Gator Bowl, Tennessee vs. Indiana: Scouting the Hoosiers
After a 3-year absence, Tennessee is heading back to the postseason. The scuttlebutt for most the weekend put them in Nashville for the Music City Bowl. But after lots of discussions in SEC smoke-filled rooms (well ventilated of course), the Volunteers were picked to play in the Gator Bowl, Jan. 2 in Jacksonville.
Their opponent? 8-4 Indiana. It’s a rematch of the Peach Bowl from Jan. 2, 1988, which the Vols won 27-22. That game was so long ago the site of the game (Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta) no longer exists.
Here are 5 things you need to know about the Vols’ opponent, Indiana.
How they got here
This isn’t your typical Indiana football team.
The Hoosiers started 2-1 then won 5 of their next 6, including a 4-game winning streak. Yes the schedule got easier, but they won games in blowout fashion (Rutgers, natch) and close victories on the road at Maryland and Nebraska.
At 8-4, this was the Hoosiers’ best regular season in 26 years, and the school recently rewarded head coach Tom Allen with a new 7-year contract that will pay him an average of $3.9 million per season.
Indiana does not have a win over a ranked opponent this season (0-3) but if the Hoosiers can beat the Vols, they’ll have 9 wins for only the 3rd time in program history.
Quarterback
One of the Hoosiers’ best players lines up their most important position. Redshirt junior Peyton Ramsey started every game in 2018 and missed only 2 so far this year.
Ramsey has thrown for 2,227 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, completing nearly 70% of his passes. He also shows some mobility, ranking 3rd on the team in rushing with 198 yards. Ramsey’s career game came at State College, where he threw for 371 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Penn State. He also rushed for 2 scores in that near upset.
Tennessee fans typically like quarterbacks named Peyton. Not sure that’ll be the case this time around.
Offensive strengths
Indiana can score some points. They are averaging 32.6 points per game this season.
This is a team that will throw the football a majority of the time. The Hoosiers have 4 players with more than 500 yards receiving this season. They are led by junior Whop Philyor, who caught 69 passes for 1,001 yards and 5 scores. It was a breakout season for Philyor, who caught 46 more passes in 2019 than he did a year ago. He’s also active as a punt returner.
As for the rushing attack, Indiana averages 134 yards per game. Sophomore Steve Scott III was named second-team All Big Ten with 845 rushing yards and 10 scores. He’s also a threat in the passing game with 211 receiving yards.
Defensive strengths
Indiana allows 24.5 points per game. The Hoosiers shut out Rutgers and gave up only 3 points in each victory over UConn and Northwestern. They also gave up 51 to Ohio State and 41 to Purdue, so it isn’t all cookies and ice cream on that side of the football.
They are led by sophomore linebacker Micah McFadden. He was tops on the Hoosiers with 56 tackles, including 9 for a loss. He also had an interception this season. On the line, 6-3, 294-pound Jerome Johnson is tough to deal with. He had 4 sacks this season, and was 5th on the team in tackles with 37.
Their defensive backs can make plays including senior Khalil Bryant, who had 53 tackles this year. But as a unit they only secured 3 interceptions. This might be an area the Vols look to exploit more than they normally might.
Biggest weakness
Inexperience. This is a very young Hoosiers team, with a combined 72% of the roster freshmen or sophomores. They slumped at the end of the season, losing at Penn State and getting destroyed at home against Michigan. They had to outlast a less than mediocre Purdue team, winning that rivalry game in overtime.
Like the Vols, most of the players on this Indiana roster were not playing college football back in 2016, the last time the Hoosiers were in a bowl game. This is only the 12th bowl game in program history; IU is 3-8 in those contests.
You have to wonder how the Hoosiers will react to what might be a de facto road game. You can get from Knoxville to Jacksonville in about 7.5 hours, and if the Vols’ visit to the Gator Bowl in January 2015 is any indication, there will be a lot of orange in the stadium. Indiana is first and foremost a basketball school. Their fans will either have to jump on a plane or drive 12+ hours to get to TIAA Bank field. Might be a tall order.
Was hoping for a Tennessee vs Kansas State match-up.
Vols vs another slow footed Big Ten school. Would have loved to seen them vs Memphis or at least someone who claims football as their top sport. Funny, was talking to a UT fan at the gym and I said,”watch it be some crappy big 10 school like Indiana.” Of course the bowl matchups look worse and worse every year.
It will be fun to beat a football school.
Tennessee would have had a better opponent had they not gone crying to the powers that be for a trip to the Gator bowl . Kentucky was going to the Gator , but got switched to the Belk for a better opponent and bigger payday ..lol Thanks Phil
Then what are you crying about?
Tennessee Just beat VT in the NASCAR 500 Bowl..
Crying ? Who is crying ? I said THANKS , didn’t I ?
I guess you did… you are welcome…
but it came across as crying/whining to me…
The money goes to the SEC office anyway…… & then it is evenly distributed.
LOL, That’s what I’m asking. Crybaby KY fan…
So…you’re THANKFUL that backroom politics is still going on in bowl selections?
I guess it’s also a good thing that Kentucky didn’t defeat Tennessee head to head. Otherwise you might have been doomed to suffer in Jacksonville in January.
Enjoy the payout, the opponent, and the weather.
Yes , I am thankful Kentucky didn’t end up with a no name football opponent . No , I am not thankful for backroom politics from the Tennessee heads and neither should you be . That’s your problem , not ours . I’m thinking about our future . For recruiting purposes , it’s better if we can get wins over a Penn State and Virginia Tech , than say ….Indiana . Do you get it ?
Our program is still at a level where we better be glad for any bowl wins, even if it’s against the Youngstown, Ohio Pop Warner 2019 summer league champions.
As if UK football has a future, lol. Your all century team gets demolished last year and your all-gimmick team loses at home this year. You lose twice to a three star laden UT b-ball team last year and you’re staring down a team next year that’s got the 4th ranked recruiting class. We know Cal can’t win when he can’t out-athlete teams, so again I ask, what future?
Strange. Beating Kentucky annually never seems to hurt Tennessee in recruiting.
Want some cheese with that whine?
The MCB isn’t a better bowl. That’s especially true if you live in Tennessee and can visit Nashville any time. The Belk Bowl also isn’t a better bowl than the Gator. If it were Kentucky Sports Radio wouldn’t be running so many conspiracy theories about how we supposedly forced UK out and ruined your bowl dreams.
Why is Florida playimg Virginia? They should have taken all the putrid ACC schools and paired them with the dreads of the Big 10. Florida should be playing Penn St.
Can you do anything but complain?
You’re not very smart are ya?
Payout doesn’t matter. The SEC teams split bowl revenue.
Now get back to basketball and leave football to the adults.
Vollfbeewhatever , you need to do some research .
You need too. The SEC started profit sharing years ago to help school like KY and Vandy get bowl $ too.
Now playoff teams get a little more but in the grand scheme of things even they don’t get a ton more than the Kentucky’s and vandy’s of the world.
In fact profit sharing was a huge factor in ATM leaving the Big 12.
I am guessing that UT did NOT want to go to Nashville, Gator has more “prestige.” The SEC bowl game that intrigues me is Michigan vs Alabama.
Poor Georgia, can’t spell SUGAR without UGA ;-)
We’d rather recruit in Florida than in Nashville.
All these other fans worried about what bowl we’re going to. #petty
Indiana has 25 players from The Sunshine State.
congratulations.
deacon we need the Nashville recruits too, maybe moreso. Nashville is a great place and a great bowl. gator probably has a little more prestige to it but not much.
Vols are lucky to be in any bowl PERIOD!! Sorry don’t remember Indiana losing to a Georgia state team nor a byu!! Vols squeaked by weak opponents for their win streak!! Also no Jennings in the first half
So then it would look really bad for Indiana to lose to a team that is merely lucky to be in any bowl-especially after losing to Georgia State.
Thanks for clearing that up.
Inconsistent Qb and small O line as well. Sorry vol nation !! These Hoosiers are gonna show you who is the elite conference!
#notavolforlife
After the vols lose they will want to fire Pruitt again!
Hoosiers roll in this one
Ive watched some stuff and i m fairly sure Guarantano will do just fine…..and wait till you see our O line aganst yalls D
I figure we will get at leadt 2 picks but we will see