Indiana’s Offense Has a Clear Assignment Against USC

Curt Cignetti left Indiana’s starting quarterback job open ahead of USC, but he was considerably more specific about what the offense needs to fix. In his Monday media availability, the Indiana coach pointed to six offensive line penalties against Minnesota and a scoring decline that had already taken hold before the bye. The quarterback decision will draw attention this week. Whether Indiana can give that quarterback manageable downs may matter just as much.

“We’ll see how the week plays out and we’ll see who we trot out there,” Cignetti said when asked who would start.

Cignetti estimated that Indiana averaged 42 points through its first four or five games and roughly 18 over its next four. He attributed much of that drop to missed opportunities and problems with execution. The Hoosiers will continue to make weekly adjustments to their scheme, he said, but some of the most immediate gains against USC can come from getting the details right on plays they already run.

The six penalties against Minnesota illustrate the cost. A flag on the offensive line can erase a productive play or leave the offense needing extra yards just to reach the original line of scrimmage. Put together enough of those snaps and the quarterback spends more of the afternoon facing obvious passing situations, where a defense can attack the pocket with less concern about the run.

That’s a particularly bad trade against USC. Cignetti said the Trojans have improved defensively over the past three to four weeks, with the progress showing up in their production and third-down efficiency. He singled out their disruption up front and noted that they rotate several players there. Indiana can make that rotation less of an advantage by staying on schedule and keeping the full playbook available.

Cignetti described Indiana’s performance against Minnesota as uncharacteristic and said the Hoosiers looked as though they had played 19 straight games instead of nine. He praised the defense that day and expects players and coaches to return refreshed from the bye. The first sign that the break helped the offense could be as simple as a clean opening series that gives Indiana a chance to establish its rhythm.

The quarterback announcement will answer one question. The opening drives can answer another. If Indiana avoids the flags that disrupted its offense against Minnesota, it can give its starter more chances to operate on favorable terms. Against a USC front that Cignetti believes is getting better by the week, those opportunities are worth protecting.