Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO COLUMN: Why Not – Indiana Building Toward a Special Football Season
9/15/2018 5:46:00 PM | Football
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Is Indiana building toward a REALLY special football season?
The quick answer -- why not?
The longer answer -- forget history, this is a new era so stop being negative.
The Hoosiers were a juggernaut Saturday against a good Ball State team, winning 38-10 behind offensive line dominance, play-calling diversity and defensive tenacity.
Ball State (1-2) pushed top-10 Notre Dame hard the previous week. But on this sun-splashed Saturday at sparkling Memorial Stadium, Indiana did all the pushing.
The Cardinals never threatened. They never came close. It was 24-3 at halftime, and could have been 31-3.
The result -- IU is 3-0 for the first time since 2015, when it opened 4-0 and finished 6-7.
This group seems capable of far more than that.
But that's for later. For now, welcome to a Hoosier case study of collective excellence and individual brilliance, where depth is crucial to building long-term success.
It starts with the talent to back it up.
The Hoosiers have it, a testament to coach Tom Allen's recruiting. The players are developed and are well coached, and they care.
The Hoosiers thrive in all three areas.
IU wins with team achievement over individual glory, something every program emphasizes every year, but only few deliver.
The Hoosiers are delivering.
Case in team point -- the defense.
Allen continues sharing the play-time wealth. Twenty-six guys played on Saturday, with 18 recording at least two tackles. That builds depth, boosts morale and keeps more guys fresh.
The quality of play didn't diminish. IU totaled eight forced punts, six three-and outs, three sacks, seven tackles for loss and one takeaway.
IU has allowed 28, 16 and 10 points in its last three games.
No Hoosier defender has recorded more than seven tackles in a game. Safety Jonathan Crawford is the team season leader with 15 tackles.
By comparison, former All-America linebacker Tegray Scales sometimes totaled that many in a game.
"Playing a lot of guys is extremely important," redshirt junior linebacker Reakwon Jones said. "It allows guys to have a break and remain fresh.
"Ultimately it gives everyone a lot of experience, so when it comes to the end of the season, if someone goes down, you don't have to worry about a guy who hasn't played having to do all this. He has experience. It creates momentum in that you're not the only one making plays.
"You see guys come off the bench prepared. It's great to see."
Also case in team point -- the offensive line, which has responded to Allen's challenges in a big-time way. IU rushed for 255 yards, five more than the team goal, and the line was huge in that. The Hoosiers also didn't allow a sack.
As far as individual success, consider J-Shun Harris II, who is synonymous with perseverance and resilience.
The fifth-year senior once again showed why he might be the best punt returner in college football, certainly the Big Ten, with his 86-yard beauty for a touchdown that showcased his vision, speed and patience.
He tied Tim Wilbur's school record for most career punt returns for touchdowns, at three, and he's done it all in the last 12 months. That's not bad for a guy who has had more knee surgeries than Lee Corso has had mascot heads.
"It feels awesome," Harris said. "It's all the work I've put in. All the support I've had from the coaches, my family, everyone.
"We're not surprised. Everyone can have the narrative -- he's had 3 ACLS, why is he still playing? We're not about anyone else's limitations. As long as we keep that mindset and continue to play, we can continue to experience success."
Harris finished with 103 return yards on four attempts, which would have been more if two big returns weren't negated by penalties.
"He's as great a person as he is a weapon," Allen said. "That's a dangerous weapon to have. They're probably going to quit kicking to him.
"His attitude has been unbelievable. When he found out he had his third tear, I assumed it was over. There comes a time when you think, it's time to move on. But he never flinched. He worked himself back."
In fact, Allen thought Harris wouldn't be ready until the Michigan State game, but Harris said he knew he was ready at the end of fall camp, when he took off the knee brace for the first time.
"That's when my confidence boosted," Harris said.
Then there was true freshman tailback Stevie Scott, who continues to thrive as few IU newcomers ever have. He rushed for 114 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns. It was his second straight 100-yard game. He's the fastest Hoosier true freshman to record two 100-yard games.
"It's all about consistency, day in and day out, practicing my craft and working hard," he said. "The offensive line did a great job creating holes."
Finally, consider quarterback Peyton Ramsey, coolly efficient as ever, especially when he didn't have to deal with a deluge he did the previous week. He was 20-for-27 for 173 yards. For the season, he has completed 73.7 percent of his passes for 479 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.
"He's proven to everyone why I picked him as the starter," Allen said. "I believe in him. The team believes in him. He's extremely dependable and consistent. His play has been extremely encouraging. That's what I wanted to see."
And so the Hoosiers begin Big Ten play looking as strong as they have in a generation given their success against solid non-conference competition.
"I'm not surprised," Jones said. "I saw it through the spring, summer and camp. Everyone is very competitive and wants to make plays.
"It's great to see guys step it up, to not letting up. It's very important to go into the Michigan State game 3-0 with a lot of confidence, especially on the defensive side. We've picked it up. We didn't have the best Game 1, but we've grown ever since."
Or, as Allen said, "I'm proud of our team coming together to be 3-0. It was something we knew we needed to do, we wanted to do, but had to earn it. That's what our guys did.
"I'm proud of the way we did it. The offense did some great things in Week 1. The defense came back in Week 2 and sealed the win. Week 3 we all came together and played well.
"That's what you've got to do. That has to continue."
So, when someone asks if the Hoosiers can really have a special season, it's fine to answer with a question:
Why not?
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Is Indiana building toward a REALLY special football season?
The quick answer -- why not?
The longer answer -- forget history, this is a new era so stop being negative.
The Hoosiers were a juggernaut Saturday against a good Ball State team, winning 38-10 behind offensive line dominance, play-calling diversity and defensive tenacity.
Ball State (1-2) pushed top-10 Notre Dame hard the previous week. But on this sun-splashed Saturday at sparkling Memorial Stadium, Indiana did all the pushing.
The Cardinals never threatened. They never came close. It was 24-3 at halftime, and could have been 31-3.
The result -- IU is 3-0 for the first time since 2015, when it opened 4-0 and finished 6-7.
This group seems capable of far more than that.
But that's for later. For now, welcome to a Hoosier case study of collective excellence and individual brilliance, where depth is crucial to building long-term success.
It starts with the talent to back it up.
The Hoosiers have it, a testament to coach Tom Allen's recruiting. The players are developed and are well coached, and they care.
The Hoosiers thrive in all three areas.
IU wins with team achievement over individual glory, something every program emphasizes every year, but only few deliver.
The Hoosiers are delivering.
Case in team point -- the defense.
Allen continues sharing the play-time wealth. Twenty-six guys played on Saturday, with 18 recording at least two tackles. That builds depth, boosts morale and keeps more guys fresh.
The quality of play didn't diminish. IU totaled eight forced punts, six three-and outs, three sacks, seven tackles for loss and one takeaway.
IU has allowed 28, 16 and 10 points in its last three games.
No Hoosier defender has recorded more than seven tackles in a game. Safety Jonathan Crawford is the team season leader with 15 tackles.
By comparison, former All-America linebacker Tegray Scales sometimes totaled that many in a game.
"Playing a lot of guys is extremely important," redshirt junior linebacker Reakwon Jones said. "It allows guys to have a break and remain fresh.
"Ultimately it gives everyone a lot of experience, so when it comes to the end of the season, if someone goes down, you don't have to worry about a guy who hasn't played having to do all this. He has experience. It creates momentum in that you're not the only one making plays.
"You see guys come off the bench prepared. It's great to see."
Also case in team point -- the offensive line, which has responded to Allen's challenges in a big-time way. IU rushed for 255 yards, five more than the team goal, and the line was huge in that. The Hoosiers also didn't allow a sack.
As far as individual success, consider J-Shun Harris II, who is synonymous with perseverance and resilience.
The fifth-year senior once again showed why he might be the best punt returner in college football, certainly the Big Ten, with his 86-yard beauty for a touchdown that showcased his vision, speed and patience.
He tied Tim Wilbur's school record for most career punt returns for touchdowns, at three, and he's done it all in the last 12 months. That's not bad for a guy who has had more knee surgeries than Lee Corso has had mascot heads.
"It feels awesome," Harris said. "It's all the work I've put in. All the support I've had from the coaches, my family, everyone.
"We're not surprised. Everyone can have the narrative -- he's had 3 ACLS, why is he still playing? We're not about anyone else's limitations. As long as we keep that mindset and continue to play, we can continue to experience success."
Harris finished with 103 return yards on four attempts, which would have been more if two big returns weren't negated by penalties.
"He's as great a person as he is a weapon," Allen said. "That's a dangerous weapon to have. They're probably going to quit kicking to him.
"His attitude has been unbelievable. When he found out he had his third tear, I assumed it was over. There comes a time when you think, it's time to move on. But he never flinched. He worked himself back."
In fact, Allen thought Harris wouldn't be ready until the Michigan State game, but Harris said he knew he was ready at the end of fall camp, when he took off the knee brace for the first time.
"That's when my confidence boosted," Harris said.
Then there was true freshman tailback Stevie Scott, who continues to thrive as few IU newcomers ever have. He rushed for 114 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns. It was his second straight 100-yard game. He's the fastest Hoosier true freshman to record two 100-yard games.
"It's all about consistency, day in and day out, practicing my craft and working hard," he said. "The offensive line did a great job creating holes."
Finally, consider quarterback Peyton Ramsey, coolly efficient as ever, especially when he didn't have to deal with a deluge he did the previous week. He was 20-for-27 for 173 yards. For the season, he has completed 73.7 percent of his passes for 479 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.
"He's proven to everyone why I picked him as the starter," Allen said. "I believe in him. The team believes in him. He's extremely dependable and consistent. His play has been extremely encouraging. That's what I wanted to see."
And so the Hoosiers begin Big Ten play looking as strong as they have in a generation given their success against solid non-conference competition.
"I'm not surprised," Jones said. "I saw it through the spring, summer and camp. Everyone is very competitive and wants to make plays.
"It's great to see guys step it up, to not letting up. It's very important to go into the Michigan State game 3-0 with a lot of confidence, especially on the defensive side. We've picked it up. We didn't have the best Game 1, but we've grown ever since."
Or, as Allen said, "I'm proud of our team coming together to be 3-0. It was something we knew we needed to do, we wanted to do, but had to earn it. That's what our guys did.
"I'm proud of the way we did it. The offense did some great things in Week 1. The defense came back in Week 2 and sealed the win. Week 3 we all came together and played well.
"That's what you've got to do. That has to continue."
So, when someone asks if the Hoosiers can really have a special season, it's fine to answer with a question:
Why not?
Players Mentioned
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