Indiana University Athletics
Quoted: Indiana vs. Penn State
9/27/2017 6:19:00 PM | Football
By: Nick Reith
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana football team hit the road and return to their Big Ten slate on Saturday afternoon. The Hoosiers (2-1) meet No. 4/4 Penn State (4-0) for a 3:30 p.m. ET (BTN) kickoff at Beaver Stadium.
"Take the game at Virginia—I knew going into that game they were a good football team," said Indiana head coach Tom Allen. "When they went and played Boise State on the road and looked the way they looked, we confirmed that we beat a good football team on the road. You know certain things now that you didn't know about the team and you have a new level of confidence. We've gone on the road and played well; now we go on the road again and expect to play well again."
It's tough to evaluate an early season result, especially in an out-of-conference game, until more information rolls in from games later in the year. The Hoosiers learned a little more over their bye week about their week 2 victory, a 34-17 win at Virginia, when the Cavaliers handed Boise State their worst home loss in 16 years. Indiana gains extra belief in their defensive unit, which held Virginia to 55 rushing yards compared to the Hoosiers' 111 yards on the ground. The Cavaliers turned around the next weekend and tripled their rushing output (167 yds.) while holding the Broncos to 30 rush yards on their own turf. That performance away from Memorial Stadium gives the Hoosiers confidence as they play their Big Ten road opener this weekend.
"He just fights all the time for those extra yards," offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said of freshman running back Morgan Ellison. "That's what you love about him. He also gets his pads down on contact, and some of those young guys don't do that right away. Most guys run standing up and you have to teach them to get down, but he runs with his pads underneath him."
Indiana's freshman running back uncorked a breakout performance last weekend against the Eagles, going for 186 yards on 25 carries (7.4) and two touchdowns. Beyond being Ellison's best output of his young career; the line is Indiana's fourth-highest rushing total by a true freshman in program history. The Hoosiers have long carried a tradition of threatening play from their backfield, and DeBord believes they've found a newcomer who fits the mold: a no-nonsense tailback that runs hard, fighting for every inch of field position.
"We'll take a lot from that game, not just the schemes but the way we were flying around," said linebacker Tegray Scales. "That's what you have to do against this team with their athletes, flying to the ball and rally tackling."
The Hoosiers have not forgotten what happened against the Nittany Lions last season in Bloomington. A 45-31 contest to Indiana's third top-10 opponent of the season, Penn State entered a back-and-forth battle with the Hoosiers that didn't find resolution until the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. Indiana actually outgained Penn State on offense, as the Hoosier defense contained Saquon Barkley (58 rushing yards, a career-worst 1.8/carry) and recorded 16 tackles for loss, matching the most in program history.
What worked for Indiana in that game? Their relentless pursuit of the ball and Penn State's highly talented backfield kept the Hoosiers in the hunt for an upset. Scales and the Hoosiers hope to take the same mentality into this coming Saturday.
"You try your best to simulate an environment like that, using speakers with sound and things like that, but that won't be anything like it'll sound there," senior quarterback Richard Lagow discussed the atmosphere at Beaver Stadium. "I told Morgan [Ellison] today that our main focus is our communication all week long. It will be easy in practice to just lean over and talk to somebody, but we have to yell and treat it like a real game on the road in the Big Ten."
Only one thing is certain about Saturday's meeting at Penn State: it's going to be loud on the field. Beaver Stadium seats north of 100,000 people and is the third-largest stadium in the world by seating capacity. On game day, the stadium becomes the third-largest "city" in Pennsylvania.
Lagow gained Big Ten road experience at Ohio State, Northwestern, Rutgers, and Michigan last season, so he comes into this week with the playbook for managing hostile environments against conference foes. He'll impart that wisdom on the younger Hoosiers, some of whom have yet to play a road Big Ten game, as the week unfolds.
"Every day has felt like a sigh for the last two years," J-Shun Harris II reflected on his seasons recovering from injury. "Now I'm starting to enjoy the game a lot more. I loved the game before my injuries, but not like this. When you lose something, you want it back that much more. So now I try to understand that it's a game and we're supposed to go out and have fun, execute, and put on a good show for everyone."
The first three games have been a whirlwind on the return unit for Harris, who scored his second punt return touchdown of the season last weekend against Georgia State. It's the second consecutive game in which Harris has run one back, tying Indiana's single-season record with his 70-yard burst of electricity.
Amidst the madness, the fundamental aspects of Harris' season aren't lost on him. The last two years, Harris has come into the season as one of Indiana's players to watch in hopes of a breakout year. Both times, Harris missed the majority of the season to injury. But now, with three games (and 186 return yards) under his belt, Harris is feeling like himself—and rekindling his love for the game—for the first time in a long time.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana football team hit the road and return to their Big Ten slate on Saturday afternoon. The Hoosiers (2-1) meet No. 4/4 Penn State (4-0) for a 3:30 p.m. ET (BTN) kickoff at Beaver Stadium.
"Take the game at Virginia—I knew going into that game they were a good football team," said Indiana head coach Tom Allen. "When they went and played Boise State on the road and looked the way they looked, we confirmed that we beat a good football team on the road. You know certain things now that you didn't know about the team and you have a new level of confidence. We've gone on the road and played well; now we go on the road again and expect to play well again."
It's tough to evaluate an early season result, especially in an out-of-conference game, until more information rolls in from games later in the year. The Hoosiers learned a little more over their bye week about their week 2 victory, a 34-17 win at Virginia, when the Cavaliers handed Boise State their worst home loss in 16 years. Indiana gains extra belief in their defensive unit, which held Virginia to 55 rushing yards compared to the Hoosiers' 111 yards on the ground. The Cavaliers turned around the next weekend and tripled their rushing output (167 yds.) while holding the Broncos to 30 rush yards on their own turf. That performance away from Memorial Stadium gives the Hoosiers confidence as they play their Big Ten road opener this weekend.
"He just fights all the time for those extra yards," offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said of freshman running back Morgan Ellison. "That's what you love about him. He also gets his pads down on contact, and some of those young guys don't do that right away. Most guys run standing up and you have to teach them to get down, but he runs with his pads underneath him."
Indiana's freshman running back uncorked a breakout performance last weekend against the Eagles, going for 186 yards on 25 carries (7.4) and two touchdowns. Beyond being Ellison's best output of his young career; the line is Indiana's fourth-highest rushing total by a true freshman in program history. The Hoosiers have long carried a tradition of threatening play from their backfield, and DeBord believes they've found a newcomer who fits the mold: a no-nonsense tailback that runs hard, fighting for every inch of field position.
"We'll take a lot from that game, not just the schemes but the way we were flying around," said linebacker Tegray Scales. "That's what you have to do against this team with their athletes, flying to the ball and rally tackling."
The Hoosiers have not forgotten what happened against the Nittany Lions last season in Bloomington. A 45-31 contest to Indiana's third top-10 opponent of the season, Penn State entered a back-and-forth battle with the Hoosiers that didn't find resolution until the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. Indiana actually outgained Penn State on offense, as the Hoosier defense contained Saquon Barkley (58 rushing yards, a career-worst 1.8/carry) and recorded 16 tackles for loss, matching the most in program history.
What worked for Indiana in that game? Their relentless pursuit of the ball and Penn State's highly talented backfield kept the Hoosiers in the hunt for an upset. Scales and the Hoosiers hope to take the same mentality into this coming Saturday.
"You try your best to simulate an environment like that, using speakers with sound and things like that, but that won't be anything like it'll sound there," senior quarterback Richard Lagow discussed the atmosphere at Beaver Stadium. "I told Morgan [Ellison] today that our main focus is our communication all week long. It will be easy in practice to just lean over and talk to somebody, but we have to yell and treat it like a real game on the road in the Big Ten."
Only one thing is certain about Saturday's meeting at Penn State: it's going to be loud on the field. Beaver Stadium seats north of 100,000 people and is the third-largest stadium in the world by seating capacity. On game day, the stadium becomes the third-largest "city" in Pennsylvania.
Lagow gained Big Ten road experience at Ohio State, Northwestern, Rutgers, and Michigan last season, so he comes into this week with the playbook for managing hostile environments against conference foes. He'll impart that wisdom on the younger Hoosiers, some of whom have yet to play a road Big Ten game, as the week unfolds.
"Every day has felt like a sigh for the last two years," J-Shun Harris II reflected on his seasons recovering from injury. "Now I'm starting to enjoy the game a lot more. I loved the game before my injuries, but not like this. When you lose something, you want it back that much more. So now I try to understand that it's a game and we're supposed to go out and have fun, execute, and put on a good show for everyone."
The first three games have been a whirlwind on the return unit for Harris, who scored his second punt return touchdown of the season last weekend against Georgia State. It's the second consecutive game in which Harris has run one back, tying Indiana's single-season record with his 70-yard burst of electricity.
Amidst the madness, the fundamental aspects of Harris' season aren't lost on him. The last two years, Harris has come into the season as one of Indiana's players to watch in hopes of a breakout year. Both times, Harris missed the majority of the season to injury. But now, with three games (and 186 return yards) under his belt, Harris is feeling like himself—and rekindling his love for the game—for the first time in a long time.
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