Using some analytics and taking a closer look at the entire game, here are some things that stood out in Indiana's win over Northwestern.
When you look at the final score in Indiana's win over Northwestern, it comes off as pretty surprising. The Hoosiers were expected to cruise to victory, but that's not what happened. When the dust settled, IU did win the game, but 29-23 is not how most thought it would look. After the game Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti gave a ton of credit to Northwestern and rightfully so. Regardless of the way it played out, Indiana is 4-0 and now there's a lot to look at heading into Week 5.
Using a tool like Pro Football Focus allows us to see what happened on a player-by-player basis and gives some insight as to how the game really went. It's not gospel, but there are some things that just don't show up in the box score that can tell another part of the story.
Top Three Offensive Performers (25 snap minimum)
1. RB Lee Beebe Jr. - 76.6
Beebe logged 59 total snaps, the heaviest workload among all skill position players, which wasn't surprising after Turbo Richard went down with an injury. He had to step up in all areas: 25 pass snaps, 24 run snaps, 6 pass-blocking snaps and even had 4 run-blocking snaps. Beebe posted an elite pass-protection mark on his six blocking reps making him a reliable safety valve. He was serviceable on edge-sealing duty, but could've been a little better there.
2. WR Charlie Becker - 73.4
Becker is a mainstay and showed that with his 69 offensive snaps. He received a reliable grade on his 36 routes. He excelled at perimeter blocking, logging 33 run-block reps, which helped spring Beebe several times.
3. LT Carter Smith - 71.1
It's not surprising in a close game, but Smith played all 74 offensive snaps, with a distribution of 36 passing plays and 38 running plays. Smith delivered a stellar pass-protection performance, shutting pass rusher down on all 36 snaps. He finished the game with zero penalties across the large, 74-snap workload.
Interesting Notes
Turbo Richard was well on his way to a dominant afternoon, earning an 81.1 overall grade, which was the highest on the team. Unfortunately, he only logged 15 snaps before going down with an energy.
Wide receiver Shazz Preston posted the highest single-category grade on the entire sheet with a massive 90.4 run-blocking grade. He was heavily involved in setting the edge for Indiana's rushing attack on 12 run snaps.
The offensive line gave quarterback Josh Hoover supreme protection. Drew Evans, Carter Smith, Bray Lynch, and Joe Brunner all put up solid pass-blocking grades ranging from 81.2 to 86.4.
