Indiana University Athletics
Media Monday: Michigan
11/1/2021 1:51:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head football coach Tom Allen met with the media on Monday (November 1) inside Memorial Stadium to preview the upcoming road contest at Michigan on Saturday (November 6).
Below is the transcript of the press conference. Video of the full media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Tom Allen | Head Coach
Opening Statement
TA: Good morning. Just wanted to recap a few things here as we get started. We continue to be disappointed in our outcome from Saturday's game. The guys took it hard and there was a lot of emotion in that locker room afterwards. The fight was there we just need to execute better.
Disappointed that our defense didn't rise up when we needed them, in the third quarter especially after we took the lead. Not playing complementary football, which means when we score to take the lead, we've got to go out and get a three-and-out, get the takeaway and keep that momentum going. Then, when you block a punt, you've got to go get points. We didn't get any points after that. Got to be complementary of each other. Then when we do make a play and get ourselves [an opportunity] -- we do a fake punt and execute that and get about 25-plus yards -- then we need to good in and score a touchdown. So, continuing to work together.
We are encouraged by some progress on offense. Thought our offensive line played better. Stephen Carr ran hard and did some good things. Donaven [McCulley] obviously played well. He played better in the fourth quarter than he did in the first quarter. He got better as the game wore on and was more comfortable. Obviously set a record for yards for a true freshman quarterback in a game. We are really proud of him, his preparation and his ability to rise up in a road game, which is always hard for a young guy. We are encouraged by that, but not surprised though. I do think, and I've said all along, I thought he's a really talented player that has a big upside, and his best football is ahead of him.
Peyton Hendershot continues to play at a high level. Just a gritty, tough, catching the football, blocking hard, playing hard on special teams. Matt Bjorson same thing. Playing his tail off. Our tight end room has been a bright spot for our team offensively for sure.
I want to recognize the scout team players of the week doing a tremendous job working hard for us in practice. Jaquez Smith is the special teams scout of the week. Offensive scout of the week Vinny Fiacable and Brady Feeney, two offensive linemen. The defensive scout team player of the week is Joseph Daniels Jr. He just continues to be selfless, work hard and do a tremendous job helping us get ready each and every week.
We have a great opportunity this week to head to Ann Arbor and take on the Wolverines. That's going to be a tough test for us as we progress through our season and continue to seek a very important win.
On what he saw with the defense at Maryland…
TA: The syncing the performances part is frustrating. I thought as we went through and evaluated Saturday's game defensively, really went through and evaluated whether they were scheme issues versus technique issues, it really was technique.
There were a few scheme issues as far as just not executing the right scheme on those calls. But most of them were just within that scheme just executing the call and playing with proper technique … Third down stuck out to me as well, third-and-longs especially, where we've got to be dominant defensively and have been in the past and were not Saturday.
You might have mentioned it, and I think it is very true, you go back and look and you see just the number of guys playing a lot of snaps. Had two safeties play in the 90s, you know. Our depth in the secondary with injuries has hurt us. It's made it challenging. Jaylin Williams is playing too many snaps and we have to get those guys back to help us there. Josh Sanguinetti was out. He tried to warm up, tried to go but couldn't go. Hurt us in our depth there. I think we have to play more guys there even though there's going to be young guys just to be able to keep our guys fresh, so they don't make those mistakes in critical times.
So, just a lot of those things come into play. At the same time, we did some good things. Had a very dominant second quarter defensively, which was good, and we needed that after a tough start. Then kind of got everything calmed down and had a chance to take the game momentum-wise in the third quarter after we scored and did not do it.
I just think it's -- you go through, and there's the execution piece and there's the technique part of it. And this goes into just trying to continue to find a winning formula to be able to put it all together. We knew we had to support our offense with a new quarterback and his opportunity there and the challenges that was going to create. I thought our special teams did that in terms of getting the blocked punt, which was huge, and then getting the fake punt, which was a big boost to our offense. We have got to capitalize on that.
Even in both of those situations, it was a three-point game. If any one of those you score a touchdown over that one field goal or you don't miss the field goal, then you have a different outcome. So frustrating. But at the same time, you just identify [the mistakes] and you don't make excuses. You just try to fix them and keep getting better.
On bowl eligibility being on the line this weekend at Michigan…
TA: They understand. They know. We don't have to talk about it a lot. The captains mentioned it when I met with them and they understand what's at stake.
This is just trying to find a way to compete at a high level and play at a high level and win Big Ten football games. To me, that's the whole goal. We've got to play our best football in all three phases, working together, complementing one another and playing our best on Saturday.
On the quarterback situation moving forward…
TA: Yeah. Great question. You know, they both [Michael Penix Jr. and Jack Tuttle] continue to be, as I stated after the game, week to week. We'll see how they progress this week. A little unknown as far as Jack's injury. See how quickly he'll bounce back from that. I know Michael's throwing and moving around and doing things at maybe a better rate than we thought.
At the same time, Donaven is the healthiest right now. He is the guy that we're getting ready to play. And to me obviously showed a lot of positive signs of things that I expected him to be able to do. I know not everybody saw that against Ohio State. So that was kind of frustrating because I knew he was a different quarterback than he showed. But it was what it was, and that's how he played. So, you have to just grow from there. He did, and he responded. Yeah, to me right now Donaven is the guy and we have to keep getting him ready to play better every week.
On what makes Donaven McCulley special at the quarterback position…
TA: Well, first of all, I remember back when we first saw him throw. He was here for one of our summer 7-on-7 camps that we had. He was the quarterback there for his high school team. He was young, but we just the way he naturally threw the football. I knew he was a three-sport guy at that point and proceeded to be his whole career and was just naturally [gifted] and had length even back then. He's grown since then. Just the way the ball came off his hand naturally, I thought that was impressive. Then just to be able to have athleticism where you can run it if you need to. He's got size. He's 215 pounds. He's going to keep getting better. I see him to be up to 225 or 230 pounds I would imagine.
He's still young as you mentioned. I think there's just a competitive toughness to him, you know. I think he has that. He doesn't back down. He didn't back down when he first got thrown in there against Ohio State. He runs behind his pads. He doesn't run high … he doesn't play that way. He attacks things and believes in himself. Has a pretty calm demeanor and doesn't get frazzled. That's something that guys have innately, you know. He has ability to just extend plays and find guys open down field and if he has to run, he can run it.
So, all those things. I love his attitude. I love the way he approaches things every day. He's a humble guy. He's a great teammate. He's a hard worker. So, a lot of good qualities that makes you excited to have him. That's why we were excited to have him on our team and expected him to be able to redshirt and have a chance to develop even more this offseason, but things change. He's now our starting quarterback.
On the offensive line play so far this season…
TA: You know, I think you continue to look at all those different things as you go through. I think a couple individuals maybe didn't play as well earlier as they needed to for whatever reason. You know, different variables go into that for sure.
I wasn't bashful myself to say that I was frustrated and disappointed in their performance and calling it what it was. You can see it. People can watch the game. We can watch the film and see they're not executing at a high enough level. But as I've always said, there's a chemistry to that group playing next to somebody. And the communication with that has to be repped out at a high level, over and over again, especially with the defense that we face up front and the talented defensive lines that we play against.
I think as you continue to allow yourself to get more reps and get better and try and find ways to help your guys be more successful and the play of the quarterback, his ability to get the ball out and make reads. There's no question -- I think I've said this as well, quarterback play is pretty paramount. I don't care what level you're at, you want to be able to be an elite offense, you've got to have an elite quarterback. He has to play at an elite level and has to play at a high level of execution in getting the ball out and getting the reads. I think that creates a lot of confidence with the guys around him too.
I think there's multiple variables with it. Definitely a group that hasn't, as the whole season looked at itself played as well as you would have liked. We've just got to find a way to get better every week. Saw progress last week and need to build off of that. Going to face a better defense this week. So that growth needs to continue as they continue to give the quarterback time to throw and our running backs time to run.
On how the wide receivers have adjusted to the three different quarterback this season…
TA: That's a good question. I think that just like everything else in life, there's very few shortcuts for things like that. It's hard to fast forward that. There's a timing component to it.
I think the biggest thing we do is try to maximize our practice reps with those guys from a little more work on routes on air with those guys from a timing perspective in practice to help them make up for some lost ground. Then some post practice work as well without trying to put too much on their legs. With some injuries we've had in that room, that's kind of become an issue, as well. At the same time, that's probably the way we've been best dealing with it is the way that we practice … because you don't have to be physical to get that timing down.
So, those guys have been working really hard on those parts. That's really become a major part of our pre-group work, has been the routes on air with both the tight ends as a group, the running backs as a group, and then the wide receivers as a group with their quarterbacks, with Donaven, because he does not have that rep base over the summer, even though he threw with them some, but very little. Then, no spring football with him.
As I said, even during fall camp he wasn't a one or a two at that point. So, he got a few reps but very few reps to be honest with you, with the ones for sure. I think it's just something we've had to modify in our preparation to get our guys timed up. And even in the game, the game reps become valuable. I think that last week's reps in the game become valuable for this next week to continue to help their timing and their chemistry.
On Donaven McCulley finding his veteran wide receivers more at Maryland…
TA: I would say, to answer your question, it was an emphasis to get [Fryfogle] the football. Does it help to have someone else that they have to recognize and honor and leverage defensively? Yes. But without question, got him involved in the reverse, just trying to get him more touches. He is a talented football player. You can sometimes take a receiver; you can do things to make it hard on that guy. So that's where others have got to step up.
But, yes, we feel like he's one of our best football players and need to get him the football. So that was definitely by design. And that's what we want to be able to do. And Peyton's been phenomenal. You think of how hard he's work and what he's overcome and what he's become as both a leader and as a player, it's very, very excited for him and very proud of him.
On Nick Sheridan being on the sidelines at Maryland…
TA: Yeah. I was wondering if anybody would notice that. Definitely by design. Nick came to me and kind of expressed why he felt like he needed to be [on the sideline] and I 100 percent agreed. It was really to just help Donaven give immediate feedback right off the field, being able to talk to him face to face and just help him process everything and make adjustments and keep him calm and being his first official start.
So, yeah, that was by design. Then we put Kevin Wright up in the press box. So, they switched places. I thought that was a very good decision to make and glad we did it. I think it definitely helped Donaven and it was really positive for our whole offense.
On the physical challenge that Michigan presents…
TA: Yeah. There is no question they run the ball very, very well. Very big offensive line. Very physical. Two really talented running backs that have been very effective. They do have talented receivers and a good quarterback that just seems to have a lot of moxie to him and toughness and moves the chains and makes a lot of plays more with his arm than his legs. They play a second quarterback a little bit for some packages.
But bottom line is, yeah, they've established [an identity] and you can just tell from the very beginning of the season that was what they wanted to be able to do was establish the run game. And they've done a really good job of that.
Even in the game this past week, they really had a lot of points, a lot of yards. Michigan State just scored more points than they did. It wasn't like [Michigan State] stopped them. But this is a very big challenge for our guys.
They do a great job blocking up front. Got some big tight ends that can catch the ball and run well. So, yeah, it's a very different looking offense than they've been the last couple of years … kind of a little more back to what it was in a lot of ways before. Especially with the multiple formations and personnel groupings and different things and emphasis on running the football.
So less of a spread mindset, more of a two tight ends and multiple looks and kind of the way, like I said, they were in the past. But it's been very good for them.
On the changes to the offensive line at Maryland…
TA: I really felt that based on play the last few weeks and Zack [Carpenter] was getting healthier -- he had something he had to deal with physically earlier in the season. So, just getting him to where he was healthy enough to be able to be a guy in there, just felt that he needed to be one of those spots. Whether it's center, right guard, left guard, he can play all three of those. Then, obviously, Michael [Katic]'s situation, it was natural to be able to just get guys where they were most comfortable and try to get our best five guys out there.
I think Zack is a really good football player. I wanted to get him in there and it just worked out that way because of Michael's injury. At the same time, Zack was going to be in there somewhere. Basically, I just felt that was just what needed to happen. And that's the direction that we went.
I do think that there's a lot of interchangeable parts in there. I think they can play either side. So, once we went with that combination and liked the results, we'll just continue it with that.
Have a great day. LEO.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
114313-1-1822 2021-11-01 16:33:00 GMT
#GoIU
Below is the transcript of the press conference. Video of the full media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Tom Allen | Head Coach
Opening Statement
TA: Good morning. Just wanted to recap a few things here as we get started. We continue to be disappointed in our outcome from Saturday's game. The guys took it hard and there was a lot of emotion in that locker room afterwards. The fight was there we just need to execute better.
Disappointed that our defense didn't rise up when we needed them, in the third quarter especially after we took the lead. Not playing complementary football, which means when we score to take the lead, we've got to go out and get a three-and-out, get the takeaway and keep that momentum going. Then, when you block a punt, you've got to go get points. We didn't get any points after that. Got to be complementary of each other. Then when we do make a play and get ourselves [an opportunity] -- we do a fake punt and execute that and get about 25-plus yards -- then we need to good in and score a touchdown. So, continuing to work together.
We are encouraged by some progress on offense. Thought our offensive line played better. Stephen Carr ran hard and did some good things. Donaven [McCulley] obviously played well. He played better in the fourth quarter than he did in the first quarter. He got better as the game wore on and was more comfortable. Obviously set a record for yards for a true freshman quarterback in a game. We are really proud of him, his preparation and his ability to rise up in a road game, which is always hard for a young guy. We are encouraged by that, but not surprised though. I do think, and I've said all along, I thought he's a really talented player that has a big upside, and his best football is ahead of him.
Peyton Hendershot continues to play at a high level. Just a gritty, tough, catching the football, blocking hard, playing hard on special teams. Matt Bjorson same thing. Playing his tail off. Our tight end room has been a bright spot for our team offensively for sure.
I want to recognize the scout team players of the week doing a tremendous job working hard for us in practice. Jaquez Smith is the special teams scout of the week. Offensive scout of the week Vinny Fiacable and Brady Feeney, two offensive linemen. The defensive scout team player of the week is Joseph Daniels Jr. He just continues to be selfless, work hard and do a tremendous job helping us get ready each and every week.
We have a great opportunity this week to head to Ann Arbor and take on the Wolverines. That's going to be a tough test for us as we progress through our season and continue to seek a very important win.
On what he saw with the defense at Maryland…
TA: The syncing the performances part is frustrating. I thought as we went through and evaluated Saturday's game defensively, really went through and evaluated whether they were scheme issues versus technique issues, it really was technique.
There were a few scheme issues as far as just not executing the right scheme on those calls. But most of them were just within that scheme just executing the call and playing with proper technique … Third down stuck out to me as well, third-and-longs especially, where we've got to be dominant defensively and have been in the past and were not Saturday.
You might have mentioned it, and I think it is very true, you go back and look and you see just the number of guys playing a lot of snaps. Had two safeties play in the 90s, you know. Our depth in the secondary with injuries has hurt us. It's made it challenging. Jaylin Williams is playing too many snaps and we have to get those guys back to help us there. Josh Sanguinetti was out. He tried to warm up, tried to go but couldn't go. Hurt us in our depth there. I think we have to play more guys there even though there's going to be young guys just to be able to keep our guys fresh, so they don't make those mistakes in critical times.
So, just a lot of those things come into play. At the same time, we did some good things. Had a very dominant second quarter defensively, which was good, and we needed that after a tough start. Then kind of got everything calmed down and had a chance to take the game momentum-wise in the third quarter after we scored and did not do it.
I just think it's -- you go through, and there's the execution piece and there's the technique part of it. And this goes into just trying to continue to find a winning formula to be able to put it all together. We knew we had to support our offense with a new quarterback and his opportunity there and the challenges that was going to create. I thought our special teams did that in terms of getting the blocked punt, which was huge, and then getting the fake punt, which was a big boost to our offense. We have got to capitalize on that.
Even in both of those situations, it was a three-point game. If any one of those you score a touchdown over that one field goal or you don't miss the field goal, then you have a different outcome. So frustrating. But at the same time, you just identify [the mistakes] and you don't make excuses. You just try to fix them and keep getting better.
On bowl eligibility being on the line this weekend at Michigan…
TA: They understand. They know. We don't have to talk about it a lot. The captains mentioned it when I met with them and they understand what's at stake.
This is just trying to find a way to compete at a high level and play at a high level and win Big Ten football games. To me, that's the whole goal. We've got to play our best football in all three phases, working together, complementing one another and playing our best on Saturday.
On the quarterback situation moving forward…
TA: Yeah. Great question. You know, they both [Michael Penix Jr. and Jack Tuttle] continue to be, as I stated after the game, week to week. We'll see how they progress this week. A little unknown as far as Jack's injury. See how quickly he'll bounce back from that. I know Michael's throwing and moving around and doing things at maybe a better rate than we thought.
At the same time, Donaven is the healthiest right now. He is the guy that we're getting ready to play. And to me obviously showed a lot of positive signs of things that I expected him to be able to do. I know not everybody saw that against Ohio State. So that was kind of frustrating because I knew he was a different quarterback than he showed. But it was what it was, and that's how he played. So, you have to just grow from there. He did, and he responded. Yeah, to me right now Donaven is the guy and we have to keep getting him ready to play better every week.
On what makes Donaven McCulley special at the quarterback position…
TA: Well, first of all, I remember back when we first saw him throw. He was here for one of our summer 7-on-7 camps that we had. He was the quarterback there for his high school team. He was young, but we just the way he naturally threw the football. I knew he was a three-sport guy at that point and proceeded to be his whole career and was just naturally [gifted] and had length even back then. He's grown since then. Just the way the ball came off his hand naturally, I thought that was impressive. Then just to be able to have athleticism where you can run it if you need to. He's got size. He's 215 pounds. He's going to keep getting better. I see him to be up to 225 or 230 pounds I would imagine.
He's still young as you mentioned. I think there's just a competitive toughness to him, you know. I think he has that. He doesn't back down. He didn't back down when he first got thrown in there against Ohio State. He runs behind his pads. He doesn't run high … he doesn't play that way. He attacks things and believes in himself. Has a pretty calm demeanor and doesn't get frazzled. That's something that guys have innately, you know. He has ability to just extend plays and find guys open down field and if he has to run, he can run it.
So, all those things. I love his attitude. I love the way he approaches things every day. He's a humble guy. He's a great teammate. He's a hard worker. So, a lot of good qualities that makes you excited to have him. That's why we were excited to have him on our team and expected him to be able to redshirt and have a chance to develop even more this offseason, but things change. He's now our starting quarterback.
On the offensive line play so far this season…
TA: You know, I think you continue to look at all those different things as you go through. I think a couple individuals maybe didn't play as well earlier as they needed to for whatever reason. You know, different variables go into that for sure.
I wasn't bashful myself to say that I was frustrated and disappointed in their performance and calling it what it was. You can see it. People can watch the game. We can watch the film and see they're not executing at a high enough level. But as I've always said, there's a chemistry to that group playing next to somebody. And the communication with that has to be repped out at a high level, over and over again, especially with the defense that we face up front and the talented defensive lines that we play against.
I think as you continue to allow yourself to get more reps and get better and try and find ways to help your guys be more successful and the play of the quarterback, his ability to get the ball out and make reads. There's no question -- I think I've said this as well, quarterback play is pretty paramount. I don't care what level you're at, you want to be able to be an elite offense, you've got to have an elite quarterback. He has to play at an elite level and has to play at a high level of execution in getting the ball out and getting the reads. I think that creates a lot of confidence with the guys around him too.
I think there's multiple variables with it. Definitely a group that hasn't, as the whole season looked at itself played as well as you would have liked. We've just got to find a way to get better every week. Saw progress last week and need to build off of that. Going to face a better defense this week. So that growth needs to continue as they continue to give the quarterback time to throw and our running backs time to run.
On how the wide receivers have adjusted to the three different quarterback this season…
TA: That's a good question. I think that just like everything else in life, there's very few shortcuts for things like that. It's hard to fast forward that. There's a timing component to it.
I think the biggest thing we do is try to maximize our practice reps with those guys from a little more work on routes on air with those guys from a timing perspective in practice to help them make up for some lost ground. Then some post practice work as well without trying to put too much on their legs. With some injuries we've had in that room, that's kind of become an issue, as well. At the same time, that's probably the way we've been best dealing with it is the way that we practice … because you don't have to be physical to get that timing down.
So, those guys have been working really hard on those parts. That's really become a major part of our pre-group work, has been the routes on air with both the tight ends as a group, the running backs as a group, and then the wide receivers as a group with their quarterbacks, with Donaven, because he does not have that rep base over the summer, even though he threw with them some, but very little. Then, no spring football with him.
As I said, even during fall camp he wasn't a one or a two at that point. So, he got a few reps but very few reps to be honest with you, with the ones for sure. I think it's just something we've had to modify in our preparation to get our guys timed up. And even in the game, the game reps become valuable. I think that last week's reps in the game become valuable for this next week to continue to help their timing and their chemistry.
On Donaven McCulley finding his veteran wide receivers more at Maryland…
TA: I would say, to answer your question, it was an emphasis to get [Fryfogle] the football. Does it help to have someone else that they have to recognize and honor and leverage defensively? Yes. But without question, got him involved in the reverse, just trying to get him more touches. He is a talented football player. You can sometimes take a receiver; you can do things to make it hard on that guy. So that's where others have got to step up.
But, yes, we feel like he's one of our best football players and need to get him the football. So that was definitely by design. And that's what we want to be able to do. And Peyton's been phenomenal. You think of how hard he's work and what he's overcome and what he's become as both a leader and as a player, it's very, very excited for him and very proud of him.
On Nick Sheridan being on the sidelines at Maryland…
TA: Yeah. I was wondering if anybody would notice that. Definitely by design. Nick came to me and kind of expressed why he felt like he needed to be [on the sideline] and I 100 percent agreed. It was really to just help Donaven give immediate feedback right off the field, being able to talk to him face to face and just help him process everything and make adjustments and keep him calm and being his first official start.
So, yeah, that was by design. Then we put Kevin Wright up in the press box. So, they switched places. I thought that was a very good decision to make and glad we did it. I think it definitely helped Donaven and it was really positive for our whole offense.
On the physical challenge that Michigan presents…
TA: Yeah. There is no question they run the ball very, very well. Very big offensive line. Very physical. Two really talented running backs that have been very effective. They do have talented receivers and a good quarterback that just seems to have a lot of moxie to him and toughness and moves the chains and makes a lot of plays more with his arm than his legs. They play a second quarterback a little bit for some packages.
But bottom line is, yeah, they've established [an identity] and you can just tell from the very beginning of the season that was what they wanted to be able to do was establish the run game. And they've done a really good job of that.
Even in the game this past week, they really had a lot of points, a lot of yards. Michigan State just scored more points than they did. It wasn't like [Michigan State] stopped them. But this is a very big challenge for our guys.
They do a great job blocking up front. Got some big tight ends that can catch the ball and run well. So, yeah, it's a very different looking offense than they've been the last couple of years … kind of a little more back to what it was in a lot of ways before. Especially with the multiple formations and personnel groupings and different things and emphasis on running the football.
So less of a spread mindset, more of a two tight ends and multiple looks and kind of the way, like I said, they were in the past. But it's been very good for them.
On the changes to the offensive line at Maryland…
TA: I really felt that based on play the last few weeks and Zack [Carpenter] was getting healthier -- he had something he had to deal with physically earlier in the season. So, just getting him to where he was healthy enough to be able to be a guy in there, just felt that he needed to be one of those spots. Whether it's center, right guard, left guard, he can play all three of those. Then, obviously, Michael [Katic]'s situation, it was natural to be able to just get guys where they were most comfortable and try to get our best five guys out there.
I think Zack is a really good football player. I wanted to get him in there and it just worked out that way because of Michael's injury. At the same time, Zack was going to be in there somewhere. Basically, I just felt that was just what needed to happen. And that's the direction that we went.
I do think that there's a lot of interchangeable parts in there. I think they can play either side. So, once we went with that combination and liked the results, we'll just continue it with that.
Have a great day. LEO.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
114313-1-1822 2021-11-01 16:33:00 GMT
#GoIU
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