Indiana University Athletics
Thursday Takeaways: at Michigan State
11/17/2022 2:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana football head coach Tom Allen updated to the media on Thursday (Nov. 17) prior Indiana traveling to Michigan State for a Noon kickoff on Big Ten Network.
Below is a partial transcript of the Tom Allen press conference, while video of the full media sessions can be found near the top of this story at IUHoosiers.com or via IUHoosiers.com/watch.
Tom Allen | Head Coach
On Nick James status…
TA: [That] was a decision to play four [games] and to not want to burn the redshirt by playing more. We chose to keep him out for that reason. Great question, and he is healthy.
On Tiawan Mullen getting back to looking like himself last weekend…
TA: It is probably hard to really say why, and he and I have had a lot of talks. [He knew] he wasn't playing to his standard and his expectation, or our standards and our expectations for him either. Just finally got back to being himself.
I think sometimes you put too much pressure on yourself, and you press. You are expected to do all of these certain things and obviously last year the injury really set him back, but I think this year he has kind of been pressing too much and trying to do too many things, and not just playing with great technique. [He just needed] to be himself and play the way he played his first year here, where he didn't have that pressure, didn't have that expectation, and just went out there and made plays.
I think that was what he was able to do his first couple years and he is trying to get back to that. So, there is no question he played his best game of the season last weekend against a really good group of receivers and excited for him to continue that trend.
On the quarterback situation and Dexter's progression entering Michigan State…
TA: I think that is part of the growth process that you go through when you go from being a guy that's maybe not even a one or a two, which was the case earlier in the season, to now being in that rotation of being a one or a two, like he was last week and this week.
It is different. You have the demands of the total game plan that you have to be ready for and the preparation for that. It definitely adds to the mental strain that you go through and what you put your body through physically, as you mentioned, is part of it as well. And, recovering from that and the hits you take. He has done a great job of that and continued to grow and develop, and that is part of what all quarterbacks go through when you go from being a guy that is not expecting to play to a guy that has an opportunity to play.
I expect him to continue to grow and develop in those areas and I am proud of him for that.
On what they need to do defensively against Michigan State…
TA: We need to stop the run. They run the ball well and have a talented crew of running backs that can all be effective. A big physical offensive line and like their receivers, they have several good ones with two that really stick out, but others that have made plays, as well. I think they have a good core of tight ends.
You kind of address all areas, and at quarterback he is gritty and tough, and he makes plays for them and get first downs and scores points. He does a good job of making plays when they need them. He is just a highly competitive guys, as well, and we have played against him for a couple years now.
They are playing better. They have played good at times in the beginning of the year and they, I think they [hit a little slump], but showed flashes of what they could become -- especially in the throw game and now the run game has gotten better later in the year.
Below is a partial transcript of the Tom Allen press conference, while video of the full media sessions can be found near the top of this story at IUHoosiers.com or via IUHoosiers.com/watch.
Tom Allen | Head Coach
On Nick James status…
TA: [That] was a decision to play four [games] and to not want to burn the redshirt by playing more. We chose to keep him out for that reason. Great question, and he is healthy.
On Tiawan Mullen getting back to looking like himself last weekend…
TA: It is probably hard to really say why, and he and I have had a lot of talks. [He knew] he wasn't playing to his standard and his expectation, or our standards and our expectations for him either. Just finally got back to being himself.
I think sometimes you put too much pressure on yourself, and you press. You are expected to do all of these certain things and obviously last year the injury really set him back, but I think this year he has kind of been pressing too much and trying to do too many things, and not just playing with great technique. [He just needed] to be himself and play the way he played his first year here, where he didn't have that pressure, didn't have that expectation, and just went out there and made plays.
I think that was what he was able to do his first couple years and he is trying to get back to that. So, there is no question he played his best game of the season last weekend against a really good group of receivers and excited for him to continue that trend.
On the quarterback situation and Dexter's progression entering Michigan State…
TA: I think that is part of the growth process that you go through when you go from being a guy that's maybe not even a one or a two, which was the case earlier in the season, to now being in that rotation of being a one or a two, like he was last week and this week.
It is different. You have the demands of the total game plan that you have to be ready for and the preparation for that. It definitely adds to the mental strain that you go through and what you put your body through physically, as you mentioned, is part of it as well. And, recovering from that and the hits you take. He has done a great job of that and continued to grow and develop, and that is part of what all quarterbacks go through when you go from being a guy that is not expecting to play to a guy that has an opportunity to play.
I expect him to continue to grow and develop in those areas and I am proud of him for that.
On what they need to do defensively against Michigan State…
TA: We need to stop the run. They run the ball well and have a talented crew of running backs that can all be effective. A big physical offensive line and like their receivers, they have several good ones with two that really stick out, but others that have made plays, as well. I think they have a good core of tight ends.
You kind of address all areas, and at quarterback he is gritty and tough, and he makes plays for them and get first downs and scores points. He does a good job of making plays when they need them. He is just a highly competitive guys, as well, and we have played against him for a couple years now.
They are playing better. They have played good at times in the beginning of the year and they, I think they [hit a little slump], but showed flashes of what they could become -- especially in the throw game and now the run game has gotten better later in the year.
Players Mentioned
DB
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