Report Card: Hoosiers Get Some Things Fixed in Blowout Win over Idaho

After a bad report card against Iowa that would have gotten most kids grounded, Indiana was much better against Idaho on Saturday night, winning easily 56-14. Their improved grades clearly reflect that.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana grabbed its first win of the season on Saturday night with an easy 56-14 win over Idaho at Memorial Stadium. They did a lot of good things in all three phases -- especially special teams -- and did a great job of bouncing back from an ugly opening week loss to Iowa.

The Hoosiers had two special teams touchdowns for the first time since 1969, and running back Stephen Carr got his first 100-yard rushing game as a Hoosier, running for 118 yards on 22 carries.

It was a good win for the Hoosiers, who now prep for their biggest nonconference home game in 40 years. No. 8 Cincinnati comes to town on Saturday, and they are first nonconference team ranking in the top-10 to play at Memorial Stadium since No. 2 USC back in September of 1981.

Here’s how the Hoosiers graded out against Idaho in my second Report Card of the season:

Passing offense: B-minus

Idaho's defensive backs were playing off the Indiana receivers most of the night, so quarterback Michael Penix Jr. took a lot of underneath throws. He finished 11-for-16 passing -- a 68.8 percent clip -- but only for 68 yards.

Indiana had a lot of short fields thanks to turnovers and long kick and punt returns, so many of their scoring drives didn't take long. Penix had a pair of 9-yard touchdown passes to Javon Swinton and Ty Fryfogle, and could have had another one on a bomb to Fryfogle that was just out of his reach.

"I wish I could have had that play back,'' Fryfogle said. "I should have caught that one.''

Jack Tuttle finished off the game in the fourth quarter, and looked good. He was 2-for-4 for 91 yards and a score, finding tight end A.J. Barner over the middle on a 76-yard catch and run. 

There were no turnovers either, which was a good sign after three Penix interceptions in the Iowa game.

Rushing offense: A-minus

I liked what I saw from USC transfer Stephen Carr, who got his first 100-yard rushing game at Indiana, and his first since 2017 when he was a freshman with the Trojans. He had 118 yards rushing on 22 carries, and Indiana had 179 rushing yards total.

It was a nice improvement from the Iowa game, and it also helped that the Hoosiers' offensive line was back intact. Left tackle Luke Haggard missed the Iowa game with an injury, but he came back Saturday night and played well. That allowed the Hoosiers to move junior Matt Bedford to right guard, and putting their five best linemen on the field at the same time.

Sure, the level of competition was different, but there were definitely more holes to run through, and Carr is really good at finishing off runs. This will need to carry over to the Cincinnati game, for sure.

Pass defense: B

Idaho had 265 yards of total offense, but 150 of that came on their two scoring drives after Indiana had built a 35-0 lead. The first drive, which culminated in a touchdown just prior to halftime, went for 75 yards. Prior to the drive, Idaho had negative total yards through the first 25 minutes.

Cornerback Tiawan Mullen was great in coverage all night, and he also led the Hoosiers in tackles with nine. This grade could have been much higher, but those two scoring drives were unnecessary. 

Rush defense: B-plus

Indiana allowed just 65 yards rushing and kept the Idaho running game quiet throughout the game. Middle linebacker Micah McFadden had a great game, as did Cam Jones, and the entire unit played aggressively right from the first whistle.

Indiana was much better with their run fits, rarely getting caught out of position. Idaho's longest run was a 20-yard scramble by quarterback Mike Beaudry.

Special teams: A-plus

Indiana's special teams get an A-plus, and that's only because A-plus-plus isn't an option. 

The Hoosiers blocked two punts, with Javon scoring from 4 yards out on the first one. They also got an 81-yard punt return for a score from Florida State transfer D.J. Matthews and a 72-yard kickoff return from Jacolby Hewitt. They completely flipped this game.  

Kicker Charles Campbell made all six extra point tries, and Chris Freeman made the final two PATs for his first two points as a Hoosiers. You couldn't ask for a better game from this group.

Coaching: B

The best thing Indiana's coaches did this week was flush the loss to Iowa quickly and get the players tuned into to moving forward. There was a lot of attention to detail all week, and it showed up on game night.

Charlton Warren's defense did a nice job, but those two touchdown drives by Idaho were way too easy. That was the only thing that kept them from a higher grade.

Intangibles: A-minus

The high grade for the intangibles is all about Indiana's student section, which showed out in full force and took up the entire northeast quadrant of the stadium. The players and coaches appreciated all the love, and the noise they made was a big plus. So, kudos to the students for providing a great environment inside Memorial Stadium. 

After 657 days without fans in the stands, it was a welcomed change.

Related stories on Indiana football

• GAME STORY: Indiana had two special teams touchdowns for the first time since 1969 and running back Stephen Carr rushed for 118 yards in the Hoosiers' easy 56-14 victory over Idaho. CLICK HERE
• TOM BREW COLUMN: Indiana dipped into the transfer portal to get D.J. Matthews and Stephen Carr from a pair of iconic football programs, but they've both found greener pastures in little ol' Bloomington, Indiana. Their imprint on the Hoosiers' football program is already immense. CLICK HERE
• CINCINNATI FAVORED: Indiana's difficult early-season schedule lands on No. 8 Cincinnati on Saturday, when the Bearcats come to Bloomington for a nationally televised showdown. The Bearcats are early 3-point favorites. CLICK HERE
• ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL: Iowa is ranked No. 5 in the latest AP poll after its huge win over in-state rival Iowa State. It's the first time since 1985 that the Hawkeyes have been ranked in the top-five during the month of September. CLICK HERE
• COACHES POLL: Iowa moves up to No. 7 and Ohio State falls all the way down to No. 11 after Saturday's big nonconference showdowns. Five Big Ten teams are ranked, and four others are getting votes. CLICK HERE
• BIG TEN ROUNDUP: Here is a summary of all 14 Big Ten games over the weekend, where league teams went 12-2 with only Ohio State and Illinois taking losses. CLICK HERE