IU football vs. Notre Dame grades: An ugly effort as Hoosiers don't rise to CFP occasion

IU football vs. Notre Dame grades: An ugly effort as Hoosiers don’t rise to CFP occasion

Posted by Admin December 21, 2024 Football

Spread the love

SOUTH BEND – Indiana’s remarkable, historic season arrived at a quiet end Friday night, in a 27-17 loss at Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Here’s how the Hoosiers graded out:

OFFENSE: D-

Even grading on the curve of a tough defense on the road, No. 8 Indiana (11-2) never had it here. Kurtis Rourke looked uncomfortable even before the Irish started landing pressure, never really recovering from his early interception. None of the Hoosiers’ usual tricks to get him comfortable worked. By the end of the game he was passing up open receivers to throw to covered ones. An offense’s most fundamental goal has to be putting its best players in positions most conducive to their success. That didn’t happen Friday… until the final minutes when IU scored 14 points in the final minutes.

DEFENSE: C-

Give the Hoosiers credit, at least, for holding up without any real offensive support to speak of. But IU also allowed No. 5 Notre Dame (12-1) to convert more than half of its third downs. The Hoosiers allowed multiple long touchdown drives. If Rourke has provided their offensive superpower, the ability to stuff early down runs and set up quarterback pressure has been the same for their defense. That did not show up often enough to turn things around on a night when Indiana needed to win on defense.

SPECIAL TEAMS: D

Rescued from a complete failing grade by a late blocked field goal that should have set up a scoring drive but didn’t. James Evans struggled punting the ball virtually all night. Indiana’s lack of embrace of any kick return game this fall has been a bit puzzling for a team that intentionally portaled a returner (Solomon Vanhorse) in the offseason. IU didn’t necessarily lose the game here, but the Hoosiers didn’t win it either. Special teams resembled a lot of other aspects of Indiana’s performance — limp, disappointing and forgettable.

COACHING: D

This staff hadn’t missed many notes this season. And they carried themselves into this game with a confidence that suggested they believed they had the right cues here. But the music never came together. Give Bryant Haines some credit for holding things together as long as he did defensively, but even that feels generous. Curt Cignetti and his staff have done an outstanding job in their first season in Bloomington. The end doesn’t subtract from that, but it’s fair to acknowledge it was ugly.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Riley Leonard, quarterback

On a night when Notre Dame out-toughed Indiana everywhere, no one epitomized the effort like Notre Dame’s quarterback. His tough running and completions through pressure (when it finally arrived) kept the Irish moving and the Hoosiers under heel. Unlike Rourke, Leonard overcame an early pick to deliver a winning performance, leading his team to the Sugar Bowl with 230 total yards and two touchdowns.

Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.