Tuesday Notebook – Stopping Penn State Starts with ‘Flying to the Ball’
9/26/2017 5:45:00 PM | Football
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Today we're going to break Tegray Scales' stick-to-the-theme concentration.
Well, we're going to try.
Scales is Indiana's All-America senior linebacker. He and the Hoosiers (2-1) have a major task on Saturday when they face No. 4 Penn State (4-0) and its powerhouse offense led by quarterback Trace McSorley and tailback Saquon Barkley. It's as good a combination, if you believe coach Tom Allen, as there is in the country.
How do you slow them down?
"We've got to fly, fly, fly to the ball," Scales said. "That's all it is."
Barkley leads the Nittany Lions in rushing (518 yards, a 7.8-yard-per-carry average and four touchdowns) and in receiving (23 catches for 335 yards and two touchdowns).
He's a tackle-busting machine who out-runs and overpowers defenders with ruthless efficiency. He also has a knack for leaping over would-be tacklers.
How do you deal with that?
"Just fly to the ball," Scales said.
Anything else?
"Fly to the ball."
In the end, Scales' will was too strong, the theme too ingrained.
"You've got to," he said with a smile.
Then he got serious.
"(Barkley) breaks one tackle and somebody else has to be there. You can't let him get his feet on the ground and make cuts.
"We want to play fast. He's going to make people miss. That's what his qualities are. We have to be great tacklers and have great effort."
Add McSorley (1,037 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, three interceptions) and you have an offense that averages 40.5 points a game.
To slow it down, Scales said, means "We have to play sound defense. We have to buy in, watch film and prepare our best."
SHOOT FOR 17
IU and Allen have a goal of holding opponents to 17 or fewer points.
The Hoosiers have done it two straight games against Virginia and Georgia Southern. Making it three straight would be huge, especially against the Big Ten's third-best scoring team.
"Teams score a lot of touchdowns in the Big Ten," safety Chase Dutra said. "There are a lot of good offensive coordinators out there. Teams are going to score, so 17 is a great number to shoot for. That sets it at a reasonable number."
IU allows 27.7 points a game for the season. It gave up 49 points in a season-opening loss to then-No. 2 Ohio State.
"Obviously, you want a shutout," Dutra said, "but that's very hard in this day and time. For us to do it back-to-back is huge, and we want to make it three consecutive."
'FACELESS' PENN STATE
IU gets a second chance to rock the college football world this season. It faces a top-10 opponent its beaten just once in 19 previous attempts, and that came in 2013 at Memorial Stadium.
The key to victory, quarterback Richard Lagow said, starts with ignoring all of that.
"It's a huge opportunity," he said. "Everybody realizes that, but at the end of the day, it has to be another faceless opponent. Our preparation and mindset has to be the same, week in and week out.
"You know that. You get excited for it, but when it comes down to putting in the work, faceless."
LOUD AND LOVING IT
Beaver Stadium has been rough on IU over the years. The Hoosiers are 0-9 in one of the nation's largest and loudest stadiums. Capacity is nearly 107,000.
IU has pumped in plenty of noise in practice to simulate what Saturday's experience will be like.
That will add to the Hoosiers' offensive challenge in going against a defense that allows just 8.2 points a game.
"As of now, we're try and do it verbally," Lagow said about play calling. "That's why I emphasized to the team how big communication is this week. It's going to be loud. We're excited for this."
GROWING HOOSIERS
Indiana has won two straight games by an average victory margin of 26 points.
How are the Hoosiers better now than they were against Ohio State?
Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord has some thoughts.
"Whenever you bring a new system in, your players continue to learn that system. Every week, every game has a different story. In the Ohio State game, we were throwing a lot. In the Virginia game, we were more run-throw, and then (against Georgia Southern), we were able to run more.
"We're doing different things every week. We don't just say, here's our offense, go defend it. We game plan every week for what we feel is best against that defense. It's new plays, new wrinkles every week.
"Our players continue to learn that. They have a great grasp of that. Three to four weeks ago, they were still in the learning process of that. Now they understand that better, and we're running better."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Today we're going to break Tegray Scales' stick-to-the-theme concentration.
Well, we're going to try.
Scales is Indiana's All-America senior linebacker. He and the Hoosiers (2-1) have a major task on Saturday when they face No. 4 Penn State (4-0) and its powerhouse offense led by quarterback Trace McSorley and tailback Saquon Barkley. It's as good a combination, if you believe coach Tom Allen, as there is in the country.
How do you slow them down?
"We've got to fly, fly, fly to the ball," Scales said. "That's all it is."
Barkley leads the Nittany Lions in rushing (518 yards, a 7.8-yard-per-carry average and four touchdowns) and in receiving (23 catches for 335 yards and two touchdowns).
He's a tackle-busting machine who out-runs and overpowers defenders with ruthless efficiency. He also has a knack for leaping over would-be tacklers.
How do you deal with that?
"Just fly to the ball," Scales said.
Anything else?
"Fly to the ball."
In the end, Scales' will was too strong, the theme too ingrained.
"You've got to," he said with a smile.
Then he got serious.
"(Barkley) breaks one tackle and somebody else has to be there. You can't let him get his feet on the ground and make cuts.
"We want to play fast. He's going to make people miss. That's what his qualities are. We have to be great tacklers and have great effort."
Add McSorley (1,037 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, three interceptions) and you have an offense that averages 40.5 points a game.
To slow it down, Scales said, means "We have to play sound defense. We have to buy in, watch film and prepare our best."
SHOOT FOR 17
IU and Allen have a goal of holding opponents to 17 or fewer points.
The Hoosiers have done it two straight games against Virginia and Georgia Southern. Making it three straight would be huge, especially against the Big Ten's third-best scoring team.
"Teams score a lot of touchdowns in the Big Ten," safety Chase Dutra said. "There are a lot of good offensive coordinators out there. Teams are going to score, so 17 is a great number to shoot for. That sets it at a reasonable number."
IU allows 27.7 points a game for the season. It gave up 49 points in a season-opening loss to then-No. 2 Ohio State.
"Obviously, you want a shutout," Dutra said, "but that's very hard in this day and time. For us to do it back-to-back is huge, and we want to make it three consecutive."
'FACELESS' PENN STATE
IU gets a second chance to rock the college football world this season. It faces a top-10 opponent its beaten just once in 19 previous attempts, and that came in 2013 at Memorial Stadium.
The key to victory, quarterback Richard Lagow said, starts with ignoring all of that.
"It's a huge opportunity," he said. "Everybody realizes that, but at the end of the day, it has to be another faceless opponent. Our preparation and mindset has to be the same, week in and week out.
"You know that. You get excited for it, but when it comes down to putting in the work, faceless."
LOUD AND LOVING IT
Beaver Stadium has been rough on IU over the years. The Hoosiers are 0-9 in one of the nation's largest and loudest stadiums. Capacity is nearly 107,000.
IU has pumped in plenty of noise in practice to simulate what Saturday's experience will be like.
That will add to the Hoosiers' offensive challenge in going against a defense that allows just 8.2 points a game.
"As of now, we're try and do it verbally," Lagow said about play calling. "That's why I emphasized to the team how big communication is this week. It's going to be loud. We're excited for this."
GROWING HOOSIERS
Indiana has won two straight games by an average victory margin of 26 points.
How are the Hoosiers better now than they were against Ohio State?
Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord has some thoughts.
"Whenever you bring a new system in, your players continue to learn that system. Every week, every game has a different story. In the Ohio State game, we were throwing a lot. In the Virginia game, we were more run-throw, and then (against Georgia Southern), we were able to run more.
"We're doing different things every week. We don't just say, here's our offense, go defend it. We game plan every week for what we feel is best against that defense. It's new plays, new wrinkles every week.
"Our players continue to learn that. They have a great grasp of that. Three to four weeks ago, they were still in the learning process of that. Now they understand that better, and we're running better."
Players Mentioned
FB: Week 3 (Indiana State) - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Monday, September 08
FB: Elijah Sarratt - KSU Postgame Press Conference (09/06/25)
Saturday, September 06
FB: Kellan Wyatt - KSU Postgame Press Conference (09/06/25)
Saturday, September 06
FB: Fernando Mendoza - KSU Postgame Press Conference (09/06/25)
Saturday, September 06