Indiana University Athletics
Embrace The Cold: IU Goes Old School in Wisconsin Preparation
12/4/2020 12:00:00 PM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Sometimes, if you're Tom Allen, you've got to coach old school.
Forget the comfort of indoor facilities and controlled conditions, where cold doesn't reach and wind whips elsewhere.
Indiana is going to Wisconsin and Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday and weather will matter.
Comfort will not.
Allen had his No. 12/10/11 Hoosiers (5-1) prepare with outside practices. Bloomington weather cooperated with some frosty mornings.
"The way that I always approach it is, my philosophy is, we are going to practice in the situation that we are going to play in," Allen says via Zoom press conference. "Last time that I checked, there was not a dome in Madison, Wisconsin, so we have been outside every day."
Allen is well aware of Wisconsin weather. He played football and wrestled at the state's Maranatha Baptist College.
"I know how cold it is this time of year up there," he says. "If we have to play in it, we are going to prepare in it. That is the approach. That is the plan."
This game was originally scheduled for early September, when the weather would have been warm, if not hot.
The pandemic altered that schedule, and whatever warmth at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday will come from sideline heaters and the teams' passionate play.
"This is different this year," Allen says. "Usually, our last regular season game is Thanksgiving weekend (against Purdue), but now that has come and gone, and we are still rolling.
"We are going to have to adjust. Our guys have done a great job of doing that this week. We have actually had very cold weather, which is good. We have had some sunshine without much wind. Our guys are still getting used to it. It is just part of it. We do not blink."
The pandemic has cost No. 16/18/19 Wisconsin (2-1) three games, including last week's contest against Minnesota, which gave the Badgers plenty of time to prepare for IU, a potential problem given the Hoosiers haven't won in this series since 2002.
No matter. This is a tougher Indiana team built to blast away past struggles (see the Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State wins as examples), and Allen knows what's coming.
The Badgers won't morph into throw-it-50-times gunslingers. They will mix power running with play-action passing -- spicing it up with different formations and personnel -- behind a big powerful offensive line. They will punish on defense and thrive on special teams.
"Their identity is a culture of toughness, running the ball, fullbacks and tight ends," Allen says. "They have big, strong players. They have big, strong linemen; big, strong defensive players, and they are very disciplined."
It is, to a point, a 20th Century get-physical counter to 21st Century spread-it-out frenzy.
"You do not see much of that style anymore," Allen says, "but that is who they are. They have been very, very successful for a very long time.
"You look back to when Barry Alvarez went there many years ago. When he got there, they were not having very much success at all. The way that has changed and the way that has become the expectation.
"I have a lot of respect for their program, the way they have built it, and the way they play the game. I have a ton of respect for (head coach) Paul Chryst and the entire staff."
Defensively, Wisconsin will likely try to duplicate Maryland's man coverage from the previous week. Hoosiers receivers will have to break free of it.
"There is no question that has been a priority this week," Allen says.
"I am not going to give away our game plan. You can look at the things that happened the week before and people are going to copy those things. That is how it works.
"(Wisconsin) will utilize the things they feel like they can do to be successful on that side of the ball. There are schematic things that we have to adjust, techniques to work on, and things you have to be able to do to create those openings to get our receivers open and to get them the ball. Maryland did a really good job in coverage. That has definitely been a priority for us to address this week."
That leads to quarterback Jack Tuttle, the new starter after Michael Penix Jr.'s season-ending ACL injury against Maryland. Tuttle will be expected to continue Penix's Big Ten-leading production.
Allen has talked to Tuttle about that, and more.
"It is critical that you are open and honest and talk man-to-man and go through where he is at, what his goals are and where we see him," Allen says.
"You have to have those times together. That builds trust. That is when the relationship is formed."
Tuttle was one of the nation's most sought-after high school quarterbacks coming out of California. He spent a year at Utah before transferring to IU, then basically spent another year as the understudy to Penix and Peyton Ramsey.
He hadn't thrown a pass all season until going 5-for-5 last Saturday.
"Jack is a consistent young man who has grown and matured so much since he has been here," Allen says.
"He has had a chance to get a great education. He loves the track that he is on from a business perspective. He is a very bright, young man. He loves Indiana. He would be the first person to tell you that he loves being here. He loves the culture and the environment that he is in.
"Obviously, he wants to play, like everyone does. There is a level of patience that you have to have. There is also a level of perseverance and persistence when you never know when you might get that opportunity. When it does come, you have to seize it.
"In this day and age, you see a lot of quarterbacks transfer if they do not get a chance to play within a year or so. It is a tribute to him and a testament to his perseverance and his character. He wanted to stay here, develop here, and he wanted to be able to help this team in any way possible. That has been his attitude. He has been very open and honest about that.
"I am excited for him because of the position that he has put himself in and the way that he has been so consistent in his preparation."
Allen also is excited to see how his ball-hawking defense -- with a best-in-the-nation 16 interceptions -- handles Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz.
Mertz had one of the most memorable college debuts in memory when he burned Illinois for 248 passing yards and five touchdowns on 20-for-21 accuracy in the season opener.
"I am impressed with their quarterback," defensive coordinator Kane Wommack says. "I think for a young player, Graham Mertz is very efficient with what they ask him to do. He does a nice job of keeping them out of negative situations."
Northwestern's defense rattled Mertz, which is something the Hoosiers have done to everyone they've played this season.
"When you can attack a quarterback," Wommack says, "whether you are confusing him on the back end or you are hitting him in the backfield, you do not have to play against the same efficiency that you do when the game starts. That is always going to be something we try to do."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Sometimes, if you're Tom Allen, you've got to coach old school.
Forget the comfort of indoor facilities and controlled conditions, where cold doesn't reach and wind whips elsewhere.
Indiana is going to Wisconsin and Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday and weather will matter.
Comfort will not.
Allen had his No. 12/10/11 Hoosiers (5-1) prepare with outside practices. Bloomington weather cooperated with some frosty mornings.
"The way that I always approach it is, my philosophy is, we are going to practice in the situation that we are going to play in," Allen says via Zoom press conference. "Last time that I checked, there was not a dome in Madison, Wisconsin, so we have been outside every day."
Allen is well aware of Wisconsin weather. He played football and wrestled at the state's Maranatha Baptist College.
"I know how cold it is this time of year up there," he says. "If we have to play in it, we are going to prepare in it. That is the approach. That is the plan."
This game was originally scheduled for early September, when the weather would have been warm, if not hot.
The pandemic altered that schedule, and whatever warmth at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday will come from sideline heaters and the teams' passionate play.
"This is different this year," Allen says. "Usually, our last regular season game is Thanksgiving weekend (against Purdue), but now that has come and gone, and we are still rolling.
"We are going to have to adjust. Our guys have done a great job of doing that this week. We have actually had very cold weather, which is good. We have had some sunshine without much wind. Our guys are still getting used to it. It is just part of it. We do not blink."
The pandemic has cost No. 16/18/19 Wisconsin (2-1) three games, including last week's contest against Minnesota, which gave the Badgers plenty of time to prepare for IU, a potential problem given the Hoosiers haven't won in this series since 2002.
No matter. This is a tougher Indiana team built to blast away past struggles (see the Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State wins as examples), and Allen knows what's coming.
The Badgers won't morph into throw-it-50-times gunslingers. They will mix power running with play-action passing -- spicing it up with different formations and personnel -- behind a big powerful offensive line. They will punish on defense and thrive on special teams.
"Their identity is a culture of toughness, running the ball, fullbacks and tight ends," Allen says. "They have big, strong players. They have big, strong linemen; big, strong defensive players, and they are very disciplined."
It is, to a point, a 20th Century get-physical counter to 21st Century spread-it-out frenzy.
"You do not see much of that style anymore," Allen says, "but that is who they are. They have been very, very successful for a very long time.
"You look back to when Barry Alvarez went there many years ago. When he got there, they were not having very much success at all. The way that has changed and the way that has become the expectation.
"I have a lot of respect for their program, the way they have built it, and the way they play the game. I have a ton of respect for (head coach) Paul Chryst and the entire staff."
Defensively, Wisconsin will likely try to duplicate Maryland's man coverage from the previous week. Hoosiers receivers will have to break free of it.
"There is no question that has been a priority this week," Allen says.
"I am not going to give away our game plan. You can look at the things that happened the week before and people are going to copy those things. That is how it works.
"(Wisconsin) will utilize the things they feel like they can do to be successful on that side of the ball. There are schematic things that we have to adjust, techniques to work on, and things you have to be able to do to create those openings to get our receivers open and to get them the ball. Maryland did a really good job in coverage. That has definitely been a priority for us to address this week."
That leads to quarterback Jack Tuttle, the new starter after Michael Penix Jr.'s season-ending ACL injury against Maryland. Tuttle will be expected to continue Penix's Big Ten-leading production.
Allen has talked to Tuttle about that, and more.
"It is critical that you are open and honest and talk man-to-man and go through where he is at, what his goals are and where we see him," Allen says.
"You have to have those times together. That builds trust. That is when the relationship is formed."
Tuttle was one of the nation's most sought-after high school quarterbacks coming out of California. He spent a year at Utah before transferring to IU, then basically spent another year as the understudy to Penix and Peyton Ramsey.
He hadn't thrown a pass all season until going 5-for-5 last Saturday.
"Jack is a consistent young man who has grown and matured so much since he has been here," Allen says.
"He has had a chance to get a great education. He loves the track that he is on from a business perspective. He is a very bright, young man. He loves Indiana. He would be the first person to tell you that he loves being here. He loves the culture and the environment that he is in.
"Obviously, he wants to play, like everyone does. There is a level of patience that you have to have. There is also a level of perseverance and persistence when you never know when you might get that opportunity. When it does come, you have to seize it.
"In this day and age, you see a lot of quarterbacks transfer if they do not get a chance to play within a year or so. It is a tribute to him and a testament to his perseverance and his character. He wanted to stay here, develop here, and he wanted to be able to help this team in any way possible. That has been his attitude. He has been very open and honest about that.
"I am excited for him because of the position that he has put himself in and the way that he has been so consistent in his preparation."
Allen also is excited to see how his ball-hawking defense -- with a best-in-the-nation 16 interceptions -- handles Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz.
Mertz had one of the most memorable college debuts in memory when he burned Illinois for 248 passing yards and five touchdowns on 20-for-21 accuracy in the season opener.
"I am impressed with their quarterback," defensive coordinator Kane Wommack says. "I think for a young player, Graham Mertz is very efficient with what they ask him to do. He does a nice job of keeping them out of negative situations."
Northwestern's defense rattled Mertz, which is something the Hoosiers have done to everyone they've played this season.
"When you can attack a quarterback," Wommack says, "whether you are confusing him on the back end or you are hitting him in the backfield, you do not have to play against the same efficiency that you do when the game starts. That is always going to be something we try to do."
Players Mentioned
FB: Spring Game - Postgame Press Conference
Thursday, April 23
FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Drew Evans - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Nico Radicic - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21