NOTEBOOK: Culture, Character, & A Bucket To Win Back
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Culture and character.
They loom large as Indiana (4-7) prepares for Saturday’s Old Oaken Bucket battle with rival Purdue (7-4).
Head coach Tom Allen sets the tone for one, and recruits for the other. It’s why the Hoosiers rallied from the brink of defeat to beat Michigan State in double overtime last Saturday and regain the Old Brass Spittoon, symbolic of the football rivalry between the schools.
It’s why they are rejuvenated and refocused to do something that’s only happened five times in the 100-plus years that IU has played football -- win the Spittoon and Bucket in the same season.
Culture and character.
You won’t get any better Cream & Crimson examples than Aaron Casey and Bryant Fitzgerald.
Casey is a redshirt senior linebacker having a breakthrough season. Fitzgerald is a redshirt senior safety who -- because of injuries to Cam Jones and Bradley Jennings Jr. -- finds himself at linebacker.
Both were huge against Michigan State. Fitzgerald’s career-high 14 tackles matched the linebacker feat of former IU All-America Tegray Scales. Casey refused to let a lower-body injury prevent him from playing, and totaled six tackles.
“It's a direct reflection of their character,” Allen said. “That's the best way to start. And then that has to transcend into their buy into your program, and wanting to do whatever they've got to do to find a way to get on that field, and then when they get on that field, find whatever they can do to make a play to help this team be successful.”
Culture and character.
Shaun Shivers and Cam Jones radiate it.
Shivers is a senior transfer who plays far bigger than his 5-7, 186-pound size, as a tailback and a kickoff cover guy.
His 79-yard touchdown run, and overall 115 rushing yards were huge against the Spartans, but it was his refusal to come off the field and take a break on his special team responsibilities that resonated the most for Allen.
“He’s been here a year, and he refused to be taken out of the game after he ran almost 80 yards for a touchdown so he could cover a kick,” Allen said. “He covered six kicks because he wanted to.
“I could go on and on about the unselfishness of these guys. Sometimes guys get late in the year and the year hasn't gone the way you want it to go and you start thinking about your future.”
Even in an era when standout players walk away from bowl games to prepare for the NFL Draft, when the transfer portal has players moving on in record numbers and Name Image License provides opportunities for players to make significant money, team still matters. It certainly does for Jones, a senior linebacker who continues to rehab his injured foot so he can play one final time, who has set up a Wednesday coat drive for the homeless, who have struggled amid the recent cold temperatures.
“Cam Jones is busting his tail to play on Saturday,” Allen said. “We still don't know yet if he's going to play. He's out there today trying to work through it.
“I'm telling you that's not normal. I've been doing this a long time. That's special.
“We've got a locker room full of these guys that care a whole lot about this program and this university and those who they represent. They love this team. They are living out LEO.”
Allen mentions freshman Jaylin Lucas, whose key 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown -- making him the only player in the county who two returns for a touchdown this season -- wouldn’t have happened without the other 10 guys doing their jobs at a high level.
There’s junior tight end AJ Barner, overcoming multiple injuries and last Saturday’s nasty cold weather to make a huge catch at the 1-yard line to set up the winning TD and hauled in the ensuing 2-point conversion.
Finally, there’s redshirt junior center Zach Carpenter, whose thumb injury forces him to snap with his left hand.
“I don't remember ever coaching a guy that's been able to do that, in those conditions, and have good snaps,” Allen said.
“That's where the culture piece comes in. It still comes down to guys on your team that care more about the guys around them than they care about themselves. It's getting harder and harder to build that.”
Purdue (5-3 in the Big Ten) needs to beat Indiana to earn at least a share of the Big Ten West title with Iowa. It needs the Hawkeyes to lose to Nebraska to clinch a berth in the conference title game.
The Boilermakers bounced back after consecutive losses to Wisconsin and Iowa to beat Illinois and Northwestern.
“This week is a tremendous challenge,” Allen said. “There’s an unbelievable passion for this game from our fan base and from our team and our players.
“We know that Purdue is a really good team. They have a lot of talented players in all three phases. We have to come together and play our best football one last time.”
Quarterback Aidan O’Connell completes 63.8 percent of his passes for 2,834 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Charlie Jones is the top receiver with 93 catches for 1,056 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also returns punts and kickoffs. Payne Durham has 50 catches for 511 yards and seven touchdowns.
Running back Devin Mockobee has rushed for 750 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Dylan Downing has 335 rushing yards and four TDs.
Center Gus Hartwig is likely out with a leg injury. Mockobee is banged up.
The Boilers average 28.5 points and allow 23.7.
“They have one of the best quarterbacks in the country,” Allen said. “When you have that, you've got a chance to be really good. Their defense has gotten better. Their O-line is better.
“You've got a receiver who's got 93 catches for over a thousand yards. He's impressive. A really good tight end. The defense plays hard and their special teams have been effective.
“Coach (Jeff) Brohm does a great job. Their kids play really hard and they're always well prepared.
“We've got to fight and claw and scratch to try to find a way to win this Old Oaken Bucket game.”
Purdue won last year’s Bucket game. The 2020 contest was canceled because of COVID-19. IU won in 2019. The Hoosiers’ last Bucket win at Memorial Stadium was in 2016. They have won five of the last eight meetings.
“I have a great group of seniors I love and respect,” Allen said. “We want to send them out the right way.”
The transfer portal has dramatically changed college football. Teams lose and gain plays as never before. Allen said he will meet with all of his players next week to discuss their futures and learn if they want to return.
“We are in a different era,” he said. “It's unlike anything I've ever experienced. Never thought it would come to this.
“Everything you do is trying to find a way to make sure the guys understand their roles, their value, how we see them developing. You gotta be constantly selling that.
“Now you have conversations about convincing them to stay. And sometimes it may be pretty blunt conversations.”
IU’s seven-game losing streak and the lost bowl opportunity could cause players to leave.
“It's been a hard season,” Allen said. “Guys get frustrated. Everybody wants to win. I want to win as much as anybody.
“But you stay true to who you are. You want guys who want to be here. And now they have an opportunity to move around more than ever before.
“You want to keep the right guys here. I want guys that have the passion for this program and have the belief that we can do special things here together.”
Previously when the season ended, coaches immediately focused on signing the next class. Now, with the transfer portal, coaches still do that, and also recruit the players currently on the team and look for transfers to bring in.
“It’s never going to change,” Allen said. “It will be this way from now on.”