Indiana has a lot of work to do in the second half of the season.

At 2-4, it’ll need to heat up in many areas if it wants any chance to get to 6 victories and to go bowling for a third consecutive year.

Let’s put a heat check on the Hoosiers, looking at which position groups are thriving and which are not.

Quarterbacks

Unfortunately for Indiana, the quarterback position has been a horror story. And that wasn’t expected considering IU had veteran Michael Penix Jr. returning as the starter and backup Jack Tuttle appearing to be a respectable second option after seeing a couple games late last season. However, the expectation level has far exceeded reality, because the reality is that neither Penix nor Tuttle has been very good.

In fact, they’ve been very bad, perhaps their productivity being only better than that at Northwestern, Illinois and (perhaps) Wisconsin this season.

Tuttle started the Hoosiers’ last game — Penix is week-to-week with a shoulder injury — but didn’t impress, throwing for 188 yards but needing 52 attempts to do so, and having 2 interceptions, one of them a pick-6. The junior leans heavily on check-downs, looking for high-percentage throws to move the chains, but with little margin for error.

Penix has the potential to be the deep-ball thrower the Hoosiers desire, but for whatever reason — maybe it’s rust from coming off another knee injury, or an inconsistent running game or lack of perimeter speed — it’s not happening. Penix has 7 interceptions against only 4 touchdowns this season, and is hitting only 54 percent of his passing attempts.

Indiana’s 215.8 passing yards per game is 7th in the Big Ten, but its 10 interceptions rank worst in the conference.

Status: Cold

Running backs

Well, there aren’t very many.

Indiana has seen the departures of Sampson James and Tim Baldwin Jr. via the transfer portal, so it’s a good thing that Stephen Carr stepped out of the portal and into Bloomington before the season, because the grad student from USC is getting a bulk of the carries for the Hoosiers. Carr has 121 attempts (for 439 yards, a 3.6 average, with 4 TDs), which is 108 more opportunities than Davion Ervin-Poindexter, who has the second-most attempts among current Hoosiers.

So, that’s it.

Carr is a solid between-the-tackles runner who is capable of picking up short yardage and is effective in the red zone, but he lacks elusiveness and the speed to break into the open field. His long run this season is only 26 yards.

The Hoosiers have the Big Ten’s third-worst rushing offense, averaging only 124.2 yards per game.

Status: Cool

Tight ends

At times, the Hoosiers leave onlookers feeling like they should target Peyton Hendershot more often, because the veteran tight end is a reliable pass-catcher who does have the ability to stretch the middle of the field.

And IU has lacked both of those qualities too frequently this season.

Hendershot’s numbers are solid; the senior has 24 receptions and 306 yards, both second on the team, with a touchdown. Among the top-5 Indiana receivers, Hendershot’s 12.8 yards-per-catch ranks second, telling both of the tight end’s ability to get down the field, but perhaps more so of the lack of deep plays from the perimeter.

Indiana’s second- and third-string tight ends have combined for 6 receptions, one of them a 76-yard score (IU’s longest play of the year) by A.J. Barner.

Status: Warm 

Wide receivers

It would have been near impossible for Ty Fryfogle to replicate his production from a year ago.

In 2020, the wide receiver had 2 200-yard games that helped him become the Big Ten’s Receiver of the Year. Fryfogle averaged nearly 20 yards per reception, but it’s been only about half that this year. Quarterback play has been a big reason why, because Fryfogle just isn’t getting the same kind of quality down-field opportunities he was a year ago. Still, the super senior does lead IU with 33 receptions for 337 yards, just more than 10 yards per catch.

But Indiana hasn’t had much other production on the perimeter. Slot man D.J. Matthews, who came over from Florida State, was having a solid season before a knee injury knocked him out in Game 4. Before that, he had 13 catches for 165 yards. Veteran Miles Marshall, who was expected to step into a bigger role this season, has a dozen receptions for 160.

Indiana has only 5 touchdown passes, and they are spread evenly among 5 receivers. No one has stepped up as a complementary player to Fryfogle, and it’s hurting the passing game.

Status: Cold

Offensive line

The numbers don’t look all that bad for the Hoosiers’ offensive line.

It’s middle of the pack in the Big Ten in pass protection, at least in terms of sacks allowed, giving up 2 per game. But that might not be entirely telling of the story either, because Indiana’s quarterbacks have been under duress more frequently than a team would like. And that would help to explain the Hoosiers’ 10 interceptions and low completion rate of 53 percent.

And Indiana isn’t getting much push in the running game, either. Carr doesn’t get into the second level, let alone the third level, of a defense often, in part because his offensive linemen aren’t getting off their initial blocks and on to the next.

Status: Lukewarm 

Defensive line

The Hoosiers have used the same four-man front all season, with Ryder Anderson, Demarcus Elliot, Weston Kramer and Alfred Bryant, and IU has to be happy with the productivity of the group. Not only statistically — because that doesn’t always tell the story of a defensive line — but in how they’ve been able to occupy blockers and allow others to make plays.

In particular, Anderson has been outstanding, because he’s garnered the attention of the offense, while also being able to make plays; he has 7 tackles for loss, including a team-high-tying 3.5 sacks.

That said, IU would like to get more pressures from its front, as Anderson is the only player who has at least 1 sack this season. But the group is clogging up running lanes, as IU’s rushing defense is 8th in the league, giving up 123.8 yards per game.

Status: Warm

Linebackers

Yet again, Micah McFadden is putting together an All-Big Ten season, if not an All-America one.

The senior has been outstanding, with team-highs of 36 tackles, 9 for loss and 3.5 sacks. He also has broken up a couple passes, has 2 forced fumbles and has a recovery. It seems like just about every big play the Hoosiers have put together defensively this season has somehow, either directly or indirectly, involved McFadden. A cornerback gets an interception? Likely McFadden has pressure that sped up the quarterback.

Longtime linebacker-mate Cam Jones has also been very solid, with 35 tackles, a couple for loss, with a sack and 2 turnovers forced.

Status: Hot

Secondary

Indiana still has one of the best secondaries in the Big Ten, but it’s not being as productive as a year ago.

That’d be darn near impossible, given that the defense collected 17 interceptions in 8 games in 2020. This year, the defense has 4, but none by the usual suspects, like cornerbacks Tiawan Mullen, Reese Taylor or Jaylin Williams. That trio combined for 8 picks last season.

Even though the group hasn’t turned opponents over at the same rate, the Hoosiers’ pass defense is still faring well, giving up about 209 yards per game, the 7th-best mark in the Big Ten.

Status: Warm

Specialists

Veteran kicker Charles Campbell has been exactly what everyone wanted, hitting 10 of 12 field goals, with one being from more than 50 yards. He’s probably been the most reliable part of Indiana’s offense, but since IU has had red zone issues, it’s fair to say the kicker has been used too often.

First-year punter James Evans has been good, averaging nearly 43 yards per punt with 6 of 31 landing inside the opponents’ 20-yard-line.

Status: Warm