Indiana University Athletics
Tom Allen, James Head Jr. and Simon Stepaniak Transcripts
3/21/2019 11:34:00 AM | Football
Head Coach Tom Allen
On how the week has gone after spring break…
"You have some time away, which is good, and you have a lot of the guys refreshed. We didn't have practice on Tuesday, but we did a lot of things together as a team and got a couple of lifts in prior to today's practice. For coming off the break, I thought it was very crisp and sharp. Offensively, we did a lot of good things in both the run game and the pass game. Defensively, we had a lot to install today but I thought the young guys flew around and had a lot of energy. We are just continuing to focus on the process and getting better every day."
On the offensive line adapting to a new offensive coordinator…
"I thought today we showed a lot of physicality up front that we have to have. We've got three guys back that have played a lot of football here and we've got some new guys that we are working in here as well. The biggest thing right now is about technique and toughness on the offensive line. That's what our emphasis is going to be. We are going to be getting a lot of guys prepared. You have to be able to get guys that you can get a lot of solid, technical reps in this time of year because you never know what the future is going to hold for that depth. It's a relatively young group overall, but we do have some strong senior leadership."
On what he likes from the defensive line group…
"It's similar, but the big thing is we've got more newer guys that haven't played as many snaps on that side. But it seems like we are going to have more guys that are going to contribute out of that group in being able to be more physical. I think it's also a confidence piece that needs to keep growing, and when we pressure the quarterback, we've got to get there. That's where I thought our offensive line protected well today going in some third-down situations. But, there were also a few times where we were able to get the pressure we wanted. That's what you get in the spring. It goes back-and-forth both sides, but I think the defensive line is learning to pursue the football and burst when the ball comes out of the quarterback's hand. That's something that is never natural. You have to coach it. You have to demand it."
On any specific standouts on each side of the ball…
"I think for me, Harry Crider is one of our younger guys that's played in the past but hasn't played a lot. I saw him do some good things today. He needs to continue to improve and get better. For me, you got Michael Katic who came in and Matthew Bedford who came in as mid-year guys, and to be thrusted in to this element right out of high school, both have done some good things. They are guys that I think have a chance to be involved earlier than you might expect, but they have a long ways to go as well. They've just caught my eye on the offensive side of the football. Defensively, James Head Jr. continues to do some really good things. But Michael Ziemba is probably the one that's flashed the most in terms of a guy we need to step up at the defensive end spot. He's always played hard, but just that confidence and execution, I'm starting to see more of that and his athleticism is continuing to grow."
On the next thing he wants to see accomplished this spring…
"We have our three goals. Those don't change. To me, it's about, can you keep doing it over and over again? You come back from break and Saturday is practice number six. Half of that is going to be a scrimmage with officials here. It's just about the constant improvement, the technical focus and learning your assignments. As you are doing that, you continue to play extremely hard. My biggest focus is that word right there, because you control your focus and control your effort. I want to see that every day and I want it demanded. Even right now, the defense is out there doing some post-practice reinforcement of their effort and the things that they have to do to be able to be a great defense, flying to the ball, pursuing, and when you get there, finishing plays. Those things have to continue on both sides of the football and especially on special teams."
How has the spring gone so far?
"It's fast paced right now. We're still getting used to things. I feel like it's going good overall for the team."
What has the defensive line been working on this spring?
"We did not have that many sacks last year, so we're trying to work on our pass rush. Rushing the passer, different ways to get to the quarterback."
What are your goals?
"First, I need try to become a starter. Pass rush, try to get to the quarterback and get as many sacks as I can."
How's the competition within your group?
"Everybody is competing everyday against each other. Battles everyday."
What's your mindset this spring?
"Attack. Do your job. Make sure you do your job and hold people accountable, hold yourself accountable."
How has the spring gone so far?
"It's going great. We're doing a lot of learning. Teaching the young guys is the biggest point this year since we lost so many guys from last year. We were playing with a veteran group. Just getting the young guys up to par and playing aggressive like how we play."
How are you adapting to the new offensive system?
"I love this system. We're learning it. There's a lot of words to learn, but as a group we are getting it well. It's going to be better for us in the long run when we are playing games."
Do you have any goals for yourself?
"Staying healthy. Personally, I want to help the younger guys below me because that's what the older guys like (Dan) Feeney and Wes Martin and all them have done for me. I feel like that's a big burden on me to help the young guys come up and play aggressive."
What do you like about the offensive line group?
"I love the athleticism we have. It's really good. We have the potential to better than last year, which is saying a lot because last year we were dominant. We have a lot of potential in this group."
What are you most excited about with this team?
"Seeing us all come along with this new offensive system. The defense is similar to what they used to run, but it's a little different. Seeing the team come along all together with these new systems is going to be huge. Going into the fall it is going to help us a lot."
