Indiana University Athletics
Crawford and Defense All About Maximizing Effort
10/5/2017 1:39:00 PM | Football
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Just 7:36 remained to play. The outcome was decided.
Penn State's host Nittany Lions, up 38-14, had seen a drive bog down at the Indiana 24 and had sent in Tyler Davis to attempt a field goal.
Jonathan Crawford blocked it.
And while IU fans couldn't take much solace in that, nor should they ignore what that represented in a symbolic sense.
Even toward the end of a very frustrating Saturday, there was Crawford flying in with full-body extension to block Davis' boot.
A field goal or lack thereof was essentially moot, given the score and situation.
But that's just the point.
Crawford's effort epitomized that of Coach Tom Allen's Indiana defense, a unit unwilling to accept anything less than maximum effort at all times. Regardless of circumstances. Even calamitous circumstances.
"That is what Coach Allen always preaches," Crawford said Tuesday. "He'll watch other field goal-block teams on film and says that you can tell a lot about a team from that. It's about going hard every play. He can tell us that, but it's on us to do it.
"All week – all year, really – I've been getting through there and getting pretty close (to a block). I feel like this time, I was just mad about the way (things had gone) and just had to get through there … I don't care what the score is. Always go hard. Never give up."
IU's defense didn't actually give up much that Saturday, despite PSU finishing with 45 points (including a haymaker 28-0 start).
The No. 4-ranked Nittany Lions scored two special teams TDs, had 21 points off of IU turnovers and got another touchdown after a roughing-the-punter penalty kept the drive alive.
Indiana held PSU to 1.1 per carry on the ground, overall, with All-American back Saquon Barkley (who returned the opening kickoff for a TD) gaining just 56 yards rushing on 20 carries (2.8) from scrimmage. Barkley had entered Saturday's fray averaging 7.8 yards per carry on 130 rushing yards per game. The Hoosiers also recorded five sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
"I felt we played hard," Crawford said of the defense. "There are always little mistakes, and it's the Big Ten, but we play hard. I thought we capitalized on what we wanted to do going in, which was stop the running game. We felt like we did that.
"The positive was we had our backs against the wall the whole game and we'd still go in and get stops, get three-and-outs. It was a defense that would keep fighting. Our confidence is good. We know we lost but, as a defense -- even though we can improve on some things -- overall, I felt we looked pretty good."
Crawford has just continued to improve through what are now 30 career starts, beginning with his true freshman season in 2015.
He earned some freshman All-Big Ten and All-America honors, leading true freshmen in the league with 76 tackles, then led the Hoosiers in takeaways as a stellar sophomore with seven (4 fumble recoveries, tops in the Big Ten, and 3 interceptions).
And Crawford has shined this season. He's third on the team with tackles (behind only linebackers Tegray Scales and Chris Covington) and had a career-high 11 to help key the Hoosiers' big road win Sept. 9 at Virginia.
Crawford added an interception in the Penn State game, which he said derived through pressure on PSU quarterback Trace McSorley from IU's defense front (whose effort Saturday was perhaps best evidenced by redshirt freshman tackle Jerome Johnson chasing down and catching Barkley from behind during another second-half snap).
"I got a pick because of pressure," Crawford said. "It starts up front. If they keep improving the way they are, the sky is the limit for us.
"I felt like the pressure got to him and I saw the quarterback scrambling out, then the receiver kind of went away from the ball, thought it was going to be a little deeper. I just undercut him."
Crawford reads such situations better now that he's gained experience, but also because he's studied the game. He stayed in Bloomington all summer to do just that.
"Developing mentally and physically," he said of his decision to remain on campus through summer. "Just studying film of myself … I just focused on myself getting my feet right and stuff like that."
Senior safety Tony Fields, currently playing the husky spot in place of the injured Marcelino Ball, has seen such stuff develop Crawford into an All-Big Ten-caliber performer.
"His play is more mature," Fields said when asked to compare Crawford now to Crawford as a true freshman. "His body is more mature. He's just more mature as a football player, and that just comes with age and playing. Being more comfortable, I can definitely tell he's stepped into the role of being a leader, too.
"We count on him to do a lot of things and he definitely steps up. Now that he fully understands, he communicates a lot more. He's more comfortable with himself, so he's able to tell other guys what to do. We're definitely proud of the steps he's made. He's a great player."
Fields describes Crawford as "quiet but funny" off the field, but Crawford is clearly a more vocal on-field leader now.
"As a freshman, you feel like you don't have enough props to do that," Crawford said. "Now that I've been through the trenches, I have more confidence in myself and can lead others."
And he leads as a guy fully bought-in to Allen's philosophical approach. Even in adversity, Crawford will approach his job full-go and with alacrity.
"It's what we always preach," Crawford said. "Coach Allen, he smiles and says, 'This is what we want. We want it put on our shoulders' … it just keeps us going, no matter the situation."
Whether it really matters if the foe's field goal is good or not.
Jonathan Crawford will still try to block it.
And that sort of thing, even amidst a rugged Big Ten East featuring three top 10-ranked teams, can eventually add up to winning.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Just 7:36 remained to play. The outcome was decided.
Penn State's host Nittany Lions, up 38-14, had seen a drive bog down at the Indiana 24 and had sent in Tyler Davis to attempt a field goal.
Jonathan Crawford blocked it.
And while IU fans couldn't take much solace in that, nor should they ignore what that represented in a symbolic sense.
Even toward the end of a very frustrating Saturday, there was Crawford flying in with full-body extension to block Davis' boot.
A field goal or lack thereof was essentially moot, given the score and situation.
But that's just the point.
Crawford's effort epitomized that of Coach Tom Allen's Indiana defense, a unit unwilling to accept anything less than maximum effort at all times. Regardless of circumstances. Even calamitous circumstances.
"That is what Coach Allen always preaches," Crawford said Tuesday. "He'll watch other field goal-block teams on film and says that you can tell a lot about a team from that. It's about going hard every play. He can tell us that, but it's on us to do it.
"All week – all year, really – I've been getting through there and getting pretty close (to a block). I feel like this time, I was just mad about the way (things had gone) and just had to get through there … I don't care what the score is. Always go hard. Never give up."
IU's defense didn't actually give up much that Saturday, despite PSU finishing with 45 points (including a haymaker 28-0 start).
The No. 4-ranked Nittany Lions scored two special teams TDs, had 21 points off of IU turnovers and got another touchdown after a roughing-the-punter penalty kept the drive alive.
Indiana held PSU to 1.1 per carry on the ground, overall, with All-American back Saquon Barkley (who returned the opening kickoff for a TD) gaining just 56 yards rushing on 20 carries (2.8) from scrimmage. Barkley had entered Saturday's fray averaging 7.8 yards per carry on 130 rushing yards per game. The Hoosiers also recorded five sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
"I felt we played hard," Crawford said of the defense. "There are always little mistakes, and it's the Big Ten, but we play hard. I thought we capitalized on what we wanted to do going in, which was stop the running game. We felt like we did that.
"The positive was we had our backs against the wall the whole game and we'd still go in and get stops, get three-and-outs. It was a defense that would keep fighting. Our confidence is good. We know we lost but, as a defense -- even though we can improve on some things -- overall, I felt we looked pretty good."
Crawford has just continued to improve through what are now 30 career starts, beginning with his true freshman season in 2015.
He earned some freshman All-Big Ten and All-America honors, leading true freshmen in the league with 76 tackles, then led the Hoosiers in takeaways as a stellar sophomore with seven (4 fumble recoveries, tops in the Big Ten, and 3 interceptions).
And Crawford has shined this season. He's third on the team with tackles (behind only linebackers Tegray Scales and Chris Covington) and had a career-high 11 to help key the Hoosiers' big road win Sept. 9 at Virginia.
Crawford added an interception in the Penn State game, which he said derived through pressure on PSU quarterback Trace McSorley from IU's defense front (whose effort Saturday was perhaps best evidenced by redshirt freshman tackle Jerome Johnson chasing down and catching Barkley from behind during another second-half snap).
"I got a pick because of pressure," Crawford said. "It starts up front. If they keep improving the way they are, the sky is the limit for us.
"I felt like the pressure got to him and I saw the quarterback scrambling out, then the receiver kind of went away from the ball, thought it was going to be a little deeper. I just undercut him."
Crawford reads such situations better now that he's gained experience, but also because he's studied the game. He stayed in Bloomington all summer to do just that.
"Developing mentally and physically," he said of his decision to remain on campus through summer. "Just studying film of myself … I just focused on myself getting my feet right and stuff like that."
Senior safety Tony Fields, currently playing the husky spot in place of the injured Marcelino Ball, has seen such stuff develop Crawford into an All-Big Ten-caliber performer.
"His play is more mature," Fields said when asked to compare Crawford now to Crawford as a true freshman. "His body is more mature. He's just more mature as a football player, and that just comes with age and playing. Being more comfortable, I can definitely tell he's stepped into the role of being a leader, too.
"We count on him to do a lot of things and he definitely steps up. Now that he fully understands, he communicates a lot more. He's more comfortable with himself, so he's able to tell other guys what to do. We're definitely proud of the steps he's made. He's a great player."
Fields describes Crawford as "quiet but funny" off the field, but Crawford is clearly a more vocal on-field leader now.
"As a freshman, you feel like you don't have enough props to do that," Crawford said. "Now that I've been through the trenches, I have more confidence in myself and can lead others."
And he leads as a guy fully bought-in to Allen's philosophical approach. Even in adversity, Crawford will approach his job full-go and with alacrity.
"It's what we always preach," Crawford said. "Coach Allen, he smiles and says, 'This is what we want. We want it put on our shoulders' … it just keeps us going, no matter the situation."
Whether it really matters if the foe's field goal is good or not.
Jonathan Crawford will still try to block it.
And that sort of thing, even amidst a rugged Big Ten East featuring three top 10-ranked teams, can eventually add up to winning.
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