DiPrimio: ‘Hungry’ Football Hoosiers are Aiming High
4/14/2018 8:12:00 PM | Football
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Why not be bold?
Why not, if you're defensive standout Marcelino Ball, aiming for a difference-making comeback following an injury marred season, state Indiana's football goal so that no one misunderstands or under-estimates.
"Bowl game?" he said when asked about returning to a bowl after missing out last season. "We're trying to get more than a bowl game, man."
He flashed a smile normally seen from a guy holding a royal flush at a winner-take-all poker game.
"That's everybody's objective. You want to win, win, win. It takes work. We'll put it in. I'm not a fortune-teller, so we'll see how it comes out."
Welcome to Year Two of the Tom Allen coaching era.
Now that spring football is over and the spring game in the books -- for the record, the Crimson beat the Cream 37-28 to earn a steak dinner -- preparation turns to the summer.
Ball, who missed nine games last season because of injury, understands what needs to be done:
"Keep your head low, do your job, keep moving."
Blasting past last season's 5-7 near miss -- Indiana lost to Michigan in overtime and three other games by eight points or less -- starts with belief and resolve.
The Hoosiers seem to have plenty of both.
"We're hungry because of last year," defensive back Jonathan Crawford said. "It didn't end the way we wanted.
"We know what we can do. We didn't do it last year. That was a big upset for us. This year we'll work even harder."
Crawford, for one, resolved to have a very work-filled summer leading into the 2018 opener at Florida International on Sept. 1.
"If you want to get your game better, you should put in the work in the summer. Summer is big to get individually better.
"For me, I have to improve my football IQ, my understanding of down and distance and what offenses want to run."
The solution -- "Watch more film."
Promise was everywhere you looked on Saturday along with extra speed that could push the program to heights not seen since the Bill Mallory glory days of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
New director of athletic performance David Ballou and his staff have elevated strength and explosiveness. That was very visible in the spring game, although next season will provide the ultimate test.
Ball, for one, is impressed.
"I'm feeling fast and good," he said. "I see even the D-linemen look like skill players. We feel good in the weight room. Coach Ballou and Dr. (Matt) Rhea are doing their thing."
IU has plenty to work with, including 16 returning starters, 11 on offense.
The Hoosiers lost part-time starter Richard Lagow at quarterback, but retain part-time starter Peyton Ramsey, plus add dual-threat Arizona graduate transfer Brandon Dawkins (he has one year of eligibility remaining after throwing for 2,414 yards and 15 touchdowns, and rushing for 1,582 yards and 20 TDs in 23 career games) and talented true freshman Michael Penix Jr., who had a very impressive spring after enrolling for the second semester.
Ramsey, by the way, fully embraces the competition battle.
"It pushes push you," he said. "It's helpful for everybody. It helps the rest of the offense and team. Guys will continue to push to make the entire offense better."
That's exactly what Allen wants to hear.
"He's a winner; he's tough; and he cares," he said about Ramsey. "I want guys who I can trust. I want guys who are tough and who are dependable. That defines Peyton Ramsey. That's a young man who will help us win a bunch of games in whatever that role maybe. It might be the starter. I know that's what he wants. He has all the intangibles you want in a young man."
As for bringing in Dawkins, Allen added that, "Before Dawkins, our oldest quarterback was a sophomore. To bring in a guy who is a graduate transfer was something we felt we needed to do."
Preparation after spring football starts with a 12-week strength-training-and-conditioning program.
"That's a big deal," Allen said. "Four weeks are discretionary. The other are not. Those discretionary weeks are critical.
"When you believe in the people who are coaching you and leading you, it increases the effort and amount of focus you bring to each workout. They believe if they do everything they're asked to do, they'll get bigger, stronger and faster.'
Beyond that, Allen said, with an eye toward finding seven new defensive starters, "Because of our youth, we have to do a great job as coaches. We have to maximize our time.
"That means developing the understanding of our scheme. A lot of that is meeting time.
"As far as (player-led) practices we'll have over the summer, they'll have to be at a higher level than they've been in the past.
"We try to do a great job in the spring of executing those base drills so when they're by themselves over the summer during player practices, they'll get a jump on the rep base."
While Allen said IU met all of its spring practice objectives, there are off-season concerns to address, such as replacing Big Ten Kicker of the Year Griffin Oakes, All-America linebacker Tegray Scales and big-play receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr.
"We have a long ways to go," Allen said.
Bringing in a top-50 recruiting class, highlighted by Penix and Indiana Mr. Football Reese Taylor of Indianapolis Ben Davis High School, will ease that way.
"It's a process of building," Allen says. "We have a strong recruiting class coming in here. We need another one after that, then another one after that.
"It will take time, but I love the direction we're going. I love the mindset of our team.
"Spring was very productive and a great building block for our future."
Now the Hoosiers need a productive summer, and if the talk won't always be bold, you'd better believe the resolve will be.
You don't need to be a fortune-teller to understand that.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Why not be bold?
Why not, if you're defensive standout Marcelino Ball, aiming for a difference-making comeback following an injury marred season, state Indiana's football goal so that no one misunderstands or under-estimates.
"Bowl game?" he said when asked about returning to a bowl after missing out last season. "We're trying to get more than a bowl game, man."
He flashed a smile normally seen from a guy holding a royal flush at a winner-take-all poker game.
"That's everybody's objective. You want to win, win, win. It takes work. We'll put it in. I'm not a fortune-teller, so we'll see how it comes out."
Welcome to Year Two of the Tom Allen coaching era.
Now that spring football is over and the spring game in the books -- for the record, the Crimson beat the Cream 37-28 to earn a steak dinner -- preparation turns to the summer.
Ball, who missed nine games last season because of injury, understands what needs to be done:
"Keep your head low, do your job, keep moving."
Blasting past last season's 5-7 near miss -- Indiana lost to Michigan in overtime and three other games by eight points or less -- starts with belief and resolve.
The Hoosiers seem to have plenty of both.
"We're hungry because of last year," defensive back Jonathan Crawford said. "It didn't end the way we wanted.
"We know what we can do. We didn't do it last year. That was a big upset for us. This year we'll work even harder."
Crawford, for one, resolved to have a very work-filled summer leading into the 2018 opener at Florida International on Sept. 1.
"If you want to get your game better, you should put in the work in the summer. Summer is big to get individually better.
"For me, I have to improve my football IQ, my understanding of down and distance and what offenses want to run."
The solution -- "Watch more film."
Promise was everywhere you looked on Saturday along with extra speed that could push the program to heights not seen since the Bill Mallory glory days of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
New director of athletic performance David Ballou and his staff have elevated strength and explosiveness. That was very visible in the spring game, although next season will provide the ultimate test.
Ball, for one, is impressed.
"I'm feeling fast and good," he said. "I see even the D-linemen look like skill players. We feel good in the weight room. Coach Ballou and Dr. (Matt) Rhea are doing their thing."
IU has plenty to work with, including 16 returning starters, 11 on offense.
The Hoosiers lost part-time starter Richard Lagow at quarterback, but retain part-time starter Peyton Ramsey, plus add dual-threat Arizona graduate transfer Brandon Dawkins (he has one year of eligibility remaining after throwing for 2,414 yards and 15 touchdowns, and rushing for 1,582 yards and 20 TDs in 23 career games) and talented true freshman Michael Penix Jr., who had a very impressive spring after enrolling for the second semester.
Ramsey, by the way, fully embraces the competition battle.
"It pushes push you," he said. "It's helpful for everybody. It helps the rest of the offense and team. Guys will continue to push to make the entire offense better."
That's exactly what Allen wants to hear.
"He's a winner; he's tough; and he cares," he said about Ramsey. "I want guys who I can trust. I want guys who are tough and who are dependable. That defines Peyton Ramsey. That's a young man who will help us win a bunch of games in whatever that role maybe. It might be the starter. I know that's what he wants. He has all the intangibles you want in a young man."
As for bringing in Dawkins, Allen added that, "Before Dawkins, our oldest quarterback was a sophomore. To bring in a guy who is a graduate transfer was something we felt we needed to do."
Preparation after spring football starts with a 12-week strength-training-and-conditioning program.
"That's a big deal," Allen said. "Four weeks are discretionary. The other are not. Those discretionary weeks are critical.
"When you believe in the people who are coaching you and leading you, it increases the effort and amount of focus you bring to each workout. They believe if they do everything they're asked to do, they'll get bigger, stronger and faster.'
Beyond that, Allen said, with an eye toward finding seven new defensive starters, "Because of our youth, we have to do a great job as coaches. We have to maximize our time.
"That means developing the understanding of our scheme. A lot of that is meeting time.
"As far as (player-led) practices we'll have over the summer, they'll have to be at a higher level than they've been in the past.
"We try to do a great job in the spring of executing those base drills so when they're by themselves over the summer during player practices, they'll get a jump on the rep base."
While Allen said IU met all of its spring practice objectives, there are off-season concerns to address, such as replacing Big Ten Kicker of the Year Griffin Oakes, All-America linebacker Tegray Scales and big-play receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr.
"We have a long ways to go," Allen said.
Bringing in a top-50 recruiting class, highlighted by Penix and Indiana Mr. Football Reese Taylor of Indianapolis Ben Davis High School, will ease that way.
"It's a process of building," Allen says. "We have a strong recruiting class coming in here. We need another one after that, then another one after that.
"It will take time, but I love the direction we're going. I love the mindset of our team.
"Spring was very productive and a great building block for our future."
Now the Hoosiers need a productive summer, and if the talk won't always be bold, you'd better believe the resolve will be.
You don't need to be a fortune-teller to understand that.
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