IU Closes Out Non-Conference Slate with 38-3 Win

Saturday, September 21

Bloomington, Ind.

Noon

Indiana University

3-1

Connecticut

1-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Connecticut

Indiana

IU Closes Out Non-Conference Slate with 38-3 Win

9/21/2019 3:06:00 PM | Football

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Coy Cronk had something to say.

Forget the first-half ankle injury that left Indiana's senior left tackle with an air cast and a cart ride to the Memorial Stadium locker room. No matter the concern about his playing prospects ("It doesn't look good," head coach Tom Allen said). As the team rushed to him at midfield, Cronk unleashed a pep talk as dynamic as a fireworks display.

So was his message – fight.

The Hoosiers (3-1) did.

Saturday's 38-3 victory over Connecticut was a major bounce back from the previous week's Ohio State loss and left them halfway to bowl eligibility with a week left in September.

Now it's about finishing the job, a theme Allen has preached non-stop.

On this day, they did, a point personified by Cronk.

"He kept saying, 'Keep fighting boys,'" receiver Nick Westbrook said. "Keep fighting. Get this win and we'll be good."

Mission accomplished.

Cronk is one of the Big Ten's best offensive lineman, a 6-5, 325-pound senior force of football nature not about to lose his Cream & Crimson focus despite pain, disappointment and the possibility his season is over.

Neither did the Hoosiers, and UConn paid a big price.

"He knew it was way bigger than him," Westbrook said. "He said I'm here for the team. He'll lead in a different way now."

Cronk fired up his teammates with a from-the-heart talk on the field, then in the post-game locker room and afterward with this tweet:

"Minor setback!! Proud of my teammates who played their hearts out. Thank you to Hoosier Nation for the support."

For Cronk, this was no time for woe-is-me sentiment. You don't start as a freshman, as he did, without overwhelming belief in yourself and your teammates.

"He's such a hard-working guy," quarterback Peyton Ramsey said. "His leadership, that persona he has, the toughness piece, it spread throughout the whole team when we saw him go off the field."

Allen has talked about playing for others rather than yourself, another way of saying team over me, and no Hoosier has lived that more than Cronk.

"You have to think about who you have to play for more than yourself," Westbrook said. "You fight a lot harder when it's not about you. So when he went down, it took that to a whole other level."

Added running back Stevie Scott III: "Coy is a leader and anything he says, we listen to 100 percent. It was sad seeing him go down, but we finished it for him."

Allen was obviously upset in his post-game press conference talking about Cronk, who arrived in Bloomington the same year Allen did.

"Man, I love that kid. He's just so tough and he's given so much to this place.

"He means a lot to our program, and always will no matter the situation. The bottom line is, he's one of our captains, one of our leaders, and it's going to hurt losing him if that's the case."

With Cronk out, Caleb Jones moved from right to left tackle. Jones' backup, DaVondre Love, came in at right tackle. Later, it was 6-6, 307-pound true freshman Matthew Bedford playing in his first college game.

"Other guys gotta rise," Allen said. "That's part of recruiting, part of depth, part of what you've got to do."

Against Connecticut (1-2), depth dominated. IU didn't deviate from its smash-mouth emphasis or its balanced-offense game plan.

By the fourth quarter, the worn-down Huskies were helpless. The Hoosiers ran at will, and stuffed everything their opponent tried.

After three quarters, Indiana had thrown and rushed 25 times each before a fourth-quarter run onslaught delivered 36 minutes of possession time and a 430 to 145 total-yard advantage.

Scott regained his rushing edge with a season-high 97 yards on 21 carries. He entered the game with 118 yards on 37 carries.

"With more carries as the game goes on," Scott said, "it builds a rhythm for any running back. More carries, more rhythm.

"You got to run the ball at this level. Wearing down the defense and open up the passing game is something we like to do. It's something we're working on."

In his second start after replacing the injured Michael Penix Jr., Ramsey was 23-for-27 for 247 yards and three touchdowns.

He did throw an interception, but it was more a good play by UConn linebacker Dillon Harris than a bad throw.

"It was a good day for sure," Ramsey said. "They were giving me some easy throws, and I was letting those guys (IU receivers) make plays.

"It got the job done and we walked out of here with a win."

Added Allen: "Peyton was extremely accurate, and that's what he does really well, so you've got to play to his strengths.

"He is extremely talented and a great leader and led us to another win, which he's done many times. This is exactly how he looked on Wednesday and Thursday in practice. You play like you practice."

IU held Connecticut, a team that had pushed Illinois hard two weeks earlier, to just 51 rushing yards and nine first downs. It got a 44-yard pick-6 from linebacker Cam Jones.

"I thought this was a better team than Ball State," Allen said in reference to IU's season-opening opponent.

This was the team performance Allen demanded after the Ohio State loss. He had not been a soft and cuddly coach in the previous few days. He got after players and assistant coaches alike to play with purpose, passion and pride.

"He talked to us that it was about taking what happened and grow from it," Westbrook said. "We had a great week of practice, it showed on the field."

Added Allen: "They're a young group and a very hungry group. They were upset, disappointed and very frustrated by how they performed last week. I challenged them with that.

"They responded and that is encouraging."

The Hoosiers wanted a dominating start.

It did and it didn't work out.

Indiana fumbled the opening kickoff, but didn't lose possession, then fumbled the first catch, and did. That left it up to the defense to make a stop, and it held Connecticut to a 41-yard field goal.

The Huskies never came close to scoring again.

The Hoosiers then lost Cronk, but not their offensive spark. They got a 12-yard touchdown pass from Ramsey to receiver Whop Philyor on that drive for a 7-3 lead.

Logan Justus added a 27-yard field goal. Ramsey threw a 4-yard TD pass to tight end Peyton Hendershot. Cam Jones returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown. Ramsey added a 16-yard scoring throw to Westbrook. Scott delivered a 6-yard touchdown run.

Much-needed dominance had arrived, with this thought looming:

Do it again at defense-minded Michigan State (3-1) next Saturday.

"We did a good job of getting a very important win," Allen said. "We took care of business against a team that we needed to.

"We have to take this momentum to a tough road game in East Lansing."