DIPRIMIO NOTES: IU Ready to Find Out Bowl Plans

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Forget the pandemic disruption that twice cost Indiana a game against rival Purdue.

The No. 11 Hoosiers (6-1) are going to a significant bowl.

They will learn when and where on Sunday. The likely January opportunity is another reminder of how far the program has come after delivering one of the best seasons in program history.

IU tied the school record for most Top-25 wins, with three, beating then-No. 8 Penn State, then No. 23 Michigan and then No. 18 Wisconsin. It also tied the program record for most conference wins in a season, with six.

And it came within a touchdown of defeating No. 4 Ohio State in Columbus.

As a result, head coach Tom Allen was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and the Werner Ladder American Football Coaches Association Region 3 Coach of the Year. He joins Bill Mallory as the only IU coaches to win the honors.

He's positioned to win three national coach of the year awards.

"To play the schedule that we played, playing consecutive Big Ten games, tough and physical games," Allen said. "Our guys did a tremendous job of being refocused each week and playing to a level each week, so I think we deserve (a major bowl game)."

An outbreak of COVID-19 cases (Allen said 28 people in the program -- players and staff -- had tested positive) twice canceled games against Purdue. The Hoosiers will be ready for their bowl, Allen said.

"The medical staff has done a great job at trying to get this corralled and get our guys systemically improving each and every day so we can get to next Monday to be able to have a full two weeks of practice to be at our best for a bowl game."
Hoosiers who haven't tested positive began weight training on Tuesday. They were divided into small groups, called "cohorts."

"I was around our healthy guys, but it is still a pretty skeleton crew," Allen said. "Those guys did some good things. We'll do that the rest of the week. We won't be together as a full team until Monday.

"We are trying to handle it the best we can to keep our guys healthy and safe. We are trying to be diligent, follow the advice of our medical professionals."

Players who have tested positive should have one week of full practice. Those who haven't tested positive will have two weeks.

"It has been tough," Allen said. "It has affected a lot of our guys. It is serious and it spreads fast. Unfortunately, that is what we are dealing with, but we feel good about the plan.

"Because we have this amount of time between now and the bowl game, we expect to have all of the guys who finished the season healthy will be able to play in the bowl game."

Allen said players who have tested positive are in isolation. Any interaction is done via Zoom. Food is delivered to their apartments or dorm rooms.

"We will have a full week of practice, which will allow them to be physically ready to play in the bowl game," Allen said.

*****

Allen's success reflects, in part, his ability to hire quality people, whether it's Kalen DeBoer, last season's offensive coordinator who left to become the Fresno State head coach, or David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea, last year's athletic performance coaches who joined the Alabama staff, or now Kane Wommack, the defensive coordinator who was recently named South Alabama head coach.

"I am really proud of him and excited for him and his family for this tremendous opportunity," Allen says.

Wommack guides an attacking, disruptive unit that leads the nation in interceptions (17) and sacks (23).

The 34-year-old Wommack, a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, which goes to the nation's top assistant coach, becomes the nation's youngest head coach. DeBoer was a Broyles Award semifinalist last season.

"That's two years in a row where one (our) coordinators has been named head coach at the Division I level, which is a tremendous honor for them and for this program," Allen says. "The play on both sides of the football has resulted in that. That is what you want. That excites me for these good people.

"That's called building a program when people want your guys to come and create that environment and the culture that we have created here over in those places."

*****

IU's season of firsts include Ty Fryfogle winning Big Ten Receiver of the Year honors, something no Hoosier receiver had ever done.

Fryfogle totaled 34 catches for 687 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 20.2 yards per catch. Those numbers would have been greater if IU had played Purdue last weekend.

The Big Ten also honored running back Stevie Scott III and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (both won second-team All-Big Ten honors), tight end Peyton Hendershot (third-team all-conference) and center Harry Crider and receiver Whop Philyor (honorable-mention All-Big Ten).

Penix threw for a Big Ten-leading 1,645 yards despite missing the final game with a torn ACL. Scott has rushed for 462 yards and eight touchdowns. Philyor has 36 catches for 414 yards.

"They are a great group of young men who have bought in, played extremely hard, and have done everything we have asked them to do by our offensive staff," Allen said.

*****

Twice missing out on a chance to play Purdue hurts, Allen said.

"We're disappointed. It is tough. You have a game like that that both teams put so much value into, both fan bases, both universities. It is a game circled for us, highly valued by our players and all that we put into it all year long to play that game. So, to not have that opportunity is tough, and I feel for our guys and our coaching staff as well.

"But it is in the best interest of our players to not put them in that position here this week. We are going to focus our attention on finishing strong and finding out our opponent and bowl destination and preparing for that."

DIPRIMIO NOTES: IU Ready to Find Out Bowl Plans

Players Mentioned

Harry Crider

Ty Fryfogle

Peyton Hendershot

Michael Penix Jr.

Whop Philyor

Stevie Scott III

Related Videos