Indiana University Athletics
One Year Later, Lagow in Different Place
8/15/2017 7:54:00 PM | Football
By Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Richard Lagow remains a transplanted Texan.
The Indiana fifth-year senior quarterback acknowledges, especially when hanging around with teammate and fellow Dallas-area native Luke Timian, that thoughts of home can intrude.
"We'll be sitting around his apartment, watching Netflix or something," Lagow said after practice Monday, "and we'll be saying, 'Man, I'll tell you what, some Dickey's Barbeque Sauce would really light the fire right now.'
"Even something like Raising Cane's … originally a southern thing, a chicken chain based out of Louisiana … can bring back memories. It's good to have anybody from back home around you. Luke was at Oklahoma State, also, which just kind of adds to the bond we share."
But after two years on the Bloomington campus, Lagow is fully bonding with all things Hoosier, including new head coach Tom Allen, and that
could well enhance his senior season.
Lagow redshirted at Oklahoma State in 2013. That was after the Plano High graduate had initially headed for the University of Connecticut before a coaching change sent him in a different direction.
Then came a two-year stint closer to home at Cisco Community College before signing with IU and starting all 13 games for the Hoosiers last fall.
Given his widely-traveled college career, Lagow has adapted to a series of different approaches to the game. But it is increasingly clear he is an Allen convert.
Lagow gives off the same vibe, listening to him now, that IU defensive players emitted last offseason when talking about the sort of transformation Allen was fomenting on that side of the football.
ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit has reportedly said he got an earful of that this past spring, when he and Lagow were in California for George Whitfield's quarterback camp.
"I get excited when I talk about the direction of this program, when I talk about Coach Allen's leadership," Lagow confirmed Monday. "So I'm not surprised (Herbstreit) took that away from it. I get going about it and it's hard to stop."
Herbstreit and ESPN colleagues will be on hand Aug. 31 when the Hoosiers open the season by hosting Ohio State. They'll see a home team quarterbacked by a preseason candidate for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
So Lagow is a smart, thoughtful young man and he continues to work on the mental side of his game. He threw for 3,362 yards in his first IU campaign last fall but his 19 touchdown throws were offset by 17 interceptions.
New quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan sayss Lagow has the capacity to make better on-field decisions consistently.
"One of the biggest things for the quarterbacks with training camp is teaching them how to think – what is the thought process, and how we're going to play football, at that position," Sheridan said. "Rich is no different than any player in our program. We ask them to improve every single day.
"That's the beauty about football, coaches included. That's been our message to the team and the group: just work on getting a little bit better every single day. So far, Rich has done that and learned from his mistakes."
Lagow said he's learned to be an objective and unsparing evaluator of his own game and practice film.
"I'll see myself not making the same mistakes again on some things and, on other things, it'll happen again," Lagow said. "So it's just everyday things and just continuing to be your own biggest critic.
"You think you have a good day, think you have a bad day, whatever it is, you go in and watch film. You clear your mind and just sit down and really dive into it. That's been very beneficial for the whole room."
That quarterback room features players yet to play a collegiate snap in redshirt freshman Peyton Ramsey and true freshman Nick Tronti.
Lagow feels better able to mentor them now.
"I'm at a different place right now," Lagow said. "I think if you ask any last-year guy, they'd probably say that. It puts everything in perspective, how long you've been doing this, all the work you've been putting in, really coming down to this final season.
"You probably wish you had a few more of those extra sprints you could run (as a freshman). I've just been trying to pass that along to the younger guys. That's a big message from me to them – be hungry to play every day, but realize you have to do something every day to get better."
Asked specifically what he's seen from Ramsey and Tronti, Lagow said:
"Peyton is always consistent. You get the same things from the kid every day, and I think there is a lot to be said for that. And I think Nick has done an awesome job for being a true freshman. He's doing awesome – far, far better than I was my true freshman year, that's for sure.
"So very impressive, both of them. Nick is so young and just needs to stay hungry and the sky is the limit for him. Same thing for Peyton. He comes across as an older, more mature guy (than most freshmen), but really he's got four years left to play as well. They're both doing really well. Really proud of both, the work ethics and attitudes they have. We have a good quarterback room, with a good attitude, right now."
Lagow also feels better equipped to lead the entire team, not just the quarterbacks' room, now that he's had time to truly get to know teammates and what makes them tick.
"I think he knows the guys better," Sheridan said. "It's hard to lead people you don't know."
Lagow's familiarity with IU's veteran receiving corps should also serve the Hoosiers well.
"With that experience coming back, we've kind of created a rhythm, those top six (receivers) with him," Timian said last week. "We're trying to get the younger guys to develop that rhythm with him, too, and then we'll all be on the same page."
Timian can relate to Lagow at a Texas level, too.
"We're both trying to stay on our own paths, and everyone's path is different, though ours are pretty similar, actually, which is cool." Timian said. "But we're both just trying to make the most of the opportunities we've been given here."
That was certainly on display during scrimmaging last week when a perfect Lagow pass found Timian for a TD.
At the apex of the endline and sideline in the very corner of the end zone, the ball caught the streaking slot receiver in stride with just enough room remaining for Timian to get a foot down inbounds to complete the catch.
"Yeah, that was sweet," Lagow said, smiling at recalling the play. "We spent a lot of time on that.
"We had actually missed that exact play a couple of days prior to that in practice. We didn't complete it. So for the next two or three days of practice, we stayed after and threw that exact play. Six or seven times we thought were perfect. So to have that happen in the scrimmage, it just shows how extra work can carry over."
Two Texas Hoosiers. In sync.
Hoping to barbeque some opposing secondaries this fall.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Richard Lagow remains a transplanted Texan.
The Indiana fifth-year senior quarterback acknowledges, especially when hanging around with teammate and fellow Dallas-area native Luke Timian, that thoughts of home can intrude.
"We'll be sitting around his apartment, watching Netflix or something," Lagow said after practice Monday, "and we'll be saying, 'Man, I'll tell you what, some Dickey's Barbeque Sauce would really light the fire right now.'
"Even something like Raising Cane's … originally a southern thing, a chicken chain based out of Louisiana … can bring back memories. It's good to have anybody from back home around you. Luke was at Oklahoma State, also, which just kind of adds to the bond we share."
But after two years on the Bloomington campus, Lagow is fully bonding with all things Hoosier, including new head coach Tom Allen, and that
could well enhance his senior season.
Lagow redshirted at Oklahoma State in 2013. That was after the Plano High graduate had initially headed for the University of Connecticut before a coaching change sent him in a different direction.
Then came a two-year stint closer to home at Cisco Community College before signing with IU and starting all 13 games for the Hoosiers last fall.
Given his widely-traveled college career, Lagow has adapted to a series of different approaches to the game. But it is increasingly clear he is an Allen convert.
Lagow gives off the same vibe, listening to him now, that IU defensive players emitted last offseason when talking about the sort of transformation Allen was fomenting on that side of the football.
ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit has reportedly said he got an earful of that this past spring, when he and Lagow were in California for George Whitfield's quarterback camp.
"I get excited when I talk about the direction of this program, when I talk about Coach Allen's leadership," Lagow confirmed Monday. "So I'm not surprised (Herbstreit) took that away from it. I get going about it and it's hard to stop."
Herbstreit and ESPN colleagues will be on hand Aug. 31 when the Hoosiers open the season by hosting Ohio State. They'll see a home team quarterbacked by a preseason candidate for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
So Lagow is a smart, thoughtful young man and he continues to work on the mental side of his game. He threw for 3,362 yards in his first IU campaign last fall but his 19 touchdown throws were offset by 17 interceptions.
New quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan sayss Lagow has the capacity to make better on-field decisions consistently.
"One of the biggest things for the quarterbacks with training camp is teaching them how to think – what is the thought process, and how we're going to play football, at that position," Sheridan said. "Rich is no different than any player in our program. We ask them to improve every single day.
"That's the beauty about football, coaches included. That's been our message to the team and the group: just work on getting a little bit better every single day. So far, Rich has done that and learned from his mistakes."
Lagow said he's learned to be an objective and unsparing evaluator of his own game and practice film.
"I'll see myself not making the same mistakes again on some things and, on other things, it'll happen again," Lagow said. "So it's just everyday things and just continuing to be your own biggest critic.
"You think you have a good day, think you have a bad day, whatever it is, you go in and watch film. You clear your mind and just sit down and really dive into it. That's been very beneficial for the whole room."
That quarterback room features players yet to play a collegiate snap in redshirt freshman Peyton Ramsey and true freshman Nick Tronti.
Lagow feels better able to mentor them now.
"I'm at a different place right now," Lagow said. "I think if you ask any last-year guy, they'd probably say that. It puts everything in perspective, how long you've been doing this, all the work you've been putting in, really coming down to this final season.
"You probably wish you had a few more of those extra sprints you could run (as a freshman). I've just been trying to pass that along to the younger guys. That's a big message from me to them – be hungry to play every day, but realize you have to do something every day to get better."
Asked specifically what he's seen from Ramsey and Tronti, Lagow said:
"Peyton is always consistent. You get the same things from the kid every day, and I think there is a lot to be said for that. And I think Nick has done an awesome job for being a true freshman. He's doing awesome – far, far better than I was my true freshman year, that's for sure.
"So very impressive, both of them. Nick is so young and just needs to stay hungry and the sky is the limit for him. Same thing for Peyton. He comes across as an older, more mature guy (than most freshmen), but really he's got four years left to play as well. They're both doing really well. Really proud of both, the work ethics and attitudes they have. We have a good quarterback room, with a good attitude, right now."
Lagow also feels better equipped to lead the entire team, not just the quarterbacks' room, now that he's had time to truly get to know teammates and what makes them tick.
"I think he knows the guys better," Sheridan said. "It's hard to lead people you don't know."
Lagow's familiarity with IU's veteran receiving corps should also serve the Hoosiers well.
"With that experience coming back, we've kind of created a rhythm, those top six (receivers) with him," Timian said last week. "We're trying to get the younger guys to develop that rhythm with him, too, and then we'll all be on the same page."
Timian can relate to Lagow at a Texas level, too.
"We're both trying to stay on our own paths, and everyone's path is different, though ours are pretty similar, actually, which is cool." Timian said. "But we're both just trying to make the most of the opportunities we've been given here."
That was certainly on display during scrimmaging last week when a perfect Lagow pass found Timian for a TD.
At the apex of the endline and sideline in the very corner of the end zone, the ball caught the streaking slot receiver in stride with just enough room remaining for Timian to get a foot down inbounds to complete the catch.
"Yeah, that was sweet," Lagow said, smiling at recalling the play. "We spent a lot of time on that.
"We had actually missed that exact play a couple of days prior to that in practice. We didn't complete it. So for the next two or three days of practice, we stayed after and threw that exact play. Six or seven times we thought were perfect. So to have that happen in the scrimmage, it just shows how extra work can carry over."
Two Texas Hoosiers. In sync.
Hoping to barbeque some opposing secondaries this fall.
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