Indiana University Athletics
Takeaways Back in Indiana Defensive Attack
9/29/2017 12:31:00 PM | Football
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The takeaway is back -- finally -- in the Indiana defensive attack.
So is the defensive touchdown.
Could a victory over a top-5 team be next?
Hold that thought.
Getting takeaways is huge on coach Tom Allen's priority list, which is why getting three against Georgia Southern last Saturday -- leading to 21 points -- meant so much.
For one thing, it gives the Hoosiers a chance to push their way into the top-25-defense-in-the-nation conversation.
For another, it boosts the chances for upsetting a ranked team -- can you say Saturday against No. 4 Penn State? -- and delivering on the promise of a breakthrough season.
Finally, it means Allen can stop fuming about seeing zeros in the takeaway statistics.
"We've got to keep getting them," he says. "We've got to have them."
That's especially true given Indiana (2-1) is 0-9 against the Nittany Lions (4-0) at Beaver Stadium.
"It's obviously a great feeling to get takeaways, no matter what game it is," fifth-year senior safety Chase Dutra says. "We're going to try to build on that. We want three-plus (against Penn State)."
Allen has hammered the necessity of takeaways since coming to Bloomington a couple of years ago as defensive coordinator, and that hasn't changed now that he's the head coach. The Hoosiers work on it constantly -- seeking to jar balls loose, rip them out or jumping passing routes for interceptions.
"Since Coach Allen has been here, getting takeaways is one of our main principles of what we do," senior linebacker Tegray Scales says.
Added redshirt sophomore corner back Andre Brown Jr.: "Coach preaches that a lot. We do a lot of takeaway drills in practice. The goal is to take the ball away every game."
Having a goal doesn't always mean achieving it. IU didn't get any takeaways against Ohio State and Virginia. As Scales put it, "Sometimes it's how the ball falls. You have to keep attacking at the ball and hopefully they'll end up in your hands.
"(Against Georgia Southern) it ended up in the right hands."
It certainly did for Brown. He ripped the ball away from a Georgia Southern receiver late in the fourth quarter and raced 22 yards for the Hoosiers' final touchdown.
"It was real cool," Brown says. "I'm out there playing hard for my brothers, my coaches, my teammates and my family."
It was IU's first fumble returned for a touchdown since Lawrence Barnett did it in 2011.
"(Scoring a defensive touchdown) was a big emphasis for the game," Brown says. "Getting in the end zone was a surreal moment for me."
Adds Allen: "I thought Andre played really well. The strip and the defensive touchdown was just great technique. Even the tackle that he made prior to stripping the ball was textbook. I'm really proud of his toughness and effort throughout the game."
All this helps lower Allen's stress level. For him, a game without a takeaway is like a day without, well, football.
"Our goal is three a game," he says. "I make a big deal about takeaways, so I get really upset and frustrated when we don't get them."
Will IU's takeaway success against Georgia Southern jumpstart a run for the rest of the season?
The Hoosiers can only hope.
"They come in groups, I've learned," Allen says about takeaways.
"We work on that all the time. We work so hard on it. We've talked that if you want to be a great defense, you've got to score on defense."
Indiana wants to be great, and has plenty of work to do to get there. It ranks No. 99 nationally in total defense, allowing 428.3 yards. Appalachian State is No. 25 at 302.8 yards.
As far as scoring defense, the Hoosiers rank No. 82 by allowing 27.7 points. Vanderbilt is No. 25 at 18.0.
The numbers are skewed by the season-opening 49-21 loss to Ohio State. In the last two games, the Hoosiers have allowed averages of 17.0 points and 344.5 yards.
"In today's game," Allen says, "it's really about scoring. The last two games we've held them to 17 points, and that's our goal, 17 or less. That's hard to do in today's game. Obviously the first game number was big, so it offsets the average. You've got to see it big picture-wise.
"I feel that we're doing a lot of really good things."
The Hoosiers seek to do more, even if banged-up defensive starters such as Rashard Fant, Nate Hoff and Marcelino Ball are uncertain for Saturday.
"I don't think our depth is what it needs to be yet," Allen says. "Are those (defensive backups) playing at the level of the (starters)? No. That's what we've got to get to.
"So that to me is to continue to get better with our first group and bring along the young guys."
While IU didn't come close to a takeaway against Ohio State, it got two against Virginia, but both were wiped out by penalties.
"The first game it was the nature of what (Ohio State was) doing schematically," Allen said. "They did a good job protecting the ball. They didn't throw a lot of balls that were in those windows to get tips and picks. They kept us from pressuring them. They were max protecting. That's where we get our chances for takeaways.
"Then (against Virginia) we got two taken away with penalties.
"So really that would be five on the season and we wouldn't be as disappointed. I don't think it's a concern. I think it's the nature of how (takeaways) come."
In the end, takeaways or not, it's about stopping the other team. Penn State, which averages 40.5 points and 496.5 yards, is very hard to stop.
Holding Virginia and Georgia Southern to 17 points each suggests the Hoosiers have a chance.
"I feel like in both games we should have held them to 10 points," Allen said, "but we didn't.
"That goal of 17 is hard to get, but that's our edge. It's our mindset. It's our confidence. It's the hunger we have as a defense, the hunger we have as a team.
"We have so much pride in what we do as a unit. We want to keep people out of the end zone. Doing that these last couple of weeks has been big."
Only one thing could be bigger on Saturday – a Hoosier victory.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The takeaway is back -- finally -- in the Indiana defensive attack.
So is the defensive touchdown.
Could a victory over a top-5 team be next?
Hold that thought.
Getting takeaways is huge on coach Tom Allen's priority list, which is why getting three against Georgia Southern last Saturday -- leading to 21 points -- meant so much.
For one thing, it gives the Hoosiers a chance to push their way into the top-25-defense-in-the-nation conversation.
For another, it boosts the chances for upsetting a ranked team -- can you say Saturday against No. 4 Penn State? -- and delivering on the promise of a breakthrough season.
Finally, it means Allen can stop fuming about seeing zeros in the takeaway statistics.
"We've got to keep getting them," he says. "We've got to have them."
That's especially true given Indiana (2-1) is 0-9 against the Nittany Lions (4-0) at Beaver Stadium.
"It's obviously a great feeling to get takeaways, no matter what game it is," fifth-year senior safety Chase Dutra says. "We're going to try to build on that. We want three-plus (against Penn State)."
Allen has hammered the necessity of takeaways since coming to Bloomington a couple of years ago as defensive coordinator, and that hasn't changed now that he's the head coach. The Hoosiers work on it constantly -- seeking to jar balls loose, rip them out or jumping passing routes for interceptions.
"Since Coach Allen has been here, getting takeaways is one of our main principles of what we do," senior linebacker Tegray Scales says.
Added redshirt sophomore corner back Andre Brown Jr.: "Coach preaches that a lot. We do a lot of takeaway drills in practice. The goal is to take the ball away every game."
Having a goal doesn't always mean achieving it. IU didn't get any takeaways against Ohio State and Virginia. As Scales put it, "Sometimes it's how the ball falls. You have to keep attacking at the ball and hopefully they'll end up in your hands.
"(Against Georgia Southern) it ended up in the right hands."
It certainly did for Brown. He ripped the ball away from a Georgia Southern receiver late in the fourth quarter and raced 22 yards for the Hoosiers' final touchdown.
"It was real cool," Brown says. "I'm out there playing hard for my brothers, my coaches, my teammates and my family."
It was IU's first fumble returned for a touchdown since Lawrence Barnett did it in 2011.
"(Scoring a defensive touchdown) was a big emphasis for the game," Brown says. "Getting in the end zone was a surreal moment for me."
Adds Allen: "I thought Andre played really well. The strip and the defensive touchdown was just great technique. Even the tackle that he made prior to stripping the ball was textbook. I'm really proud of his toughness and effort throughout the game."
All this helps lower Allen's stress level. For him, a game without a takeaway is like a day without, well, football.
"Our goal is three a game," he says. "I make a big deal about takeaways, so I get really upset and frustrated when we don't get them."
Will IU's takeaway success against Georgia Southern jumpstart a run for the rest of the season?
The Hoosiers can only hope.
"They come in groups, I've learned," Allen says about takeaways.
"We work on that all the time. We work so hard on it. We've talked that if you want to be a great defense, you've got to score on defense."
Indiana wants to be great, and has plenty of work to do to get there. It ranks No. 99 nationally in total defense, allowing 428.3 yards. Appalachian State is No. 25 at 302.8 yards.
As far as scoring defense, the Hoosiers rank No. 82 by allowing 27.7 points. Vanderbilt is No. 25 at 18.0.
The numbers are skewed by the season-opening 49-21 loss to Ohio State. In the last two games, the Hoosiers have allowed averages of 17.0 points and 344.5 yards.
"In today's game," Allen says, "it's really about scoring. The last two games we've held them to 17 points, and that's our goal, 17 or less. That's hard to do in today's game. Obviously the first game number was big, so it offsets the average. You've got to see it big picture-wise.
"I feel that we're doing a lot of really good things."
The Hoosiers seek to do more, even if banged-up defensive starters such as Rashard Fant, Nate Hoff and Marcelino Ball are uncertain for Saturday.
"I don't think our depth is what it needs to be yet," Allen says. "Are those (defensive backups) playing at the level of the (starters)? No. That's what we've got to get to.
"So that to me is to continue to get better with our first group and bring along the young guys."
While IU didn't come close to a takeaway against Ohio State, it got two against Virginia, but both were wiped out by penalties.
"The first game it was the nature of what (Ohio State was) doing schematically," Allen said. "They did a good job protecting the ball. They didn't throw a lot of balls that were in those windows to get tips and picks. They kept us from pressuring them. They were max protecting. That's where we get our chances for takeaways.
"Then (against Virginia) we got two taken away with penalties.
"So really that would be five on the season and we wouldn't be as disappointed. I don't think it's a concern. I think it's the nature of how (takeaways) come."
In the end, takeaways or not, it's about stopping the other team. Penn State, which averages 40.5 points and 496.5 yards, is very hard to stop.
Holding Virginia and Georgia Southern to 17 points each suggests the Hoosiers have a chance.
"I feel like in both games we should have held them to 10 points," Allen said, "but we didn't.
"That goal of 17 is hard to get, but that's our edge. It's our mindset. It's our confidence. It's the hunger we have as a defense, the hunger we have as a team.
"We have so much pride in what we do as a unit. We want to keep people out of the end zone. Doing that these last couple of weeks has been big."
Only one thing could be bigger on Saturday – a Hoosier victory.
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