Back and Fighting: Peyton Ramsey Still Stands Tall

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Peyton Ramsey doesn't blink in the heat.

Sideline him, sack him, turn him from starter to backup.

No matter. Indiana's redshirt junior quarterback is still standing, still making throws and taking shots, still capable of leading the Hoosiers to a winning-record promised land with this reality looming large:

The starting job is temporary.

Ramsey started against Ohio State and the Hoosiers got roughed up by a powerhouse defense.

He might very well start again Saturday at Memorial Stadium against Connecticut as the injury that has sidelined Michael Penix Jr. ensures position uncertainty for everything except Ramsey's attitude.

He'll be ready when called upon, whether that's making plays on the field or helping Penix and the offense succeed from the sidelines.

"Peyton has a lot of snaps under his belt in this program and has done some great things," offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer says.

He could do more if head coach Tom Allen has his offensive way, which means making defenses pay for loading the box, getting the ball to the perimeter and "being crisp and sharp. Get in an offensive rhythm. Keep the defense off balance."

If Ramsey starts, he'll be the catalyst for a team seeking to regain its mojo.

"You have to look at yourself in the mirror," Allen says, "and face the things you need to get fixed, and press on together."

Ramsey is not perfect. He understands that. So does DeBoer, who mixes praise with criticism. Teaching moments are everywhere you look.

The Ohio State game was a huge teaching moment. It presented a real-world situation as Eastern Illinois did not, and the Hoosiers didn't respond.

As far as the offense, "We got (Ramsey) in so many long situations," DeBoer says.

And then …

"There are plays he'd love to have back; throws he'd love to have back," DeBoer adds. "That's football. That's the way it's going to be for teams throughout the country."

Against relentless Ohio State pressure that resulted in five sacks and multiple knockdowns, Ramsey was 19-for-33 for 162 yards, no touchdowns and one interception that was returned for a touchdown.

"It was not a perfect game," DeBoer says, "but he'll improve."

One thing Ramsey didn't do was concede.

"He competed his tail off for the entire game," DeBoer says. "There were no missed responsibilities.

"Things were happening fast. He had some guys closing in on him on the edges. That's the result of being third-and-long and (Ohio State) being able to pin their ears back and us playing catch up.

"They get more up field and the pocket collapses and it gets tougher to see the field and the (passing) windows and know what's coming and still be accurate with your throws."

As Ohio State piled on the points, the running plays dwindled, the windows shrank and the get-the-QB pressure increased.

"It all snowballs on you when you have a 20- to 25- to 30-point deficit and you're trying to force some things," DeBoer says. "We're not giving up. We'll keep fighting."

As a leader, Ramsey sets the tone.

"I understand that what really matters is my approach," he says. "It's about being as consistent as possible every day. That's what the coaches are looking for."

It starts with accuracy. Ramsey has always been accurate.

This season Ramsey completes 68.1 percent of his passes, which is better than his career average of 66.0 percent, which is the best in school history. He's thrown for 388 yards and two touchdowns. That gives him 4,515 yards and 31 touchdowns for his career.

For perspective, the passing yardage is ninth in program history. The touchdown passes are more than former Hoosier quarterback standouts Trent Green, Dave Schnell and Babe Laufenberg achieved, and equal that of 1979 Holiday Bowl hero Tim Clifford.

You don't dink your way to that success.

Ramsey can make all the throws.

And when the time comes to throw deep, Ramsey is all in. Against Ohio State he threw deep and hit receiver Nick Westbrook in the hands from about 40 yards away.

The problem -- the catch wasn't made.

Still, Ramsey had completions of 29 yards to Whop Philyor, 21 to Donavan Hale, 19 to Westbrook and 18 to Ty Fryfogle.

"We wanted to take our shots when that opportunity presented itself," Ramsey says. "You've got to hit them. That's part of it. Keep pushing forward. We did our best to continue taking our shots."

Ramsey will continue to do so while ignoring outside distractions.

"I focus on myself. I can't control what the offensive line does and how they protect, or how the receivers get open. I can focus on myself, my progression, my read, on every play. Do what's best, play in and play out, come back to the huddle and do it again."

While Ramsey will run the offense on Saturday if Penix can't go, don't forget about Jack Tuttle, the Utah transfer who is third on the depth chart.

He got in for a couple of series against Eastern Illinois and against Ohio State. Overall he's 4-for-9 for 22 yards.

"Jack continues to come along," DeBoer says. "There are things he needs to improve as far as slowing the game down. It comes with reps. It's a give and take.

"Can we give him more reps to help him feel more comfortable? That's why we put him out there the last two weeks, to see what he can do."

Don't be surprised to see more of Tuttle against Connecticut.

"He's super talented as far as throwing the ball," DeBoer says. "He'll be all in on everything. He's the ultimate team player. He has some things to work on. There were a couple of times during the (Ohio State) game -- it happened a little fast, the reads.

"He's super young. He hasn't taken a lot of snaps. We want to give him those opportunities to go out there and grow as a player.

"I love the smile he brings every day. There's no question he's a fighter, and he will get better every time he gets the opportunity."

In the end, it's about beating Connecticut (1-1). The Huskies, who jumped ahead of Illinois 10-0 before losing two weeks ago, are coming off a bye.

No matter. DeBoer says IU's main focus is on IU (2-1).

"It's about us. We're going to believe in who we are. We know we have the ability to be a very good offense. It's about us getting back to work."

For Allen, it's about coaching hard, whether it's directed at players or assistant coaches. It's about passion and resolve and getting it right and, yes, LEO (Love Each Other), and if that means hurting feelings sometimes, well, winning doesn't always come from hugs.

"It was a rough (Sunday) meeting with our coaches," Allen says. "We had some hard conversations. When it's not about me, it's about what we have to do to be our best.

"Don't take it personal. If it's not right, we've got to fix it. When you have so much pride, you want to get it right. It's an emotional thing."

For DeBoer, it's about finding the right blend of play calling, execution and mindset.

"I'm sure (Connecticut will) have some new (defensive) wrinkles. They've had some time to put that in place, but for the most part there won't be things we haven't seen. It's a matter of executing and making sure our minds are right when we step on the field."

Indiana University Athletics

Back and Fighting: Peyton Ramsey Still Stands Tall

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Players Mentioned

Ty Fryfogle

Donavan Hale

Michael Penix Jr.

Whop Philyor

Peyton Ramsey

Jack Tuttle

Nick Westbrook

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