Another Brutal Day For Indiana's Offense in 35-14 Loss to Minnesota

True freshman quarterback Donaven McCulley led Indiana on a scoring drive on its first possession, but then struggled the rest of the day in a 35-14 loss to Minnesota that left the Hoosiers still winless in the Big Ten.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — If you wanted to watch all the good things about Indiana's offense on Saturday, you could have been in and out of Memorial Stadium in about 20 minutes.

On the Hoosiers' first drive against Minnesota, true freshman quarterback Donaven McCulley and the Hoosiers went 92 yards for a touchdown. Then they literally did nothing — absolutely nothing — the rest of the way in another ugly 35-14 loss to the Gophers in the final home game of the season. 

In McCulley's other six drives through three quarters, the Hoosiers gained only 24 yards on 19 plays and he threw two interceptions, including a costly pick right before halftime. The Hoosiers got just one first down total in those six drives. (For Indiana's complete drive chart, CLICK HERE)

"It's not good enough, not acceptable,'' Allen said of Indiana's offense. "It hasn't been good enough for a lot of this season. We moved the ball on the first drive but we weren't able to sustain it, which is disappointing. Obviously you have to be able to throw the football."

The first quarter was the strangest of the year. Minnesota got the ball first and went 67 yards on 16 plays in more than 8 minutes, but then went for it on fourth-and-1 at the 7, and running back Ky Thomas was blown up on the play by Indiana defenders Micah McFadden and Bryant Fitzgerald.

Indiana then turned around and went 92 yards themselves, with McCulley calling his own number often. He rushed seven times for 53 yards on the drive, capping it off with an 11-yard run for a touchdown, even after he dropped the snap. Thankfully, it bounced right back up to him, and he ran right up the middle for the score with just  17 seconds left in the quarter.

And that was it.

Indiana's next six possessions went punt, punt, interception, punt, punt, interception, And when McCulley gave way to walk-on fifth-string quarterback Grant Gremel in the fourth quarter, he left the game with 72 yards rushing on 16 carries, but in the air he was just 3-for-7 passing for 17 yards and two interceptions. The 18-year-old is just not a comfortable college quarterback in the passing game yet.

"Third-and-longs are hard, I get that, it's not ideal and you try to eliminate those because you're going to see exotic defenses and all that, and they have a good defense,'' Allen said. "But you've still got to be able to throw the football. It says dual threat, dual means you do both, right? If you're not dual, then you're just one-dimensional.

"That's why that word is what it is. That's his strength, to run the football. But you can't just cautiously call the game.'' 

With Indiana unable to do anything offensively, Minnesota and its huge offensive line just kept grinding out yards with a balanced attack. How balanced? Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan passed for 196 yards, and Minnesota rushed for 195.

"They got about seven guys that are 6-7 and above and they start leaning on you, and it wears you down over the course of the game,'' Indiana defensive back Bryant Fitzgerald said. "We had a couple busts here and there, and we've got to get better and get our eyes right.''

Minnesota tied the game with 6:02 left in the second quarter on a long scoring drive, and then went ahead 14-7 with a score right before halftime. They gained 48 yards on a busted coverage when Morgan hit Brevyn Spann-Ford down the right sideline, and then, two plays later, Ky Thomas scored from the 1 with just 46 seconds to go.

Indiana had won the coin toss and deferred, so they were getting the ball to start the second half anyway, but instead they tried to get into field goal position in the final minute. McCulley threw into double coverage and was picked off by Tyler Nubin. Minnesota would score three plays later — with just 9 seconds left — on a Morgan pass to Chris Autman-Bell.

And just like that, the game was over.

The Gophers added two more scores to go up 35-7, and the only excitement left was Gremel, the walk-on from Noblesville, Ind., leading the Hoosiers on a late scoring drive in the final minute. He hit A.J. Barner on a 24-yard toss and then connected with true freshman Malachi Holt-Bennett for a 29-yard touchdown with just 22 seconds to go. It was the first college touchdown for both Gremel and Holt-Bennett.

The Hoosiers have one last game to play, next Saturday in West Lafayette against Purdue, with the Old Oaken Bucket at stake. Purdue beat Northwestern 32-14 on Saturday to raise its record to 7-4 and 5-3 in the Big Ten.

Allen left the door open about who might start that Bucket game. It's clear that McCulley's struggles in the passing game aren't going to go away in a week, and Gremel just might get the nod.

"Yeah, you're right, he looks comfortable,'' Allen said of Gremel. ""Whatever we have to do to beat Purdue"

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