Carrying the Rock (of Ages)
8/7/2018 8:21:00 PM | Football
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Tom Allen is a devout man. He knows what constitutes a commandment.
And during the Big Ten Football Media Days in Chicago, the Indiana head coach essentially issued one to his 2018 team:
"When I think about the culture I want – in terms of how we play and how we're identified and what people think of when they think of Indiana – to me, it's run the football. That's running it on offense and stopping it on defense."
Or, in so many words: Hoosiers, Thou Shalt Run the Ball.
The current club, on paper, has the makings for compliance.
Indiana returns its entire offensive line, depth included, healthy and intact. Plus welcome additions such as grad transfer Nick Linder, a former starter for Miami (Fla.).
All three quarterbacks currently battling for the starting spot can run. IU "speed specialist" Dr. Matt Rhea clocks Brandon Dawkins, Peyton Ramsey and Michael Penix Jr. all at 22 miles per hour for peak speed, which Rhea says meets the standard for "elite speed."
But what about the guys whose primary job is toting the rock out of the backfield?
Mike Hart, IU running backs coach also recently elevated to an assistant head coach title, says he's already seeing positive effects of offseason conditioning work under David Ballou and Rhea, who were added to the Hoosier staff in January.
"I think if you just watch the guys, I mean, they're faster," Hart said. "They're outrunning DBs. I think they're more explosive. When they lower their pads, they're falling forward three yards … so I think it's definitely transitioning (to the field) during practice.
"But the biggest things is it has to transition on Saturdays during the season."
The guys who carried the ball most often on Saturdays last fall return.
While IU managed just 3.5 yards per carry as a team, then-true freshman Morgan Ellison (4.9), redshirt freshman Cole Gest (4.6) and redshirt junior Ricky Brookins (8.0) combined for 1,220 yards on 247 carries (4.9). All are back and healthy.
So is Mike Majette, who missed most of last season to injury but returns for his senior campaign as a player who has demonstrated he can catch the ball as well as run it.
Add a pair of promising freshmen in Stevie Scott and Ronnie Walker Jr., and it adds up to a room full of prospects appealing to Hart.
"You have Cole who has started, Mike who has started, Ricky who has played a lot of games, and, obviously, you've had Morgan starting (most of last season's games)," Hart said this week. "So you have four guys who've already played a lot of Big Ten football.
"Two are sophomores and two are seniors, so you have a good spread right there. And the great thing is that we have young guys behind them who are talented, and who can sit there kind of in the wings and learn how these guys do it, how they've had some success, and I think that's a great thing."
Hart fully subscribes to Allen's desire to become known as a program that can run the ball, preferably sooner than later.
"You can't win football games in the Big Ten without being able to run the ball," said Hart, who should know. Hart set Michigan records for rushing yardage (5,040) and carries (1,015). "And any team you're on," he continued, "you want to be able to win the line of scrimmage.
"Number one, that starts up front. You have to have linemen who do a great job, and our guys have gotten better. They're stronger. They're bigger. They're faster. And the most important thing is they understand the offense and what we want. Those guys have taken a leadership role. We have … seven (linemen) who've played a lot of Big Ten football.
"Number two, you need backs who can break tackles. Linemen can only do so much. You want those backs who can break tackles and get those extra yards. If they block for three (yards), we have to get six. If they block for six, we have to get 10.
"And that's what makes the offense able to work. If they're blocking for three and you are only getting three yards, that's the running back's fault. If they block for zero, we should still get three. So to me it's a combination of the two things. The offensive line has to do its job and the running backs have to be special."
Hart feels his current corps has a special camaraderie.
"All the guys like one another, they cheer for each other," Hart said. They compete every day, but they joke and have fun, and then off the field they're best friends.
"And between the lines, they still help each other out. The older guys are coaching the younger guys. And that's the sort of thing you want as a coach, where you don't have to do everything.
"Ricky Brookins (is that way). A lot of guys don't know who Connor Thomas (a redshirt sophomore from Clarksville, Tenn.) is, right? But he's a kid who knows our whole offense. He's a walk-on in our room and he's kind of my go-to guy.
He knows everything … he's one of those guys to help the younger guys out in terms of learning the offense. In the long run, that's going to help this team out."
It will help Indiana's running game out to have a quarterback who defenses have to account for as a runner. It will help having an extra blocker periodically at the point of attack – a back not carrying the rock can block.
"Hey, we running backs want the ball!" Hart exclaimed in mock exasperation. "We don't want to block!" He laughed, then added, "But, yes, exactly. When you get into those certain situations where you can actually have an extra blocker, it definitely kind of evens things up."
Allen likes well-rounded backs who share myriad duties, blocking included.
"You got to have a bunch of guys, I think in this league, to take the workload," Allen said. "You're going see different skill sets, recruit different guys and different body types and do different things. I think that with the way offense is played and the number of snaps that we get, it's very smart to have that.
"The more well-rounded a young man is, the more things he can do and the longer he'll stay on the field. I just like the versatility of the group."
Gest showed some versatility Monday, catching several outlet passes and taking one down the sidelines for a score. And big freshman Scott showed both moves and muscle, engendering cheers from his offensive teammates on a particularly impressive jaunt late in practice.
"Stevie Scott kind of sticks out to me," Allen said. "He's … 235 pounds and he's strong as a bull. He's really fast and he's just got to learn what he's doing. He's flashed.
"Cole Gest looks explosive and Morgan Ellison is bigger and stronger and faster than I've ever seen him. Mike Majette, he's really, really got a great skill set. Just got to keep him healthy.
"It gives you a lot of options. There are other guys as well that are fighting, clawing and scratching. Ricky Brookins is Mr. Dependable. He can do just about everything that we ask him to do. Great, great attitude. He'll help us win. I really like that room."
A room full of guys seemingly willing and able to:
Run the Ball.
Can we get an "Amen?"
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Tom Allen is a devout man. He knows what constitutes a commandment.
And during the Big Ten Football Media Days in Chicago, the Indiana head coach essentially issued one to his 2018 team:
"When I think about the culture I want – in terms of how we play and how we're identified and what people think of when they think of Indiana – to me, it's run the football. That's running it on offense and stopping it on defense."
Or, in so many words: Hoosiers, Thou Shalt Run the Ball.
The current club, on paper, has the makings for compliance.
Indiana returns its entire offensive line, depth included, healthy and intact. Plus welcome additions such as grad transfer Nick Linder, a former starter for Miami (Fla.).
All three quarterbacks currently battling for the starting spot can run. IU "speed specialist" Dr. Matt Rhea clocks Brandon Dawkins, Peyton Ramsey and Michael Penix Jr. all at 22 miles per hour for peak speed, which Rhea says meets the standard for "elite speed."
But what about the guys whose primary job is toting the rock out of the backfield?
Mike Hart, IU running backs coach also recently elevated to an assistant head coach title, says he's already seeing positive effects of offseason conditioning work under David Ballou and Rhea, who were added to the Hoosier staff in January.
"I think if you just watch the guys, I mean, they're faster," Hart said. "They're outrunning DBs. I think they're more explosive. When they lower their pads, they're falling forward three yards … so I think it's definitely transitioning (to the field) during practice.
"But the biggest things is it has to transition on Saturdays during the season."
The guys who carried the ball most often on Saturdays last fall return.
While IU managed just 3.5 yards per carry as a team, then-true freshman Morgan Ellison (4.9), redshirt freshman Cole Gest (4.6) and redshirt junior Ricky Brookins (8.0) combined for 1,220 yards on 247 carries (4.9). All are back and healthy.
So is Mike Majette, who missed most of last season to injury but returns for his senior campaign as a player who has demonstrated he can catch the ball as well as run it.
Add a pair of promising freshmen in Stevie Scott and Ronnie Walker Jr., and it adds up to a room full of prospects appealing to Hart.
"You have Cole who has started, Mike who has started, Ricky who has played a lot of games, and, obviously, you've had Morgan starting (most of last season's games)," Hart said this week. "So you have four guys who've already played a lot of Big Ten football.
"Two are sophomores and two are seniors, so you have a good spread right there. And the great thing is that we have young guys behind them who are talented, and who can sit there kind of in the wings and learn how these guys do it, how they've had some success, and I think that's a great thing."
Hart fully subscribes to Allen's desire to become known as a program that can run the ball, preferably sooner than later.
"You can't win football games in the Big Ten without being able to run the ball," said Hart, who should know. Hart set Michigan records for rushing yardage (5,040) and carries (1,015). "And any team you're on," he continued, "you want to be able to win the line of scrimmage.
"Number one, that starts up front. You have to have linemen who do a great job, and our guys have gotten better. They're stronger. They're bigger. They're faster. And the most important thing is they understand the offense and what we want. Those guys have taken a leadership role. We have … seven (linemen) who've played a lot of Big Ten football.
"Number two, you need backs who can break tackles. Linemen can only do so much. You want those backs who can break tackles and get those extra yards. If they block for three (yards), we have to get six. If they block for six, we have to get 10.
"And that's what makes the offense able to work. If they're blocking for three and you are only getting three yards, that's the running back's fault. If they block for zero, we should still get three. So to me it's a combination of the two things. The offensive line has to do its job and the running backs have to be special."
Hart feels his current corps has a special camaraderie.
"All the guys like one another, they cheer for each other," Hart said. They compete every day, but they joke and have fun, and then off the field they're best friends.
"And between the lines, they still help each other out. The older guys are coaching the younger guys. And that's the sort of thing you want as a coach, where you don't have to do everything.
"Ricky Brookins (is that way). A lot of guys don't know who Connor Thomas (a redshirt sophomore from Clarksville, Tenn.) is, right? But he's a kid who knows our whole offense. He's a walk-on in our room and he's kind of my go-to guy.
He knows everything … he's one of those guys to help the younger guys out in terms of learning the offense. In the long run, that's going to help this team out."
It will help Indiana's running game out to have a quarterback who defenses have to account for as a runner. It will help having an extra blocker periodically at the point of attack – a back not carrying the rock can block.
"Hey, we running backs want the ball!" Hart exclaimed in mock exasperation. "We don't want to block!" He laughed, then added, "But, yes, exactly. When you get into those certain situations where you can actually have an extra blocker, it definitely kind of evens things up."
Allen likes well-rounded backs who share myriad duties, blocking included.
"You got to have a bunch of guys, I think in this league, to take the workload," Allen said. "You're going see different skill sets, recruit different guys and different body types and do different things. I think that with the way offense is played and the number of snaps that we get, it's very smart to have that.
"The more well-rounded a young man is, the more things he can do and the longer he'll stay on the field. I just like the versatility of the group."
Gest showed some versatility Monday, catching several outlet passes and taking one down the sidelines for a score. And big freshman Scott showed both moves and muscle, engendering cheers from his offensive teammates on a particularly impressive jaunt late in practice.
"Stevie Scott kind of sticks out to me," Allen said. "He's … 235 pounds and he's strong as a bull. He's really fast and he's just got to learn what he's doing. He's flashed.
"Cole Gest looks explosive and Morgan Ellison is bigger and stronger and faster than I've ever seen him. Mike Majette, he's really, really got a great skill set. Just got to keep him healthy.
"It gives you a lot of options. There are other guys as well that are fighting, clawing and scratching. Ricky Brookins is Mr. Dependable. He can do just about everything that we ask him to do. Great, great attitude. He'll help us win. I really like that room."
A room full of guys seemingly willing and able to:
Run the Ball.
Can we get an "Amen?"
Players Mentioned
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