Indiana University Athletics
QUOTED: Indiana at FIU
8/29/2018 10:28:00 AM | Football
By: Ben Segelbaum
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana football team kicks off the 2018 season when it heads to Miami on Saturday to play the FIU Golden Panthers. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Each week we will compile five quotes and storylines recapping the previous game and previewing the upcoming one.
"Very excited about the two guys that I consider our top two quarterbacks. Peyton Ramsey and Michael Penix, the work they've done since they've been here and throughout fall camp, have done a tremendous job competing against each other, really doing a great job of putting themselves in position to win the confidence of our coaching staff and teammates." said head coach Tom Allen.
After a summer of speculation as to who will open the season under center for the Hoosiers, Allen last week named redshirt sophomore Peyton Ramsey as the starter. Although Ramsey gets the nod, Allen has high praise for both Ramsey and true freshman Michael Penix Jr. for the way they competed and high hopes for their futures this season and beyond.
"I think the biggest aspect, and where it helps the most, is in preparation. I've played and I know how to prepare. I know when to watch film. I know what to look for when I'm watching film, so that way the game slows down just a little bit more for me." said redshirt sophomore quarterback Peyton Ramsey.
Only 14 people on the planet can currently call themselves a starting quarterback in the Big Ten, a position that comes with pressure. That pressure hung a little more on the shoulders of Ramsey last season as he was inserted into the spot as a freshman. Every game means more experience and Ramsey is soaking it in every chance he gets.
"Going into his second year, he's (Ramsey's) more confident in making those throws, so you just see it more consistently. He's not thinking that much. He's just letting the game come to him…His confidence is the biggest thing. With me, I see a completely different player. His transition to spring ball and summer to now has been awesome. He's put in a lot of work and his arm strength will also be something you guys will see is much improved." said fifth-year senior wide receiver Luke Timian.
When you think the man throwing you the football is confident and consistent, that has to feel good. For Luke Timian and the wide receivers, they've been put in positions with different quarterbacks throwing them the football. Timian, who finished second on the team in receptions with 68 in 2017, will look to reap the benefits of a quarterback like Ramsey in 2018.
"(Taylor brings) athleticism. He's really dynamic with the ball. He makes plays. He's that. Very athletic … he just does a great job of what we ask him to do and we're trying to get him more and more into the package that way. So we're just building on that as we go through the season." said offensive coordinator Mike DeBord.
The quarterback room got larger on Monday when Indiana's 2017 Mr. Football Reese Taylor joined. Taylor came to school as an athlete, and saw time at cornerback and on offense during fall camp, but he now has transitioned to the position where he threw 40 touchdown passes and over 3,000 yards at Indianapolis's Ben Davis High School.
"Every time I see J-Shun out there, I feel the same way. I didn't think he'd be able to go this year. When we first started talking to our medical staff, I kind of prepared myself in my first conversation with him (to) kind of 'love him up' a little bit. But from the very beginning, he never flinched. 'Coach, I'm coming back.' I was like, 'You serious?' He said, 'Yes.' This is before surgery, anything. He had his mind made up: 'I'm going to finish this.'" said head coach Tom Allen.
When you look up perseverance in the dictionary, fifth-year senior J-Shun Harris II should be listed right next to it. After his third ACL injury in three years sidelined him in game eight last season, Harris is set to go when the Hoosiers kick off the season. When healthy, Harris has shown his talents, returning two punts for a touchdown and posting an average of 19.0 yards per punt return, fifth in Big Ten single-season history, one year ago.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana football team kicks off the 2018 season when it heads to Miami on Saturday to play the FIU Golden Panthers. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Each week we will compile five quotes and storylines recapping the previous game and previewing the upcoming one.
"Very excited about the two guys that I consider our top two quarterbacks. Peyton Ramsey and Michael Penix, the work they've done since they've been here and throughout fall camp, have done a tremendous job competing against each other, really doing a great job of putting themselves in position to win the confidence of our coaching staff and teammates." said head coach Tom Allen.
After a summer of speculation as to who will open the season under center for the Hoosiers, Allen last week named redshirt sophomore Peyton Ramsey as the starter. Although Ramsey gets the nod, Allen has high praise for both Ramsey and true freshman Michael Penix Jr. for the way they competed and high hopes for their futures this season and beyond.
"I think the biggest aspect, and where it helps the most, is in preparation. I've played and I know how to prepare. I know when to watch film. I know what to look for when I'm watching film, so that way the game slows down just a little bit more for me." said redshirt sophomore quarterback Peyton Ramsey.
Only 14 people on the planet can currently call themselves a starting quarterback in the Big Ten, a position that comes with pressure. That pressure hung a little more on the shoulders of Ramsey last season as he was inserted into the spot as a freshman. Every game means more experience and Ramsey is soaking it in every chance he gets.
"Going into his second year, he's (Ramsey's) more confident in making those throws, so you just see it more consistently. He's not thinking that much. He's just letting the game come to him…His confidence is the biggest thing. With me, I see a completely different player. His transition to spring ball and summer to now has been awesome. He's put in a lot of work and his arm strength will also be something you guys will see is much improved." said fifth-year senior wide receiver Luke Timian.
When you think the man throwing you the football is confident and consistent, that has to feel good. For Luke Timian and the wide receivers, they've been put in positions with different quarterbacks throwing them the football. Timian, who finished second on the team in receptions with 68 in 2017, will look to reap the benefits of a quarterback like Ramsey in 2018.
"(Taylor brings) athleticism. He's really dynamic with the ball. He makes plays. He's that. Very athletic … he just does a great job of what we ask him to do and we're trying to get him more and more into the package that way. So we're just building on that as we go through the season." said offensive coordinator Mike DeBord.
The quarterback room got larger on Monday when Indiana's 2017 Mr. Football Reese Taylor joined. Taylor came to school as an athlete, and saw time at cornerback and on offense during fall camp, but he now has transitioned to the position where he threw 40 touchdown passes and over 3,000 yards at Indianapolis's Ben Davis High School.
"Every time I see J-Shun out there, I feel the same way. I didn't think he'd be able to go this year. When we first started talking to our medical staff, I kind of prepared myself in my first conversation with him (to) kind of 'love him up' a little bit. But from the very beginning, he never flinched. 'Coach, I'm coming back.' I was like, 'You serious?' He said, 'Yes.' This is before surgery, anything. He had his mind made up: 'I'm going to finish this.'" said head coach Tom Allen.
When you look up perseverance in the dictionary, fifth-year senior J-Shun Harris II should be listed right next to it. After his third ACL injury in three years sidelined him in game eight last season, Harris is set to go when the Hoosiers kick off the season. When healthy, Harris has shown his talents, returning two punts for a touchdown and posting an average of 19.0 yards per punt return, fifth in Big Ten single-season history, one year ago.
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