IU OC Bell takes blame for early struggles
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football offensive coordinator Walt Bell was asked pointed questions about the group’s struggles on Monday.
Bell didn’t flinch.
“It’s ultimately my responsibility that our players do their job well,” Bell said. “...It’s my job to make them execute at a high level, that’s what coach (Tom) Allen has employed me to do.”
Bell understands why the questions were being asked given Indiana’s string of disappointing performances, the latest of which came over the weekend against Akron.
The Hoosiers were held to less than 300 yards of total offense for the third time this season in the 29-27 overtime win. In the second half, four of their five possessions ended in a three and out. They also failed to score a touchdown from the 1-yard line multiple times.
This came a week after IU turned it over on downs at the goal line looking to tie the game against Louisville.
“I think everyone sitting in this room knows it wasn’t very good, and it wasn’t good enough,” Bell said.
It was a similar description to the one Allen gave about IU’s offensive woes against Akron moments before Bell stepped up to the podium.
When Allen was asked specifically about Bell’s play-calling, he didn’t absolve his offensive coordinator of blame, but put it all on his shoulders either.
Bell basically agreed with the sentiment.
“We got to be better, we got to block better, got to run better, got to catch better, I got to call better plays, we got to be better,” Bell said, with determination.
One glaring issue is that IU has failed to establish the identity Bell laid out for the offense going back to spring camp.
“We are a run-first football team,” Bell said again, on Monday.
That’s more of an aspirational goal at the moment if anything.
Indiana has rushed for 220 yards while averaging 2.3 yards per against FBS opponents. Both those numbers rank near the bottom in the country.
Those numbers are in line with how the Hoosiers ran the ball against FBS defenses last year as well. In Bell’s first season, they averaged 99.2 yards per game against FBS opponents (3.0 yards per carry).
Indiana’s coaching staff hoped expanding the option elements they introduced last season would help, but those have been used sporadically and haven’t been very effective when called.
“You got to get at least what you want,” Bell said.
The Hoosiers have to work quickly to figure things out with a trip to Maryland on deck. The Terrapins have the 12th ranked scoring defense in the country (12.3 points per game allowed) thanks to the success they’ve had in the red zone.
Opposing offenses have only scored four touchdowns on 11 attempts inside the 25-yard line (tied for 10th in the FBS).
Bell made it clear he feels the urgency to get things fixed.
“You don’t get mulligans, you don’t get those,” Bell said.