Indiana University Athletics
Here Come the Guys from Largo
9/7/2018 3:06:00 PM | Football
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Sometimes you see it coming.
Jonathan Crawford saw the play unfold and he knew.
"I was reading the receiver's hips," Indiana's standout senior safety recalled . "He slipped and, once I saw him slip, I knew I could gain leverage on him."
Leverage to the ball, which Crawford intercepted and returned for the touchdown that gave the Hoosiers a lead they'd never lose in their season-opening win at Florida International.
"I knew I was taking it in as soon as I caught it," Crawford said. "I've been thinking about that all summer – a pick-6. I knew I was running in."
Donavan Hale had seen it all before, and down in Florida.
Hale had watched Crawford, his cousin and teammate, set a career record with 12 interceptions at Largo (Fla.) High School.
"It was exactly like high school," Hale said. "When I saw him get that pick and run it into the end zone, and kind of just throw the 'L' (sign) up in the air."
It was certainly not coincidental that, with Hale and Crawford, Largo won three straight district titles and made four consecutive playoff runs.
But while Crawford has subsequently started all 40 career games at Indiana, redshirt junior wideout Hale was hamstrung with injuries last year – receiving a medical redshirt – and underwent a rehabilitation that still has him on a "pitch count" in practices.
"The whole objective is that he is full speed on game day," Hoosier head coach Tom Allen said of Hale. "So it's really kind of us being able to work with our strength staff, our training staff, and Coach (Grant) Heard as they communicate with Donavan and be able to know exactly how he feels each day. Then based on that is how we discern how many reps we want to get."
But even during limited practice time, Hale's Hoosier teammates could see what was coming, too.
During IU's second full scrimmage of fall camp at Memorial Stadium, Hale ran a post pattern toward the back of the end zone and freshman quarterback Michael Penix Jr. unloaded a rocket in Hale's direction.
The ball was high and slightly behind Hale. He went airborne and, against his momentum, torqued his torso back for the ball and fully extended his left hand for it. He snagged it one-handed and brought it in while landing in stride, then continued motoring as if nothing had happened.
Virtually the entire Hoosier offense sprinted toward the end zone to celebrate with Hale, who eventually made his way to the west sideline, where Allen was waiting. Allen told Hale that was exactly the sort of play the talented, 6-foot-4, 229-pound Hale could provide the team.
Hale said Allen challenged him "really to believe in myself. Using my size and my speed and, really, just believing that when I'm out on the field, nobody can stop me.
"It was (a good moment). I'm capable of making any kind of catch, plays like that. Just to be able to get out there doing it again, and everybody seeing me doing it again, was a good sign."
Indeed, it seemed almost a formal announcement that Hale was back healthy, was again ready to supply the sort of skill-set that would nicely augment any offense out wide.
"Oh, yeah," IU offensive coordinator Mike DeBord agreed. "No. 1, to make that play – and those are the kinds of plays he has to make, and everybody's been on him to make plays like that.
"So I think that was a great moment. And then for his teammates rally around him, I think that was great, too."
That scrimmage play didn't count on the scoreboard. But Hale's four catches for 60 yards and two TDs at FIU sure did.
Hale's first catch was a beautifully thrown 18-yard post pattern TD pass from starting quarterback Peyton Ramsey.
The second TD catch wasn't easy. Ramsey had to throw a slant to Hale's back hip, to avoid a Panther linebacker dropping into coverage but almost into the grill of the defensive back on Hale's heels.
But Hale again twisted his body backwards, this time to make a two-handed snag that took the ball out of harm's way, for the score.
"I was over just over there by myself and pretty much knew it was coming to me," Hale recalled. "I just had to get open and make a play."
Hale might draw more double-coverage soon, especially after he added touchdown No. 3 in the win over Virginia last weekend, but thinks defenses would pay a price for that via other Hoosier weaponry.
"We've got athletes all over the field," Hale said. "Whether it's at running back, a QB who can get out of the pocket (and) making throws, receivers, tight ends."
Crawford doubled as a receiver while starring at safety for Largo, where he caught a pair of TD balls from Hale, who threw for 1,488 yards and nine TDs as a Largo senior quarterback.
And Crawford said seeing his high school teammate's first TD catch at FIU, which forged a 7-7 tie, inspired him to also seek paydirt.
"It motivated me to go out there and play harder and do everything I can to hopefully get in the end zone," Crawford recalled.
And when Crawford also got into the end zone with his pick-6, that made the score Largo 14, Florida International 7 by the end of the first quarter.
Crawford relished playing in Miami as one of IU's 23 Floridians.
"It was great," he said. "Last game in Florida as a college football player. It was great."
(Well, there are a few bowls played in Florida …)
But Allen, a native Hoosier who coached at both the high school and collegiate levels in Florida before returning to his home state, fully understands that one of the great things about IU playing and winning a game in Florida is to help spur further recruiting in that crucial area.
"Just excited about coming off a week one win down in Miami," Allen said. "Important for us in a lot of ways to get off to a great start, and a big recruiting area for us, for our program.
"We got to see a lot of our young men go back to the state of Florida and have their families there for the game, so that was very positive."
And, Hale noted, a motivator to have Floridian families at the game.
"It really did (give me a boost)," Hale said. "Honestly, it felt just like high school, and it was really nice having them there."
So that perhaps helped Hale post his first career two-TD game as a Hoosiers. And perhaps helped Crawford deliver his fifth career two-takeaway game (forcing a fumble in addition to his pick-6).
Crawford cited the defense's three takeaways as the highlight of that unit's night.
"That was a big emphasis from last season," Crawford said about generating more takeaways. "We went out there and did that. The thing I didn't like was probably the missed assignments. Lot of MAs. Those things can be fixed though. It was nothing physically, but the mental mistakes need to be fixed."
Indiana – which sports the 19th youngest roster in the nation – is especially youthful on defense, where it is replacing seven starters from a year ago.
And the Hoosier defense faces a challenge Saturday night, when the Hoosiers host Virginia for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Cavalier offense rolled last week behind dual-threat quarterback Bryce Perkins – who threw for two scores and ran for two more in a romp
over Richmond.
"Really just having a man (assigned) for him on passing downs," Crawford said of how the Hoosiers need to approach Perkins. "Those third-and-short situations where he can easily tuck it and run it, or third-and-medium … having a man down low to make sure
he's contained."
Indiana's Memorial Stadium is now fully contained, with Friday's formal dedication of IU's Excellence Academy marking the new facility beyond the south end zone that completes the enclosed circle surrounding the field.
"We like it," Crawford said. "It gives the stadium a better look … it looks really nice."
And the crowd gathering for the Hoosiers' home opener will get a look at both guys from Largo doing their respective things, now that Hale is healthy again.
His teammates are already pretty happy about that.
"They're just happy to see me back out on the field," Hale said. "The past is the past. Just looking forward to the future, and what the future holds."
Sometimes, you can see it coming.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Sometimes you see it coming.
Jonathan Crawford saw the play unfold and he knew.
"I was reading the receiver's hips," Indiana's standout senior safety recalled . "He slipped and, once I saw him slip, I knew I could gain leverage on him."
Leverage to the ball, which Crawford intercepted and returned for the touchdown that gave the Hoosiers a lead they'd never lose in their season-opening win at Florida International.
"I knew I was taking it in as soon as I caught it," Crawford said. "I've been thinking about that all summer – a pick-6. I knew I was running in."
Donavan Hale had seen it all before, and down in Florida.
Hale had watched Crawford, his cousin and teammate, set a career record with 12 interceptions at Largo (Fla.) High School.
"It was exactly like high school," Hale said. "When I saw him get that pick and run it into the end zone, and kind of just throw the 'L' (sign) up in the air."
It was certainly not coincidental that, with Hale and Crawford, Largo won three straight district titles and made four consecutive playoff runs.
But while Crawford has subsequently started all 40 career games at Indiana, redshirt junior wideout Hale was hamstrung with injuries last year – receiving a medical redshirt – and underwent a rehabilitation that still has him on a "pitch count" in practices.
"The whole objective is that he is full speed on game day," Hoosier head coach Tom Allen said of Hale. "So it's really kind of us being able to work with our strength staff, our training staff, and Coach (Grant) Heard as they communicate with Donavan and be able to know exactly how he feels each day. Then based on that is how we discern how many reps we want to get."
But even during limited practice time, Hale's Hoosier teammates could see what was coming, too.
During IU's second full scrimmage of fall camp at Memorial Stadium, Hale ran a post pattern toward the back of the end zone and freshman quarterback Michael Penix Jr. unloaded a rocket in Hale's direction.
The ball was high and slightly behind Hale. He went airborne and, against his momentum, torqued his torso back for the ball and fully extended his left hand for it. He snagged it one-handed and brought it in while landing in stride, then continued motoring as if nothing had happened.
Virtually the entire Hoosier offense sprinted toward the end zone to celebrate with Hale, who eventually made his way to the west sideline, where Allen was waiting. Allen told Hale that was exactly the sort of play the talented, 6-foot-4, 229-pound Hale could provide the team.
Hale said Allen challenged him "really to believe in myself. Using my size and my speed and, really, just believing that when I'm out on the field, nobody can stop me.
"It was (a good moment). I'm capable of making any kind of catch, plays like that. Just to be able to get out there doing it again, and everybody seeing me doing it again, was a good sign."
Indeed, it seemed almost a formal announcement that Hale was back healthy, was again ready to supply the sort of skill-set that would nicely augment any offense out wide.
"Oh, yeah," IU offensive coordinator Mike DeBord agreed. "No. 1, to make that play – and those are the kinds of plays he has to make, and everybody's been on him to make plays like that.
"So I think that was a great moment. And then for his teammates rally around him, I think that was great, too."
That scrimmage play didn't count on the scoreboard. But Hale's four catches for 60 yards and two TDs at FIU sure did.
Hale's first catch was a beautifully thrown 18-yard post pattern TD pass from starting quarterback Peyton Ramsey.
The second TD catch wasn't easy. Ramsey had to throw a slant to Hale's back hip, to avoid a Panther linebacker dropping into coverage but almost into the grill of the defensive back on Hale's heels.
But Hale again twisted his body backwards, this time to make a two-handed snag that took the ball out of harm's way, for the score.
"I was over just over there by myself and pretty much knew it was coming to me," Hale recalled. "I just had to get open and make a play."
Hale might draw more double-coverage soon, especially after he added touchdown No. 3 in the win over Virginia last weekend, but thinks defenses would pay a price for that via other Hoosier weaponry.
"We've got athletes all over the field," Hale said. "Whether it's at running back, a QB who can get out of the pocket (and) making throws, receivers, tight ends."
Crawford doubled as a receiver while starring at safety for Largo, where he caught a pair of TD balls from Hale, who threw for 1,488 yards and nine TDs as a Largo senior quarterback.
And Crawford said seeing his high school teammate's first TD catch at FIU, which forged a 7-7 tie, inspired him to also seek paydirt.
"It motivated me to go out there and play harder and do everything I can to hopefully get in the end zone," Crawford recalled.
And when Crawford also got into the end zone with his pick-6, that made the score Largo 14, Florida International 7 by the end of the first quarter.
Crawford relished playing in Miami as one of IU's 23 Floridians.
"It was great," he said. "Last game in Florida as a college football player. It was great."
(Well, there are a few bowls played in Florida …)
But Allen, a native Hoosier who coached at both the high school and collegiate levels in Florida before returning to his home state, fully understands that one of the great things about IU playing and winning a game in Florida is to help spur further recruiting in that crucial area.
"Just excited about coming off a week one win down in Miami," Allen said. "Important for us in a lot of ways to get off to a great start, and a big recruiting area for us, for our program.
"We got to see a lot of our young men go back to the state of Florida and have their families there for the game, so that was very positive."
And, Hale noted, a motivator to have Floridian families at the game.
"It really did (give me a boost)," Hale said. "Honestly, it felt just like high school, and it was really nice having them there."
So that perhaps helped Hale post his first career two-TD game as a Hoosiers. And perhaps helped Crawford deliver his fifth career two-takeaway game (forcing a fumble in addition to his pick-6).
Crawford cited the defense's three takeaways as the highlight of that unit's night.
"That was a big emphasis from last season," Crawford said about generating more takeaways. "We went out there and did that. The thing I didn't like was probably the missed assignments. Lot of MAs. Those things can be fixed though. It was nothing physically, but the mental mistakes need to be fixed."
Indiana – which sports the 19th youngest roster in the nation – is especially youthful on defense, where it is replacing seven starters from a year ago.
And the Hoosier defense faces a challenge Saturday night, when the Hoosiers host Virginia for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Cavalier offense rolled last week behind dual-threat quarterback Bryce Perkins – who threw for two scores and ran for two more in a romp
over Richmond.
"Really just having a man (assigned) for him on passing downs," Crawford said of how the Hoosiers need to approach Perkins. "Those third-and-short situations where he can easily tuck it and run it, or third-and-medium … having a man down low to make sure
he's contained."
Indiana's Memorial Stadium is now fully contained, with Friday's formal dedication of IU's Excellence Academy marking the new facility beyond the south end zone that completes the enclosed circle surrounding the field.
"We like it," Crawford said. "It gives the stadium a better look … it looks really nice."
And the crowd gathering for the Hoosiers' home opener will get a look at both guys from Largo doing their respective things, now that Hale is healthy again.
His teammates are already pretty happy about that.
"They're just happy to see me back out on the field," Hale said. "The past is the past. Just looking forward to the future, and what the future holds."
Sometimes, you can see it coming.
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