Indiana University Athletics
‘Uncharted Territory’ – IU Arrives Pumped for Gator Bowl Opportunity
12/29/2019 5:30:00 PM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Indiana arrived in Saturday rain, but not gloom.
This was Florida, a bowl opportunity, a chance to make a national football statement, and bad weather was as relevant as horse-and-buggy travel.
"Rain is part of it," head coach Tom Allen said. "That goes away and the sun follows."
Sun is everywhere you look in this Cream & Crimson football world these days, and Allen knows it. He's coached to success last seen a generation ago under Bill Mallory. He's coached in Florida at the high school and college levels, to more success.
His Hoosiers (8-4) basically haven't played in a month. Most have never played in a bowl before.
Now that they're in Jacksonville to face Tennessee (7-5) in Thursday night's TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at TIAA Bank Field (home of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars), it's about focus, discipline and resolve.
Oh. Also about some fun. The team is set t0 attend multiple bowl actives leading up to Thursday's game.
"It is a challenge and it is uncharted territory for a lot of our guys," Allen said. "We have seven players that have played in a bowl game. That's it. The majority of our team has not.
"We have a majority of our coaching staff that has a lot of experience coaching in these games and knowing how to schedule it out. But the team has to respond.
"I feel good about what we have done so far. We need to have a great week of preparation here, which can be distracting because there are a lot of distractions. But those are good distractions. We just have to teach our guys how to handle it and be very productive as a staff so that we can play our best on game day."
Quarterback Peyton Ramsey doesn't see any focus issues. Not with the chance to tie the school single-season record for victories and set a post-season standard for long-term success.
"It's a good time to develop and stay sharp. I'm happy with where we're at. We've had enough practices to stay sharp."
The Hoosiers will have more practices in the next several days, more time to hone sharpness because a victory would be another huge step for a program that hasn't won a bowl since 1991.
"It matters a lot," Ramsey said. "Playing a different team, somebody we don't get to play against, and playing well and getting a win, will carry a lot of momentum (into next season).
"It will be good for recruiting. It will be good for the young guys to continue to develop. It would mean a lot."
IU fans apparently agree. The school already has sold its allotment of 8,000 bowl tickets, and the quest for more continues. A crowd in excess of 55,000 is projected.
"We're excited to be here," Allen said. "It's a great opportunity with a great venue. To be playing a team like Tennessee with so much tradition, and so many great players to have played there (can you say Peyton Manning?), so many great coaches to have coached there, it's an honor to play them."
As offensive lineman Caleb Jones put it, "Man, I tell you what, every day gets you more ready to play, more ready to face an SEC team, more ready to prove we're not a fluke."
Ramsey remains the Hoosier catalyst, as he has in a season of twists and turns. He began fall camp as the starter, lost that status to Michael Penix Jr., regained it when a series of injuries eventually sidelined Penix for the season.
"What makes him so special has been revealed through the adversity that I created by not naming him the starter," Allen said. "At the same time, I challenged him when we met about how to handle this and how to respond.
"I knew that he would respond the right way. He is such a special young man, been raised the right way, but he is a competitor. He wanted to be the guy.
"The thing that I love so much about him is that he was ready when called upon. He did not know. There were games that he did not play at all, but he prepared at a high level and was ready to play. Sure enough, when we needed him, he was there and answered the bell. He did not just play, he played really well."
The numbers back that up – Ramsey has thrown for 13 touchdowns (against 4 interceptions) for 2,227 yards while completing a career-best 69.2 percent of his passes (he remains the most accurate passer in school history). His 6,354 passing yards rank sixth in school history (Nate Sudfeld leads at 7,879).
And, of course, he led IU to crucial victories, highlighted by wins at Nebraska and rival Purdue.
Allen credits the competition Ramsey faced from Penix and Jack Tuttle for much of the improvement.
"I think competition makes everyone better," Allen said. "He was in a battle during the entire offseason
"The thing to me was just his confidence in making down-the-field throws. He had to work on his arm strength and being able to make those decisions quicker, get the ball out faster, and I think that is the difference.
"He has always been accurate, he has always played at a consistently high level in regards to completion percentage. It was about creating more explosive plays for our offense and having a better command of it.
"He is a year older, he works so hard, he is so tough, and he makes so many timely runs that just show a ton of grit and toughness. He gets knocked around, gets back up, takes big shots, but he is absolutely resilient and tough. He is just a winner.
"I am not surprised. I know that is was not easy for him to go through all of that, but his character was revealed, his value to this team was revealed in a huge way, and I could not be more proud and happier for him."
IUHoosiers.com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Indiana arrived in Saturday rain, but not gloom.
This was Florida, a bowl opportunity, a chance to make a national football statement, and bad weather was as relevant as horse-and-buggy travel.
"Rain is part of it," head coach Tom Allen said. "That goes away and the sun follows."
Sun is everywhere you look in this Cream & Crimson football world these days, and Allen knows it. He's coached to success last seen a generation ago under Bill Mallory. He's coached in Florida at the high school and college levels, to more success.
His Hoosiers (8-4) basically haven't played in a month. Most have never played in a bowl before.
Now that they're in Jacksonville to face Tennessee (7-5) in Thursday night's TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at TIAA Bank Field (home of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars), it's about focus, discipline and resolve.
Oh. Also about some fun. The team is set t0 attend multiple bowl actives leading up to Thursday's game.
"It is a challenge and it is uncharted territory for a lot of our guys," Allen said. "We have seven players that have played in a bowl game. That's it. The majority of our team has not.
"We have a majority of our coaching staff that has a lot of experience coaching in these games and knowing how to schedule it out. But the team has to respond.
"I feel good about what we have done so far. We need to have a great week of preparation here, which can be distracting because there are a lot of distractions. But those are good distractions. We just have to teach our guys how to handle it and be very productive as a staff so that we can play our best on game day."
Quarterback Peyton Ramsey doesn't see any focus issues. Not with the chance to tie the school single-season record for victories and set a post-season standard for long-term success.
"It's a good time to develop and stay sharp. I'm happy with where we're at. We've had enough practices to stay sharp."
The Hoosiers will have more practices in the next several days, more time to hone sharpness because a victory would be another huge step for a program that hasn't won a bowl since 1991.
"It matters a lot," Ramsey said. "Playing a different team, somebody we don't get to play against, and playing well and getting a win, will carry a lot of momentum (into next season).
"It will be good for recruiting. It will be good for the young guys to continue to develop. It would mean a lot."
IU fans apparently agree. The school already has sold its allotment of 8,000 bowl tickets, and the quest for more continues. A crowd in excess of 55,000 is projected.
"We're excited to be here," Allen said. "It's a great opportunity with a great venue. To be playing a team like Tennessee with so much tradition, and so many great players to have played there (can you say Peyton Manning?), so many great coaches to have coached there, it's an honor to play them."
As offensive lineman Caleb Jones put it, "Man, I tell you what, every day gets you more ready to play, more ready to face an SEC team, more ready to prove we're not a fluke."
Ramsey remains the Hoosier catalyst, as he has in a season of twists and turns. He began fall camp as the starter, lost that status to Michael Penix Jr., regained it when a series of injuries eventually sidelined Penix for the season.
"What makes him so special has been revealed through the adversity that I created by not naming him the starter," Allen said. "At the same time, I challenged him when we met about how to handle this and how to respond.
"I knew that he would respond the right way. He is such a special young man, been raised the right way, but he is a competitor. He wanted to be the guy.
"The thing that I love so much about him is that he was ready when called upon. He did not know. There were games that he did not play at all, but he prepared at a high level and was ready to play. Sure enough, when we needed him, he was there and answered the bell. He did not just play, he played really well."
The numbers back that up – Ramsey has thrown for 13 touchdowns (against 4 interceptions) for 2,227 yards while completing a career-best 69.2 percent of his passes (he remains the most accurate passer in school history). His 6,354 passing yards rank sixth in school history (Nate Sudfeld leads at 7,879).
And, of course, he led IU to crucial victories, highlighted by wins at Nebraska and rival Purdue.
Allen credits the competition Ramsey faced from Penix and Jack Tuttle for much of the improvement.
"I think competition makes everyone better," Allen said. "He was in a battle during the entire offseason
"The thing to me was just his confidence in making down-the-field throws. He had to work on his arm strength and being able to make those decisions quicker, get the ball out faster, and I think that is the difference.
"He has always been accurate, he has always played at a consistently high level in regards to completion percentage. It was about creating more explosive plays for our offense and having a better command of it.
"He is a year older, he works so hard, he is so tough, and he makes so many timely runs that just show a ton of grit and toughness. He gets knocked around, gets back up, takes big shots, but he is absolutely resilient and tough. He is just a winner.
"I am not surprised. I know that is was not easy for him to go through all of that, but his character was revealed, his value to this team was revealed in a huge way, and I could not be more proud and happier for him."
Players Mentioned
FB: Charlie Becker - Wisconsin Postgame Press Conference (11/15/25)
Saturday, November 15
FB: Fernando Mendoza - Wisconsin Postgame Press Conference (11/15/25)
Saturday, November 15
FB: Aiden Fisher - Wisconsin Postgame Press Conference (11/15/25)
Saturday, November 15
FB: Stephen Daley - Wisconsin Postgame Press Conference (11/15/25)
Saturday, November 15