Just over two years ago, Indiana’s offensive line was in a very bad place.
The team, then led by Tom Allen, had just fired the unit’s coach Darren Hiller after Indiana accumulated just 29 yards in the second half of a 31-10 homecoming loss against Michigan. They gave up seven sacks in that game alone.
Rod Carey, who most know as the offensive coordinator who took over the play-calling after Walt Bell’s firing a season ago, replaced Hiller for the rest of that season. Indiana continued to struggle through the rest of the season.
In total, Indiana gave up 38 sacks the entire 2022 campaign, the second-worst total in all of the Big Ten, and had the most yards lost on sacks in the conference.
In desperate need of a makeover, Allen and the Hoosiers sought out a new offensive line coach at the conclusion of the 2022 season. And one week later, Indiana announced the hiring of Bob Bostad.
Prior to Indiana, Bostad made his way across the country at multiple stops while coaching offensive lines, most notably with Wisconsin at the collegiate level, and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans in the NFL.
At Wisconsin, Bostad coached eight first-team All-Americans and nine total All-Americans. Bostad won two Big Ten championships with the Badgers, and had one of the most impressive ground games in 2011, led by Montee Ball and his 1,923-yard rushing season.
With an impressive track record under his belt, many fans were eager to see how Bostad’s coaching would help Indiana’s offense as a whole, and maybe, dare anyone say it, get the Hoosiers back on a path of relevance in 2023.
We all know how that went.
The Hoosiers had their second-worst season under Allen in terms of record during his tenure and finished 3-9. The Hoosiers would miss out on a bowl game for the third straight year, and subsequently, Allen would be fired.
Indiana’s offense was in a constant tug of war between quarterbacks, as Tayven Jackson and Brendan Sorsby were put in and out as starters throughout the year. Add in the firing of Walt Bell during the season, and the offense continued to struggle for the most part.
There were signs of progress from the offensive line, however. As a team, Indiana allowed 25 sacks on the season, which would be eighth-best in the Big Ten. The run game numbers didn’t change much from 2022, but Indiana’s four main backs did average over 4.1 yards per carry.
With Allen fired and Curt Cignetti on the way, the future of the O-line started to look uncertain. Key pieces who still had eligibility left, such as Matthew Bedford, Kahlil Benson, Zach Carpenter and Carter Smith, had their names in the transfer portal. Mike Katic, who also had the option to return, would make plans to enter the NFL draft.
As soon as he arrived at Indiana, Cignetti started to hire James Madison staff, along with coaches from other programs. Bostad would be the only coach who was retained from Allen’s staff.
As a result, key pieces, such as Katic and Smith, decided to return to the Indiana. And starting tackle Trey Wedig, who played for Bostad at Wisconsin, transferred in.
“Keeping Bostad was huge for me,” Smith said in August. “He’s very highly regarded. He’s been in the NFL, he’s been all over college football. With experience like that, there’s no way I couldn’t come back.”
And now, as Indiana sits at 9-0 and has one of the deadliest offenses in the entire country, it’s safe to say Smith made the right choice.
So far this season, Indiana has allowed a Big Ten leading seven sacks, which is good for the sixth best in the country. The offensive line has allowed the second lowest tackles for loss in the Big Ten, right behind Penn State. They’re about 50 yards away from having more rush yards than the previous season, with three games still left to play.
Indiana’s offensive line has graded well consistently throughout the year.
According to Pro Football Focus, four out of five Indiana starting offensive linemen have an 80+ pass blocking grade, and all are ranked in top-150 at each position. Some linemen have also graded well enough to be recognized on PFF’s “Team of the Week” for the Big Ten conference.
And as the offensive line has gotten better, so has the entire offense.
Indiana ranks first in the nation with the highest scoring average per game. They are averaging 284.3 passing yards in every contest, while also rushing for over 190. Both numbers rank in the top-30 per game.
High level line play has opened the door for skill players to thrive as well. Through nine games, quarterback Kurtis Rourke is in the Heisman conversation, as he’s been able to pass for over 2,200 yards with 19 touchdowns. Running back Justice Ellison is also 31 yards away from breaking his career high for rushing yards.
“I think it’s just credit to coach Bostad,” Mike Katic said after Indiana’s win against Washington. “He’s done such a great job with us five, and the tight ends as well. I think we are all gelling really well, and communicating very well.”
Bostad has led the improvement despite losing three starters from a year ago, losing a starter (Nick Kidwell) during fall camp, and starting two inexperienced guards (Bray Lynch, Drew Evans) throughout the 2024 season.
And for a guy who has preached winning the battles up front, Curt Cignetti recognizes how impressive that performance has been.
“You know, Bob’s a really good football coach,” Cignetti said prior to Northwestern. “He’s a fundamentalist. He’s tough. He’s hard-nosed. His guys embody that. Kind of a blue-collar work ethic. He makes them tough and physical, and he coaches them that way every single day. And I see it show up on Saturday.”
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
- Find us on Facebook and Instagram
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
