Tuesday Notebook: Indiana vs. Rutgers
11/14/2017 9:38:00 PM | Football
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Jacob Robinson wasn't sure he was going to get the sack.
But he made sure to get the ball.
The junior defensive lineman from Westfield came crashing from the right side of Indiana's line into the collapsing pocket of Illinois quarterback Jeff George, Jr., with just over five minutes left in Saturday's game at Champaign.
IU had a 24-14 lead but the Illini were driving and had crossed midfield. George dropped back to pass, saw Robinson coming and tried to scramble through the middle of the pocket.
"I ripped up field … and when I get in those situations, my eyes get so big," Robinson recalled Tuesday. "It opens up so quickly. And it's really tough to get back there and make a play on the quarterback, because you're not sure where he's going to go.
"I saw him step up and just stuck my arm out, trying to get something."
That something turned out to be the football.
Hoosiers linebacker Tegray Scales pounced on the fumble at the Indiana 44, the first of three IU takeaways to thwart three straight Illinois possessions to close out a crucial win for the program.
It was Robinson's first career forced fumble, coming on a career day for him. His career-high seven tackles featured 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
The Hoosiers' eight sacks Saturday bumped their season total up to 31, ranked tied for ninth nationally and third among Big Ten teams. They're also third among league brethren in tackles for loss (75) and opponents' third-down conversion rate (.312).
And IU's stated team goal of fielding a Top 25 defense remains viable, with the Hoosiers now at No. 30 in total defense nationally.
Illinois finished with just 33 rushing yards, the lowest total for an IU Big Ten foe since 31 by Purdue in 2013.
But before seeing the Boilermakers this season, the 4-6 Hoosiers face 4-6 Rutgers for a 12 p.m. kickoff Saturday and need a win to keep bowl hopes alive.
"It's the last one (at home) for the seniors and we want them to have a win, coming off the field for their last time here," Robinson said. "Getting them a win is huge, and just getting us a win is important, too … because we have to get both these next two to get to a bowl game.
"We want to give the seniors another game in December."
BEAU GEST
Robinson wasn't the only Hoosier posting career numbers Saturday.
Redshirt freshman running back Cole Gest supplied a career-high 82 yards on 17 carries. That upped his season totals to 284 yards on 57 rushes (for a team-leading 5.0 average per carry). He added three catches for 27 yards against the Illini.
Gest gained 47 yards on 10 carries last season before sustaining an injury that resulted in a medical redshirt. And carries were few and far between for him at the start of the current campaign.
"Honestly, at the beginning of the season, I didn't think I'd be playing much," Gest – who helped lead his St. Edward team win Ohio state titles in 2014 and 2015 – said Tuesday.
"Just a lot of mental struggles, honestly, questioning whether I want to do this anymore. Just not playing really takes a toll on your psyche.
"But I just kept coming to work, kept prayed-up, keep believing that the Lord was going to come through for me."
Gest, who routinely looks shot out of a cannon on the field, is now getting the hang of reading blocks in the hole before bursting out.
"Oh, yeah," he said. "Because in high school, you just get the ball, man, and you go score. You know what I mean? Coming to college, you just have to be so much more detailed.
Pace was a huge thing for me and I feel I'm finally starting to get in a groove with it now. And I feel that's what's allowed me to get more yards and more YAC (yards after contact).
"And just other things, like pass pro(tection), knowing the defensive fronts, knowing who you have (to block) – small, minor details that you don't have in high school but are huge
at this next level. That's what I've been able to see and I've got to continue to get better. I've got a lot to improve. But learning (to control) that pace was huge."
Gest is now primarily sharing carries with true freshman Morgan Ellison, who has also battled through injury. Gest said he didn't really think about leaving the IU program, even when injury helped place him low on the depth chart.
"You have to see it all through," Gest said. "You can't just tap out and quit because it's not going your way sometimes. Just like a little kid, if you don't get your way and pout about it – in the real world, you can't pout about it. Things aren't always going to go your way.
"You have to see it through, continue to work and continue to get better. And good things come to those who wait. I understood this life principle and I applied it, and here I am, now, talking to (the media). It's been a blessing but it's also been a struggle. And there is beauty in the struggle."
ADVANCED PLACEMENT
Gest earned IU's Offensive Player of the Game for the win at Illinois and Robinson shared Defensive Player of the Game honors with linebacker Chris Covington. And then, stepping up on special teams, there was redshirt sophomore punter Haydon Whitehead.
Whitehead placed five punts inside the 20 against Illinois, including three inside the 10 – featuring a crucial boot downed at the Illini 1 with 9:35 left. The IU defense kept Illinois pinned and the Hoosier offense got the ball back at the Illini 41 to start what became a game-clinching TD drive.
And that sort of thing is almost second-nature for a guy who played 15 years of Australian Rules Football while growing up in Melbourne.
"Obviously, that's one of the main things we work on back home," Whitehead acknowledged. "We sort of have to pass the ball to each other (with our feet) the way quarterbacks throw it.
"Precision is a major aspect of that. So I got a good 14 years practice, or whatever it was, trying to place the ball in the direction I need to. So it's something I'm really confident about doing."
And of Whitehead's nine punts at Illinois, only one was returned, for just four yards.
For the season, Whitehead is averaging 41.1 yards per 72 punts, with 28 placed inside the 20 (tied for third nationally) and has booted five balls for 50-or-more yards.
But the Aussie still feels he can do better. Which is not good news for IU foes for the balance of this season and the next three years.
"To be honest, I don't think I've had the best year, if I'm being brutally honest," he said. "Especially with distance and hang-time and that sort of stuff. It's sort of worked, I guess, but I know how much better I can be and how much improvement there is to go.
"While it's been nice to have some good games, I feel like I can do a lot better than I've done this year. I know I have plenty of improvement left."
ROOMIES CONNECT
That clinching TD from Indiana's offense Saturday came via a 5-yard slant pass from Richard Lagow to roommate Simmie Cobbs Jr. with 5:45 left to play.
"It was critical for us get seven points on that drive," Lagow said. "Three points wasn't going to cut it. That's why we went for it on the fourth down (and picked it up via a Morgan Ellison run to set up the TD throw).
"Any time you can get in the end zone … and that kind of felt like the dagger to put it out of reach. And to be able to do that with Simmie was pretty fun."
Lagow elaborated as to why.
"He's my best friend," he said of Cobbs. "So he's somebody on the field I love to be out there with. Or if we're back at the house. Where ever it is. He's a voice in my ear. Positivity and times, and we also keep it real with each other, so if something needs to be said, we're not shy about it.
"He's just done a good job of keeping me level, of keeping me from getting too high or too low."
???????Lagow and other teammates will surely talk with Cobbs about the pending post-season decision whether or not to enter the NFL Draft. Cobbs will have a final year of athletic eligibility remaining but will go through Senior Day ceremonies Saturday.
???????Cobbs, presently second among all Big Ten receivers in receptions and 15th nationally with 63 catches this season, has doubtless drawn the attention of NFL scouts.
"It definitely crosses your mind," Cobbs said of the upcoming decision. "I think that's with any process you go through … I've put myself in position where I've given myself some options.
"There's nothing set in stone. I'm still going to go through Senior Day, but that doesn't mean I'm technically declaring (for the NFL Draft) or something like that. I'm just giving myself options and seeing what feedback (I get.)
???????Rashard Fant, the standout cornerback already in graduate school at IU, faced a similar decision last year and was initially inclined to enter the draft.
"I gave (Cobbs) a little advice, to just talk to everybody," Fant said. "It's up to you, just what you think is best for you and your family.
"Last year, when I came back early to Bloomington, I was actually coming back to pack my stuff," Fant said. "I had decided I wanted to declare. But then I talked to about five more people and thought it was probably best to stay. So I decided to stay."
???????Fant emphasized the need to get all the necessary feedback from NFL people and other sources.
"I told him (the decision) might not come to you till the last second, so don't rush it," Fant said. "You've got to play the money game and do what's best for you, but coming back to school, for me, has honestly been what was best. The opportunities for grad school, meeting a bunch of people, and taking advantage of the football field to get better.
"I just told him to take his time, enjoy it, and not think about it too much, yet, because we've got a lot of football left to play before that decision needs to be made. But he's put himself in position to consider it. He's one of the best receivers in the Big Ten. Always fun to go against (in practice). Whatever he decides, he'll be successful."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Jacob Robinson wasn't sure he was going to get the sack.
But he made sure to get the ball.
The junior defensive lineman from Westfield came crashing from the right side of Indiana's line into the collapsing pocket of Illinois quarterback Jeff George, Jr., with just over five minutes left in Saturday's game at Champaign.
IU had a 24-14 lead but the Illini were driving and had crossed midfield. George dropped back to pass, saw Robinson coming and tried to scramble through the middle of the pocket.
"I ripped up field … and when I get in those situations, my eyes get so big," Robinson recalled Tuesday. "It opens up so quickly. And it's really tough to get back there and make a play on the quarterback, because you're not sure where he's going to go.
"I saw him step up and just stuck my arm out, trying to get something."
That something turned out to be the football.
Hoosiers linebacker Tegray Scales pounced on the fumble at the Indiana 44, the first of three IU takeaways to thwart three straight Illinois possessions to close out a crucial win for the program.
It was Robinson's first career forced fumble, coming on a career day for him. His career-high seven tackles featured 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
The Hoosiers' eight sacks Saturday bumped their season total up to 31, ranked tied for ninth nationally and third among Big Ten teams. They're also third among league brethren in tackles for loss (75) and opponents' third-down conversion rate (.312).
And IU's stated team goal of fielding a Top 25 defense remains viable, with the Hoosiers now at No. 30 in total defense nationally.
Illinois finished with just 33 rushing yards, the lowest total for an IU Big Ten foe since 31 by Purdue in 2013.
But before seeing the Boilermakers this season, the 4-6 Hoosiers face 4-6 Rutgers for a 12 p.m. kickoff Saturday and need a win to keep bowl hopes alive.
"It's the last one (at home) for the seniors and we want them to have a win, coming off the field for their last time here," Robinson said. "Getting them a win is huge, and just getting us a win is important, too … because we have to get both these next two to get to a bowl game.
"We want to give the seniors another game in December."
BEAU GEST
Robinson wasn't the only Hoosier posting career numbers Saturday.
Redshirt freshman running back Cole Gest supplied a career-high 82 yards on 17 carries. That upped his season totals to 284 yards on 57 rushes (for a team-leading 5.0 average per carry). He added three catches for 27 yards against the Illini.
Gest gained 47 yards on 10 carries last season before sustaining an injury that resulted in a medical redshirt. And carries were few and far between for him at the start of the current campaign.
"Honestly, at the beginning of the season, I didn't think I'd be playing much," Gest – who helped lead his St. Edward team win Ohio state titles in 2014 and 2015 – said Tuesday.
"Just a lot of mental struggles, honestly, questioning whether I want to do this anymore. Just not playing really takes a toll on your psyche.
"But I just kept coming to work, kept prayed-up, keep believing that the Lord was going to come through for me."
Gest, who routinely looks shot out of a cannon on the field, is now getting the hang of reading blocks in the hole before bursting out.
"Oh, yeah," he said. "Because in high school, you just get the ball, man, and you go score. You know what I mean? Coming to college, you just have to be so much more detailed.
Pace was a huge thing for me and I feel I'm finally starting to get in a groove with it now. And I feel that's what's allowed me to get more yards and more YAC (yards after contact).
"And just other things, like pass pro(tection), knowing the defensive fronts, knowing who you have (to block) – small, minor details that you don't have in high school but are huge
at this next level. That's what I've been able to see and I've got to continue to get better. I've got a lot to improve. But learning (to control) that pace was huge."
Gest is now primarily sharing carries with true freshman Morgan Ellison, who has also battled through injury. Gest said he didn't really think about leaving the IU program, even when injury helped place him low on the depth chart.
"You have to see it all through," Gest said. "You can't just tap out and quit because it's not going your way sometimes. Just like a little kid, if you don't get your way and pout about it – in the real world, you can't pout about it. Things aren't always going to go your way.
"You have to see it through, continue to work and continue to get better. And good things come to those who wait. I understood this life principle and I applied it, and here I am, now, talking to (the media). It's been a blessing but it's also been a struggle. And there is beauty in the struggle."
ADVANCED PLACEMENT
Gest earned IU's Offensive Player of the Game for the win at Illinois and Robinson shared Defensive Player of the Game honors with linebacker Chris Covington. And then, stepping up on special teams, there was redshirt sophomore punter Haydon Whitehead.
Whitehead placed five punts inside the 20 against Illinois, including three inside the 10 – featuring a crucial boot downed at the Illini 1 with 9:35 left. The IU defense kept Illinois pinned and the Hoosier offense got the ball back at the Illini 41 to start what became a game-clinching TD drive.
And that sort of thing is almost second-nature for a guy who played 15 years of Australian Rules Football while growing up in Melbourne.
"Obviously, that's one of the main things we work on back home," Whitehead acknowledged. "We sort of have to pass the ball to each other (with our feet) the way quarterbacks throw it.
"Precision is a major aspect of that. So I got a good 14 years practice, or whatever it was, trying to place the ball in the direction I need to. So it's something I'm really confident about doing."
And of Whitehead's nine punts at Illinois, only one was returned, for just four yards.
For the season, Whitehead is averaging 41.1 yards per 72 punts, with 28 placed inside the 20 (tied for third nationally) and has booted five balls for 50-or-more yards.
But the Aussie still feels he can do better. Which is not good news for IU foes for the balance of this season and the next three years.
"To be honest, I don't think I've had the best year, if I'm being brutally honest," he said. "Especially with distance and hang-time and that sort of stuff. It's sort of worked, I guess, but I know how much better I can be and how much improvement there is to go.
"While it's been nice to have some good games, I feel like I can do a lot better than I've done this year. I know I have plenty of improvement left."
ROOMIES CONNECT
That clinching TD from Indiana's offense Saturday came via a 5-yard slant pass from Richard Lagow to roommate Simmie Cobbs Jr. with 5:45 left to play.
"It was critical for us get seven points on that drive," Lagow said. "Three points wasn't going to cut it. That's why we went for it on the fourth down (and picked it up via a Morgan Ellison run to set up the TD throw).
"Any time you can get in the end zone … and that kind of felt like the dagger to put it out of reach. And to be able to do that with Simmie was pretty fun."
Lagow elaborated as to why.
"He's my best friend," he said of Cobbs. "So he's somebody on the field I love to be out there with. Or if we're back at the house. Where ever it is. He's a voice in my ear. Positivity and times, and we also keep it real with each other, so if something needs to be said, we're not shy about it.
"He's just done a good job of keeping me level, of keeping me from getting too high or too low."
???????Lagow and other teammates will surely talk with Cobbs about the pending post-season decision whether or not to enter the NFL Draft. Cobbs will have a final year of athletic eligibility remaining but will go through Senior Day ceremonies Saturday.
???????Cobbs, presently second among all Big Ten receivers in receptions and 15th nationally with 63 catches this season, has doubtless drawn the attention of NFL scouts.
"It definitely crosses your mind," Cobbs said of the upcoming decision. "I think that's with any process you go through … I've put myself in position where I've given myself some options.
"There's nothing set in stone. I'm still going to go through Senior Day, but that doesn't mean I'm technically declaring (for the NFL Draft) or something like that. I'm just giving myself options and seeing what feedback (I get.)
???????Rashard Fant, the standout cornerback already in graduate school at IU, faced a similar decision last year and was initially inclined to enter the draft.
"I gave (Cobbs) a little advice, to just talk to everybody," Fant said. "It's up to you, just what you think is best for you and your family.
"Last year, when I came back early to Bloomington, I was actually coming back to pack my stuff," Fant said. "I had decided I wanted to declare. But then I talked to about five more people and thought it was probably best to stay. So I decided to stay."
???????Fant emphasized the need to get all the necessary feedback from NFL people and other sources.
"I told him (the decision) might not come to you till the last second, so don't rush it," Fant said. "You've got to play the money game and do what's best for you, but coming back to school, for me, has honestly been what was best. The opportunities for grad school, meeting a bunch of people, and taking advantage of the football field to get better.
"I just told him to take his time, enjoy it, and not think about it too much, yet, because we've got a lot of football left to play before that decision needs to be made. But he's put himself in position to consider it. He's one of the best receivers in the Big Ten. Always fun to go against (in practice). Whatever he decides, he'll be successful."
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