Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Looking To Slow Down Sirk, Duke’s Offense
12/25/2015 1:51:00 PM | Football
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
NEW YORK - Thomas Sirk does a little bit of everything for Duke.
Even the redshirt junior quarterback's offensive coordinator has a hard time keeping up.
"He's just one of those guys who can do it all," Duke offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery said. "You don't know what they can do until they do it."
Sirk leads the Blue Devils offense both through the air and on the ground.
He's completed 234-of-390 passes this season for 2,462 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air. As a rusher, the 6-foot-4, 220 pound quarterback has 143 attempts for 648 yards and six more scores.
The way Indiana defensive coordinator Brian Knorr sees it, as Sirk goes, so do the Blue Devils. That makes it all the more important for Indiana to slow him down one way or another at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
"He's the definition of a dual-threat guy," Knorr said. "We've got to do a good job of making those plays to get him off the field. Whether it's third-down stops, making him run the football. We've got to get him off his game."
North Carolina provided a blueprint of sorts to neutralize Sirk that Indiana has spent time studying. The Tar Heels limited Sirk to 191 passing yards and 74 rushing yards in a 66-31 victory the first week of November that Indiana redshirt sophomore linebacker Marcus Oliver said he's seen six or seven times.
Oliver said North Carolina had success against Sirk because they took away his legs early on. They were aggressive early, forced him to pass and then got after him in the pass rush. It's a strategy Oliver said Indiana may try to take advantage of on Saturday.
"I think that's a lot of our game plan," Oliver said, "stopping the run early and getting after them in the pass rush."
Sirk himself knows that's coming. He said that's the way teams have been trying to beat him all season and that he's learned from games like the North Carolina loss.
Montgomery said his quarterback has had a crash course in learning how to play quarterback to begin with all season long. After playing defensive back and receiver in high school, Sirk came to Duke as a tight end before moving to quarterback last season.
He played five or six snaps per game for Duke last year in mostly wildcat formations before taking over the reigns as starter this season. Montgomerie said what stood out the most about Sirk this year was his ability to connect with his receivers, tight ends and other teammates because he's played their positions before.
"I really haven't been around a guy that's kind of that talented that could play the quarterback position," Montgomerie said. "Usually, it comes with so much strain and skill, but I think with him what it does is it creates a good relationship with him and the players that aren't playing the quarterback position. Sometimes there's a hierarchy that goes into that position of quarterback, but for him, there isn't."
Sirk himself said he feels even more motivated at the end of the season because he's more comfortable with a full year of starting under his belt. He also feels obligated to lead Duke to its first bowl win since January 2, 1961.
"That would be huge for our program," Sirk said. "But Indiana's going to come out ready to play. But at the same time, we're going to be ready to play, too. I feel like we've got a lot to play for and are ready to make a breakthrough, just like they are."
Knorr spoke highly of Sirk and his other offensive weapons, but after three weeks of game planning the Hoosiers say they've got a good understanding of what he'll try to do. He'll have an idea for what Indiana will try to do, too.
Come Saturday, it's hard to predict just what will happen.
"With these guys, you can never count them out because they can score really quick," Knorr said. "But then again, our guys can, too."
IUHoosiers.com
NEW YORK - Thomas Sirk does a little bit of everything for Duke.
Even the redshirt junior quarterback's offensive coordinator has a hard time keeping up.
"He's just one of those guys who can do it all," Duke offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery said. "You don't know what they can do until they do it."
Sirk leads the Blue Devils offense both through the air and on the ground.
He's completed 234-of-390 passes this season for 2,462 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air. As a rusher, the 6-foot-4, 220 pound quarterback has 143 attempts for 648 yards and six more scores.
The way Indiana defensive coordinator Brian Knorr sees it, as Sirk goes, so do the Blue Devils. That makes it all the more important for Indiana to slow him down one way or another at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
"He's the definition of a dual-threat guy," Knorr said. "We've got to do a good job of making those plays to get him off the field. Whether it's third-down stops, making him run the football. We've got to get him off his game."
North Carolina provided a blueprint of sorts to neutralize Sirk that Indiana has spent time studying. The Tar Heels limited Sirk to 191 passing yards and 74 rushing yards in a 66-31 victory the first week of November that Indiana redshirt sophomore linebacker Marcus Oliver said he's seen six or seven times.
Oliver said North Carolina had success against Sirk because they took away his legs early on. They were aggressive early, forced him to pass and then got after him in the pass rush. It's a strategy Oliver said Indiana may try to take advantage of on Saturday.
"I think that's a lot of our game plan," Oliver said, "stopping the run early and getting after them in the pass rush."
Sirk himself knows that's coming. He said that's the way teams have been trying to beat him all season and that he's learned from games like the North Carolina loss.
Montgomery said his quarterback has had a crash course in learning how to play quarterback to begin with all season long. After playing defensive back and receiver in high school, Sirk came to Duke as a tight end before moving to quarterback last season.
He played five or six snaps per game for Duke last year in mostly wildcat formations before taking over the reigns as starter this season. Montgomerie said what stood out the most about Sirk this year was his ability to connect with his receivers, tight ends and other teammates because he's played their positions before.
"I really haven't been around a guy that's kind of that talented that could play the quarterback position," Montgomerie said. "Usually, it comes with so much strain and skill, but I think with him what it does is it creates a good relationship with him and the players that aren't playing the quarterback position. Sometimes there's a hierarchy that goes into that position of quarterback, but for him, there isn't."
Sirk himself said he feels even more motivated at the end of the season because he's more comfortable with a full year of starting under his belt. He also feels obligated to lead Duke to its first bowl win since January 2, 1961.
"That would be huge for our program," Sirk said. "But Indiana's going to come out ready to play. But at the same time, we're going to be ready to play, too. I feel like we've got a lot to play for and are ready to make a breakthrough, just like they are."
Knorr spoke highly of Sirk and his other offensive weapons, but after three weeks of game planning the Hoosiers say they've got a good understanding of what he'll try to do. He'll have an idea for what Indiana will try to do, too.
Come Saturday, it's hard to predict just what will happen.
"With these guys, you can never count them out because they can score really quick," Knorr said. "But then again, our guys can, too."
Players Mentioned
LB
/ FootballFB: Spring Game - Postgame Press Conference
Thursday, April 23
FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Drew Evans - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Nico Radicic - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21