Indiana University Athletics
Find A Way – Defense Looks To Make Difference Against Rutgers
11/11/2021 9:00:00 AM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Charlton Warren sees it, feels it, believes it. Defeats come, disappointments rise, and his Indiana defense keeps pushing with last-play-of-your-career zeal.
If only Big Ten football success came down to just that.
"I love our effort and the fight," the first-year Hoosier defensive coordinator says. "We have a ton of guys who are checking in no matter the score.
"Older guys and younger guys. Everybody is trying to find a way to take the field and help win the game."
Saturday's help will come at Memorial Stadium as IU (2-7) hosts Rutgers (4-5).
Dominant defense will be crucial, and it starts with attitude.
"As a coach, that's what you love," Warren says. "It's about the experience and the buy-in and the culture.
"No one is trying to come out of the game. I have to rip guys off the field whether an arm is hanging, or they're gassed."
At its most elemental, difference-making defense means holding opponents to minimal scoring. Warren boils down Hoosier struggles to two areas – "Takeaways and explosive plays."
Specifically, that means intercepting passes, forcing and recovering fumbles, and limiting or eliminating big plays.
"I wish we could be more consistent," he says. "That starts with me. I have to give guys a chance to be consistent."
The goal is to force three-and-outs. If that can't happen, force opponents to need 10-or-more-play drives to score.
Warren looks at last week's Michigan loss. Twelve plays led to 21 Wolverine points. The other 58 plays led to nine points.
"We need to do more of what we did in those 58 plays," he says.
Last year, the Hoosiers led the Big Ten with 17 interceptions, and added three fumble recoveries, all in eight games.
This year they have five interceptions and four fumble recoveries in nine games.
Why the difference?
It's complicated
"There's no less of a focus on them," Warren says. "We always stress them. We need to see it realized in the game.
"We have to do a better job of doing our job with the defense that's called."
One big difference is IU switched from a mostly zone defense last year to one with mostly man coverage. That was done to limit the risk of allowing big plays.
It sounded good in theory, but in application, IU still gives up too many explosive plays.
"Schematically, when you're a pure zone vision team, everybody is looking at the quarterback," Warren says. "You might see the ball thrown, but you also might give up more explosive plays, and get beat over the top more.
"When you play a little more man match pattern defense, you're on the receivers way more than you're staring at the quarterback. There's a mix of that scheme. You cover everybody and there's nowhere to go because there are no holes in the zone.
"Sometimes when you do play zone vision, you do get takeaways because you have guys looking at the ball.
"We're a little bit of a mix. We've also missed a lot of opportunities in terms of dropped ones or didn't get on the ball."
It doesn't help that IU has been without standout cornerbacks Tiawan Mullen and Reese Taylor because of injuries.
"It changes your mindset," Warren says. "When you have two All-America corners, you're more apt to think, let's cover those two guys outside and do different things inside.
"When certain pieces of the defense aren't 100 percent, you do things schematically to help guys out. You change a tendency. Not let 1-on-1 situations happen abundantly. You pick your spots.
"With our two guys out at that position, as well as other guys, you make the offense take the ball someplace else based on the way we shift the coverage. I do that because as you lose pieces, you've got to counteract."
Pressuring the quarterback remains a big key. IU has 15 sacks, 6.5 from linebacker Micah McFadden, 3.5 from defensive end Ryder Anderson. Defensive lineman Weston Kramer has two.
"There are plenty of guys with the potential to get sacks," Warren says. "The pieces have changed almost every game. (Anderson) and (McFadden) are the constants."
In the last four games, Rutgers has scored a total of 41 points, just three in last week's blowout loss to surging Wisconsin. It had less than 250 yards of total offense in two of its last three games. It has rushed for 111 or fewer yards in five of its last eight games.
Tailback Isaih Pacheco has rushed for 475 yards and three touchdowns.
Quarterback Noah Vedral completes 61.0 percent of his passes for 1,493 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. He's also rushed for 239 yards and a TD.
Receiver Bo Melton has caught 43 passes for 473 yards and three touchdowns.
Warren is convinced the Hoosiers are poised to contain them, and more.
"This defense shows you that these guys come to fight and come to play."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Charlton Warren sees it, feels it, believes it. Defeats come, disappointments rise, and his Indiana defense keeps pushing with last-play-of-your-career zeal.
If only Big Ten football success came down to just that.
"I love our effort and the fight," the first-year Hoosier defensive coordinator says. "We have a ton of guys who are checking in no matter the score.
"Older guys and younger guys. Everybody is trying to find a way to take the field and help win the game."
Saturday's help will come at Memorial Stadium as IU (2-7) hosts Rutgers (4-5).
Dominant defense will be crucial, and it starts with attitude.
"As a coach, that's what you love," Warren says. "It's about the experience and the buy-in and the culture.
"No one is trying to come out of the game. I have to rip guys off the field whether an arm is hanging, or they're gassed."
At its most elemental, difference-making defense means holding opponents to minimal scoring. Warren boils down Hoosier struggles to two areas – "Takeaways and explosive plays."
Specifically, that means intercepting passes, forcing and recovering fumbles, and limiting or eliminating big plays.
"I wish we could be more consistent," he says. "That starts with me. I have to give guys a chance to be consistent."
The goal is to force three-and-outs. If that can't happen, force opponents to need 10-or-more-play drives to score.
Warren looks at last week's Michigan loss. Twelve plays led to 21 Wolverine points. The other 58 plays led to nine points.
"We need to do more of what we did in those 58 plays," he says.
Last year, the Hoosiers led the Big Ten with 17 interceptions, and added three fumble recoveries, all in eight games.
This year they have five interceptions and four fumble recoveries in nine games.
Why the difference?
It's complicated
"There's no less of a focus on them," Warren says. "We always stress them. We need to see it realized in the game.
"We have to do a better job of doing our job with the defense that's called."
One big difference is IU switched from a mostly zone defense last year to one with mostly man coverage. That was done to limit the risk of allowing big plays.
It sounded good in theory, but in application, IU still gives up too many explosive plays.
"Schematically, when you're a pure zone vision team, everybody is looking at the quarterback," Warren says. "You might see the ball thrown, but you also might give up more explosive plays, and get beat over the top more.
"When you play a little more man match pattern defense, you're on the receivers way more than you're staring at the quarterback. There's a mix of that scheme. You cover everybody and there's nowhere to go because there are no holes in the zone.
"Sometimes when you do play zone vision, you do get takeaways because you have guys looking at the ball.
"We're a little bit of a mix. We've also missed a lot of opportunities in terms of dropped ones or didn't get on the ball."
It doesn't help that IU has been without standout cornerbacks Tiawan Mullen and Reese Taylor because of injuries.
"It changes your mindset," Warren says. "When you have two All-America corners, you're more apt to think, let's cover those two guys outside and do different things inside.
"When certain pieces of the defense aren't 100 percent, you do things schematically to help guys out. You change a tendency. Not let 1-on-1 situations happen abundantly. You pick your spots.
"With our two guys out at that position, as well as other guys, you make the offense take the ball someplace else based on the way we shift the coverage. I do that because as you lose pieces, you've got to counteract."
Pressuring the quarterback remains a big key. IU has 15 sacks, 6.5 from linebacker Micah McFadden, 3.5 from defensive end Ryder Anderson. Defensive lineman Weston Kramer has two.
"There are plenty of guys with the potential to get sacks," Warren says. "The pieces have changed almost every game. (Anderson) and (McFadden) are the constants."
In the last four games, Rutgers has scored a total of 41 points, just three in last week's blowout loss to surging Wisconsin. It had less than 250 yards of total offense in two of its last three games. It has rushed for 111 or fewer yards in five of its last eight games.
Tailback Isaih Pacheco has rushed for 475 yards and three touchdowns.
Quarterback Noah Vedral completes 61.0 percent of his passes for 1,493 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. He's also rushed for 239 yards and a TD.
Receiver Bo Melton has caught 43 passes for 473 yards and three touchdowns.
Warren is convinced the Hoosiers are poised to contain them, and more.
"This defense shows you that these guys come to fight and come to play."
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
DL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballFB: The Standard - Episode 4 (5/20/2026)
Wednesday, May 20
FB: The Standard - Episode 3 (5/5/2026)
Tuesday, May 05
FB: Spring Game - Postgame Press Conference
Thursday, April 23
FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21