Indiana University Athletics
GRAHAM NOTEBOOK: Hoosiers Turn Attention to Penn State
10/15/2018 9:21:00 PM | Football
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana head coach Tom Allen likened it to "getting hit upside the head with a two-by-four."
Iowa's Hawkeyes certainly "laid the wood" on Allen's the host Hoosiers Homecoming.
Allen reiterated during Monday's post-mortem with the media that he took Saturday's Hoosier performance personally.
"It's my responsibility to get this team ready to play each and every week," Allen said. "It's my responsibility that they play their very best. We didn't do that. That's on me. I have to own that. I will and I do. We got to play better, we got to coach better.
"We got beat by a team on that day that was a better football team in all three phases. I give them credit where credit is due, but also look internally and challenge ourselves."
Internal introspection took the form of a player-led Monday morning full-team meeting.
"It's interesting because I don't think a lot of the young guys, and most of the team, really (knew) how to come in today," said fifth-year senior wideout Luke Timian, who returned to action Saturday after missing three games to injury. "Now we get Sundays off, so you get more time to gather your thoughts and think about it. It really is tough.
"There's no secret formula to get over that. You just kind of remind them that there are five games left in the season and we can still accomplish so many things. I think that's kind of the way you have to approach it. You have to stay positive. As hard as it is, and it really is hard, you have to stay positive because we have a really good football team coming in this week and we have to put together a really good week to try and beat these guys."
Those guys would be Penn State's No. 18-ranked Nittany Lions.
And they are liable to arrive for Saturday's 3:30 p.m. kickoff in a surly mood after excruciatingly close successive home losses to Ohio State (27-26) and Michigan State (21-17) – both games PSU seemed to have in-hand much of the way.
IU didn't have much in-hand all day Saturday. Timian termed the Iowa game "weird" in regard to Hoosier sensibilities.
"I haven't really been a part of many games like that," Timian said. "The vibe on the sideline, it didn't really seem like our team was ready to play. I take that upon myself. Other seniors do, as well. We need to be ready to play and when you're not, that's what's going to happen.
" … It just can't happen again, bottom line. Seniors, really everyone has to do a better job. That's the next step going forward. If you don't show up and play, that's what's going to happen. You're going to get embarrassed by a Big Ten team.
"You can't really harp on it too much, which is tough because that was an embarrassing performance that we put out there. But we have Penn State coming in here and they're a really good football team, as well.
That's the challenge: get the young guys ready to play, get everyone ready and get everyone back on board."
Left guard Wes Martin, another of several seniors who spoke at the meeting, put it this way:
"Today, we had to look Saturday in the face and call it what it was. We got our butts whupped on Saturday. We had to face that and just move on … My biggest message to the guys was really just staying the course and if everyone across the board in the whole program does their job the best they can, then we'll be successful.
"We just have to focus on the things that we can control and do those things the best we can and you'll see good results when that happens. You watch the film … you go over all the things that need to be corrected and then you flush that (game) and get ready to go. We have five games, a lot of football left to play. We got a lot of winning to do."
Allen liked the sound of what he heard from his seniors Monday.
"It was awesome," Allen said. " … Wes Martin, Jacob Robinson were the two guys that reached out to me. They just said to me, 'Coach, during our team meeting in the morning can we have a few minutes to talk to the team?' I said, 'Absolutely.' … Those guys are just really high-quality guys that care a whole bunch about this place, have been here for a long time, have seen a lot. They just more than anything wanted to challenge our guys to react.
"We got a lot of new guys, young guys that haven't been through the grind of a Big Ten season. We've had no bye week yet. It's week after week after week. It can be draining on you physically and emotionally, mentally. I think they needed to remind the guys that it's part of the process. You have to own things on film when you get challenged by coaches. You have to own your play, your practice habits, everything that you do.
"I didn't tell them what to say (but) it was all very necessary. It was encouraging to see them in their own way, in their own tone, (their own) personality, say the things that we've kind of been preaching here since
I've been here. Just being able to let those guys say it, it's always a powerful thing when it comes from a player … I thought those guys stood up and really said some good things that needed to be said."
Allen knows his team has no choice but to persevere and do everything it can to prepare and prevail, this week and beyond. Because the Hoosiers play in the Big Ten East. They have no choice but to get good and stay good if they want to reach any of their goals.
"Bottom line is you have to respond," Allen said. "It's a tough league, tough schedule. You got to be a tough guy. It's amazing how one game changes how you feel, one way or the other. It can change the
trajectory of your season. You see it all across the country. You see it happen in places. I've been part of it both good and bad. Man … to me it takes tremendous mental toughness to be able to persevere.
"It takes a tremendous amount to be able to persevere through life challenges, season challenges. How you respond to those is who you become, how you are known. For me, it's an opportunity for us to really challenge our older guys, to say, 'Hey, the clock is ticking, only so many opportunities yet.' Younger guys, 'You're defining and laying the foundation for your future program.' To me, those are both critical things."
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Sophomore wideout Ty Fryfogle, whose first career TD catch was a 33-yarder that brought IU within 14-10 at 12:17 of the second quarter Saturday, was named IU's Offensive Player of the Game. Having to spend more time in the slot in the absence of Timian and Whop Philyor to injuries in recent weeks, Fryfogle led the Hoosiers with 71 receiving yards on four catches Saturday.
Redshirt sophomore tackle Jerome Johnson, playing despite illness, earned Defensive Player of the Game plaudits with five tackles Saturday.
"Jerome Johnson wasn't feeling well, really sick," Allen said. "Fought right through all that, played his tail off."
Allen and his staff didn't bestow any recognition on Special Teams for Saturday.
Scout Team Players of the Week were Connor Schneider and Gavin McCabe (defense), TJ Ivy, Shaun Bonner and Ryan Barnes (offense) and Kristian Pechac (Special Teams.)
SOME INJURY UPDATES
Allen hopes that Timian and Philyor returns to the fold regarding playing availability Saturday are harbingers of sorts.
Senior defensive tackle Jacob Robinson, junior offensive tackle Coy Cronk and true freshman defensive back Devon "Monster" Matthews were among the regulars still unavailable Saturday but are on the mend.
"We're hoping to get Coy back full-bore," Allen said of Cronk. "I think that looks good, promising at this point as of today. I know Devon Matthews is a guy we ended up sitting out, hoping to get him back last weekend, we did not. He needs to continue to get healthier in order for him to play.
"Then we continue to monitor T.D. Roof (the sophomore linebacker who left Saturday's game with an undisclosed injury), to see that he's able to get his body back ready to go. Those would be the three guys that we're looking at. Not to mention Whop and his ability to get back. He was out there today running routes. Still the process continues to get him full speed.
"I think we have a chance to be healthier this weekend. You always seem to gain a guy or two here or there, lose a guy or two. We had several guys that got some things they had to address, but several of those injuries were able to be cleaned up over the weekend, then (we will) continue to rehab them throughout the first half of the week."
THE SON ALSO RISES
Allen's son, redshirt freshman Thomas Allen, had one of IU's big bright spots Saturday when he picked off a Nate Stanley pass and returned it 30 yards to set up Fryfogle's TD catch.
As with most freshmen, the younger Allen has had his ups and downs on the field, both Saturday and earlier in the season. He is currently tied for 10th on the team in tackles, playing in a reserve role, with 16 stops.
Coach Allen knew about the coach-son dynamic even before Thomas matriculated at IU. Coach Allen also played for his own father, at New Castle High School. But he still asked around for advice before it was arranged that Thomas would play at Indiana.
"The advice was really twofold," Allen said. "Number one, don't be his position coach. Don't think that's healthy. That's really hard to do. And if he's the quarterback, don't have him play for you because that's really, really difficult. That's exactly what I was told. I think that's very true.
"He's a linebacker, which is a position that I have coached most of my career, but don't coach here. It all worked in that regard.
"The other part of that was, everybody I talked to, there was always growing pains in year one of kind of figuring it out for both sides. I think the biggest challenge is the locker room, for the individual, for the son involved. You're always perceived a certain way, especially when you're there year one. That's the head coach's son. How do you just be yourself.
"He has to earn their trust, I think both as a player, then as just a teammate. I think that's the thing that people don't really get. I've been in his shoes before. I played for my dad. Yeah, not at this level where it's all magnified. But the locker room is still the locker room. You're still the head coach's son. You have to prove yourself in a lot of ways."
But Allen made it clear, now that he's in the middle of the experience with Thomas, he wouldn't have it any other way.
"It helps because he works extremely hard, does everything the right way, made a big play on Saturday," Allen said. "He's young, growing, developing and all, but that helps.
"My wife (Tracy), I told her, my prayer was that he's going to be really good or really bad. You didn't want him to be in the middle (laughter). Just make it easy. If they're in the middle, that's when it gets really rough. Fortunately he's done a great job, so we're proud of him."
FIGHT FOR THE CREAM AND CRIMSON
Allen took responsibility for the two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties sustained by his coaching staff Saturday and vowed to avoid them in future.
But he also vowed to remain an advocate for his team on game days.
"Yeah, I'm an emotional guy," Allen acknowledged. "I want to defend our guys. Now, they obviously decided to throw the flag on me on the second one. The first one was another coach (an assistant opining after an interference call). He and I talked that through."
The second penalty was assessed when Allen took a step out onto the field.
"They (usually) give the head coach a little more leeway on things," Allen said. "But obviously this guy was not feeling that, in that situation. But I take responsibility for that.
"My approach is that I want to defend our guys, I don't want to be distracted by the officials. I can't control what they do. But I also want to stand up for our guys. I'm not going to back down from that. I'm going to be who I am. I don't want team penalties. That's on me. That's not acceptable. I don't want that to happen again. That just hurts our team."
It can help a team, too, however, if players are sure the coach is in their corner.
"But I also want them to know that I am watching (and) I do care," Allen said. "Our guys matter. I want to defend them, I'm going to fight for them.
"I have to make sure I do it by not stepping on the field. I literally took one step out. Not supposed to do that, so I got to hold myself accountable. It's part of my passion."
Nobody has ever doubted Allen has plenty of that.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana head coach Tom Allen likened it to "getting hit upside the head with a two-by-four."
Iowa's Hawkeyes certainly "laid the wood" on Allen's the host Hoosiers Homecoming.
Allen reiterated during Monday's post-mortem with the media that he took Saturday's Hoosier performance personally.
"It's my responsibility to get this team ready to play each and every week," Allen said. "It's my responsibility that they play their very best. We didn't do that. That's on me. I have to own that. I will and I do. We got to play better, we got to coach better.
"We got beat by a team on that day that was a better football team in all three phases. I give them credit where credit is due, but also look internally and challenge ourselves."
Internal introspection took the form of a player-led Monday morning full-team meeting.
"It's interesting because I don't think a lot of the young guys, and most of the team, really (knew) how to come in today," said fifth-year senior wideout Luke Timian, who returned to action Saturday after missing three games to injury. "Now we get Sundays off, so you get more time to gather your thoughts and think about it. It really is tough.
"There's no secret formula to get over that. You just kind of remind them that there are five games left in the season and we can still accomplish so many things. I think that's kind of the way you have to approach it. You have to stay positive. As hard as it is, and it really is hard, you have to stay positive because we have a really good football team coming in this week and we have to put together a really good week to try and beat these guys."
Those guys would be Penn State's No. 18-ranked Nittany Lions.
And they are liable to arrive for Saturday's 3:30 p.m. kickoff in a surly mood after excruciatingly close successive home losses to Ohio State (27-26) and Michigan State (21-17) – both games PSU seemed to have in-hand much of the way.
IU didn't have much in-hand all day Saturday. Timian termed the Iowa game "weird" in regard to Hoosier sensibilities.
"I haven't really been a part of many games like that," Timian said. "The vibe on the sideline, it didn't really seem like our team was ready to play. I take that upon myself. Other seniors do, as well. We need to be ready to play and when you're not, that's what's going to happen.
" … It just can't happen again, bottom line. Seniors, really everyone has to do a better job. That's the next step going forward. If you don't show up and play, that's what's going to happen. You're going to get embarrassed by a Big Ten team.
"You can't really harp on it too much, which is tough because that was an embarrassing performance that we put out there. But we have Penn State coming in here and they're a really good football team, as well.
That's the challenge: get the young guys ready to play, get everyone ready and get everyone back on board."
Left guard Wes Martin, another of several seniors who spoke at the meeting, put it this way:
"Today, we had to look Saturday in the face and call it what it was. We got our butts whupped on Saturday. We had to face that and just move on … My biggest message to the guys was really just staying the course and if everyone across the board in the whole program does their job the best they can, then we'll be successful.
"We just have to focus on the things that we can control and do those things the best we can and you'll see good results when that happens. You watch the film … you go over all the things that need to be corrected and then you flush that (game) and get ready to go. We have five games, a lot of football left to play. We got a lot of winning to do."
Allen liked the sound of what he heard from his seniors Monday.
"It was awesome," Allen said. " … Wes Martin, Jacob Robinson were the two guys that reached out to me. They just said to me, 'Coach, during our team meeting in the morning can we have a few minutes to talk to the team?' I said, 'Absolutely.' … Those guys are just really high-quality guys that care a whole bunch about this place, have been here for a long time, have seen a lot. They just more than anything wanted to challenge our guys to react.
"We got a lot of new guys, young guys that haven't been through the grind of a Big Ten season. We've had no bye week yet. It's week after week after week. It can be draining on you physically and emotionally, mentally. I think they needed to remind the guys that it's part of the process. You have to own things on film when you get challenged by coaches. You have to own your play, your practice habits, everything that you do.
"I didn't tell them what to say (but) it was all very necessary. It was encouraging to see them in their own way, in their own tone, (their own) personality, say the things that we've kind of been preaching here since
I've been here. Just being able to let those guys say it, it's always a powerful thing when it comes from a player … I thought those guys stood up and really said some good things that needed to be said."
Allen knows his team has no choice but to persevere and do everything it can to prepare and prevail, this week and beyond. Because the Hoosiers play in the Big Ten East. They have no choice but to get good and stay good if they want to reach any of their goals.
"Bottom line is you have to respond," Allen said. "It's a tough league, tough schedule. You got to be a tough guy. It's amazing how one game changes how you feel, one way or the other. It can change the
trajectory of your season. You see it all across the country. You see it happen in places. I've been part of it both good and bad. Man … to me it takes tremendous mental toughness to be able to persevere.
"It takes a tremendous amount to be able to persevere through life challenges, season challenges. How you respond to those is who you become, how you are known. For me, it's an opportunity for us to really challenge our older guys, to say, 'Hey, the clock is ticking, only so many opportunities yet.' Younger guys, 'You're defining and laying the foundation for your future program.' To me, those are both critical things."
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Sophomore wideout Ty Fryfogle, whose first career TD catch was a 33-yarder that brought IU within 14-10 at 12:17 of the second quarter Saturday, was named IU's Offensive Player of the Game. Having to spend more time in the slot in the absence of Timian and Whop Philyor to injuries in recent weeks, Fryfogle led the Hoosiers with 71 receiving yards on four catches Saturday.
Redshirt sophomore tackle Jerome Johnson, playing despite illness, earned Defensive Player of the Game plaudits with five tackles Saturday.
"Jerome Johnson wasn't feeling well, really sick," Allen said. "Fought right through all that, played his tail off."
Allen and his staff didn't bestow any recognition on Special Teams for Saturday.
Scout Team Players of the Week were Connor Schneider and Gavin McCabe (defense), TJ Ivy, Shaun Bonner and Ryan Barnes (offense) and Kristian Pechac (Special Teams.)
SOME INJURY UPDATES
Allen hopes that Timian and Philyor returns to the fold regarding playing availability Saturday are harbingers of sorts.
Senior defensive tackle Jacob Robinson, junior offensive tackle Coy Cronk and true freshman defensive back Devon "Monster" Matthews were among the regulars still unavailable Saturday but are on the mend.
"We're hoping to get Coy back full-bore," Allen said of Cronk. "I think that looks good, promising at this point as of today. I know Devon Matthews is a guy we ended up sitting out, hoping to get him back last weekend, we did not. He needs to continue to get healthier in order for him to play.
"Then we continue to monitor T.D. Roof (the sophomore linebacker who left Saturday's game with an undisclosed injury), to see that he's able to get his body back ready to go. Those would be the three guys that we're looking at. Not to mention Whop and his ability to get back. He was out there today running routes. Still the process continues to get him full speed.
"I think we have a chance to be healthier this weekend. You always seem to gain a guy or two here or there, lose a guy or two. We had several guys that got some things they had to address, but several of those injuries were able to be cleaned up over the weekend, then (we will) continue to rehab them throughout the first half of the week."
THE SON ALSO RISES
Allen's son, redshirt freshman Thomas Allen, had one of IU's big bright spots Saturday when he picked off a Nate Stanley pass and returned it 30 yards to set up Fryfogle's TD catch.
As with most freshmen, the younger Allen has had his ups and downs on the field, both Saturday and earlier in the season. He is currently tied for 10th on the team in tackles, playing in a reserve role, with 16 stops.
Coach Allen knew about the coach-son dynamic even before Thomas matriculated at IU. Coach Allen also played for his own father, at New Castle High School. But he still asked around for advice before it was arranged that Thomas would play at Indiana.
"The advice was really twofold," Allen said. "Number one, don't be his position coach. Don't think that's healthy. That's really hard to do. And if he's the quarterback, don't have him play for you because that's really, really difficult. That's exactly what I was told. I think that's very true.
"He's a linebacker, which is a position that I have coached most of my career, but don't coach here. It all worked in that regard.
"The other part of that was, everybody I talked to, there was always growing pains in year one of kind of figuring it out for both sides. I think the biggest challenge is the locker room, for the individual, for the son involved. You're always perceived a certain way, especially when you're there year one. That's the head coach's son. How do you just be yourself.
"He has to earn their trust, I think both as a player, then as just a teammate. I think that's the thing that people don't really get. I've been in his shoes before. I played for my dad. Yeah, not at this level where it's all magnified. But the locker room is still the locker room. You're still the head coach's son. You have to prove yourself in a lot of ways."
But Allen made it clear, now that he's in the middle of the experience with Thomas, he wouldn't have it any other way.
"It helps because he works extremely hard, does everything the right way, made a big play on Saturday," Allen said. "He's young, growing, developing and all, but that helps.
"My wife (Tracy), I told her, my prayer was that he's going to be really good or really bad. You didn't want him to be in the middle (laughter). Just make it easy. If they're in the middle, that's when it gets really rough. Fortunately he's done a great job, so we're proud of him."
FIGHT FOR THE CREAM AND CRIMSON
Allen took responsibility for the two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties sustained by his coaching staff Saturday and vowed to avoid them in future.
But he also vowed to remain an advocate for his team on game days.
"Yeah, I'm an emotional guy," Allen acknowledged. "I want to defend our guys. Now, they obviously decided to throw the flag on me on the second one. The first one was another coach (an assistant opining after an interference call). He and I talked that through."
The second penalty was assessed when Allen took a step out onto the field.
"They (usually) give the head coach a little more leeway on things," Allen said. "But obviously this guy was not feeling that, in that situation. But I take responsibility for that.
"My approach is that I want to defend our guys, I don't want to be distracted by the officials. I can't control what they do. But I also want to stand up for our guys. I'm not going to back down from that. I'm going to be who I am. I don't want team penalties. That's on me. That's not acceptable. I don't want that to happen again. That just hurts our team."
It can help a team, too, however, if players are sure the coach is in their corner.
"But I also want them to know that I am watching (and) I do care," Allen said. "Our guys matter. I want to defend them, I'm going to fight for them.
"I have to make sure I do it by not stepping on the field. I literally took one step out. Not supposed to do that, so I got to hold myself accountable. It's part of my passion."
Nobody has ever doubted Allen has plenty of that.
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
TE
/ Football
DL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DL
/ Football
DL
/ Football
WR
/ FootballFB: Amare Ferrell - Spring Practice No. 9
Tuesday, April 14
FB: Preston Zachman - Spring Practice No. 9
Tuesday, April 14
FB: The Standard - Episode 2 (4/12/2026)
Sunday, April 12
FB: Spring Practice - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Thursday, April 09