DIPRIMIO NOTEBOOK: Without Coy Cronk, Hoosier Opportunities Arise

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Coy Cronk has lost a season, but not his wit, and absolutely not his perspective.

Case in point, the senior offensive lineman's reaction after suffering a lower leg injury that will require surgery to fix.

Head coach Tom Allen hurried to check on Cronk as he lay on the Memorial Stadium turf in the first half of Saturday's win over Connecticut. Despite pain and disappointment, Cronk had a point to make to his coach and his teammates.

"I go out there and he grabs me," Allen said, "and he's like, 'Coach, it's way too far from my heart to kill me.' That's the first thing he said.

"The second thing was, 'Coach, we've got to win this game. Make sure the guys finish.' All he cared about was his teammates and us getting a win. He knows what's at stake."

Cronk will play again, perhaps for the Hoosiers in 2020 if he seeks a redshirt, and almost certainly in the NFL.

"Just a lot of respect for Coy and all he's given to Indiana," Allen said. "Adversity makes all of us better. He'll benefit from this in the long term."

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IU (3-1) is halfway to earning bowl eligibility. It faces a strong challenge Saturday at Michigan State (3-1), which is coming off a 31-10 win at Northwestern.

The Spartans have one of the nation's top defenses. They rank fifth nationally in total yards allowed (228.3 per game) and share 10th in points allowed (11.0 per game).

Linebacker Joe Bachie won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors after totaling a career-high 14 tackles against Northwestern. He added a sack, two pass breakups and his fifth-career interceptions.

"He's one of the best in the country," Allen said. "He plays so hard and fundamental."

The Spartans' loss came by a 10-7 score against Arizona State when their late field goal was wiped out by a penalty.

Head coach Mike Dantonio just set a school record with 110 victories in 13 seasons.

Indiana and Michigan State play for the Brass Spittoon, a trophy that started in 1950. Michigan State leads the series 47-16-2.

The Hoosiers' last win in East Lansing came by a 37-28 score in 2001 when Antwaan Randle El was the quarterback.

"They have big offensive linemen and talented receivers," Allen said.

"Defensively, they're really impressive. I know Coach Dantonio takes a lot of pride in their defense.

"East Lansing is a tough environment. We have to play well and continue to build our program. This game means a lot."

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Losing Cronk will test IU's offensive line depth. Starting right tackle Caleb Jones will move to left tackle, but will still have right tackle duties. Fifth-year senior back-up DaVondre Love, true freshman Matthew Bedford and redshirt freshman Aiden Rafferty will have major roles.

Bedford played for the first time in the fourth quarter against Connecticut.

"We're trying to get (Bedford and Rafferty) ready to roll," Allen said. "That's why you recruit and why you develop your young guys. It's a great opportunity for somebody to step up and take advantage of it."

Adding to their challenge is playing on the road against Michigan State's dominant defensive line.

"That's a tall task," Allen said, "but that's the position you find yourself in.

"The opportunity it presents for somebody to step up and grow excites me. You find out a lot about somebody in these opportunities. I've coached a long time and seen so many guys take advantage of things like this."

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Will quarterback Michael Penix Jr. play against Michigan State?

The answer -- maybe.

"There will be a game-time decision," Allen said.

Penix has missed the last two games with an injury. Former starter Peyton Ramsey has replaced him.

"I'm really pleased with Peyton's play and the way he's led and continues to do a great job.

"Michael's been rehabbing and that continues to go well. We'll find out more throughout the week."

In two games, Penix completes 63.3 percent of his passes for 523 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

In three games, Ramsey completes 74.3 percent of his passes for 635 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.

"We've got two really good quarterbacks who play at a high level," Allen said. "I believe in both of them."

Allen said he expects Penix to practice this week.

"That's the expectation, that he'll be practicing and getting himself ready. We'll see how his body responds. We're definitely making progress."

IU has a bye week after the Michigan State game. Is there a chance that Penix, even if he's recovered, would sit out on Saturday to provide maximum recovery time?

No, Allen said.

"I'm not going to put him out there if he's not ready, but my approach is, if he's ready to go, then he's going to go."

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Junior receiver Whop Philyor continues to impress.

Against Connecticut, he caught four passes for 47 yards and a touchdown. That included a 21-yard reception. He also ran one time for 11 yards.

That earned him IU's Offensive Player of the Week honors.

"He's very productive," Allen said. "He makes explosive plays for us and brings a lot of energy. He's matured as a leader."

For the season, Philyor has 17 catches for 229 yards and a touchdown. That's second on the team to tight end Peyton Hendershot's 18 catches for 234 yards and three touchdowns.

The defensive player of the game was linebacker Cam Jones, who returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown and added four tackles with a pass broken up.

"He continues to come into his own," Allen said.

Jones led a strong defensive effort that only allowed three points and 145 total yards.

"We tackled well," Allen said. "Our run fits were better. We did a good job on third downs. We created negative plays, had big hits, just aggressive, confident play."

Freshman Tiawan Mullen was the special teams player of the week. He had one tackle and one pass breakup.

"He's a complete player," Allen said. "He played well defensively. He had good, tight man coverage. He covers kicks and punts. He's a controller on our kickoff and punt return units. His effort and technique -- I'm excited for his development. He keeps getting better every week."

DIPRIMIO NOTEBOOK: Without Coy Cronk, Hoosier Opportunities Arise

Players Mentioned

Matthew Bedford

Coy Cronk

Peyton Hendershot

Caleb Jones

Cam Jones

DaVondre Love

Tiawan Mullen

Whop Philyor

Peyton Ramsey

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