Indiana University Athletics
Notebook: Finding Confidence with Frustration
10/23/2017 8:11:00 PM | Football
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana football coach Tom Allen, known for accentuating the positive, recently got an assist in that regard from Big Ten colleagues.
IU has faced fresh frustration the past two weeks against ranked foes, falling to Michigan in overtime and then late at Michigan State.
When Allen met the media Monday, he was asked how that frustration was being handled.
"I think that's a fair question," Allen replied. "We had a good discussion as a team yesterday. Kind of got a chance for them to talk a little bit and asked them about how they felt personally. Yeah, it's very natural to be … to get discouraged. Disappointed for sure. And frustrated.
"But what I did was I shared (something with them). There are a few head coaches in this conference that reached out to me regarding the way our team is playing. I didn't ask them. They just chose to do that. They were so complimentary of how hard we play, how well we've played, how physical we are, how tough our kids are. Just the way we've just battled and fought against really good football teams – they're impressed.
"So I told our guys, 'You can choose to feel sorry for yourself. Or you can realize you just played arguably the toughest schedule in the country to start the season and you're right there (in position to win games). You can get disappointed and hang your head and mope, or you can draw confidence from the way you performed … you have physically shown (you can) perform. You can draw strength and confidence from that and attack with more fervor and grit than ever before, because you do know you're right on the edge and on the verge of breaking through.' "
Indiana is the only Big Ten team to have played four Top 20 opponents (all league foes) in its first seven games and still has No. 5-ranked Wisconsin looming for its next home game following Saturday's trip to Maryland (a 3:30 kickoff matchup up a pair of 3-4 teams.)
Allen had previously noted the Hoosier schedule was a bit "front-loaded," on paper at least, and knows the value of keeping his team on task down the stretch run of the season.
"I just think that it's a matter of staying the course and just not growing weary in the process," Allen said. "That's the key. That's going to be our challenge as coaches (and players). But we have played a tough schedule … I could have told you that six months ago. You knew we were in for a tough, challenging start to our season.
"Here we are with the first half already completed plus one, and you got five games left. How you going to respond? How you going to finish? So that word "finish," applies to the game (Saturday at MSU), it applies to a lot of things. That's going to be something you're going to hear me say a lot here over the next several weeks."
People inside the program will hear it a lot, for certain.
"It's definitely a challenge, for sure, to be able to keep the mind (right, but it is) a very, very powerful thing to keep your mind right," Allen said. "Because that affects your behavior, the way you approach each day, and it's that's going to affect the way they come to practice tomorrow.
"I fully expect them to be highly energized and focused and locked-in to go play our best game of the season on Saturday at Maryland. Our staff will lead by example, and that's what I expect."
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Indiana, tied 3-3 in the third quarter at Michigan State, was facing a 3rd-and-12 from its own 11 when Peyton Ramsey dumped a pass off to Ricky Brookins, who had curled into the flat from the Hoosier backfield.
It looked like there was no earthly way Brookins could make it to the first down marker. Except he did.
MSU cornerback Justin Layne and safety Matt Morrissey both had good angles and looked to stop Brookins short, but Brookins made a flat-out dive toward the marker on the sideline and got the ball there. First down Hoosiers.
That hustle play jump-started a drive that led to Griffin Oakes' second field goal on the day, and helped earn Brookins IU's Offensive Player of the Game honors.
"(Brookins) did everything we asked him to do in both protections and in the screen game, and just getting some tough runs," Allen said of the former Terre Haute North standout. "He's just a guy that came here as a walk-on that really has always been dependable. Love him for that and his character."
Oakes, whose three field goals accounted for Indiana's scoring Saturday, was named Special Teams Player of the Game for the fourth time in 2017.
"He continues to be consistent," Allen said of the fifth-year senior place-kicker who is now 10-of-11 on field goals this season, with the lone miss blocked by Michigan through line penetration. "That has to be part of what he's known for. Really proud of him."
Fifth-year senior safety Chase Dutra earned Defensive Player of the Game plaudits with his game-high 14 tackles Saturday. His 50 tackles this season rank second behind only the 56 of All-American linebacker Tegray Scales.
"Just played lights out," Allen said of Dutra. "(Had) 19 snaps on special teams and all those snaps on defense, and just continues to give everything for this team. So proud of him. Not really surprised, because that's how he has always played since I've been around him. Just goes 100 miles an hour and gives his whole heart to this. He's making a lot of plays."
Scout Team Players of the Week were quarterback Nick Tronti and running backs Alex Rodriguez and Tyler Natee of offense and defensive back Owen Streiter and tackle Derrian Meminger on defense.
REINFORCEMENTS ON THE WAY?
Indiana entered the Michigan State game banged up, physically, and sustained more injuries Saturday.
The Hoosiers could get a couple of key offensive players back this week if tight end Ian Thomas and right guard Simon Stepaniak return. But there is, as yet, no assurance either or both will.
Thomas and Stepaniak both traveled to East Lansing and suited up but neither was able to go.
"Ian Thomas is a guy we tried to go with," Allen said Monday. "He was a game-time decision and we got him in warmups, and (he) just couldn't go. So we're hoping to get him back. That would be a real positive thing."
Thomas had previously missed time to injury this season (having also sat out the win over Charleston Southern entirely) before going down again in the Michigan game. But he still ranks third on the team with 260 receiving yards and tied for first with three TDs. He remains a major red-zone threat and can stretch a defense vertically anyplace on the field.
Stepaniak started three of the first four games and is perhaps getting closer to getting back. But left tackle Coy Cronk, hurt at Michigan State, could be on the shelf this week. Erstwhile defensive starters A-Shon Riggins and Marcelino Ball, both out for a month now, join Cronk as "wait and see" situations according to Allen.
Allen confirmed that junior wide receiver Donavan Hale, who started the first two games but subsequently underwent surgery, is in position to petition the NCAA for a medical redshirt season if he doesn't return to play this fall.
LINING UP
Indiana has fielded its projected starting offensive line only once this fall, with Cronk, Stepaniak, center Hunter Littlejohn, left guard Wes Martin and right tackle Brandon
Knight all available to open the Sept. 30 game at Penn State.
With no seniors and limited experience heading into the season on that unit, the injury situation has compounded the ability of IU to develop cohesion and consistency up front.
"With guys being injured, coming in and out, other guys coming in, we have to get better (with cohesion up front)," IU offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said Monday.
"You just have to keep working in practice, continue to give them more reps, give them more looks.
"Offensive line is hard. It's hard to play. When you're playing offensive line, you're playing in a (confined) space (and) things can happen so fast. And we've faced defenses these past two weeks that give you multiple looks, multiple blitzes and things like that. And every little technique changes as a result, in that little space. And it just comes with reps. It comes with experience. And we just have to get better at it."
UNBREAKABLE
DeBord said new IU quarterback Peyton Ramsey is clearly learning on the job and has had some issues, but DeBord expects Ramsey to improve – in part because of the redshirt freshman's psychological makeup.
"He's only had three starts … he's going to continue to get better as he goes through the season," DeBord said. "He's played against two of the best defenses in the country (Michigan and Michigan State). So he'll get better with time. And we understand that.
"Peyton is very strong, mentally. He knows he's going through a learning process, too. He's handling that in a very mature way. I just don't believe you can break Peyton. You can't. He's just so strong, mentally."
NOON FOR BUCKY
Indiana's Nov. 4 home game with Wisconsin was announced Monday as a 12 p.m. kickoff for an ABC telecast.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana football coach Tom Allen, known for accentuating the positive, recently got an assist in that regard from Big Ten colleagues.
IU has faced fresh frustration the past two weeks against ranked foes, falling to Michigan in overtime and then late at Michigan State.
When Allen met the media Monday, he was asked how that frustration was being handled.
"I think that's a fair question," Allen replied. "We had a good discussion as a team yesterday. Kind of got a chance for them to talk a little bit and asked them about how they felt personally. Yeah, it's very natural to be … to get discouraged. Disappointed for sure. And frustrated.
"But what I did was I shared (something with them). There are a few head coaches in this conference that reached out to me regarding the way our team is playing. I didn't ask them. They just chose to do that. They were so complimentary of how hard we play, how well we've played, how physical we are, how tough our kids are. Just the way we've just battled and fought against really good football teams – they're impressed.
"So I told our guys, 'You can choose to feel sorry for yourself. Or you can realize you just played arguably the toughest schedule in the country to start the season and you're right there (in position to win games). You can get disappointed and hang your head and mope, or you can draw confidence from the way you performed … you have physically shown (you can) perform. You can draw strength and confidence from that and attack with more fervor and grit than ever before, because you do know you're right on the edge and on the verge of breaking through.' "
Indiana is the only Big Ten team to have played four Top 20 opponents (all league foes) in its first seven games and still has No. 5-ranked Wisconsin looming for its next home game following Saturday's trip to Maryland (a 3:30 kickoff matchup up a pair of 3-4 teams.)
Allen had previously noted the Hoosier schedule was a bit "front-loaded," on paper at least, and knows the value of keeping his team on task down the stretch run of the season.
"I just think that it's a matter of staying the course and just not growing weary in the process," Allen said. "That's the key. That's going to be our challenge as coaches (and players). But we have played a tough schedule … I could have told you that six months ago. You knew we were in for a tough, challenging start to our season.
"Here we are with the first half already completed plus one, and you got five games left. How you going to respond? How you going to finish? So that word "finish," applies to the game (Saturday at MSU), it applies to a lot of things. That's going to be something you're going to hear me say a lot here over the next several weeks."
People inside the program will hear it a lot, for certain.
"It's definitely a challenge, for sure, to be able to keep the mind (right, but it is) a very, very powerful thing to keep your mind right," Allen said. "Because that affects your behavior, the way you approach each day, and it's that's going to affect the way they come to practice tomorrow.
"I fully expect them to be highly energized and focused and locked-in to go play our best game of the season on Saturday at Maryland. Our staff will lead by example, and that's what I expect."
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Indiana, tied 3-3 in the third quarter at Michigan State, was facing a 3rd-and-12 from its own 11 when Peyton Ramsey dumped a pass off to Ricky Brookins, who had curled into the flat from the Hoosier backfield.
It looked like there was no earthly way Brookins could make it to the first down marker. Except he did.
MSU cornerback Justin Layne and safety Matt Morrissey both had good angles and looked to stop Brookins short, but Brookins made a flat-out dive toward the marker on the sideline and got the ball there. First down Hoosiers.
That hustle play jump-started a drive that led to Griffin Oakes' second field goal on the day, and helped earn Brookins IU's Offensive Player of the Game honors.
"(Brookins) did everything we asked him to do in both protections and in the screen game, and just getting some tough runs," Allen said of the former Terre Haute North standout. "He's just a guy that came here as a walk-on that really has always been dependable. Love him for that and his character."
Oakes, whose three field goals accounted for Indiana's scoring Saturday, was named Special Teams Player of the Game for the fourth time in 2017.
"He continues to be consistent," Allen said of the fifth-year senior place-kicker who is now 10-of-11 on field goals this season, with the lone miss blocked by Michigan through line penetration. "That has to be part of what he's known for. Really proud of him."
Fifth-year senior safety Chase Dutra earned Defensive Player of the Game plaudits with his game-high 14 tackles Saturday. His 50 tackles this season rank second behind only the 56 of All-American linebacker Tegray Scales.
"Just played lights out," Allen said of Dutra. "(Had) 19 snaps on special teams and all those snaps on defense, and just continues to give everything for this team. So proud of him. Not really surprised, because that's how he has always played since I've been around him. Just goes 100 miles an hour and gives his whole heart to this. He's making a lot of plays."
Scout Team Players of the Week were quarterback Nick Tronti and running backs Alex Rodriguez and Tyler Natee of offense and defensive back Owen Streiter and tackle Derrian Meminger on defense.
REINFORCEMENTS ON THE WAY?
Indiana entered the Michigan State game banged up, physically, and sustained more injuries Saturday.
The Hoosiers could get a couple of key offensive players back this week if tight end Ian Thomas and right guard Simon Stepaniak return. But there is, as yet, no assurance either or both will.
Thomas and Stepaniak both traveled to East Lansing and suited up but neither was able to go.
"Ian Thomas is a guy we tried to go with," Allen said Monday. "He was a game-time decision and we got him in warmups, and (he) just couldn't go. So we're hoping to get him back. That would be a real positive thing."
Thomas had previously missed time to injury this season (having also sat out the win over Charleston Southern entirely) before going down again in the Michigan game. But he still ranks third on the team with 260 receiving yards and tied for first with three TDs. He remains a major red-zone threat and can stretch a defense vertically anyplace on the field.
Stepaniak started three of the first four games and is perhaps getting closer to getting back. But left tackle Coy Cronk, hurt at Michigan State, could be on the shelf this week. Erstwhile defensive starters A-Shon Riggins and Marcelino Ball, both out for a month now, join Cronk as "wait and see" situations according to Allen.
Allen confirmed that junior wide receiver Donavan Hale, who started the first two games but subsequently underwent surgery, is in position to petition the NCAA for a medical redshirt season if he doesn't return to play this fall.
LINING UP
Indiana has fielded its projected starting offensive line only once this fall, with Cronk, Stepaniak, center Hunter Littlejohn, left guard Wes Martin and right tackle Brandon
Knight all available to open the Sept. 30 game at Penn State.
With no seniors and limited experience heading into the season on that unit, the injury situation has compounded the ability of IU to develop cohesion and consistency up front.
"With guys being injured, coming in and out, other guys coming in, we have to get better (with cohesion up front)," IU offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said Monday.
"You just have to keep working in practice, continue to give them more reps, give them more looks.
"Offensive line is hard. It's hard to play. When you're playing offensive line, you're playing in a (confined) space (and) things can happen so fast. And we've faced defenses these past two weeks that give you multiple looks, multiple blitzes and things like that. And every little technique changes as a result, in that little space. And it just comes with reps. It comes with experience. And we just have to get better at it."
UNBREAKABLE
DeBord said new IU quarterback Peyton Ramsey is clearly learning on the job and has had some issues, but DeBord expects Ramsey to improve – in part because of the redshirt freshman's psychological makeup.
"He's only had three starts … he's going to continue to get better as he goes through the season," DeBord said. "He's played against two of the best defenses in the country (Michigan and Michigan State). So he'll get better with time. And we understand that.
"Peyton is very strong, mentally. He knows he's going through a learning process, too. He's handling that in a very mature way. I just don't believe you can break Peyton. You can't. He's just so strong, mentally."
NOON FOR BUCKY
Indiana's Nov. 4 home game with Wisconsin was announced Monday as a 12 p.m. kickoff for an ABC telecast.
Players Mentioned
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