IU

IU's offensive line looks to recover from 'stressful' performance

Zach Osterman
zach.osterman@indystar.com
Indiana Hoosiers running back Devine Redding (34) looks to run by Ohio State Buckeyes defensive lineman Joey Bosa (97) in third quarter of their game. Ohio State defeated Indiana 34-27. Oct 3, 2015; Bloomington, IN, USA; [CAPTION] at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kryger-USA TODAY Sports
  • Indiana at Penn State, noon Saturday, ESPN2

BLOOMINGTON — Starting right guard Dan Feeney admitted it was "stressful" breaking down the blocking that failed to get Indiana University's rushing attack moving against No. 1 Ohio State last Saturday.

With an equally daunting task ahead of the Hoosiers this weekend — and Jordan Howard's status uncertain — Feeney said improving on last weekend must start up

"We definitely need to clean up some of our aspects. We were just not hammering home some of our easy fundamentals," Feeney said. "We've definitely got to regroup, keep attacking this week."

Discounting backup quarterback Zander Diamont's 79-yard touchdown run on a read option, Indiana rushed for just 97 yards on 54 attempts against the defending national champions last weekend, in a 34-27 loss.

Running backs Howard and Devine Redding combined for 44 carries and 79 yards, as the Buckeyes, comfortable with one-on-one coverage at the boundaries, stacked the box and stifled IU on the ground.

Penn State a test of IU football team's maturity, improvement

"They really just outnumbered (us) and kicked our tail," coach Kevin Wilson said.

Enter Penn State, a team allowing just 284 yards, and fewer than 16 points, per game. The Nittany Lions are 4-1, despite having one of the Big Ten Conference's least-productive offenses, thanks in large part to a unit IU offensive line coach Greg Frey described as "well-representative of what Penn State defenses have always been."

Senior defensive tackle Anthony Zettel anchors a front that has allowed opponents only 124.6 yards per game on the ground and leads the Big Ten with 21 sacks as a team. Indiana has allowed just three sacks all season, a co-league high.

Protecting quarterback Nate Sudfeld, who is nursing an ankle injury of his own, will be a concern against that pass rush. Howard suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter against the Buckeyes, retreated to IU's locker room before halftime and tried to return in the third quarter. But the ankle wouldn't hold up, and he hobbled off after just three second-half carries.

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Wilson said Sudfeld and Howard were dressed for practice Tuesday.

But Feeney and left tackle Jason Spriggs both insisted that, irrespective of who stands in IU's backfield, fixing a run game that never really got started last weekend must start along the line. The simplicity of the problem was what made Feeney uncomfortable.

"It was kind of stressful to see that yesterday in the film," he said, "how close we were to getting big runs if one guy could just get on a block."

Against the sack-happy Nittany Lions, softening things up with a more consistent run game would, in theory, ease the pressure on whomever stands behind center for Indiana.

Wilson mum on injuries as IU preps for Penn State

Penn State, Frey said, isn't so conventional.

"They keep good pressure on you," he said. "Everybody always thinks that's third down. Really, you look at the sacks, it's first and 10, it's second and 6. It's all the way throughout the game, which shows a defense that really, they're not just keyed up for third and long."

Last weekend offered Indiana a chance to prove its 4-0 start more than just the product of a manageable nonconference schedule. Given Penn State's own offensive issues through five games, this weekend could provide a similar opportunity.

It will start up

"There's got to be some kind of break there," Spriggs said. "It's our job to swing that in our favor."

Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.

Indiana at Penn State, noon Saturday, ESPN2