Indiana University Athletics
Hoosier Reality Comes Down to This – Make the Makeable Play
10/14/2017 6:56:00 PM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Make the makeable play.
In the end, it's that simple.
Indiana is so close. Achingly close. Remarkably close.
Saturday's 27-20 overtime loss to No. 17 Michigan proves it.
Heck, the Hoosiers (3-3) scored 10 fourth-quarter, overtime-forcing points against a defense -- the nation's best defense -- that came in having allowed zero.
You've got to believe, if you're coach Tom Allen, if you're the Hoosiers, that close will become finish, and then program-changing victory.
Perhaps as soon as next Saturday at No. 21 Michigan State.
Make an overtime tackle and force a field goal. Score an overtime touchdown from 1st-and-goal at the 2-yard line.
Win.
That's it. No divine intervention required.
Make the play.
Or, for those who love emphasis, make the bleeping play.
Then everything else, three decades of Michigan futility, officials calls that seem forever unfair, missed tackles, botched special teams blocks, are as relevant as helmets without facemasks.
So here is receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr., a breath-taking player who lost two potentially game-changing plays (an on-side kick recovery, a 64-yard catch) to officiating reviews, offering perspective rather than rash judgment.
"It's a tough game," he said. "We're not looking for the calls. We left some plays on the field."
And then …
"At Indiana you know you'll play great opponents. It's tough for me and the rest of the seniors to come so close and not finish.
"It hit us on the chin. It builds character. Coach Allen keeps us up. He tells us we played our hearts out, and we did. We just have to make more plays."
Indiana has been here before, coming close, falling short, wondering why breaks go the other guys' way.
Allen insists the Hoosiers must earn the right to get calls, by making enough plays, thriving enough times, winning enough games.
More and more, you sense, they will.
You see it in Allen's passion and players' resolve. You see it in the ferocity of their play, the relentlessness of their fight and the intensity of their belief. You see Griffin Oakes overcome a blocked field goal to nail a 46-yarder into the wind to force overtime; J-Shun Harris II bust a momentum-changing 53-yard punt return; Chase Dutra record a career-high-tying 13 tackles; Peyton Ramsey bounce back from a punishing sack, a defense that has held two straight teams to less than 59 passing yards.
You understand that the refusal to break when opportunity to do so flares is crucial in a life-isn't-always-fair world.
So you push and push until something gives, and you know it won't be you.
IU hasn't beaten Michigan since 1987. It has lost in overtime to the Wolverines in the last two Memorial Stadium meetings, defeat from the brink of victory.
So here is Allen, facing the media spotlight, radiating emotion, trying to explain what this WILL DO for the team and program.
"It creates resolve," he said. "It creates toughness and fight. We're stronger and tighter than ever. That's what it creates.
"It ain't no feeling sorry for nobody. It's none of this, 'You know what, man, we're so close …'
"No! This team has too much to them. There's too much love. Too much fight. Too much grit. Too much invested.
"They are going to keep fighting. The average person would think this would frustrate you. That's not how we're built. That's not how I'm wired. That's not how we're wired. That's not how this team will respond."
That was apparent from the start.
Michigan (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) arrived off a bitter loss to rival Michigan State with apparent offensive vulnerability. A youthful offensive line had struggled. Quarterbacks John O'Korn and Wilton Speight had combined for just four touchdowns against six interceptions, and a 55.6 percent completion rate.
Speight was out with an injury. O'Korn was in with a run-heavy game plan. Indiana didn't give him much. He was 10-for-20 for just 58 yards and one back-buckling 17-yard completion for a first down that led to a second-quarter touchdown and a 13-0 Wolverine lead.
Allen, forever an aggressive coach, came out in defensive attack mode. This was not a game to play it safe and the Hoosiers didn't.
And yet …
Michigan found a rushing rhythm it had lacked. Tailback Karan Higdon was a big-play beast with touchdown runs of 12, 59 and 25 yards, the last being the overtime game-winner. He rushed for 200 yards after entering the game with 201 for the season
"He was phenomenal," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. "I don't know how many yards he got after contact, but those were tough yards. He was a big boost."
Overall the Wolverines rushed for 271 yards, 104 more than their season average.
That produced Allen's one big frustration.
"We didn't tackle as well as we had been," he said. "Their backs aren't that big. They're good backs, but they're not that kind of (tackle-breaking) backs. That's really disappointing."
The second half hadn't been kind to Indiana in losses to top-10 teams Ohio State and Penn State. It started great against Michigan. The Hoosier defense forced a three-and-out punt. The offense followed with a six-play, 64-yard touchdown drive in less than 90 seconds
The deficit was down to three.
Both defenses turned ruthless, as you figured the nation's two best units in forcing three-and-outs would. They combined for seven straight three-and-outs before Michigan broke through, first with a first down, then with Higdon's 59-yard touchdown.
The 20-10 edge was seemingly all the Wolverines would need.
But the Hoosiers found a way to score 10 points in the final 3:27. Tailback Morgan Ellison had an 8-yard TD run. Oakes made his sixth field goal in seven attempts this season.
Then Higdon broke Hoosier containment, and then hearts with an overtime run touchdown. Then four Hoosier plays from inside the 5-yard line produced zero points.
In the end, the Hoosiers have to be just a little bit better.
Make the makeable play.
It's that simple.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Make the makeable play.
In the end, it's that simple.
Indiana is so close. Achingly close. Remarkably close.
Saturday's 27-20 overtime loss to No. 17 Michigan proves it.
Heck, the Hoosiers (3-3) scored 10 fourth-quarter, overtime-forcing points against a defense -- the nation's best defense -- that came in having allowed zero.
You've got to believe, if you're coach Tom Allen, if you're the Hoosiers, that close will become finish, and then program-changing victory.
Perhaps as soon as next Saturday at No. 21 Michigan State.
Make an overtime tackle and force a field goal. Score an overtime touchdown from 1st-and-goal at the 2-yard line.
Win.
That's it. No divine intervention required.
Make the play.
Or, for those who love emphasis, make the bleeping play.
Then everything else, three decades of Michigan futility, officials calls that seem forever unfair, missed tackles, botched special teams blocks, are as relevant as helmets without facemasks.
So here is receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr., a breath-taking player who lost two potentially game-changing plays (an on-side kick recovery, a 64-yard catch) to officiating reviews, offering perspective rather than rash judgment.
"It's a tough game," he said. "We're not looking for the calls. We left some plays on the field."
And then …
"At Indiana you know you'll play great opponents. It's tough for me and the rest of the seniors to come so close and not finish.
"It hit us on the chin. It builds character. Coach Allen keeps us up. He tells us we played our hearts out, and we did. We just have to make more plays."
Indiana has been here before, coming close, falling short, wondering why breaks go the other guys' way.
Allen insists the Hoosiers must earn the right to get calls, by making enough plays, thriving enough times, winning enough games.
More and more, you sense, they will.
You see it in Allen's passion and players' resolve. You see it in the ferocity of their play, the relentlessness of their fight and the intensity of their belief. You see Griffin Oakes overcome a blocked field goal to nail a 46-yarder into the wind to force overtime; J-Shun Harris II bust a momentum-changing 53-yard punt return; Chase Dutra record a career-high-tying 13 tackles; Peyton Ramsey bounce back from a punishing sack, a defense that has held two straight teams to less than 59 passing yards.
You understand that the refusal to break when opportunity to do so flares is crucial in a life-isn't-always-fair world.
So you push and push until something gives, and you know it won't be you.
IU hasn't beaten Michigan since 1987. It has lost in overtime to the Wolverines in the last two Memorial Stadium meetings, defeat from the brink of victory.
So here is Allen, facing the media spotlight, radiating emotion, trying to explain what this WILL DO for the team and program.
"It creates resolve," he said. "It creates toughness and fight. We're stronger and tighter than ever. That's what it creates.
"It ain't no feeling sorry for nobody. It's none of this, 'You know what, man, we're so close …'
"No! This team has too much to them. There's too much love. Too much fight. Too much grit. Too much invested.
"They are going to keep fighting. The average person would think this would frustrate you. That's not how we're built. That's not how I'm wired. That's not how we're wired. That's not how this team will respond."
That was apparent from the start.
Michigan (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) arrived off a bitter loss to rival Michigan State with apparent offensive vulnerability. A youthful offensive line had struggled. Quarterbacks John O'Korn and Wilton Speight had combined for just four touchdowns against six interceptions, and a 55.6 percent completion rate.
Speight was out with an injury. O'Korn was in with a run-heavy game plan. Indiana didn't give him much. He was 10-for-20 for just 58 yards and one back-buckling 17-yard completion for a first down that led to a second-quarter touchdown and a 13-0 Wolverine lead.
Allen, forever an aggressive coach, came out in defensive attack mode. This was not a game to play it safe and the Hoosiers didn't.
And yet …
Michigan found a rushing rhythm it had lacked. Tailback Karan Higdon was a big-play beast with touchdown runs of 12, 59 and 25 yards, the last being the overtime game-winner. He rushed for 200 yards after entering the game with 201 for the season
"He was phenomenal," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. "I don't know how many yards he got after contact, but those were tough yards. He was a big boost."
Overall the Wolverines rushed for 271 yards, 104 more than their season average.
That produced Allen's one big frustration.
"We didn't tackle as well as we had been," he said. "Their backs aren't that big. They're good backs, but they're not that kind of (tackle-breaking) backs. That's really disappointing."
The second half hadn't been kind to Indiana in losses to top-10 teams Ohio State and Penn State. It started great against Michigan. The Hoosier defense forced a three-and-out punt. The offense followed with a six-play, 64-yard touchdown drive in less than 90 seconds
The deficit was down to three.
Both defenses turned ruthless, as you figured the nation's two best units in forcing three-and-outs would. They combined for seven straight three-and-outs before Michigan broke through, first with a first down, then with Higdon's 59-yard touchdown.
The 20-10 edge was seemingly all the Wolverines would need.
But the Hoosiers found a way to score 10 points in the final 3:27. Tailback Morgan Ellison had an 8-yard TD run. Oakes made his sixth field goal in seven attempts this season.
Then Higdon broke Hoosier containment, and then hearts with an overtime run touchdown. Then four Hoosier plays from inside the 5-yard line produced zero points.
In the end, the Hoosiers have to be just a little bit better.
Make the makeable play.
It's that simple.
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