BTN Makes First Bus Stop at Indiana
8/4/2017 9:09:00 PM | Football
By Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Friday morning's weather in Bloomington bespoke football season.
The day dawned cloudy but quickly became sunny, with cool and crisp air banishing humidity and heat under a brilliant blue sky.
As Big Ten Network web editor Alex Roux put it on Twitter: "65 degrees? Yes please. Feels like football szn out here."
And anybody needing further confirmation could have simply looked adjacent to Indiana's football practice field, where BTN's big blue tour bus was parked.
BTN stalwarts Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo, Howard Griffiths and Tom Dienhart were among the network personnel on hand, making their first stop for an annual bus tour of all 14 conference fall football camps.
And the BTN men found their overall outlook of the Hoosiers mostly sunny.
Griffth said much of that stemmed from the positive energy of first-year head coach Tom Allen, who turned the defense around as a coordinator last fall – in part by conducting meetings with each individual player to learn about the person, about what made them tick.
"He's really been able to step in and has been able to push the right buttons, as a position coach, a coordinator, as a head coach," Griffith said of Allen.
"You've got to be able to do that. Because gone is the time you could coach everybody the same way.
"There is no question that when kids believe that you truly care about them, they'll do anything for you."
Griffith cited fifth-year senior cornerback Rashard Fant, who led the Big Ten in passes defended and broken up last season, as a prime example.
"You look at a guy like Fant," Griffith said. "He's always been a guy who's had all the talent. So why, all of a sudden, did the light switch turn on, and now you're really seeing the type of player he can be? That's all about guys really, truly buying in."
Fant was hardly the only IU defender to do so last year as that unit allowed 25 fewer touchdowns than the previous season. Revsine credited both Allen's approach and the improved recruiting former IU coach Kevin Wilson put in place during the previous few years.
"It was clear you obviously improved by leaps and bounds defensively last fall," Revsine said of the Hoosiers. "Some of that was schematic, but a lot of it you look at that defense and it's a good-looking, physical, Big Ten defense.
"It just feels like there has been an upgrade there, personnel-wise, and when you couple that with what Tom Allen brings, well, that's what really jumps out. This is a team that is going to build its identity, to a certain extent, around its defense. And that's unusual for Indiana, given where it's been in recent years."
Revsine came in pondering what sort of offensive identity would emerge at Indiana under new associate head coach and offensive coordinator Mike DeBord.
"I was curious what that was going to look like with Mike DeBord," Revsine said. "And it seems like, on the surface, it's pretty similar (to Wilson's approach.) Same concepts. Up tempo. Working out of the shotgun. Some read-options.
"That was the sense I'd gotten from talking with people up at (Big Ten) Media Day, and from watching the spring game, but that was confirmed for me by watching out here. It totally makes sense just based by who they are (in terms of personnel). You don't want to square peg a round hole.
"I know that the offense took a little bit of a step back last year, and that injuries had a lot to do with that, clearly, and inexperience at quarterback. But it's a sound formula that has worked really well for them. So you don't necessarily come in and want to reinvent the wheel."
Griffith and DiNardo both noted that, while IU harbors an impressive set of receivers and a fifth-year senior quarterback in Richard Lagow conducive to a wide-open and up-tempo approach, the Hoosiers will still need to show they can consistently run the football.
"It's still going to be a bit of time before we see what it ends up looking like offensively," Griffith said. "For years, we knew they were going to put up points. We knew they were going to be tempo. Now, we'll see what they're going to be and take a look at that.
"They've got to find that guy (at running back), need that guy to step up and be able to be that bell-cow. Indiana fans and we have all become used to having that guy in the backfield who can really pound. And the offensive line is obviously going to be a big part of that as well. The running game is going to be really important for this team this year."
DiNardo – an All-American guard and NCAA champ at Notre Dame for the late, great Ara Parseghian – focused on the need for development of IU's offensive line.
"I do think the offensive line – you guys have had some great offensive linemen the past four or five years, with Dan Feeney and Jason Spriggs, (and) you don't necessarily see that, yet," DiNardo said. "That doesn't mean it isn't in there.
"I think the offensive line has some growth to do, physically. And in programs like this – there are always enough perimeter people that every roster in the Big Ten should be talented there, and you guys (at Indiana) certainly are talented in the perimeter.
"The issue in the Big Ten is: Do you win the line of scrimmage? Indiana has won the line of scrimmage in certain games in recent years. The question is can they do it again this year."
IU will open its season, and league action, by hosting No. 2 Ohio State at 8 p.m., Aug. 31.
Revsine was gratified to acknowledge that, just as the BTN bus tour did, ESPN's heralded College GameDay pregame show – which weekly chooses prime national venues – will kick off its season in Bloomington.
"These are kind of gradual building-blocks for a program," Revsine said. "That (IU-OSU) game was going to a big game, no matter what. I mean, Kevin Wilson coming back (as an OSU assistant) and all the other factors involved. That's part of it, too. But it's wonderful GameDay is coming for that game.
"I'm excited for Indiana and for Indiana fans. This is a program that people want to see succeed … and anytime you get that sort of big-time atmosphere around a game, it really helps fans get fired up and it'll be a neat day for the program."
Friday was a pretty neat day, too. And the Hoosiers will keep working to see if they can't make Aug. 31 a really, really neat day for the program.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Friday morning's weather in Bloomington bespoke football season.
The day dawned cloudy but quickly became sunny, with cool and crisp air banishing humidity and heat under a brilliant blue sky.
As Big Ten Network web editor Alex Roux put it on Twitter: "65 degrees? Yes please. Feels like football szn out here."
And anybody needing further confirmation could have simply looked adjacent to Indiana's football practice field, where BTN's big blue tour bus was parked.
BTN stalwarts Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo, Howard Griffiths and Tom Dienhart were among the network personnel on hand, making their first stop for an annual bus tour of all 14 conference fall football camps.
And the BTN men found their overall outlook of the Hoosiers mostly sunny.
Griffth said much of that stemmed from the positive energy of first-year head coach Tom Allen, who turned the defense around as a coordinator last fall – in part by conducting meetings with each individual player to learn about the person, about what made them tick.
"He's really been able to step in and has been able to push the right buttons, as a position coach, a coordinator, as a head coach," Griffith said of Allen.
"You've got to be able to do that. Because gone is the time you could coach everybody the same way.
"There is no question that when kids believe that you truly care about them, they'll do anything for you."
Griffith cited fifth-year senior cornerback Rashard Fant, who led the Big Ten in passes defended and broken up last season, as a prime example.
"You look at a guy like Fant," Griffith said. "He's always been a guy who's had all the talent. So why, all of a sudden, did the light switch turn on, and now you're really seeing the type of player he can be? That's all about guys really, truly buying in."
Fant was hardly the only IU defender to do so last year as that unit allowed 25 fewer touchdowns than the previous season. Revsine credited both Allen's approach and the improved recruiting former IU coach Kevin Wilson put in place during the previous few years.
"It was clear you obviously improved by leaps and bounds defensively last fall," Revsine said of the Hoosiers. "Some of that was schematic, but a lot of it you look at that defense and it's a good-looking, physical, Big Ten defense.
"It just feels like there has been an upgrade there, personnel-wise, and when you couple that with what Tom Allen brings, well, that's what really jumps out. This is a team that is going to build its identity, to a certain extent, around its defense. And that's unusual for Indiana, given where it's been in recent years."
Revsine came in pondering what sort of offensive identity would emerge at Indiana under new associate head coach and offensive coordinator Mike DeBord.
"I was curious what that was going to look like with Mike DeBord," Revsine said. "And it seems like, on the surface, it's pretty similar (to Wilson's approach.) Same concepts. Up tempo. Working out of the shotgun. Some read-options.
"That was the sense I'd gotten from talking with people up at (Big Ten) Media Day, and from watching the spring game, but that was confirmed for me by watching out here. It totally makes sense just based by who they are (in terms of personnel). You don't want to square peg a round hole.
"I know that the offense took a little bit of a step back last year, and that injuries had a lot to do with that, clearly, and inexperience at quarterback. But it's a sound formula that has worked really well for them. So you don't necessarily come in and want to reinvent the wheel."
Griffith and DiNardo both noted that, while IU harbors an impressive set of receivers and a fifth-year senior quarterback in Richard Lagow conducive to a wide-open and up-tempo approach, the Hoosiers will still need to show they can consistently run the football.
"It's still going to be a bit of time before we see what it ends up looking like offensively," Griffith said. "For years, we knew they were going to put up points. We knew they were going to be tempo. Now, we'll see what they're going to be and take a look at that.
"They've got to find that guy (at running back), need that guy to step up and be able to be that bell-cow. Indiana fans and we have all become used to having that guy in the backfield who can really pound. And the offensive line is obviously going to be a big part of that as well. The running game is going to be really important for this team this year."
DiNardo – an All-American guard and NCAA champ at Notre Dame for the late, great Ara Parseghian – focused on the need for development of IU's offensive line.
"I do think the offensive line – you guys have had some great offensive linemen the past four or five years, with Dan Feeney and Jason Spriggs, (and) you don't necessarily see that, yet," DiNardo said. "That doesn't mean it isn't in there.
"I think the offensive line has some growth to do, physically. And in programs like this – there are always enough perimeter people that every roster in the Big Ten should be talented there, and you guys (at Indiana) certainly are talented in the perimeter.
"The issue in the Big Ten is: Do you win the line of scrimmage? Indiana has won the line of scrimmage in certain games in recent years. The question is can they do it again this year."
IU will open its season, and league action, by hosting No. 2 Ohio State at 8 p.m., Aug. 31.
Revsine was gratified to acknowledge that, just as the BTN bus tour did, ESPN's heralded College GameDay pregame show – which weekly chooses prime national venues – will kick off its season in Bloomington.
"These are kind of gradual building-blocks for a program," Revsine said. "That (IU-OSU) game was going to a big game, no matter what. I mean, Kevin Wilson coming back (as an OSU assistant) and all the other factors involved. That's part of it, too. But it's wonderful GameDay is coming for that game.
"I'm excited for Indiana and for Indiana fans. This is a program that people want to see succeed … and anytime you get that sort of big-time atmosphere around a game, it really helps fans get fired up and it'll be a neat day for the program."
Friday was a pretty neat day, too. And the Hoosiers will keep working to see if they can't make Aug. 31 a really, really neat day for the program.
Players Mentioned
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Wednesday, September 10