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(03/21/19 12:30am)
The boys are back after spring break -- and Indiana Softball rolls right along. Despite two losses in its opening weekend at Andy Mohr Field, IU recovered strong Sunday, grabbing a couple wins over St. Francis (Pa.) and Ohio.
What's ahead? The Big Ten season -- Indiana heads to Columbus to face Ohio State this weekend, beginning conference play. Sam and Connor have you covered, back again on Take 60.
(03/07/19 12:26am)
Sam and Connor catch up and review last weekend in Baton Rouge, where Indiana (17-2) lost twice but still came away with a win over No. 10 LSU. Then, the guys welcome on Take 60's first ever guest, shortstop Grayson Radcliffe, to get her take on IU's hot start, her first year in Bloomington, and everything in between.
(02/26/19 2:06am)
Sam and Connor get back in the studio to recap a wild weekend in Macon, as Indiana is off to its best start ever at 14-0. It wasn't easy, but the Hoosiers find a way to get the job done. The guys also look ahead to a tough slate this weekend at LSU.
(02/20/19 3:10am)
Indiana is still perfect through two weeks of play, and the guys get back together to talk all about it. Sam was with the team in Durham as IU moved to 9-0 with solid wins over Duke and Syracuse in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
0:40-2:02: Intro, general takeaways
2:03-5:17: Sam's stories from his trip to Durham
5:40-18:15: Recapping the weekend game-by-game
18:20-20:15: Tara Trainer nears perfection
20:15-25:41: Camryn Woodall (and many more) get involved
25:45-31:30: Previewing this weekend in Georgia
31:30-35:00: BOLD PREDICTIONS
(02/19/19 2:24pm)
They just keep rollin' right along.
Indiana softball improved to 9-0 after another weekend sweep, grabbing a pair of wins over both Duke (4-5) and Syracuse (2-6) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. It's officially the second best start in program history.
Tara Trainer picked up right where she left off in Boca Raton, fanning six in a complete game shutout of the Blue Devils to open the weekend. It would only get better from there, as Trainer locked up Big Ten Pitcher of The Week honors for the first time this season. Though early on in the year, the senior has already shown tremendous ability to lead and frankly, give Shonda Stanton one less thing to worry about when it comes to game planning each weekend. If there's one thing the Hoosiers have in 2019, it's consistency and balance inside the circle.
[embed]https://twitter.com/B1Gsoftball/status/1097601958855278595[/embed]
IU finished off Friday's doubleheader 2-0, thanks to clutch hitting from a couple unlikely sources, defeating Syracuse 6-5. That momentum carried the Hoosiers right through the weekend, as Shonda Stanton's club locked up the 3-1 win over Duke Saturday and finished off the job Sunday morning, topping 'Cuse 5-1.
"It was a full solid weekend," Stanton said. "We're headed home 9-0."
For a program that is thought by some to still be in search of its identity, the Hoosiers are doing a darn good job of faking it. For the second straight weekend, Indiana looked like a strong and cohesive unit from start to finish, poised as they took the field in Durham. What might be the most surprising part of it all? Everyone's finding ways to contribute and get involved. At this point in time, Indiana doesn't have a fix-all five-tool star who takes care of everything. And that is perfectly ok.
(02/14/19 8:13am)
March 16th, 2018
That was the day when Indiana Softball finally secured its fifth win of the season in the Hoosiers’ home opener against the University of Illinois-Chicago. It took 35 days into Shonda Stanton’s first year to do it.
Almost a year later, the narrative is much different while the message for Stanton’s group remains the same. This time around, it took just three days of play for Indiana to lock up its fifth straight win over #6 ranked Georgia 6-4, finishing off an undefeated opening weekend in south Florida at the FAU First Pitch Classic. Things got off on the right foot Friday morning as IU came out and dominated both Virginia and then Bethune Cookman, behind a stellar performance from freshman right hander Natalie Foor.
The Hoosiers carried that momentum into Saturday, exploding for 11 runs against St. John’s. That run-rule victory would be followed by a 4-1 win over host Florida Atlantic, as Indiana moved to 4-0 on the young season minutes before midnight in Boca Raton.
Finally, the weekend culminated with one of the Hoosiers' biggest challenges of the year. After Georgia struck first blood in the third, IU quickly recovered, making junior Mary Wilson Avant seem like anything but a 12-5 starter in 2018 who appeared twice in the Women’s College World Series. With the Bulldogs cutting it to a one-run Indiana lead in the sixth, first-year Hoosier Grayson Radcliffe came through in the clutch, sending a two-run shot off the right field scoreboard to put it out of reach. With that win IU moved to 5-0, the program’s best start since 1990.
“You always say every year that somebody someplace is going to do something special,” Stanton said. “That somebody was the Indiana Hoosiers down in Boca Raton and we took care of business, and come back as a top 25 team. Is that not fun? That’s exciting.”
With 5-0 record to their name, the Hoosiers find themselves at #24 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll; it’s the first time IU has appeared since May of 1996. The Hoosiers also locked up the #16 spot in Softball America’s first top 25 poll of the year. So, with a wild first weekend behind them and matchups against Duke and Syracuse on the horizon this weekend, where does Indiana stand?
(02/14/19 12:35am)
Indiana Softball broadcasters Connor Hines and Sam Neidermann talk Indiana's best start in nearly three decades, Sunday's huge win over Georgia, and get you set for this weekend's action in Durham. It's Take 60! New episodes each week on TheHoosierNetwork.com.
0:00-3:56: Introduction
3:56-14:34: What we learned in the first weekend
14:34-23:51: Pitching staff leads the way
23:52-30:20: Offense is consistent to back things up
33:00-38:20: Previewing Duke and Syracuse
(02/04/19 4:10pm)
The Indiana Hoosiers took another step in the right direction on Sunday afternoon, picking up a win on the road over Nebraska, 82-78.
The win snapped a two-game slide, and though wins against Maryland and Rutgers were certainly not expected, the team's latest effort was an important one in a few distinct ways.
(01/19/19 11:24pm)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- And so it continues. After losing the last three straight, two of which came in the hostile road environments of Ann Arbor and College Park, the Hoosiers' struggles continued Saturday in West Lafayette.
(01/13/19 11:22pm)
After a disheartening performance Thursday in which the Ohio State gave Indiana its first conference loss of the year, the Hoosiers (14-2, 4-1) showed resilience in its ability to come back and get a 75-68 road win over Wisconsin (10-6, 1-4) Sunday. The win marked the fourth straight over the Badgers, dating back to February of 2016.
From the tip, things pointed in the right direction for IU. The Hoosiers got out to an early 13-7 lead, firing the three ball left and right. For a time in the first quarter, Indiana seemingly just couldn't miss, making over 80 percent of all shots attempted. And then came the lull midway through the first half.
It's something IU has certainly been susceptible to in the first portion of the season, and it continued at multiple points Sunday, when a loose ball surrendered by Ali Patberg turned into Wisconsin points. The Badgers kept it a game at the half, and then came out firing, while Indiana's offense grew inconsistent. Ultimately, IU did enough to squeeze out the win.
(12/06/18 4:15am)
A little over a week ago, after Indiana’s assertive victory over Northern Illinois, Teri Moren was asked whether or not she believes Bendu Yeaney’s defensive prowess translates at all to offensive success.
“I don't know that what she gives us defensively ignites anything she does offensively,” Moren said. “We want our kids to play with a tremendous amount of freedom and she’s just one of those kids who is going to play to her strengths.”
In Wednesday night’s 66-46 victory over Butler, the two phases of Indiana’s game again seemed almost mutually exclusive. On a night where the Hoosiers were far from great offensively, Yeaney & Co. managed to dilute the overall effect it had on the outcome with even more stellar defensive moves.
Up to this point in Indiana’s non-conference slate, the Hoosiers have largely played with the luxury of fast offensive starts from different performers seemingly every game, most notably Ali Patberg and Brenna Wise, with few exceptions. But Wednesday night inside Assembly Hall was a little different. Though IU’s leaders in the end emerged, Indiana was just 7-of-17 on shooting at the end of the first period, then compelled to again turn to defense in order for the Hoosiers to bail themselves out of another slow start.
“I thought we were very average on the offensive end as far as our ability to take care of the basketball goes,” Moren said Wednesday night, pointing to the team’s inability to find its rhythm against its in-state foe.
Though Indiana played sub-optimally with the ball in hand for much of the night, the team’s performance was in some ways a microcosm of how the group has managed to get it done – and remain undefeated – through eight games in this young season.
“I wouldn’t say it’s what we pride ourselves on, but we want to be efficient on the offensive end,” Wise said. “We’d like to have a good offensive and defensive night and be able to put the two together.”
Yeaney has already proven to be more than capable of defending against some of the nation’s best, exceeding initial expectations. Though the sophomore’s efforts were again sustained against the Bulldogs, it was this time Patberg who was charged with guarding Butler’s best player. Patberg answered the challenge of Whitney Jennings.
“I thought AP was incredible defensively as far as what she had to do to keep Jennings quiet tonight,” Moren said. “I thought we competed.”
The physical, defensive-minded style of play may be unfamiliar to fans of the program from years past, but it’s quickly becoming this group’s identity this winter. Whether or not it’s their only choice at this point in time is clearly irrelevant, because things are working out just fine.
“I think back at UCLA about how inferior we were from an athletic standpoint, but just about our toughness and the grittiness that we showed,” Moren said. “I think that’s a key ingredient for a great defensive team. You have to understand that what we don’t have in athleticism we have to make up for in our heart and hustle.”
Without a doubt, it’s going to eventually take more than defense alone. After spoiling opportunities for key non-conference victories a season ago, Teri Moren’s 2018 team is surely placing further emphasis on getting early season wins whenever possible, which could ultimately be the difference in securing an NCAA tournament berth. And still, every early season win has a purpose.
With the rapid and near immediate success of the program to begin the year, it’s easy to forget that this is still an incredibly new (and in some regards young) team that is still working toward playing as a cohesive unit on a nightly basis.
“Every game that we’ve won, we’ve celebrated the night of but the next day, we’re back to work and there’s always something we can work on,” Patberg said. “We’re always focusing on the things we need to do to be better.”
And those things, despite the 8-0 record, run aplenty. For the time being, however, Indiana is doing just fine.
(11/27/18 11:17pm)
The guys return to the studio following Thanksgiving break to talk Indiana hoops, the NCAA's new NET rankings, Rutgers (?), and much more. But where's Render?!
(11/18/18 12:51am)
Good evening from Ann Arbor, where the Indiana Hoosiers yet again came out and surprised people, but still fell short. Taking this one as a whole, it's certainly got to be an encouraging performance for fans ahead of next week's Bucket Game in Bloomington, which will, after all, determine Indiana's bowl eligibility once again. Much more to come on our end tonight, but for the time being, here are my instant takeaways.
Indiana is aggressive enough and still gets outplayed
It's wild how this game goes. Though it resulted in a win, Indiana's lackluster performance at home against Maryland last Saturday left many fans feeling agitated and concerned for what was to come. Not just concerned for tonight in Ann Arbor, but even more so for Purdue. Tonight, though a loss, was a far different narrative. The Hoosiers did more things right than wrong and still couldn't get the job done. It's partly indicative of just how this season has gone for Indiana at times, and partly due to Michigan truly coming alive and playing a far better second half of football.
Tom Allen has talked about this team having a window in every game -- an opportunity to capitalize. Midway through tonight's affair, his team certainly saw that window once again, and couldn't cash in. A 23-yard field goal from the foot of Jake Moody might've put it out of reach. Peyton Ramsey and the Indiana offense did what everyone expected them to do tonight. Once the run game was successfully established early on with Stevie Scott, Ramsey proceeded to take shots, finding Nick Westbrook on multiple occasions in huge moments. And it came without emptying the playbook. For the first time since possibly Ohio State in early October, the Hoosier offense possessed an identity, and, though a loss, that's got to be encouraging ahead of Purdue next Saturday. Indiana's sophomore quarterback finished going 16-for-35, throwing for 195 yards and a score. Ramsey once again asserted himself as a mobile threat too, pitching in 51 total yards on the ground.
Hoosiers can't sustain run game late
It started strong, but tapered almost exponentially in the second half. Otherwise, tonight's result might've been maybe even slightly different. Reiterating the importance of the offense's identity tonight, Indiana called plays with a purpose early on. Stevie Scott, patient as ever, found gaps in what still is one of the best defenses, if not the best, in the nation. From there, it was Peyton Ramsey's game. Indiana might have caught the Big Ten's strongest defense on an off night, but it's not to say that Indiana didn't do some things really well too. It really goes to show how pivotal Scott's role is on this 2018 team, and likely how pivotal his role will be for the coming three seasons. The freshman finished the night with 139 yards and a score on 30 attempts.
The second half was a different story, Indiana compiling just three points all half long. Michigan upped the intensity more than a few notches, but didn't altogether prevent the Hoosiers from being able to do what they had done in the first half hour of play. It just simply couldn't be upheld.
An improved response from Indiana
Of course Michigan wasn't going to let IU simply run away with it, even when the Hoosiers held the lead tonight in Ann Arbor. When the Wolverines refused to let up, Indiana continued to answer, another encouraging sign ahead of next week. Almost immediately, Michigan began to win the battle up front. Even then, Indiana continued to build, which hasn't always been easy this year for the Indiana. The defense (for the most part) held when it needed to and gave Peyton Ramsey the opportunities he needed to make something happen. In the end, he just couldn't.
(11/08/18 4:09am)
On a team that in some ways is so drastically different this year in comparison to last, it's perhaps easy for a face like Kym Royster's to get lost in the middle of it all.
In Wednesday's less-than-glamorous 68-66 win over Milwaukee, Royster was doing everything in her power to make sure that won't be the case this winter. When Indiana's defense got out to a sluggish start, Royster (3-of-6, 7 points, 4 rebounds), as well as sophomore Linsey Marchese, were there picking the team up. The duo was there when it was needed most. When the Milwaukee defense doubled down inside, Royster handled it.
Within in the first minute of the game, Royster set a precedent for the season. The senior forward grabbed a key early offensive board and proceeded to dish it out, letting Ali Patberg take care of the rest from beyond the arc. It was one of the easiest three-point plays you'll see all season inside Assembly Hall, and just one example indicative of how IU plans to attack this season. Royster's ability to create second chances will allow Patberg the opportunity at uncontested shots all season long.
"Milwaukee isn't your standard Big Ten team who can post down low and can really stretch the floor, spreading it out wide," Wise said. "Hats off to them for being able to go out there and defend at the 3-point line. They did a great job. They're just animals."
With similar sentiments as what was expressed following last Friday's exhibition win over Northwood, it again was far from pretty tonight. The Hoosier defense looked more or less lackadaisical for most of the night, and Milwaukee scored at will, finding success in transition, and around the perimeter. Along with that, Indiana at times couldn't seem to knock down shots they would normally make.
(11/03/18 3:33am)
It was far from pretty, but Indiana got through its lone exhibition of the year, topping Division II program Northwood 78-52 inside Assembly Hall. After a slow and error-filled first period, Indiana ultimately picked things up, as four Hoosiers finished the night in double figures. Three takeaways from tonight's win:
(11/02/18 1:00pm)
Bloomington never drifts too far away from the mind of former Indiana captain Terry Tallen.
"I go back two or three times a year. Usually I go to a football game, I'll try to do something with the business school, and I like to go back in the spring," Tallen said. "It's just such a beautiful place in the spring, to see all the guys and play some golf."
Tallen, a 1982 graduate of IU's Kelley School of Business, played four years of football at Indiana under head coach Lee Corso from 1977 to 1980. Tallen and his teammates claimed the 1979 Holiday Bowl by defeating No. 9 BYU in San Diego. Tallen played defensive tackle, linebacker, and nose guard for the Hoosiers.
While rich at times, the history of Indiana football is not consistent. For a program which has faced more struggles than successes in its time, this era of football in particular stood as an exception. What was at the time just the second ever bowl appearance -- and the first bowl win in the history of the program -- will forever be monumental. Though Indiana finished the year just fourth in the Big Ten (5-3), the Hoosiers concluded 1979 ranked by the AP as the 19th best team in the country. IU wouldn't again finish its season ranked for nearly another decade.
Considered by many as the most exciting game of the 1979 bowl season, Indiana and BYU combined for 75 total points and over 850 yards of total offense. BYU rode a perfect 11-0 record into San Diego and on the evening of December 21, quarterback Marc Wilson continued to show why his team that year was as good as its record implied. Still, IU found a way to answer all night long. With the Cougars holding a 37-31 lead in the fourth quarter, IU punt returner Tim Wilbur ran one back 62 yards for the go-ahead score, as Indiana held on to win in front of a crowd of over 52,000.
"I get chills down my spine thinking about it," Tallen said. "That season, we expected to go to a bowl game. We expected to get better every week and we expected to win the bowl game when we got there."
Tallen, who led on the defensive line, was one of four co-captains that year, along with quarterback Tim Clifford, fellow d-lineman Brent Tisdale, and running back Tony D'Orazio.
"Those three guys just were great leaders in their own right and really brought the team together," Tallen said. "We had just some extraordinary players and extraordinary offensive line."
Clifford, also Tallen's roommate for two years at IU, went on to be named the conference's most valuable player that same season, completing nearly 56 percent of all passes for 2,078 yards and 13 touchdowns in 1979. A pitcher for Indiana's baseball team as well, Clifford ranks in the Hoosiers' top 10 all-time in passing yardage, attempts, and completions.
"Just a magical athlete. He'd go to spring practice on a Saturday morning and take all the hits and everything, then he'd go pitch a no-hitter for the IU baseball team in the same day," Tallen said, laughing.
Also on that team was another running back, Mike Harkrader, who played three seasons alongside Tallen, and ranks fourth all-time for career rush yards (3,257).
"What a great football story he was," Tallen said. "You think about a football player -- those guys were all true football players. They reeked of being football players."
Though Tallen would stick around to play his final season in 1980, winning the Holiday Bowl that December symbolized superior talent and leadership finally coming to fruition, and years of work on the field as a teenager in southwestern Ohio finally showing through.
***
High school football in the state of Ohio is no joke.
A highly touted linebacker out of Stephen T. Badin High School in Hamilton, Terry Tallen was heavily recruited by a number of Division I programs, but was ultimately won over by Indiana. The combination of opportunities provided through the business school, getting playing time on the field sooner, and the outstanding recruiting tactics of head coach Lee Corso was in the end all too much to pass on.
"Getting a scholarship is a privilege, it's not a right," Tallen said. "And I think that a lot of our players took that to heart and focused on their education, and saw it as a wonderful opportunity to play Big Ten college football."
Indiana assistant coach Jim Gruden, father of Jon and Jay, initially recruited Tallen and had a great deal of influence over the decision to in the end choose IU. When Tallen later moved to Florida in his early 20's, the two reconnected while Gruden was coaching running backs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Corso effect was monumental for Tallen.
Always quick with a joke or witty saying for his players to live by, Lee Corso just had a way with high school recruits, and it was during his nine year tenure with Indiana where that reputation was cemented. The customary treatment included a steak dinner at Little Zagreb's in Bloomington (still a go-to for Tallen when he's back on campus) and many times, a trip to an Indiana basketball game as well, which was an exceptionally powerful recruiting tool in the mid 1970's.
"Oh my gosh, to see Quinn Buckner, Scott May, Kent Benson, and of course Bobby Knight," Tallen said. "Assembly Hall was such an exciting place to go when you're 18 years old watching a basketball game."
When Indiana's shot of making a bowl game was in reach down the stretch end of the 1979 season, and each game became especially meaningful, Corso had a way of keeping it light. Even in the summertime, in hopes of keeping his players focused somewhat on football, he'd send a letter to each member of the team, outlining what lay ahead in fall practice, and included the words: "don't ever do anything to embarrass yourself, Indiana University, or your family."
"He was just so sharp," Tallen said. "He did an outstanding job with the players who were being recruited and treated us as men, and responsible men. He was a very smart man and a very good man."
The rest was history. Tallen led the team in 1979 with nine total tackles for loss, a single element reflective of an incredibly successful tenure at IU. Tallen, along with Clifford, was re-elected as captain the following year, the Hoosiers finishing sixth in the Big Ten (3-5) and one game above .500 overall (6-5).
"Indiana has played a huge role in my life," Tallen said. "To be a student athlete at Indiana University was a tremendous honor."
That sentiment materialized last spring when Tallen returned to campus, committing $2 million to fund the renovation of the football team area inside Memorial Stadium. The Terry Tallen Football Complex will eventually span over 25,000 square feet under the west stands of the stadium and will include the Trent and Julie Green Locker Room, coaches' locker room, team lounge, recruiting area, equipment room, as well as the Dr. John M. Miller Training Room.
"Indiana's just a great school," Tallen said. "I've dreamed of giving back ever since I first stepped onto that spectacular campus."
In 2008, Tallen established his own scholarship fund with the Indiana football program, each year given to a captain on the team. Eight years later, Tallen was honored with one of Indiana University's most prestigious awards for former letter winners, the Z.G. Clevenger Award.
And yes, Terry Tallen absolutely still gets back to Bloomington to play some golf with the guys. Mark Deal, also a member of the Holiday Bowl team and now Assistant Athletic Director for Alumni Relations, can be credited the most with keeping the group tightly knit, even decades later.
"He's an outstanding leader and bleeds cream and crimson," Tallen said. "We've got several hundred players, administrators, tutors, coaches' wives, trainers' wives -- all who are a part of this big family that we have from that Holiday Bowl era."
***
When Terry Tallen moved to Florida in his 20s after graduating from Indiana University, he received a letter in the mail at his new address. At the time in 1985, Lee Corso was at the helm of the Orlando Renegades, a USFL team, and the two had recently reconnected at an event. Following the event, Tallen had sent a note to his former head coach, thanking him for reaching out.
But the letter Tallen was then receiving was clearly a little different, adorned with an Orlando Renegades masthead. Oh my gosh, Tallen thought, Corso wants me to come back and play for him in the USFL. He read on.
Corso thanked Tallen for his note, said he appreciated the time, hoped to keep in touch, and so on. But at the bottom was something so unmistakably Corso.
"Don't do anything to embarrass yourself, Indiana University, or the Corso family."
(10/27/18 3:32am)
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A'Shon Riggins lines up before a snap against Penn State. (Mark Timko/HN)[/caption]
What has just been witnessed I still haven't entirely processed. But let's try our best to recap.
On a Friday night at TCF Bank Stadium, Indiana almost saved its season. Minnesota, winless in conference play to this point, made the Hoosiers look like the ones that just don't belong in the Big Ten for the better part of three quarters of football. When the Hoosiers figured things couldn't get worse in rainy Minneapolis, they did, but Peyton Ramsey finally found ways to loosen up and had a phenomenal fourth quarter. The defense came alive too. Back and forth the Hoosiers and Gophers went in the final minutes, but Indiana gave up a late score and a fumble. In an essentially must-win (and should-win) situation for Indiana, the Hoosiers failed to show up. Though Indiana certainly competed late, it wasn't enough. Rapid reaction below.
O Defense, Where Art Thou?
Secondary. Yikes. Undoubtedly the most concerning aspect of tonight's performance, or lack thereof, was the absolute disappearance of the Hoosier defense in the first half, especially over the middle of the field. We knew what sort of curveballs redshirt freshman Tanner Morgan was capable of throwing IU's way if he ended up playing tonight, but what we all witnessed Friday was simply unexpected. In his first career collegiate start, Morgan and the Gophers offense walked all over Indiana for most of the evening, and the Hoosiers seemed content to sit back and just let it happen for most of the night. This defense has without a doubt relied on the leadership of Reakwon Jones and Jonathan Crawford all year long, and for the vast majority of tonight's contest, nobody showed up. Frighteningly similar to the way Nate Stanley and the Iowa offense did the same to IU less than two weeks ago, Morgan found success over the middle of the field and attacked Indiana with short, slant throws which gave way for painfully slow scoring drives down the field.
The difference? In particular Tom Allen fashion, the defense picked this team up once again, but as we've seen more than a few times in 2018, not one phase can do it alone. Minnesota's offense dictated tempo and momentum all night long on a night where it frankly should've been the other way around.
Sluggish Offense on a Friday Night
The way Peyton Ramsey finally found a way to settle in late on the road was nothing short of remarkable. Other than that, it was an extremely uncharacteristic performance from Indiana's offense in Minneapolis. Things looked unnecessarily rushed from the get-go. Ramsey didn't make reads the way he has so well at times this season, and just did some things that left Hoosier fans scratching their heads; Ramsey became tentative when he needed to take shots deep, and finally loosened up in the second half, but only once it was far too late. Though Stevie Scott continued to get back to basics on the ground, that's really where the good stops for Indiana tonight. Mind you, an 0-6 Nebraska team found a way to put up 53 points on this Minnesota defense. Beyond Carter Coughlin and Blake Cashman, it's nothing special, but even midway through tonight's third quarter, Indiana had yet to find a way to score. Sigh.
Basketball Season in Bloomington?
It's not that Indiana can't still become bowl eligible, but the Hoosiers absolutely just made it that much harder on themselves moving forward. There was a collective feeling coming into tonight that this was indeed a must-win against a struggling Minnesota team, especially with what remains on IU's schedule. Whether or not the Hoosiers can manage at least two wins against Maryland, Michigan, or Purdue -- it remains to be seen. One thing can be certain. As Indiana Basketball tips off its most anticipated season in recent history on November 6th, it'll be a tough ask for Hoosier fans to stay tuned in, especially as the Hoosiers hit the bye next week.
(10/25/18 12:57am)
Two pods in three days? Of course. The guys are back at it early this week to preview Friday night's critical matchup in Minneapolis. How will Indiana distribute the carries out of the backfield? Who will take the field at quarterback for the Gophers when Friday rolls around? Ted, Ben, and Connor have the answers.
(10/23/18 9:21pm)
The guys get caught up with what went down in Bloomington and the sports world at large over the weekend, and Kurt takes his Browns fandom to a new level on this week's pod. Plus, little did we know, Jon Gruden is a HUGE fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
(10/12/18 4:13pm)
Takeaways have become such a continued focus in Bloomington that during fall camp, the Hoosiers made a video showing each and every takeaway created by the Indiana defense.
A year ago, Indiana's defense was historically effective and experienced. But the Hoosiers struggled to create takeaways. In 2017, IU managed eight forced fumbles and five interceptions.
Halfway through this season, Indiana's defense has already forced seven interceptions and six forced fumbles. They rank eighth in the country in forced turnovers, and for Allen, that's not necessarily enough.
"A lot of times I felt like last year it was just balls that were right there," Allen said Monday. "Whether it was a fumble we didn't quite get or a pick we didn't secure. So we worked really, really hard on catching balls. We've got to keep doing that. We dropped one a week ago that I thought was a pick-six opportunity. We can't do that."
The topic dominated discussion at Monday's media availability with the likes of Coach Allen, Cam Jones, and Jonathan Crawford -- and rightfully so. After forcing three turnovers Saturday, which allowed Indiana to stay competitive in its 49-26 loss to Ohio State, attention was warranted.
With the Buckeyes driving in the second quarter ahead by four, another score had serious potential to drown Indiana's hopes in Columbus. That was a fair sentiment, until freshman Devon Matthews helped bail his new team out, picking off Dwayne Haskins and giving Peyton Ramsey the ball once more, where the ensuing drive resulted in points. It was the second of the three takeaways forced by IU, and yet another instance of defensive takeaways being a key reason why Indiana has remained close in crucial games.
"We didn't emphasize it any different in the past," Allen said. "But I do think this fall camp we got back to really attacking the ball in practice."
While IU's secondary is a clear strength this season, the takeaways have started up front. As seen against Ohio State, when Indiana's defensive line pressures the opposing quarterback, the Hoosiers take the ball away.
"To me, the second step of it is providing pressure, hitting quarterbacks," Allen said. "I think when you have a more athletic group, you create more takeaways. Because number one, you get to the ball quicker to force them, and you're around the ball more to recover them."
The Indiana defensive line did what it could early in the game to set the tone, in the form of a stripped fumble, forced out by Brandon Wilson and recovered by husky Cam Jones, who has quickly emerged as a pleasant surprise behind Marcelino Ball.
It wasn't the only instance in which Jones made a difference on Saturday. The team was quick to credit the freshman with applying pressure and forcing the Matthews interception before the half. Though Haskins was only sacked once by Nile Sykes, "pressure" is a key intangible that does not show up in the postgame box score. But it's been absolutely key to setting a tone and forcing some errors in judgment, witnessed firsthand in Columbus last weekend.
"We had to have three or more turnovers every single day or we had to run," Jones said, smiling. "Those runs after fall camp were something serious and we didn't want to do that. To be a good defense you've got to get turnovers and you've got to score as a defense."
On Saturday, Indiana has yet another opportunity to change the conversation surrounding its program. Iowa (4-1, 1-1) will visit Bloomington. The Hawkeyes feature a versatile offense, led by junior quarterback Nate Stanley and a slew of running backs. Stanley is an experienced, poised quarterback that relies on a comfortable pocket and play action calls involving a pair of reliable tight ends. There are multiple players questionable for Iowa this weekend. But if Indiana moves up in the Big Ten's pecking order, the Hawkeyes are a realistic opponent to surpass. Takeaways, as always, could go a long way for the Hoosiers against a relatively smart and accurate quarterback in Stanley.
"Very disciplined offensively," Allen said of Iowa. "They really expanded their passing game. Stanley is a great quarterback, big, physical, 6'4, 245 pound guy. Physical backs, big offensive line. Best tight end corps we've gone against. So they got a big win last week on the road and did a lot of different things to get that win. So going to be a great challenge for us."