DIPRIMIO COLUMN: Attack mode – Going aggressive is IU’s best chance
11/10/2018 6:43:00 PM | Football
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Peyton Ramsey has to go deep. He just does.
The Indiana Hoosiers have to attack. They just do.
Ramsey can do it. So can the Hoosiers.
Case in point -- Saturday's 34-32 win over Maryland, which resonated with must-win pressure.
After four straight losses, the Hoosiers (5-5) finally finished. They found a way, and because they did, a bowl opportunity for the third time in the last four seasons is within reach.
Six wins makes them bowl eligible.
It wasn't by being conservative.
Take, for instance, coach Tom Allen's early third quarter, midfield fourth-down gamble. The result was an 11-yard Ramsey scramble for a first down, soon followed by his 19-yard TD pass to Nick Westbrook.
"I think it was important because it set a tone of 'We are going to go win this thing,'" Ramsey said. "The coaches instilled their trust in us to go make a big play and we were able to do it."
Added Allen: "I don't want to coach cautious. I don't want to coach conservative. I want to be more aggressive. That's how you win.
"I want to be more aggressive. That's me probably growing as a coach."
It helps to have a quarterback who can aid that growth. Ramsey certainly did that.
He rocked the Terrapins through the air, just as he did earlier against Ohio State and Penn State. He threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns, but it was way more than just numbers.
Ignore all that babble about Ramsey's lack of arm strength. He can burn defenses if given the chance.
He got it against Maryland.
Now, he'll have to do it against Michigan (perhaps the nation's best defense) and Purdue (the Big Ten's worst pass defense), but let's not dwell over challenges and opportunities.
The Big Ten, after all, ain't for the faint of heart.
If the Hoosiers want to win at least one of their last two regular season games to become bowl eligible -- and you'd better believe they do -- they have to put the fear of, say, ex-IU great Nate Sudfeld into opposing defenses.
That means throwing down field, challenging man coverage, attacking zones, giving receivers such as Westbrook, Donavan Hale, Ty Fryfogle and Luke Timian chances to change the game.
It means letting Ramsey throw beyond IU's comfort level.
Ramsey staggered Maryland by going deep. He hit Hale for a 37-yard touchdown pass and then for a 43-yard completion. There was his 35-yard toss to Fryfogle, a 25-yarder to Timian and a 19-yard TD strike to Westbrook.
"They were giving us those down the field throws," Ramsey said. "For me, it was just a matter of letting Donavan, Nick and Ty make plays. They did a really good job."
Ramsey made the Terrapins pay for man coverage, which leads to the obvious question:
Why not do it all the time?
Allen sounds more than ready.
"They're probably tired of hearing me say it – throw the ball down the field.
"We've got big receivers. I live in that world, where DBs aren't as big as the receivers, and it's hard to cover them."
It doesn't all fall on Ramsey. The offensive line has to protect. Receivers must get separation, and then catch the ball.
In other words, do what they're capable of doing.
IU hadn't done that for more than a month since its 4-1 start, and you'd better believe Allen had heard about it.
"People criticize, which they should when you don't do things the right way and don't win," he said. "I get that. That's part of it.
"But you know what? These are young guys and we're a young team and these guys haven't been through this before. I'm proud of our team for finishing."
For a while the only thing it looked like IU would finish was another loss. It couldn't have played a worse first quarter against Maryland – allowing 169 yards, gaining just 12 – yet only trailed 6-0.
Then Ramsey took over – hitting Fryfogle for a 35-yard pass, then juking and running his way for a career-long 35 yards and a touchdown. That came after the IU defense had finally – finally – forced a punt.
So the Hoosiers had a 7-6 lead and all the momentum.
Indiana cornerback Jaylin Williams' interception kept it going. Ramsey's touchdown strike to Hale, and tailback Stevie Scott's TD run solidified it. That was 21 points in just over four second-quarter minutes. Soon enough, the lead was 16 points.
IU had control, lost it, then won it back at the end with Logan Justus' 42-yard game-winning field goal and opportunistic defense that forced four takeaways for the third time this season, giving the Hoosiers 24.
That's how you win games.
That's how you can play your way into bowl eligibility, and then win the bowl.
Despite all the heartache and mistakes this season, IU can make a bowl and finish with a winning record. It has everything it needs to do that, and alter the program's fortunes for the next decade.
So just do it.
