushers. Safety Antonio Allen is soon going to be the team's top defensive back, while tight end Danny Friend will be a key outlet target. Receivers Isaac Griffith and Anthony Young are going to be a part of the rotation by next year.

2012 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 57. That Class Was Heavy On ... FBS players. Head coach Kevin Wilson openly groused about the talent level after coming over from Oklahoma, and now he has had a full recruiting season to change things around. While he lost top quarterback prospect Dusty Kiel to Notre Dame, he’s getting a few passers and some strong receivers. The defense has to be far better, and it starts up front with JUCO transfers Jaccari Alexander and David Cooper for the linebacking corps, and enough talent for the depth on the line to get an immediate upgrade. 

2011 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 57. That Class Was Heavy On ... Defensive backs. New head coach Kevin Wilson wants receivers to be able to move the ball vertically even more than Bill Lynch did, and he loaded up with three excellent targets from the tiny but quick Shane Wynn to the 6-5 Jay McCants. Defense got plenty of help, especially in the secondary, with big safeties Forisse Hardin and Mark Murphy, potentially seeing time right away, while Kenny Mullen bring speed at corner and Nick Stoner and Michael Hunter are versatile options for the outside.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 64. That Class Was Heavy On ... Help for the defensive back seven. The Hoosiers need to go with the strength-in-numbers theory to find enough bodies to come up with a solid and steady defense. Five strong linebacking prospects were signed led by Matt Zakrzewski, a safety-sized guided missile for the outside, and Chase Hoobler for the middle. Shaquille Jefferson will be a starting safety in the near future, while JUCO transfers Andre Kates and Lenyatta Kiles will provide instant help on the corners.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 681. That Class Was Heavy On ... quarterbacks. IU was more than just competitive with Kellen Lewis was on, and it showed just how much the program needs a strong quarterback to carry the rest of the team. The Hoosiers might have picked up two with Edward Wright-Baker and great athlete, and Dustin Kiel a nice passing prospect. These two will get a little bit of time to develop with the future of the program to eventually ride on one of their shoulders.