DIPRIMIO COLUMN: Mullen Helping ‘Get This Thing Rolling’

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Tiawan Mullen isn't a Hoosier to extend football status quo.

The struggles from the program's all-too-bumpy past are as relevant to this true freshman cornerback as a Bryan Adams No. 1 hit song, which was relevant in 1991 (see Adams' "Everything I do, I Do For You"), which happens to be the last time the Hoosiers won a bowl game, which happens to be VERY high on the Cream & Crimson to-do list.

So here is Mullen, a 5-10, 175-pound testament to coach Tom Allen's Florida recruiting success, standing in IU's state-of-the-art weight-lifting facility (among the reasons why the Hoosiers are 7-2 and building an aura of a team nobody wants to face), talking the significance of the moment.

"This means a lot," he says. "I came 16 hours from home. I told (Coach Allen), 'We're going to get this thing rolling. It's not going to take two years, three years. As soon I get here, we're going to get the train rolling.'"

He pauses. The memory of the Memorial Stadium firework explosion from Saturday night's 34-3 win over Northwestern shimmers around him like gold.

"We have a great staff, great players. We're making things happen."

Mullen certainly did Saturday night. He ripped the ball free from Northwestern quarterback Aidan Smith on the Wildcats' first play. Defensive end Michael Ziemba recovered, and it led to running back Stevie Scott III's touchdown.

"I knew I was going to have the ball before (Smith) came to me," Mullen says. "It was already in my head to take away the ball."

In the second quarter, Mullen recovered a fumble forced by linebacker Cam Jones, and it led to a quarterback Michael Penix Jr. TD run.

Two big plays. Two Hoosier touchdowns. A nationally-televised blowout.

Yes, life is first-kiss good for the program these days, and it's no accident.

"We put in the hard work," Mullen says. "The coaches don't stop coaching."

Mullen's instant impact isn't surprising.

At Florida's Coconut Creek High School, Mullen was a takeaway-creating machine -- 14 career interceptions, three returned for touchdowns, plus five forced fumbles -- in part because of sprinter's speed and a knack for not only being in the right place at the right time, but doing something about it.

"From the beginning he's been a playmaker," Allen says. "He's a special player. He's also got a special mindset."

And then …

"He's just being Tiawan. He's a stud."

Elite football success is a family tradition. Older brother Trayvon played cornerback at powerhouse Clemson and is now with the Oakland Raiders. Cousin Lamar Jackson is a former Heisman Trophy winner from Louisville and now the Baltimore Ravens starting quarterback.

Mullen didn't come to Bloomington to lose, not this season, not in the ones to come.

"He's a very confident young man," Allen says. "He just keeps getting better, like our team."

Mullen began the season as a backup. That didn't last long.

"His role keeps growing," Allen says. "When he first got here, he was basically just a situational guy to put in man-to-man coverage on one of (the opposing team's) top guys. He didn't know the whole defense."

Mullen knows now.

"He knows all the things he has to do to play zone coverages, man to man, all the checks and adjustments that go with it," Allen says.

On a program on the rise, that makes all the difference.

*****

Stevie Scott III isn't a Hoosier to extend status quo.

He came from New York with a running back mindset despite being recruited as a linebacker, and it's paying off with a strong sophomore encore to a record-setting freshman debut (1,137 yards, 10 touchdowns).

Scott punished Northwestern for 116 bruising yards and two rushing touchdowns and one receiving score, busting runs short and long with a ferocity defenders don't want to see from a 6-2, 231-pounder.

Scott has 737 rushing yards and, with three games remaining, is positioned for a second straight 1,000-yard season.

But that isn't the point.

Winning is.

"We're changing this program around," he says. "This program was down a few years ago. It's all we talked about in the offseason, changing this program and getting it in the right direction.

"Now that we're winning and are all on the same page, I feel we're destined for greatness."

Rushing greatness seemed elusive during IU's 3-2 start. The running game sputtered, Scott with it. He rushed for 48 yards against Ball State, 61 against Eastern Illinois, and just nine against Ohio State.

Now, Scott is rolling with 100-yard efforts in three of his last four games.

"It's running downhill," Scott says. "Trying to be a physical back. Try to get that short yardage because eventually the big runs will pop.

"It's just being patient and let everything flow rather than rushing. Just play my type of game."

That was running backs coach Mike Hart's message, and it's paying off.

"There was a concerted effort by teams to make sure Stevie Scott didn't beat them," Allen says. "They were loading up the box and he was getting impatient and trying to make big plays.

"But he learned a lot. Coach Hart did a great job of teaching him how to handle this. To be more patient. And he started running harder, running with more confidence."

Along the way, IU's running game has become second-half dominant, wearing down opponents as offensive line coach Darren Hiller mixes combinations to offset injury and illness.

"Our O-line keeps getting better," Allen says. "We're consistently running the way we know we need to."

Adds Scott: "As the games pile on, the offense grows, the team chemistry comes together and we start clicking."

The result -- IU has locked up a bowl bid and a winning record, with more milestones ahead.

"Our team is right where we want to be," Scott says.

*****

Nick Westbrook isn't a Hoosier to extend status quo.

The fifth-year senior receiver does things you'd expect (catch touchdowns, make big plays) and things you wouldn't (go the extra mile on special teams).

"He drills for special teams every week because he wants to play at the next level," Allen says, "and he knows he's going to have to be a special teams player at that point. That's the kind of buy-in our guys have. They believe what we tell them, and they're doing it."

Westbrook, who entered the season with national accolades, didn't catch a pass against Eastern Illinois or Nebraska. He caught two passes for just three yards against Michigan State. He could have copped an attitude. This is a guy, after all, who had 54 catches for 995 yards and six touchdowns in his second season, 42 catches for 590 yards and four touchdowns last year.

But Westbrook has fully bought into Allen's team-first approach. He caught six passes against Maryland, five against Rutgers and Northwestern. He had a season-high 103 receiving yards with just three catches against Ball State.

So if he only ranks fourth on the team with 26 catches for 353 yards and four TDs, well, let others gripe.

Westbrook just does his job.

"It's awesome and frustrating," he says. "One game you're getting all the balls, the next game you might have just a target or two, but the offense is going down the field with ease. It's awesome to see that."

Another fifth-year senior receiver, Donavan Hale, has had a similar experience. He caught 42 passes for 508 yards and six TDs last year. He and Westbrook were supposed to be a fill-up-the-stat-sheet duo.

Instead, Hale ranks sixth on the team with 20 catches, while junior Whop Philyor has emerged as the No. 1 target (Big Ten-leading totals of 59 catches and 813 yards)

No matter.

Hale had a monster 32-yard catch against Northwestern, leads the team in yards per reception (17.8), has three touchdowns, and is capable of taking over games.

"We have a great group of receivers," Westbrook says. "Anyone can go off at any time."

Westbrook and Scott have helped make IU an offensive juggernaut with a program-record eight 30-point-plus games in its first nine game. With offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer devising defense-wrecking schemes on a weekly basis, the Hoosiers rank first in the Big Ten in passing offense (308.0 yards), second in total offense (446.4 yards) and fifth in scoring average (34.0 points).

"We have a lot of confidence in how good this offense can be," Westbrook says. "When we're on it, it's hard to stop us."

Adds Scott: "It shows how dangerous our offense is. It helps the defense do its job. That's vital for the season."

*****

No Hoosier is here to extend the status quo. This is about change, resurrection if you will, to follow what coach Bill Mallory did in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and what coach Bo McMillin did in the 1930s and '40s before the NFL called.

Allen pushed hard to break IU out of a losing funk that lasted more than a generation (his Hoosier record is 17-17), and assistant coaches and players pushed with him.

The result -- a bowl bid and winning record are secured for the first time since 2007.

"It's special," defensive end Michael Ziemba says. "It all starts with Coach Allen, and trickles down from there. It affects us. We just want to keep winning."

What's the secret? As it turns out, it's no secret at all.

"We just play hard," Ziemba says. "So many guys make plays."

More and more people are noticing, especially those who vote on national polls.

In this week's coaches' poll, IU went from 18 to 44 votes for a No. 27 ranking. Texas has 79 votes for No. 26. Navy is at No. 25 with 92.

In last week's A.P. poll, the Hoosiers had four votes. This week, they have 27 votes to come in at No. 28. Navy is again No. 25, with 83 votes.

For a program learning to finish, a big opportunity looms.

Win at least two of the last three games against No. 5 Penn State (8-0), No. 14 Michigan (7-2) and Purdue (3-6), and Top-25 status is likely secured.

It's a grueling closing stretch that will determine if this is a great or good season.

The Hoosiers plan to make the most of it -- and have a bye week to help.

"We've got big goals for this place," Allen says. "It hasn't been easy.

"It's critical that we get healthy this week. We'll do a lot of recruiting."

He pauses.

"These guys are on a mission."

You never know. Someday Bryan Adams might even sing about it.

Indiana University Athletics

DIPRIMIO COLUMN: Mullen Helping ‘Get This Thing Rolling’

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Players Mentioned

Donavan Hale

Cam Jones

Tiawan Mullen

Michael Penix Jr.

Whop Philyor

Stevie Scott III

Nick Westbrook

Michael Ziemba

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