Not quite straight A's but Indiana football grades rebound in win vs Howard

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football built up such a big lead on Howard at Memorial Stadium on Saturday they got to clock out early.

The No. 5 Hoosiers ended up winning 55-0 after the teams mutually agreed to shorten the game with a 10-minute fourth quarter. This was the third shutout win of Cignetti's tenure.

Here's a report card for Saturday's win:

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Indiana offense gets running game on track

Offense: A

Josh Hoover accomplished something Fernando Mendoza didn't even do last season by not playing in the second half. Hoover had a short day at the office — he threw for 146 yards and four touchdowns — while happily watching IU's running backs break Howard's spirit. Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. both topped 100 yards, and the starters averaged just shy of 10.0 yards per play. Was it perfect? No, but IU completely dominated anyway.

Indiana defense rebounds with strong performance

Ddefense: A

Curt Cignetti joked on his radio show that last week's defensive performance made him sick. This one probably risk giving him indigestion. Howard had a pair of first downs on its opening drive, and only manage two more the rest of the game. From the starters to the backups, the defensive line created havoc up front like defensive coordinator Bryant Haines likes with three sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Defensive end Josh Burnham had a quarterback pressure that set up a pick-six.

Returner Tyler Morris struggles fielding punts

Special teams: B

Indiana missed an extra point for the first time during Cignetti's tenure with kickoff specialist Paddy McAteer handling field goal duties. The team's normal starter, Nico Radicic, sat out with a sore back. Radicic has connected on a team record 165 consecutive extra-point attempts. The real issue came on punt returns with Tyler Morris struggling fielding the ball. He put two balls on the ground, and lost one of them. It's the kind of performance that could cost him job.

Charlie Becker's big day fuels IU football to win

Player of the Game: Charlie Becker

Becker had three catches for 81 yards and three scores against Howard. He's now up to five touchdowns on the season, and it looks like he's just getting started. NFL scouts will be sure to notice the speed he displayed on the last of those scores. With defenders surrounding him, Becker caught a short slant and burst up field for a 41-yard score. There's little doubt at this point he's going to be a first round pick in the draft.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Not quite straight A's but Indiana football grades rebound in win vs Howard

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