For IU Defense, It’s Time To Get Creative
11/3/2021 9:00:00 AM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - In an alternate universe, Charlton Warren has a full-strength defense set to handle the fiercest of Big Ten challenges.
In this universe, where adversity keeps piling on Cream & Crimson injuries and No. 7 Michigan (7-1) looms on Saturday night with its rock-your-world rushing attack, Indiana's defensive coordinator can't avoid bottom-line, college-coaching reality.
"Our job is to find ways to win games and get the ball back to our offense," he says. "Keep trying creative ways to put our guys in position to make plays."
Creativity is crucial given the secondary body blows. You lose an All-America cornerback (Taiwan Mullen), then an All-Big Ten cornerback (Reese Taylor), and then a promising safety (Josh Sanguinetti) to injuries, and life gets complicated.
You move backups to starting roles, switch veterans to different positions, seek to plug holes without creating new ones.
"We have to find creative ways to get our guys on the field and in position to make plays," Warren says, "and have coverage concepts that play to the strengths of the guys.
"When you don't have the two corners, you lose Sanguinetti, a lot of core guys who have played hundreds of snaps for you …"
Factor in facing fast, talented receivers and a big play quarterback, as the Hoosiers did last Saturday at Maryland, and you have a major challenge for a 2-6 team that has to win out to become bowl eligible.
You have, in fact, the 38 points and 419 passing yards IU allowed. You have multiple missed opportunities to win favorable third-down situations.
Secondary breakdowns were a major reason.
"Some of it was one-on-one matchups," Warren says. "We had some communication issues on the pick routes. Guys were rubbed and guys got free on third downs. That led to guys being open.
"We have to have better awareness. I have to coach them better to have awareness of splits. You can't get rubbed. I have to do a better job to make sure we work through the coverage issues no matter who is in the game."
One solution -- simplicity.
One risk -- offenses take advantage
"Everything we do, as we start moving guys around, has to be more simple in nature," Warren says. "You might be asking a guy to play two positions based on injuries.
"We simplified things to make it easier for guys to go into the game, but we have to be careful that we don't do things that make it easy for an offense to operate and stay on the field."
Another problem is that players such as defensive backs Jaylin Williams and Noah Pierre played too many snaps, which creates mental and physical fatigue, which increases the chances for mistakes.
It doesn't take much of a mistake against top receivers to give up a difference-making play.
Michigan's Blake Corum has rushed for 771 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 6.0 yards per carry.
Hassan Haskins has rushed for 661 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averages 4.8 yards a carry.
Controlling that kind of rushing attack, Warren says starts by setting the edge.
"You have to keep the ball between your defenders. You have to swarm it with effort and energy on every play.
"They have two unbelievable backs. They have a two-headed monster at quarterback. One runs it extremely well. They give you a ton of formations to deal with.
"It's about playing our base fundamentals and rules, setting the edges and allowing our defense to run the ball down from the inside out. We can't let them crease us with their gap scheme. We also can't let them out-flank us. Tremendous challenge ahead of us."
One potential equalizer -- the continued dominating presence of All-America linebacker Micah McFadden, who leads the Big Ten with 14 tackles for loss. That ranks second nationally. He's had at least one tackle for loss in 13 straight games.
"He's a rock in our defense," Warren says. "He's able to be disruptive on any down and situation.
"For guys being forced to play in non-traditional roles (in other words, guys playing different positions), he's able to give them confidence because he's able to get them lined up, set the defense, set the calls. He shows the younger guys how to play the game."
Another possible equalizer -- the return of Mullen and Taylor. While Mullen got some action against Maryland, his injury made him ineffective.
One possibility, head coach Tom Allen says, is to play more younger guys to ensure the veterans are rested, "so they don't make those mistakes in critical times."
Overall, he adds, "You identify (the mistakes) and you don't make excuses. You just try to fix them and keep getting better."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - In an alternate universe, Charlton Warren has a full-strength defense set to handle the fiercest of Big Ten challenges.
In this universe, where adversity keeps piling on Cream & Crimson injuries and No. 7 Michigan (7-1) looms on Saturday night with its rock-your-world rushing attack, Indiana's defensive coordinator can't avoid bottom-line, college-coaching reality.
"Our job is to find ways to win games and get the ball back to our offense," he says. "Keep trying creative ways to put our guys in position to make plays."
Creativity is crucial given the secondary body blows. You lose an All-America cornerback (Taiwan Mullen), then an All-Big Ten cornerback (Reese Taylor), and then a promising safety (Josh Sanguinetti) to injuries, and life gets complicated.
You move backups to starting roles, switch veterans to different positions, seek to plug holes without creating new ones.
"We have to find creative ways to get our guys on the field and in position to make plays," Warren says, "and have coverage concepts that play to the strengths of the guys.
"When you don't have the two corners, you lose Sanguinetti, a lot of core guys who have played hundreds of snaps for you …"
Factor in facing fast, talented receivers and a big play quarterback, as the Hoosiers did last Saturday at Maryland, and you have a major challenge for a 2-6 team that has to win out to become bowl eligible.
You have, in fact, the 38 points and 419 passing yards IU allowed. You have multiple missed opportunities to win favorable third-down situations.
Secondary breakdowns were a major reason.
"Some of it was one-on-one matchups," Warren says. "We had some communication issues on the pick routes. Guys were rubbed and guys got free on third downs. That led to guys being open.
"We have to have better awareness. I have to coach them better to have awareness of splits. You can't get rubbed. I have to do a better job to make sure we work through the coverage issues no matter who is in the game."
One solution -- simplicity.
One risk -- offenses take advantage
"Everything we do, as we start moving guys around, has to be more simple in nature," Warren says. "You might be asking a guy to play two positions based on injuries.
"We simplified things to make it easier for guys to go into the game, but we have to be careful that we don't do things that make it easy for an offense to operate and stay on the field."
Another problem is that players such as defensive backs Jaylin Williams and Noah Pierre played too many snaps, which creates mental and physical fatigue, which increases the chances for mistakes.
It doesn't take much of a mistake against top receivers to give up a difference-making play.
Michigan's Blake Corum has rushed for 771 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 6.0 yards per carry.
Hassan Haskins has rushed for 661 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averages 4.8 yards a carry.
Controlling that kind of rushing attack, Warren says starts by setting the edge.
"You have to keep the ball between your defenders. You have to swarm it with effort and energy on every play.
"They have two unbelievable backs. They have a two-headed monster at quarterback. One runs it extremely well. They give you a ton of formations to deal with.
"It's about playing our base fundamentals and rules, setting the edges and allowing our defense to run the ball down from the inside out. We can't let them crease us with their gap scheme. We also can't let them out-flank us. Tremendous challenge ahead of us."
One potential equalizer -- the continued dominating presence of All-America linebacker Micah McFadden, who leads the Big Ten with 14 tackles for loss. That ranks second nationally. He's had at least one tackle for loss in 13 straight games.
"He's a rock in our defense," Warren says. "He's able to be disruptive on any down and situation.
"For guys being forced to play in non-traditional roles (in other words, guys playing different positions), he's able to give them confidence because he's able to get them lined up, set the defense, set the calls. He shows the younger guys how to play the game."
Another possible equalizer -- the return of Mullen and Taylor. While Mullen got some action against Maryland, his injury made him ineffective.
One possibility, head coach Tom Allen says, is to play more younger guys to ensure the veterans are rested, "so they don't make those mistakes in critical times."
Overall, he adds, "You identify (the mistakes) and you don't make excuses. You just try to fix them and keep getting better."
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