One Takeaway from IU’s Season Thus Far Is Takeaways
11/16/2018 3:37:00 PM | Football
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - It had to drive Tom Allen nuts last fall.
Indiana's head football coach emphasizes takeaways by his defense. Always has. Always will. And with a zeal that might appear bordering on fanaticism to the casual observer.
Allen's fervor for the topic, however, is only in keeping with its actual importance.
Statistical corollaries bear that out. Turnovers – or takeaways, the defensive-minded Allen's preferred term – win or lose games with astonishing regularity.
But as Allen's first full season at the Hoosier helm unfolded in 2017, even while deploying a veteran defense conditioned to ball-hawk, here is where IU finished among its Big Ten brethren in takeaways:
Next to last. 13th.
And with just 13 aggregate takeaways over a 12-game ledger in 2017 – eight recovered fumbles and five interceptions – Indiana was left tied for last in the league for turnover ratio at -0.58.
That just made Allen redouble his efforts this past offseason. During spring training. And fall camp.
"All through fall camp, we preached takeaways, takeaways, takeaways," true freshman Husky back Cam Jones recalled. "Every single day, our defense had to have at least three or more takeaways, every single day, or we had to run.
"Those runs after fall camp practices were something serious. So we didn't want to do that. … we'd run until Coach said stop … when we do gassers, our whole defensive coaching staff runs with us. When they get tired, that's when we stop. And they don't get tired. They're in shape.
"But we take pride in (takeaways) – to be a good defense, you got get takeaways and you got to score as a defense."
The Hoosiers did both, as the takeover turnaround paid immediate dividends in the 38-28 win Sept. 1 at Florida International that opened the 2018 campaign.
After senior safety Jonathan Crawford forced a fumble and true freshman counterpart Devon "Monster" Matthews recovered for the season's first takeaway early in the first quarter, Crawford came up with a pick-6 to give the
Hoosiers a lead they never lost.
Fifth-year senior defensive end Nile Sykes added a second-quarter fumble recovery to meet Allen's stated goal of at least three takeaways per outing.
The Hoosiers have had at least one takeaway in every game this fall, 16 straight games (2nd nationally), and have posted six multiple-takeaway games.
They had three against Michigan State, three more against Ohio State, two against Penn State and four in each of the last two outings against Minnesota and Maryland.
Along with true freshman cornerback Jaylin Williams' second-quarter interception, IU added three fumble recoveries against the Terps – the last forced by graduate transfer defensive tackle Kayton Samuels and recovered by
Sykes to seal the 34-32 win with 52 seconds remaining.
Maryland outgained the host Hoosiers last Saturday, but IU's defense stiffened in the red zone. Of the Terps' seven scores, four were field goals. And even more decisively, Indiana took the ball away with a regularity that
ultimately proved fatal to the visitors.
"The defense finished it out with a fourth takeaway – and all four of those were what I consider pure takeaways," Allen said. "We took the ball from them. Just so proud of our guys. Four takeaways is huge.
"… Takeaways … that continues to be something that we emphasize, and our guys are buying into (that). Everybody understands how I feel about those, and our guys are creating those."
Indeed they are. To the point that Indiana:
That could loom large if Indiana has a chance to pull an upset Saturday at No. 4-ranked Michigan in a 4 p.m. kickoff on FS1.
IU has played the Wolverines tough in recent seasons. The Hoosiers' last trip to Ann Arbor was a 20-10 decision in snowy conditions (which might arise again Saturday) and the past two games in Bloomington have both
required overtime before Michigan emerged victorious.
But while U-M again features a stalwart defense coordinated by coach Don Brown, the Wolverine offense this fall is newly galvanized by the arrival of quarterback Shea Patterson, who transferred from Ole Miss.
Patterson has thrown just three interceptions all fall.
And Michigan has just seven turnovers, overall, third best in the nation.
There is only one Big Ten team with a better turnover ratio than Indiana this season: Michigan, at +0.7, with IU at +0.6.
So something will have to give along those lines Saturday.
And the takeaway goal for the Hoosiers is constant. They want at least three.
"The goal is we want the ball," Jones said. "No matter how we get it, we want the ball. We're going to take the ball."
Since the defense didn't have to run, was there conversely any reward for the consecutive four-takeaway games the past two weeks, the first time IU has done that since 1996, Bill Mallory's final season coaching the Hoosiers?
"Congratulations – and get back to work," Jones said. "We have work to do."
Michigan (9-1 overall, 7-0 Big Ten) is playing to maintain its current berth in the College Football Playoff standings. Indiana (5-5, 2-5) is playing for bowl eligibility.
"I told our team, 'If you don't believe, then stay home,' " Allen said this week. "Because I believe."
And takeaways, you'd best believe, factor into that faith.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - It had to drive Tom Allen nuts last fall.
Indiana's head football coach emphasizes takeaways by his defense. Always has. Always will. And with a zeal that might appear bordering on fanaticism to the casual observer.
Allen's fervor for the topic, however, is only in keeping with its actual importance.
Statistical corollaries bear that out. Turnovers – or takeaways, the defensive-minded Allen's preferred term – win or lose games with astonishing regularity.
But as Allen's first full season at the Hoosier helm unfolded in 2017, even while deploying a veteran defense conditioned to ball-hawk, here is where IU finished among its Big Ten brethren in takeaways:
Next to last. 13th.
And with just 13 aggregate takeaways over a 12-game ledger in 2017 – eight recovered fumbles and five interceptions – Indiana was left tied for last in the league for turnover ratio at -0.58.
That just made Allen redouble his efforts this past offseason. During spring training. And fall camp.
"All through fall camp, we preached takeaways, takeaways, takeaways," true freshman Husky back Cam Jones recalled. "Every single day, our defense had to have at least three or more takeaways, every single day, or we had to run.
"Those runs after fall camp practices were something serious. So we didn't want to do that. … we'd run until Coach said stop … when we do gassers, our whole defensive coaching staff runs with us. When they get tired, that's when we stop. And they don't get tired. They're in shape.
"But we take pride in (takeaways) – to be a good defense, you got get takeaways and you got to score as a defense."
The Hoosiers did both, as the takeover turnaround paid immediate dividends in the 38-28 win Sept. 1 at Florida International that opened the 2018 campaign.
After senior safety Jonathan Crawford forced a fumble and true freshman counterpart Devon "Monster" Matthews recovered for the season's first takeaway early in the first quarter, Crawford came up with a pick-6 to give the
Hoosiers a lead they never lost.
Fifth-year senior defensive end Nile Sykes added a second-quarter fumble recovery to meet Allen's stated goal of at least three takeaways per outing.
The Hoosiers have had at least one takeaway in every game this fall, 16 straight games (2nd nationally), and have posted six multiple-takeaway games.
They had three against Michigan State, three more against Ohio State, two against Penn State and four in each of the last two outings against Minnesota and Maryland.
Along with true freshman cornerback Jaylin Williams' second-quarter interception, IU added three fumble recoveries against the Terps – the last forced by graduate transfer defensive tackle Kayton Samuels and recovered by
Sykes to seal the 34-32 win with 52 seconds remaining.
Maryland outgained the host Hoosiers last Saturday, but IU's defense stiffened in the red zone. Of the Terps' seven scores, four were field goals. And even more decisively, Indiana took the ball away with a regularity that
ultimately proved fatal to the visitors.
"The defense finished it out with a fourth takeaway – and all four of those were what I consider pure takeaways," Allen said. "We took the ball from them. Just so proud of our guys. Four takeaways is huge.
"… Takeaways … that continues to be something that we emphasize, and our guys are buying into (that). Everybody understands how I feel about those, and our guys are creating those."
Indeed they are. To the point that Indiana:
- Now leads the Big Ten in takeaways this fall, with 24 – a number ranking fourth nationally.
- Is first in the conference and tied for first in the country with 13 fumble recoveries.
- Has seen a dozen different Hoosiers force a fumble, and a dozen more recover one. And nine different Hoosiers are responsible for the 11 interceptions – with at least one pick in nine straight games.
That could loom large if Indiana has a chance to pull an upset Saturday at No. 4-ranked Michigan in a 4 p.m. kickoff on FS1.
IU has played the Wolverines tough in recent seasons. The Hoosiers' last trip to Ann Arbor was a 20-10 decision in snowy conditions (which might arise again Saturday) and the past two games in Bloomington have both
required overtime before Michigan emerged victorious.
But while U-M again features a stalwart defense coordinated by coach Don Brown, the Wolverine offense this fall is newly galvanized by the arrival of quarterback Shea Patterson, who transferred from Ole Miss.
Patterson has thrown just three interceptions all fall.
And Michigan has just seven turnovers, overall, third best in the nation.
There is only one Big Ten team with a better turnover ratio than Indiana this season: Michigan, at +0.7, with IU at +0.6.
So something will have to give along those lines Saturday.
And the takeaway goal for the Hoosiers is constant. They want at least three.
"The goal is we want the ball," Jones said. "No matter how we get it, we want the ball. We're going to take the ball."
Since the defense didn't have to run, was there conversely any reward for the consecutive four-takeaway games the past two weeks, the first time IU has done that since 1996, Bill Mallory's final season coaching the Hoosiers?
"Congratulations – and get back to work," Jones said. "We have work to do."
Michigan (9-1 overall, 7-0 Big Ten) is playing to maintain its current berth in the College Football Playoff standings. Indiana (5-5, 2-5) is playing for bowl eligibility.
"I told our team, 'If you don't believe, then stay home,' " Allen said this week. "Because I believe."
And takeaways, you'd best believe, factor into that faith.
Players Mentioned
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