Tom Allen Quotes August 9th

On Defensive Progress...
Allen: We had practice eight today. We feel like the kids are making progress. I love the energy, I love the way they are raking at the ball to try to create takeaways, and that is obviously something that we emphasize. Takeaways, tackling and effort are the cornerstones of our defense. I feel like we are making progress in those areas. I do not think we tackled the way we needed to today in every situation. I do not want any missed tackles. We are going to work on that at every single opportunity we have with pads on or with pads off to get better. I love the kid's attitude. That is one thing that they completely control, along with the effort. I am really pleased with that.

On Tackling Philosophy...
Allen: We are a leverage tackle team as well. I think that in order to be able to create a game that is played in a way that is best for our players, their safety and their long-term health is a critical piece. I believe in that. So we will leverage the football and keep our head out of the tackle. We will do a great job of knowing where the ball is and where to place leverage. I think that makes you a better tackler as well as it is safer for our guys. It is all about what is best for them. Fortunately, in this situation I think it helps us as well because we are better in space, which is where the game is played a lot now. That is our philosophy.

On No Huddle Approach...
Allen: The last seven years every place I have been has been that style of offense. I am used to preparing for that, I install that way, we practice that way, our whole communication system is built for that and our check system is built for that. We actually have to adjust when they do not go no huddle, when they do not go fast. To me, that is different. It is crazy that the game has gotten to this point. We used to teach the huddle day one but we do not ever do that. We do not even get in the huddle unless we are on the sideline talking to them. I think it gives us an advantage. I love going against it. It does not make me stressed or uncomfortable. Obviously we have got to get the kids ready. It is all about how quickly you get the calls in. To me, you get your feet set, your eyes ready and you play football. When they go fast those things break down and that gives the offense an advantage. It is very comfortable for us. Definitely the time at Ole Miss and even my time last year at South Florida were helpful. You will also have some teams that slow it down and honk it at you, so we need to be ready for both.

On Having Two Linebackers on the Field...
Allen: They really like it. They like the way we set up our keys and reads. I just want them to play fast. The linebacker's role increases with the tempo offenses. The game has been put in the hands of players when the coaches are unable to be on the field. We do not have the time to communicate like we used to. They have to be able to make split-second decisions. Getting those guys to play fast and to be comfortable in their checks, keys and reads is critical. We have got to make it as simple as possible, but at the same time they have got to talk. That has been our emphasis, getting them to speak with confidence, speak loudly and to be able to run the defense. I have been pleased with it. I think that Tegray [Scales], Marcus [Oliver], Dameon [Willis], Chris [Covington] and Reakwon [Jones] have all stepped up. I feel like it has been a gradual process for them, but I have been pleased with the progress.

On Husky Position Progress...
Allen: This position is newest for our guys with the technique that they have to play from. I think Zeke [Walker] has done a great job. It is new to him as he missed all of spring, so I did not know a lot about him going into fall camp. I feel that he is making progress as he gets more comfortable with his reads and with his drops. Marcelino Ball is the new guy that has come in here as a true freshman and done a lot of great things. To me, it is about production. We go through and rank their production, we keep track of it. We look at how many times they get their hands on the ball, rake at the ball and make plays. Those guys are showing up. In space they are able to read and react. They are also able to come up and play the run. Jamye [Thompson] has been out. He is a guy that we are counting on to be in the mix there as well.

On Marcelino Ball...
Allen: I got here two weeks before the signing period and he was my major priority. I spent an hour on the phone with him before Signing Day trying to press and press because we were not sure what he was going to do. We felt like he was a critical piece and that he had the skillset to play at the position, and that was true. He brings a confidence. He is still young so he makes mistakes, but he has an edge about him. He expects to make plays, he expects to be the guy and he is competing. Since he got here, he has been one that has got everyone's attention. He came with a mindset to play.

On Marcelino Coming from a Football Family...
Allen: Absolutely, that helps. There is no question. I think that happens because that is the expectation. He did not come here to redshirt. He came here from day one to play. That is what we want all of our guys to do. He is young, he really should be a senior in high school. His body does not look like that. Bottom line is, having the genes of his dad and brothers, and the high level they were able to play at, that creates a level of expectation that he has been raised around.

On Motivation...
Allen: There are three key things that we want to have as our mentality and one of them is having an edge. Underneath that is having a chip on your shoulder and having something to prove. Since day one I have challenged them about that. I have not been afraid to call on the past. I told them that I have to own the past because I am here. The bottom line is, it should motivate us, we should have a chip on our shoulder and we do have something to prove. We want to be the reason in the fourth quarter why we win the game. We know that has not always been the case. It has been a big motivation for our guys, and we will talk about it all the time. I want to make sure they understand how critical it is to have that mentality.

Players Mentioned

Marcelino McCrary-Ball

Indiana University Athletics