Indiana University Athletics
Peyton’s Place
11/6/2018 5:55:00 PM | Football
BY PETE DIPRIMIO
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Peyton Ramsey doesn't rattle. Hit him with Big Ten defenses, doubters, mistakes, it doesn't matter. He keeps his poise and perspective amid college football mayhem.
Would you expect anything less from a coach's son?
"It's a matter of moving onto the next play, and executing every single play," Ramsey said.
That approach helped him win Indiana's starting quarterback job last season and again in August. It helped him shred Ohio State's secondary last month for 322 yards and three touchdowns, and punish Penn State for 276 yards.
His coach praises his toughness. His teammates embrace his leadership. And in tough times, he draws upon his father's advice, which has extra meaning given Doug Ramsey coached his son to all-star success at Cincinnati Elder High School.
"His biggest advice was to compete every day, and don't compare yourself to anybody else because you can't control what they're doing," Ramsey said. "Compete, put your head down, work every day and you're going to get better."
Ramsey reflects substance over style. Yes, he won't wow with arm strength or athleticism, but that isn't the point. He makes the plays he needs to, with his arm and his legs, and if he remains a work in progress, well, he has two more seasons to get it right.
As coach Tom Allen has said multiple times, "He plays with grit and execution."
Oh, one other thing. Ramsey knows how to prepare.
"I know when to watch film. I know what to look for when I'm watching film so the game slows down."
A slow game is a very good thing.
Ramsey is the Big Ten's second-most accurate quarterback behind Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins.
Ramsey completes 68.2 percent of his passes. Haskins is at 69.7 percent.
Overall, Ramsey has thrown for 2,092 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He's fourth in the Big Ten in total offense, averaging 259.2 yards a game. He ranks seventh in the conference in pass efficiency, at 129.8. For comparison, more heralded Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley is ninth at 123.1.
He's also durable. His 424 plays lead the Big Ten.
Ramsey ranks second on the team with 241 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Tailback Stevie Scott leads with 791 yards and seven TDs.
The dual-threat success isn't surprising. In high school, Ramsey threw for 6,708 yards and 49 touchdowns; he ran for 2,692 yards and 32 TDs.
"Having a quarterback that can run as well as throw stretches the defense," Ramsey said. "When you can add another dimension to your running game, it can really help.
"There is the sense of knowing where I'm going with the ball. Other times it's taking whatever the defense gives me."
One area to improve is interceptions. Ramsey is tied with Northwestern's Clayton Thorson for the most among league quarterbacks. They both have 10.
Yes, that's been addressed.
After Ramsey threw two red-zone interceptions against Iowa, Allen said, "He has to protect the football. It's part of his job. We talk about that position being a protector of the ball, a distributor of the ball, of moving the team down the field, getting first downs and scoring touchdowns."
Still, understanding Ramsey's total effectiveness starts with his leadership. He dominated the player voting for the team's leadership council in fall camp (Allen said it was by a "landslide"), as well as voting among the coaches.
Offensive lineman Coy Cronk has praised Ramsey's confidence and work ethic; he's called Ramsey a "natural-born leader" and a "no-nonsense" teammate who is "consistent with his attitude, how he works and how he interacts with people."
"He treats people with respect, looks them in the eye, and that goes a long way," Cronk said.
Ramsey speaks softly, but carries a big heart. He didn't back off from the fall camp quarterback competition.
"He is so focused and he's such a student of the game," Allen said. "That sets him apart. He's got a linebacker mentality playing the quarterback position. He's a competitor."
In the end, that made all the difference.
"He understands the offense really, really well," Allen said. "He knows where to put the football. He knows where to take the ball. He knows who to get the ball to. He has the ability to get us out of a jam with his legs. He has the ability to get first downs with his legs. He has unbelievable toughness and grit. He has a competitive greatness to him that I really like a lot."
For IU's offense to thrive, Allen added, "It's about getting the ball to our play-makers. It's distributing it to the right guys at the right time. That's what he does best."
Ramsey embodies the demands Hoosier coaches put on quarterbacks.
"There are three things we want from this position," Allen said. "First, it's a quarterback who protects the ball and who is sound in his decision-making. It's how he reads coverages and distributes the ball. How he protects the ball.
"Second is the ability to move the team down the field consistently. Third, we want a young man who the team believes in."
For those who harp about Ramsey's arm strength, consider he's spent countless hours working on it.
Last offseason he became a top priority for newly hired athletic performance coach Dr. Matt Rhea. There were arm strengthening exercises, core exercises and shoulder exercises. Ramsey worked on technique to take full advantage of his lower and upper body.
Beyond that, he threw a lot -- and improved. Figure he will continue to improve.
"I think he's very comfortable because of his confidence," offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said. "And his preparation has allowed him to become a very confident player."
Ramsey's best overall game of the season might have come against Ball State in September. He was 20-for-27 for 173 yards. He also rushed for 43 yards. That earned him team offensive player of the game honors.
But Ramsey plays to win rather than receive accolades. IU's bye after a four-game losing streak could rejuvenate the 4-5 team for a big final push.
"We looked good at times," Ramsey said. "We didn't look good at times. We shot ourselves in the foot too many times.
"It's frustrating, but at the same time, you see glimpses of a really good team. We've just got to find ways to use each other to be ready. That's how you win in the Big Ten."
