Smile, Hoosier Fans
5/17/2018 11:18:00 AM | Football
By Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Not even five hours in a dentist chair Monday morning could keep coach Tom Allen from being his usual up-beat self.
"I am excited about our future," the Hoosier head honcho said Monday afternoon, gazing from his office toward the South End Zone project that is on schedule for completion this summer. "I
believe in what we are building here and in the way we're building it.
"A strong foundation is being laid. The expectation, my vision here, is to win the Big Ten. I know some people scoff at that, but I embrace it."
New Castle native Allen grew up in Big Ten country, so he knows previously moribund programs have found ways to arise.
"I understand, have seen, the history of our conference," he said. "I know what Northwestern used to be. They've won the Big Ten three times the last 20 years or so and went to the Rose Bowl, and there was a time when nobody thought that could happen.
"I remember what Wisconsin used to be, back when I was in school, before Barry Alvarez, and it wasn't pretty. They struggled. Iowa struggled for years before Hayden Fry came in. You can go on and on. Don't tell me it can't be done. But you have to build, systematically, to a certain culture, and that's what we're doing. And if you don't believe, you've got no chance."
That doesn't mean Allen won't acknowledge sometimes harsh realities.
He did so last Nov. 25 when a desultory 31-24 loss at Purdue left the Hoosiers a game shy of a third straight bowl bid. Allen characterized that day and the just-concluded season, his first full campaign as IU's head coach, with one word: "Disappointing."
And anybody looking into his eyes or hearing the tone of his voice knew he was, as usual, being completely candid. The pain was palpable.
"Because I saw what was at stake," he recalled. "Maybe I didn't make it clear enough to our guys, because I saw what was out there in front of us – all that a win would mean, even just in terms of history. Never having won five (Old Oaken Bucket) games in a row. The chance to go to three bowl games in a row.
"And it's a dual-effect thing. It affects our program, but it also affects theirs. The perceived trajectory of both. I saw all of that going into it and knew what was at stake. But I also know there is a big-picture view."
A view that allows how adversity can instruct. Can become catalytic.
The way 2017 concluded compelled Allen to aggressively take actions he was already considering, but might not have immediately implemented in the wake of a more successful season than
5-7.
And he's already seeing those actions prompt positive and consequential change. "Sometimes you might lose a battle," Allen said, "but then because of that loss, it causes you to do things that may win you the war."
Nobody will ever accuse Allen of not being thorough. He went back to watch every play of every 2017 game over again, and met with every player on the team. And that solidified, in his mind, what changes needed to ensue.
"No question that, in my notes, you just see certain things that come up repetitively," Allen said. "I've tried to address those concerns."
So Indiana now has, among other items:
"It started with the weight room," Allen said. "There were certain things showing up right away, when we started evaluating the season (that were) reflected in the overall strength and power of our team. The push at the line of scrimmage or lack thereof. And then just speed or lack thereof. Explosive plays, or lack thereof.
"We didn't generate a lot of explosive plays on offense. We needed to go find some more speed for that side of the ball. And defensively and special teams, same thing. Those things surfaced.
And you try to address that both through recruiting and development. That's where the weight room comes in, where the No. 1 job is to develop our kids physically."
And those kids – a youthful group with 54 freshmen and sophomores alongside 39 juniors and seniors on the spring roster, not counting the 22 additional newcomers due this fall – have noticed how well job No. 1 is getting done.
"What is so powerful about that, and we've already seen this, is that it affects the mind and the emotions, too," Allen said. "It affects confidence. It affects expectations. It affects how you feel about yourself. Those things have already started to manifest very positively just in the time we've had (Ballou and Rhea) here."
That was abundantly clear as Allen watched spring practice. And as he had his individual player meetings.
"When I had my meeting with our guys," Allen said, "it was every single kid – there was not one guy who did not mention how excited they are about our strength staff, and the difference they've seen and felt, and the confidence it has created in them.
"They feel different. They look different. They know they're more explosive. It's just created a whole different mindset for these guys. And that's every single kid."
Allen hasn't yet seen how his grad transfers will look. Linder was a January enrollee, but injury kept him sidelined for the bulk of the spring (though he should be ready for fall camp). Dawkins and Samuels will arrive for summer workouts.
"With the grad transfers, we just addressed some specific needs that we thought we had that high school kids might have a hard time addressing," Allen said. "Both sides of the line of scrimmage. The bigger guys.
"It's hard to get a high school kid who can help you on the offensive line right away and it's hard to get a defensive tackle in that sense, too. You might find some guys on the edge, but those inside guys … you have to have some grown-man strength in there. So bringing in a guy like Kayton (Samuels) is a huge get for us."
"Huge" was also the term Allen applied to Dawson opting for IU. Dawson played in 23 games and started 14 for the Pac 12 Wildcats and his arrival could allow the Hoosiers more time to develop younger signal-callers such as redshirt sophomore Peyton Ramsey and true freshman Michael Penix Jr. There were no senior or junior scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.
"We were able to go find a young man who matched the scheme look that we want and had the physical stature – he's 6-4 and 215 pounds," Allen said of Dawkins. " … He runs really, really well. And he's played in the Pac 12 as a starter. That, to me, was a big deal.
"You look at different guys for that grad-transfer role and a lot of them haven't played much football since they got to college … that's different from being the starter, from having to handle the pressure of that. Handle the media. Handle all the things that make that position unique. And he's been in that position. He's won games. He's played well. He can throw the football. He's a dual(-threat) guy. And an important part, for me, was his character and leadership. He fit. We did our homework on that."
Allen noted that Dawkins is coming to compete a starting role that won't simply be handed to him. But whomever quarterbacks IU next fall will play behind an offensive line that returns every player from that unit's 2017 roster, plus Linder, and will have experienced skill-position personnel at their disposal.
IU's defense bade farewell to seven starters this spring, but the Hoosiers are not bereft of talent there, either.
And it's entirely plausible to contend that Indiana, reversing historical trends, will play good defense as long as Allen and his staff are around.
Consider what happened between 2015, the year before Allen arrived as defensive coordinator, and 2017. Indiana's defense, comparing those two years, saw the opposition average:
And as many as 18 of IU's 26 newcomers could be ticketed for the defensive side of the ball next summer – including reigning Indiana Mr. Football Reese Taylor from Class 6A state champ Ben Davis.
Taylor is fleet afoot, as are many of his classmates, and is one of three in-state recruits for the class – while there are 16 combined from Southeastern Conference stomping grounds Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.
That reflects Allen's determination to go where ever he can find speed.
"Where do we have to go to get it? I'm not bashful about that," said Allen, who coached at South Florida before joining IU's staff. "We're going to recruit Indiana as hard as we can. But I want guys who want to be here, and who can run, and we'll go where ever we need to go.
"If you look at rosters in all our sports, not just football, they are national rosters (and) that helps us in recruiting. We've got an alumni base pretty much everyplace. And that helps sell kids to come here. So we're just kind of a microcosm of the school, and we'll continue to recruit nationally."
Allen coached at Mississippi from 2012 through 2014. He saw the same thing Urban Meyer saw in the SEC when the current Ohio State coach was at Florida.
"When I was in that league, there were two things that stuck out," Allen said. "The overall speed and the D-line. That, to me, is what makes that league different from everyplace else. I was just, 'Wow.'
"I had a high school buddy of mine from this state who went down to Auburn and watched them practice. He'd never seen them in person. And he was, 'Oh, my goodness! Their D-line!' And I was like, 'Yeah. And Georgia's that way. And 'Bama's that way. And LSU is that way … '
"So, for me, speed and D-line is what we're most immediately trying to address."
Which is a big reason Dr. Rhea, a speed specialist, is working with Ballou within the IU strength and conditioning department.
"You have to recruit fast guys, but they're going to get faster," Allen said. "That whole speed mantra, that speed program we're doing here, will allow us to develop that. I want that as part of our DNA."
Memorial Stadium's DNA continues to alter. The South End Zone facility is about to revolutionize IU's ability to deliver complete academic and medical services to its student-athletes in one locale. And it will fully enclose the stadium.
"When that thing is finished this summer, it'll be a louder stadium," Allen noted. "It already sounded different when we were practicing in there this spring. That excites me."
Another year will see The Terry Tallen Football Complex under the west stands supply a new locker room space, a players' lounge, a recruiting room and other niceties.
"Look at what's going on at Indiana right now, between the stadium facilities – the South End Zone completed this summer, the new locker room and other facilities under the west stands coming – and then our new strength staff all arriving at about the same time," Allen said. "All these building blocks.
"But it is a systematic process. That's the part that takes patience. And I'm not patient. Our fans aren't. I get all that. But when you do build it systematically, and you build it properly, and that foundation is right, then it'll have a stronger long-term impact and we can sustain it. And I see a lot of things coming together that can put us in that positive direction."
Allen knows a lot of IU fans shared in the disappointment with how last season ended up. He doesn't mind that one bit. It fires him up.
"I'm excited by the fact that they're disappointed, too," he said. "Because that means there is expectation. And, to me, that's part of the process of building a program. There have been years where there weren't really any expectations to speak of.
"In a lot of ways, I want people to be upset when we don't reach a certain level, or supply what they want. That means it's a fan base that cares and has expectations that match mine. That, to me, is a positive thing."
After the Sept. 1 opener at Florida International, starting with the Sept. 8 home opener versus Virginia, seven of IU's last 12 games next fall are set for Memorial Stadium.
"That's a chance to get our people here, get them behind us, to support our guys, and that really matters," Allen said. "I want them to come and support us, yes. But I also want them to understand and believe that we're building a foundation for the future.
"It takes time. And there is a patience piece to this that is hard. But it's coming together."
Allen smiled as he said that.
And his teeth looked great.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Not even five hours in a dentist chair Monday morning could keep coach Tom Allen from being his usual up-beat self.
"I am excited about our future," the Hoosier head honcho said Monday afternoon, gazing from his office toward the South End Zone project that is on schedule for completion this summer. "I
believe in what we are building here and in the way we're building it.
"A strong foundation is being laid. The expectation, my vision here, is to win the Big Ten. I know some people scoff at that, but I embrace it."
New Castle native Allen grew up in Big Ten country, so he knows previously moribund programs have found ways to arise.
"I understand, have seen, the history of our conference," he said. "I know what Northwestern used to be. They've won the Big Ten three times the last 20 years or so and went to the Rose Bowl, and there was a time when nobody thought that could happen.
"I remember what Wisconsin used to be, back when I was in school, before Barry Alvarez, and it wasn't pretty. They struggled. Iowa struggled for years before Hayden Fry came in. You can go on and on. Don't tell me it can't be done. But you have to build, systematically, to a certain culture, and that's what we're doing. And if you don't believe, you've got no chance."
That doesn't mean Allen won't acknowledge sometimes harsh realities.
He did so last Nov. 25 when a desultory 31-24 loss at Purdue left the Hoosiers a game shy of a third straight bowl bid. Allen characterized that day and the just-concluded season, his first full campaign as IU's head coach, with one word: "Disappointing."
And anybody looking into his eyes or hearing the tone of his voice knew he was, as usual, being completely candid. The pain was palpable.
"Because I saw what was at stake," he recalled. "Maybe I didn't make it clear enough to our guys, because I saw what was out there in front of us – all that a win would mean, even just in terms of history. Never having won five (Old Oaken Bucket) games in a row. The chance to go to three bowl games in a row.
"And it's a dual-effect thing. It affects our program, but it also affects theirs. The perceived trajectory of both. I saw all of that going into it and knew what was at stake. But I also know there is a big-picture view."
A view that allows how adversity can instruct. Can become catalytic.
The way 2017 concluded compelled Allen to aggressively take actions he was already considering, but might not have immediately implemented in the wake of a more successful season than
5-7.
And he's already seeing those actions prompt positive and consequential change. "Sometimes you might lose a battle," Allen said, "but then because of that loss, it causes you to do things that may win you the war."
Nobody will ever accuse Allen of not being thorough. He went back to watch every play of every 2017 game over again, and met with every player on the team. And that solidified, in his mind, what changes needed to ensue.
"No question that, in my notes, you just see certain things that come up repetitively," Allen said. "I've tried to address those concerns."
So Indiana now has, among other items:
- A new strength and conditioning staff, headed up by former Hoosier player David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea.
- Coach William Inge, the erstwhile linebacker coach, now fully dedicated to special teams.
- Graduate transfers in Brandon Dawson (quarterback from Arizona), Nick Linder (center from Miami) and Kayton Samuels (defensive tackle from Syracuse) for targeted positions of need.
- A 26-man recruiting class featuring speed. And more speed.
"It started with the weight room," Allen said. "There were certain things showing up right away, when we started evaluating the season (that were) reflected in the overall strength and power of our team. The push at the line of scrimmage or lack thereof. And then just speed or lack thereof. Explosive plays, or lack thereof.
"We didn't generate a lot of explosive plays on offense. We needed to go find some more speed for that side of the ball. And defensively and special teams, same thing. Those things surfaced.
And you try to address that both through recruiting and development. That's where the weight room comes in, where the No. 1 job is to develop our kids physically."
And those kids – a youthful group with 54 freshmen and sophomores alongside 39 juniors and seniors on the spring roster, not counting the 22 additional newcomers due this fall – have noticed how well job No. 1 is getting done.
"What is so powerful about that, and we've already seen this, is that it affects the mind and the emotions, too," Allen said. "It affects confidence. It affects expectations. It affects how you feel about yourself. Those things have already started to manifest very positively just in the time we've had (Ballou and Rhea) here."
That was abundantly clear as Allen watched spring practice. And as he had his individual player meetings.
"When I had my meeting with our guys," Allen said, "it was every single kid – there was not one guy who did not mention how excited they are about our strength staff, and the difference they've seen and felt, and the confidence it has created in them.
"They feel different. They look different. They know they're more explosive. It's just created a whole different mindset for these guys. And that's every single kid."
Allen hasn't yet seen how his grad transfers will look. Linder was a January enrollee, but injury kept him sidelined for the bulk of the spring (though he should be ready for fall camp). Dawkins and Samuels will arrive for summer workouts.
"With the grad transfers, we just addressed some specific needs that we thought we had that high school kids might have a hard time addressing," Allen said. "Both sides of the line of scrimmage. The bigger guys.
"It's hard to get a high school kid who can help you on the offensive line right away and it's hard to get a defensive tackle in that sense, too. You might find some guys on the edge, but those inside guys … you have to have some grown-man strength in there. So bringing in a guy like Kayton (Samuels) is a huge get for us."
"Huge" was also the term Allen applied to Dawson opting for IU. Dawson played in 23 games and started 14 for the Pac 12 Wildcats and his arrival could allow the Hoosiers more time to develop younger signal-callers such as redshirt sophomore Peyton Ramsey and true freshman Michael Penix Jr. There were no senior or junior scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.
"We were able to go find a young man who matched the scheme look that we want and had the physical stature – he's 6-4 and 215 pounds," Allen said of Dawkins. " … He runs really, really well. And he's played in the Pac 12 as a starter. That, to me, was a big deal.
"You look at different guys for that grad-transfer role and a lot of them haven't played much football since they got to college … that's different from being the starter, from having to handle the pressure of that. Handle the media. Handle all the things that make that position unique. And he's been in that position. He's won games. He's played well. He can throw the football. He's a dual(-threat) guy. And an important part, for me, was his character and leadership. He fit. We did our homework on that."
Allen noted that Dawkins is coming to compete a starting role that won't simply be handed to him. But whomever quarterbacks IU next fall will play behind an offensive line that returns every player from that unit's 2017 roster, plus Linder, and will have experienced skill-position personnel at their disposal.
IU's defense bade farewell to seven starters this spring, but the Hoosiers are not bereft of talent there, either.
And it's entirely plausible to contend that Indiana, reversing historical trends, will play good defense as long as Allen and his staff are around.
Consider what happened between 2015, the year before Allen arrived as defensive coordinator, and 2017. Indiana's defense, comparing those two years, saw the opposition average:
- 169.4 fewer yards per game.
- 12.3 fewer points per game.
- A .299 third-down conversion percentage, down from .421.
- A .545 completion percentage, down from .595.
And as many as 18 of IU's 26 newcomers could be ticketed for the defensive side of the ball next summer – including reigning Indiana Mr. Football Reese Taylor from Class 6A state champ Ben Davis.
Taylor is fleet afoot, as are many of his classmates, and is one of three in-state recruits for the class – while there are 16 combined from Southeastern Conference stomping grounds Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.
That reflects Allen's determination to go where ever he can find speed.
"Where do we have to go to get it? I'm not bashful about that," said Allen, who coached at South Florida before joining IU's staff. "We're going to recruit Indiana as hard as we can. But I want guys who want to be here, and who can run, and we'll go where ever we need to go.
"If you look at rosters in all our sports, not just football, they are national rosters (and) that helps us in recruiting. We've got an alumni base pretty much everyplace. And that helps sell kids to come here. So we're just kind of a microcosm of the school, and we'll continue to recruit nationally."
Allen coached at Mississippi from 2012 through 2014. He saw the same thing Urban Meyer saw in the SEC when the current Ohio State coach was at Florida.
"When I was in that league, there were two things that stuck out," Allen said. "The overall speed and the D-line. That, to me, is what makes that league different from everyplace else. I was just, 'Wow.'
"I had a high school buddy of mine from this state who went down to Auburn and watched them practice. He'd never seen them in person. And he was, 'Oh, my goodness! Their D-line!' And I was like, 'Yeah. And Georgia's that way. And 'Bama's that way. And LSU is that way … '
"So, for me, speed and D-line is what we're most immediately trying to address."
Which is a big reason Dr. Rhea, a speed specialist, is working with Ballou within the IU strength and conditioning department.
"You have to recruit fast guys, but they're going to get faster," Allen said. "That whole speed mantra, that speed program we're doing here, will allow us to develop that. I want that as part of our DNA."
Memorial Stadium's DNA continues to alter. The South End Zone facility is about to revolutionize IU's ability to deliver complete academic and medical services to its student-athletes in one locale. And it will fully enclose the stadium.
"When that thing is finished this summer, it'll be a louder stadium," Allen noted. "It already sounded different when we were practicing in there this spring. That excites me."
Another year will see The Terry Tallen Football Complex under the west stands supply a new locker room space, a players' lounge, a recruiting room and other niceties.
"Look at what's going on at Indiana right now, between the stadium facilities – the South End Zone completed this summer, the new locker room and other facilities under the west stands coming – and then our new strength staff all arriving at about the same time," Allen said. "All these building blocks.
"But it is a systematic process. That's the part that takes patience. And I'm not patient. Our fans aren't. I get all that. But when you do build it systematically, and you build it properly, and that foundation is right, then it'll have a stronger long-term impact and we can sustain it. And I see a lot of things coming together that can put us in that positive direction."
Allen knows a lot of IU fans shared in the disappointment with how last season ended up. He doesn't mind that one bit. It fires him up.
"I'm excited by the fact that they're disappointed, too," he said. "Because that means there is expectation. And, to me, that's part of the process of building a program. There have been years where there weren't really any expectations to speak of.
"In a lot of ways, I want people to be upset when we don't reach a certain level, or supply what they want. That means it's a fan base that cares and has expectations that match mine. That, to me, is a positive thing."
After the Sept. 1 opener at Florida International, starting with the Sept. 8 home opener versus Virginia, seven of IU's last 12 games next fall are set for Memorial Stadium.
"That's a chance to get our people here, get them behind us, to support our guys, and that really matters," Allen said. "I want them to come and support us, yes. But I also want them to understand and believe that we're building a foundation for the future.
"It takes time. And there is a patience piece to this that is hard. But it's coming together."
Allen smiled as he said that.
And his teeth looked great.
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