DIPRIMIO COLUMN: Same Old Hoosiers? Not Even Close

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

Michael Penix Jr. has a message for those mired in here-we-go-again Indiana:

These ain't the same old Hoosiers.

Knocking on opportunity's door is about to become a monumental kick-it-in breakthrough.

"We showed a lot," IU's redshirt freshman quarterback said in the aftermath of Saturday's 40-31 loss at No. 25 Michigan State. "Don't doubt us. We are pushing every single day.

"We never let ourselves get down. We always make sure that we keep each other up. Just make sure we stay positive throughout the process."

Did you see what IU did to a powerhouse defense, or the series of big-time plays -- many by guys too young to realize they should be overwhelmed amid Big Ten road intimidation -- that could have, should have, finished the Spartans?

Under coach Tom Allen, and with a big facility upgrade push by director of athletics Fred Glass, the program is poised for success.

It's coming.

The recruiting, the facilities, the player development in all aspects (football skills, strength, speed, academics, nutrition and more), the game plans, add it all up and the breakthrough is here.

The Hoosiers just have to finish the deal. They have to beat elite opponents.

They are agonizingly close. They do enough good things to reach the cusp of program-changing victory, and just enough to negate it.

Does it hurt?

You bet.

Does it break resolve?

It can't, and if you talk to the Hoosiers, it won't.

"There's no pressure," fifth-year senior receiver Donavan Hale said. "We are disappointed, but not discouraged. It's all about finishing. We are getting closer. There are a couple of plays here or there we have to make, or a stop on defense. We just have to close out."

Yes, we've heard this before. IU has lost eight games by 10 or fewer points in the last two-plus seasons, including a couple in overtime.

It has done this against Big Ten East competition, which rates among the nation's best.

Forget the loss to Ohio State from a couple of weeks ago. The unbeaten Buckeyes do that to everybody, including a 48-7 road wipe out of Nebraska on Saturday. They are national championship contenders.

In front of a massive crowd at Spartan Stadium, and with true freshmen such as Matthew Bedford at left tackle, Taiwan Mullen at cornerback and David Ellis on special teams, the Hoosiers played with passion, purpose and pride.

"We came here to compete," Mullen said. "We aren't going to back down to nobody. We are disappointed, but never discouraged. We are just going to go back to practice, get back into the play book and get back in the film room and be ready for the next game."

That would be Oct. 12 against Rutgers (1-3) for Homecoming.
What will it take for IU to win these games?

Ultimately, it's about not backing down, not giving in to doubt or disappointment or failure. It's about fearlessness under pressure, confidence that the next time – and there are plenty of next times left for the Hoosiers – it will work out.

They have a bye week to heal and assess, to learn from the mistakes and the successes.

"You always go back and evaluate," Allen said. "There are calls you make as a coach that you wish you had back. There are situations where you don't execute, but still, we've got to continue to execute in those key moments at the end of the half and at the end of the game and just keep finding ways.

"The gaps getting smaller and smaller… We're getting better every week. There's a lot to build off of. It's so disappointing because we are so stinking close."

And then Allen, in his post-game press conference, showed why he is the right man for the job.

"We're for real. We ain't going nowhere. We're young, the third-youngest team in the Big Ten, period. You just saw how we competed. We didn't just show up to compete, we came to win and we were one play away from winning. I'm proud of this team. Proud of how we've recruited. That won't stop. Proud of what we're building."

Penix earned plenty of acclaim, and rightfully so, given the way he picked apart the Spartans (4-1). At one point he completed a program-record 20 straight passes, and finished 33-for-42 for 286 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against a team that had totaled six picks in its previous four games.

He did that despite not playing the previous two games because of an injury, and with only limited practices in the days leading to the game.

"It took a lot of trust in my rehab and making sure my body was good," he said. "I had to protect myself. It took a lot of encouragement from teammates. Both of those things were big factors.

"I didn't practice every day, but pre-game I felt pretty good. I prepared by keeping my head in the game. I knew all the plays, all the reads. I mentally prepared. I made sure I was always on top of the game."

The 6-6, 307-pound Bedford did the same thing. He started at left tackle in place of injured senior Coy Cronk. It was his first college start, and it came at one of the Big Ten's most hostile environments.

Not bad for a guy who basically was a defensive tackle until his high school senior season, which is why Allen said, "He's as good as he wants to be."

"Matt Bedford really had to step up," Penix added.

So did the entire offensive line as offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer devised a game plan that constantly had the Spartans off balance.

"The offensive line communicated with each other," Penix said, "and the coaches put us in the right situation to make sure we were all in the right place at the right time with the play calls. It was catch and throw. Catch and throw. Playing our hearts out and protecting each other."

It was the same with Mullen, a four-star prospect out of Florida who broke up a team-leading four passes.

"I was doing whatever to help our team," he said. "The coaches put us in the right spot to execute.

"Football is football. I never get nervous or scared. I came here to play."

That was true of all the Hoosiers (3-2), and if they keep that mindset, the three victories needed for bowl eligibility, and more, are just a matter of time.

Same old Hoosiers?

Not even close.

Indiana University Athletics

DIPRIMIO COLUMN: Same Old Hoosiers? Not Even Close

Players Mentioned

Matthew Bedford

Coy Cronk

David Ellis

Donavan Hale

Michael Penix Jr.

Related Videos