Ellison, Ground Attack Fuel 52-17 Win Over Georgia Southern

Saturday, September 23

Bloomington, Ind.

3:30 p.m.

Indiana University

2-1

Georgia Southern

0-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Georgia Southern

Indiana

Ellison, Ground Attack Fuel 52-17 Win Over Georgia Southern

9/23/2017 7:55:00 PM | Football

By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Dominance has found Indiana football.

For this Hoosier fans give thanks.

IU (2-1) has won two straight games by an average of 26 points. It is making explosion plays on offense, defense and special teams.

Case in point -- Saturday's 52-17 victory over winless Georgia Southern featured touchdowns via the pass, the run, the fumble recovery and the punt return.

There also was some rib-rocking defense.

In other words, life is Cream 'n Crimson good.

"They started fast and finished strong," head coach Tom Allen said. "That's something we really emphasized. We want to play at a consistent high level. That's the key."

Allen keeps pushing that theme. Even when the Hoosiers were in full blowout mode in the fourth quarter, he didn't dial back the intensity. The disappointment from big games nearly won remains relentlessly fresh – and motivating.

"I hate sloppy finishes," Allen said. "I want consistent performance. That's what we're shooting for. That's what great teams do. They perform to their standard.

"If you can't play to our standard, we're going to run you right over. We haven't always done that in the past. I'm aware of that. We're trying to change that."

Saturday's change featured true freshman tailback Morgan Ellison, who in his first college start showed flashes reminiscent of Hoosier legend Anthony Thompson.

The 6-1, 225-pound Ellison rushed for 186 yards on 25 carries, the fourth-most ever by a Hoosier true freshman.

Thompson has the record with 207 yards.

"I got a couple of good runs and thought, 'Let's keep going, let's keep going,'" Ellison said. "I thought it was my time, honestly."

His time was earned starting in August camp, when he punished would-be tacklers as if he was wearing pads even when he wasn't.

"I used to play rugby, so I'm used to not wearing pads," he said. "(Teammates) got upset in camp. They said, 'You can't be running like that' and 'You're going to hurt yourself.'"

Ellison's motivation came from missing most of his high school sophomore and junior seasons because of injuries, although he came back with an 1,841-yard, 29-touchdown senior year.

"I thought I had to prove something after breaking my legs twice in high school."

On Saturday Ellison benefited from an offensive adjustment designed to spark the running game.

"We knew (Georgia Southern's) defensive line was their strength," Allen said. "We knew it would be tough. We tried to spread them out and run out of that look. It was very efficient."

Georgia Southern (0-3) was once a lower-level national power, winning six national titles and throwing scares into any major college team it played.

The Hoosiers ensured there would be no scare by jumping to a 31-0 lead in less than 20 football minutes. They punished the Eagles' triple-option rushing attack early on. They hammered with the run, staggered via more J-Shun Harris II punt return spectacle.

Harris returned a first-quarter punt 70 yards for a touchdown. It was the second straight game he scored on a punt return to tie IU's single-season record set by Rob Turner in 1990.

Two other Hoosiers have returned two punts for touchdowns in a season -- Mitchell Paige (2015) and Larry Highbaugh (1969).

Harris, who won Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his Virginia performance (he had 44- and 43-yard punt returns), has returned seven punts for 183 yards this season after gaining 74 yards on two returns Saturday.

He had missed the previous two seasons because of knee injuries.

"How about J-Shun," Allen said. "That kid is unreal. They're probably going to quit punting to him. He's making them pay. What a great story."

The quarterback rotation of Richard Lagow and Peyton Ramsey combined for 11-of-21 passing for 185 yards. Both players threw touchdown passes. Lagow connected with tight end Ian Thomas for 71 yards. Ramsey hit tailback Devonte Williams with a 42-yard score.

Lagow injured his leg on his third-quarter touchdown pass. He didn't return, but Allen said he could have.

"We wanted to make sure we protected him," Allen said.

IU's defense sprung some leaks – Georgia Southern totaled 375 yards, 173 more than its average, with 133 coming by the pass – but Allen could live with that.

"This (offensive) scheme will make you lose sleep at night," he said. "You're so focused on the run. The formations they did out of it was totally new. We still thought we had it fixed. It's just eye discipline. It was the stinking play-action option passes. We may never see that the rest of the year, so there's really no reason to be concerned."

IU forced three fumbles, with the big one coming from defensive back Andre Brown Jr., who returned it 22 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown to end the scoring.

The Hoosiers entered the game without a takeaway.

"Our goal is three a game," Allen said. "I make such a big deal about takeaways, so I get really upset and frustrated when we don't get them.

"The Andre Brown one was great. He just took the ball away. We work on that all the time. We talk that if you want to be a great defense, you've got to score on defense.

"Andre finished well. That's what we want."

On a day for dominance, that's what mattered most.