The Indiana postseason curse remains in full effect.
Despite a valiant effort on both sides of the football, the Hoosiers fell to 19th-ranked Utah 26-24 in a hotly contested Foster Farms Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA Wednesday night. IU led 24-23 until a late 27-yard field goal by Andy Phillips gave the Utes a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The defeat marks IU’s fourth-straight in bowls. The Hoosiers last postseason win came in the 1991 Copper Bowl, a 24-0 triumph over Baylor.
What a game!
#19 @Utah_Football defeats @HoosierFootball 26-24 in the @FosterFarmsBowl. #FFBOWL pic.twitter.com/40q1eQPbd5
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) December 29, 2016
Indiana Postseason Curse Continues After Foster Farms Bowl Loss to Utah
The Hoosiers took advantage of a big special teams play on the opening kickoff. After fielding the ball at the five, Utah returner Kevin Fulks advanced the ball six yards before being lit up by Greg Gooch. The hit jarred the ball loose and was promptly recovered by Indiana. Three plays later, quarterback Richard Lagow found wide receiver Mitchell Paige in the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown reception.
Utah answered with an 11-play, 63 yard drive which took the ball into the Indiana red zone. But the Hoosier defense held firm, forcing a Phillips field goal to cut the Hoosier lead to 7-3.
On the ensuing drive, the story of this game would begin to manifest itself. Simply put, turnovers.
On second and 13, Lagow dropped back to pass but received little pass protection from left tackle Coy Cronk. Ute defensive end Pita Taumopenu came around and strip-sacked Lagow. His teammate Hunter Dimick recovered the ball, setting Utah up in the red zone. They capitalized on the next play with a 16-yard touchdown run from Joe Williams.
Williams didn’t find the end zone the rest of the game. But he did finish with a Foster Farms Bowl record 222 yards rushing. The senior running back, who briefly retired from football this season before returning, was named the game’s MVP.
IU had a chance to retake the lead early in the second quarter. After Rashard Fant intercepted Utah quarterback Troy Williams, the Hoosiers marched down the field and eventually had second and goal inside the Utah five. But Devine Redding fumbled the ball, Chase Hansen recovered, and the Utes proceeded to go on a nine-play, 95 yard touchdown drive. Suddenly, Indiana trailed 17-7 with 14 Utah points coming off turnovers.
After a punt on the following drive, it appeared Utah might run away with it. But as was the case throughout this game, the Hoosier defense stepped up. The unit forced three and outs on the next two Ute drives. Indiana’s offense added ten unanswered points, including a beautiful teardrop throw from backup quarterback Zander Diamont to Nick Westbrook which tied the game heading into halftime.
https://twitter.com/JohnWDRB/status/814308579402481665
With IU getting the ball to start the second half, a huge opportunity to grab this game by the horns presented itself.
But that opportunity was squandered right out of the locker room. Lagow was intercepted by Marcus Williams four plays into their first drive of the third quarter. The offense continued to sputter afterwards, punting on their next four possessions. Nevertheless, the defense continued to limit Utah. All the Utes were able to muster in the third were two Phillips field goals.
IU went into the fourth quarter down just 23-17. If only they could get a big play on defense that could help shift the momentum Indiana’s way on the other side of the football.
That’s exactly what happened. Sophomore defensive back Tyler Green forced a fumble out of Zach Moss which was recovered by Chase Dutra.
Then, Lagow suddenly began to get hot. The junior college transfer led the team on an 11-play, 60 yard drive where he completed three key passes for 37 yards. It culminated with Redding redeeming himself for his earlier fumble with a three yard scamper into the end zone to give IU a one-point lead.
Three plays into Utah’s next possession, IU’s defense came through once more. Sophomore defensive back Tyler Green forced a fumble out of Williams which Indiana recovered. It was Utah’s fourth turnover of the game and seventh between both teams, a new bowl record.
The Hoosiers moved the ball down to the Utes 23 before the drive stalled and the field goal unit came on. But Griffin Oakes‘ 40-yard kick sailed wide right. Suddenly, all Utah needed was a field goal to take the lead instead of a touchdown.
And the effect of Utah’s ten-plus minute edge in time of possession began to take its toll. Indiana’s defense looked gassed. They gave up three plays of ten yards or more on the Utes next drive. But they remained stout in the red zone, forcing Utah into a 27-yard field goal. Phillips just barely snuck it past the left upright.
With 1:24 left in the game, there was plenty of time for the Hoosiers to get into position for a potential game-winning field goal. And they slowly but surely moved it into Utah territory. But some questionable clock management and a crucial false start penalty gave IU just five seconds left with the ball at midfield. Lagow’s attempted Hail Mary was deflected at the line of scrimmage.
What’s Next for Indiana
For the second straight year, Indiana leaves their bowl game the recipient of a heart-breaking defeat. Last year saw them lose to Duke in the Pinstripe Bowl after an overtime field goal was controversially ruled no-good despite it appearing to go inside the uprights on replays. A year later, IU is forced to wonder what could’ve been had Oakes made another late field goal.
But this is clearly a program on the rise. Newly minted head coach Tom Allen is turning an IU defense that for years was a laughingstock into a fearsome unit. Lagow finished as the Big Ten’s second leading passer from a yards per game perspective and has a year of eligibility left. With an improvement in his footwork and mechanics he can turn into one of the Big Ten’s top quarterbacks.
But for now, the Hoosiers will have to get over another disappointing bowl defeat. When the sting of what transpired in the Bay Area subsides, it will be time to put in work and grind away in preparation for another season that hopefully culminates in a bowl appearance. The prospect of making a bowl three years in a row for just the second time in school history should be adequate motivation.
