Indiana University Athletics
Allen Continues to be Encouraged by Defense’s Progress
10/11/2016 5:40:00 PM | Football
By: Nick Reith
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Tom Allen was really encouraged by the Indiana defense's performance against No. 2 Ohio State last weekend.
Since his arrival in Bloomington earlier this year, Allen has strived for a culture change, a new standard, for the Hoosiers' defensive side. And the way they played against Ohio State, one of the top offenses in the country, was a testament to Allen's process.
"They fought them for 60 minutes, and it felt like we didn't execute at some critical times that cost us," Allen said. "But when you take a step back and look at where we're at, it's encouraging. We're obviously disappointed that we had talked all along about truly believing that if we played our best in all three phases, we could win the game. When you fall short of that, it's disappointing, but I want them to know how much I believe in them and I was proud of them. You can be disappointed while also proud of the effort, because those are the things you can control."
The defense aided Indiana's ability to pull within one touchdown late in the third quarter before the Buckeyes finished off their victory. And even though they didn't get the win, the defense excelled at disrupting an otherwise efficient OSU attack. The Hoosiers held the Buckeyes to five-of-14 on third down conversions and forced a sack from defensive tackle Nate Hoff, a fumble recovery by defensive lineman Patrick Dougherty and a 31-yard interception return from cornerback A'Shon Riggins.
Riggins, in particular, stood out in Allen's eye. The true freshman earned a starting role in the biggest game of the season to date, and he made good on his opportunities with a pick, a pass breakup and three tackles.
"I was impressed for a true freshman to play like that," Allen said. "When you go back to your home state like that, I've seen it go two ways. Sometimes, kids rise up and they play really well because of the excitement and edge they have about them; other times, they press and try too hard and struggle. So for him to rise up against the talent they had at receiver is impressive. I'm excited for him but, as is the case with all of our guys, it's about players making plays."
Another bright spot for the Hoosiers, who have made steady progress through the first five games of the year, is the defensive line. That front unit is crucial to Allen's defensive system, and he admires short-term growth cultivated by d-line coach Mark Hagen.
"Mark is relentless," Allen said. "He has a level of expectation for how we're going to practice, how they're going to prepare, and the kids are responding to him. He's hard on them, but they know he cares about them and he just wants them to be great. You can see the growth in their physicality, their launch at the point of attack. We didn't have a lot of sacks on Saturday, but J.T. Barrett was never comfortable, and he's used to being protected. The pressure we got from our front is attributed to Coach Hagen. He's held those guys to a high standard."
As the Hoosiers prepare for a third consecutive week against the national top 25, this time at home against No. 10/9 Nebraska, Allen is preparing in a similar fashion to Ohio State week. He sees a lot of similarities in Nebraska's quarterback, Tommy Armstrong Jr., when compared to last week's opposing gunslinger, J.T. Barrett.
"There's some carryover between the two, but I'd say Armstrong is a little faster and explosive," Allen noted. "Any time an offense runs the quarterback, the defense has to account for an extra guy at the point of attack. There are schematic elements that will help us do that, especially after facing Barrett last week, but Armstrong is a little more of the type to drop back and create rather than running a designed play. Any time a quarterback can effectively run and throw, it creates challenges for a defense."
The bright spots Allen has seen from Indiana's defense gives him confidence in its preparation this week. In fact, Allen acknowledges a certain swagger about this defensive unit, and he's stoking that flame in hopes of reaching their expectations. Preparation, Allen said, creates confidence and confidence in turn creates expectation. This defense is no longer surprised when they have a solid outing against the second-ranked team in the country; rather, that's the new standard for Allen's defense.
"The kids are believing in it and executing it," Allen said. "And as we jogged off the field on Saturday, my thought was to just continue to encourage that belief."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Tom Allen was really encouraged by the Indiana defense's performance against No. 2 Ohio State last weekend.
Since his arrival in Bloomington earlier this year, Allen has strived for a culture change, a new standard, for the Hoosiers' defensive side. And the way they played against Ohio State, one of the top offenses in the country, was a testament to Allen's process.
"They fought them for 60 minutes, and it felt like we didn't execute at some critical times that cost us," Allen said. "But when you take a step back and look at where we're at, it's encouraging. We're obviously disappointed that we had talked all along about truly believing that if we played our best in all three phases, we could win the game. When you fall short of that, it's disappointing, but I want them to know how much I believe in them and I was proud of them. You can be disappointed while also proud of the effort, because those are the things you can control."
The defense aided Indiana's ability to pull within one touchdown late in the third quarter before the Buckeyes finished off their victory. And even though they didn't get the win, the defense excelled at disrupting an otherwise efficient OSU attack. The Hoosiers held the Buckeyes to five-of-14 on third down conversions and forced a sack from defensive tackle Nate Hoff, a fumble recovery by defensive lineman Patrick Dougherty and a 31-yard interception return from cornerback A'Shon Riggins.
Riggins, in particular, stood out in Allen's eye. The true freshman earned a starting role in the biggest game of the season to date, and he made good on his opportunities with a pick, a pass breakup and three tackles.
"I was impressed for a true freshman to play like that," Allen said. "When you go back to your home state like that, I've seen it go two ways. Sometimes, kids rise up and they play really well because of the excitement and edge they have about them; other times, they press and try too hard and struggle. So for him to rise up against the talent they had at receiver is impressive. I'm excited for him but, as is the case with all of our guys, it's about players making plays."
Another bright spot for the Hoosiers, who have made steady progress through the first five games of the year, is the defensive line. That front unit is crucial to Allen's defensive system, and he admires short-term growth cultivated by d-line coach Mark Hagen.
"Mark is relentless," Allen said. "He has a level of expectation for how we're going to practice, how they're going to prepare, and the kids are responding to him. He's hard on them, but they know he cares about them and he just wants them to be great. You can see the growth in their physicality, their launch at the point of attack. We didn't have a lot of sacks on Saturday, but J.T. Barrett was never comfortable, and he's used to being protected. The pressure we got from our front is attributed to Coach Hagen. He's held those guys to a high standard."
As the Hoosiers prepare for a third consecutive week against the national top 25, this time at home against No. 10/9 Nebraska, Allen is preparing in a similar fashion to Ohio State week. He sees a lot of similarities in Nebraska's quarterback, Tommy Armstrong Jr., when compared to last week's opposing gunslinger, J.T. Barrett.
"There's some carryover between the two, but I'd say Armstrong is a little faster and explosive," Allen noted. "Any time an offense runs the quarterback, the defense has to account for an extra guy at the point of attack. There are schematic elements that will help us do that, especially after facing Barrett last week, but Armstrong is a little more of the type to drop back and create rather than running a designed play. Any time a quarterback can effectively run and throw, it creates challenges for a defense."
The bright spots Allen has seen from Indiana's defense gives him confidence in its preparation this week. In fact, Allen acknowledges a certain swagger about this defensive unit, and he's stoking that flame in hopes of reaching their expectations. Preparation, Allen said, creates confidence and confidence in turn creates expectation. This defense is no longer surprised when they have a solid outing against the second-ranked team in the country; rather, that's the new standard for Allen's defense.
"The kids are believing in it and executing it," Allen said. "And as we jogged off the field on Saturday, my thought was to just continue to encourage that belief."
Players Mentioned
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