Indiana University Athletics
Quoted: Indiana vs. Penn State
11/7/2016 6:58:00 PM | Football
By: Charlie Duffy
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana football players and coaches met with the media Monday for the Hoosiers' weekly press conference leading into Saturday's noon kickoff against Penn State at Memorial Stadium.
Each week we will compile five quotes and storylines recapping the previous game and previewing the upcoming one.
Freshman cornerback A'Shonn Riggins: "Stopping them [Rutgers] on first and second down helped out. Getting them into third and long made it easier for us. Our defensive line and rush defense were both playing really well. That really helped us out with our coverage. The key was stopping them on first and second down."
The Hoosiers recorded 11 three-and-outs in Saturday's win over the Scarlett Knights, including a stretch that included seven straight. Indiana held Rutgers to just 93 rushing yards on the afternoon, making the Scarlett Knights offense one-dimensional. Rutgers was able to string together just 13 first downs and went 1-of-16 on third down.
Head coach Kevin Wilson: "Marcus Oliver showed presence, communication, body language and he really took ownership. I know Coach Inge felt as though this game was by far the best he had been. He was getting them set and also playing a good football game himself. He played a great game, and he was a strong leader, and that was a great, great step."
Oliver has always produced big numbers for the Hoosiers defense. He tallied six tackles, a quarterback hit and a fumble recovery this past weekend, but it was not just his on-field play that had the coaches excited. Marcus finally showed the leadership skills the coaching staff has been looking for. He was in complete command of the defense and his leadership paved the way for an excellent showing on Saturday.
Fifth-year senior wide receiver Ricky Jones: "We know those guys are coming in hot. We know that we really need to prepare for them. The better we prepare, the more ready we will be for Penn State."
The Nittany Lions come into this week's showdown at Memorial Stadium riding a five-game winning streak. After a loss to No. 4 Michigan, Penn State was sitting at 2-2 on the young season. Since then they have rattled off five-straight victories, including a win over the second-ranked Buckeyes of Ohio State. Penn State finds themselves ranked inside the top 15 in both polls this week.
Coach Wilson: "It is a typical Penn State team that comes in playing very, very well. It will be a good challenge for us. I know our guys are excited. We are going to need a really good week, and we are going to need to be better than we were last week."
The defense has been stout in the aforementioned five-game winning streak, allowing just over 17 points per contest. Penn State, nicknamed Linebacker U, has historically been a tough matchup for the Hoosiers. The Nittany Lions come into Bloomington with 27 sacks, including 18 in the past three games. IU's offensive line will have to be steady to allow Richard Lagow the time he needs to deliver the football.
Defensive coordinator Tom Allen: "They have a very balanced attack. We have faced some awfully good players this year. These two are next in line for that category. They have a very, very talented running back, maybe the most complete running back in the conference. Their offense has evolved to utilize the quarterback's ability to run it and throw it."
Penn State boasts the conference's top running back, statistically speaking. Saquon Barkley leads the Big Ten with 1,055 yards on the season and is second in the conference in rushing scores with 11. At the quarterback position, Trace McSorley completes 56 percent of his passes and has 14 touchdown tosses to just three interceptions. McSorley also has 291 rushing yards and five rushing TDs.
Coach Allen's defense ranks second nationally with 51 passes defensed. They have also forced 14 takeaways - eight interceptions and six fumbles. The defensive unit will once again be tested by a great Big Ten East offensive unit.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana football players and coaches met with the media Monday for the Hoosiers' weekly press conference leading into Saturday's noon kickoff against Penn State at Memorial Stadium.
Each week we will compile five quotes and storylines recapping the previous game and previewing the upcoming one.
Freshman cornerback A'Shonn Riggins: "Stopping them [Rutgers] on first and second down helped out. Getting them into third and long made it easier for us. Our defensive line and rush defense were both playing really well. That really helped us out with our coverage. The key was stopping them on first and second down."
The Hoosiers recorded 11 three-and-outs in Saturday's win over the Scarlett Knights, including a stretch that included seven straight. Indiana held Rutgers to just 93 rushing yards on the afternoon, making the Scarlett Knights offense one-dimensional. Rutgers was able to string together just 13 first downs and went 1-of-16 on third down.
Head coach Kevin Wilson: "Marcus Oliver showed presence, communication, body language and he really took ownership. I know Coach Inge felt as though this game was by far the best he had been. He was getting them set and also playing a good football game himself. He played a great game, and he was a strong leader, and that was a great, great step."
Oliver has always produced big numbers for the Hoosiers defense. He tallied six tackles, a quarterback hit and a fumble recovery this past weekend, but it was not just his on-field play that had the coaches excited. Marcus finally showed the leadership skills the coaching staff has been looking for. He was in complete command of the defense and his leadership paved the way for an excellent showing on Saturday.
Fifth-year senior wide receiver Ricky Jones: "We know those guys are coming in hot. We know that we really need to prepare for them. The better we prepare, the more ready we will be for Penn State."
The Nittany Lions come into this week's showdown at Memorial Stadium riding a five-game winning streak. After a loss to No. 4 Michigan, Penn State was sitting at 2-2 on the young season. Since then they have rattled off five-straight victories, including a win over the second-ranked Buckeyes of Ohio State. Penn State finds themselves ranked inside the top 15 in both polls this week.
Coach Wilson: "It is a typical Penn State team that comes in playing very, very well. It will be a good challenge for us. I know our guys are excited. We are going to need a really good week, and we are going to need to be better than we were last week."
The defense has been stout in the aforementioned five-game winning streak, allowing just over 17 points per contest. Penn State, nicknamed Linebacker U, has historically been a tough matchup for the Hoosiers. The Nittany Lions come into Bloomington with 27 sacks, including 18 in the past three games. IU's offensive line will have to be steady to allow Richard Lagow the time he needs to deliver the football.
Defensive coordinator Tom Allen: "They have a very balanced attack. We have faced some awfully good players this year. These two are next in line for that category. They have a very, very talented running back, maybe the most complete running back in the conference. Their offense has evolved to utilize the quarterback's ability to run it and throw it."
Penn State boasts the conference's top running back, statistically speaking. Saquon Barkley leads the Big Ten with 1,055 yards on the season and is second in the conference in rushing scores with 11. At the quarterback position, Trace McSorley completes 56 percent of his passes and has 14 touchdown tosses to just three interceptions. McSorley also has 291 rushing yards and five rushing TDs.
Coach Allen's defense ranks second nationally with 51 passes defensed. They have also forced 14 takeaways - eight interceptions and six fumbles. The defensive unit will once again be tested by a great Big Ten East offensive unit.
Players Mentioned
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