History, A Bucket, and A Final Hoosier Senior Opportunity

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Five years. Has it really been that long for guys such as Bryant Fitzgerald, Cam Jones, James Head Jr., and Noah Pierre as Indiana football Hoosiers?

The calendar doesn't lie. These veterans -- part of head coach Tom Allen's first complete recruiting class -- are wrapping up impressive careers. Everything they've done this week has been for the last time, culminating with Saturday's Old Oaken Bucket game against rival Purdue at Memorial Stadium.

"It's crazy," says Fitzgerald, a redshirt senior safety/linebacker. "This is the last (Monday) I will have here as far as being part of this team.

"After this game, this team will never be assembled again. Thinking about that, thinking about all the years playing in this rivalry. It's a great honor. To play this great game the Lord has blessed me to play."

That blessing included an 8-5 2019 season record highlighted by a double overtime win over Purdue and a TaxSlayer Gator Bowl appearance, and then a 6-2 2020 run featuring victories over Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Michigan State, an Outback Bowl appearance, and a final No. 12 national ranking.

"When you have a new coach, you want to be part of something special," Fitzgerald says. "The history here hasn't been all that great, but we were part of the 2020 team that made history."

Jones, a linebacker, hasn't played in two months because of a foot injury. He continues to rehab with the hope he'll get a final shot at the Boilers.

"I'm excited to take the field with these guys. I'll give them everything I've got. It will be very emotional. It's all worth it. I trust the process Coach Allen has for me. I can't wait to walk and finish."

The ultimate finish means beating Purdue (7-4). The Hoosiers (4-7) earned one rivalry trophy -- the Old Brass Spittoon -- by rallying to beat Michigan State last Saturday. That snapped a seven-game losing streak and boosted their optimism about this Saturday's prospects.

"It has been a tough season," Fitzgerald says. "It will make it all that much sweeter to get that Bucket back one last time."

Purdue has the Bucket after winning last season. However, IU has won five of the last eight meetings.

A Hoosier victory will require high-level performance from everyone. Casey will have a big role. He has emerged, in his final season, as the force he was recruited to be (team-leading 86 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss, plus two forced fumbles). It meant tapping into the mental side, buying into the elite preparation pushed by Allen and defensive coordinator Chad Wilt that leads to elite performance.

Jones saw Casey's potential when they all arrived at IU. The group included Micah McFadden (the former standout linebacker now playing for the NFL's New York Giants).

"If you had asked me, (Casey) was the most athletic, the strongest, the fastest out of all of us," Jones says. "I am glad he's gotten this opportunity.

"He's grown tremendously. It's a testament to Coach Wilt and Coach Allen. They believe in you and challenge you every day. They continue to push you and never give up. It can take you a long way.

"He continues to put his head down and go to work and get better. I'm proud of him. The sky is the limit for him."

Casey says the same thing about Fitzgerald and his career-high, 14-tackle linebacker effort against Michigan State, a performance made even more impressive by the fact he had switched from his normal safety position because of injuries to others.

"He was flying around," Casey says. "It was, 'See ball, get ball' mentality. Seeing the effort and heart he gave playing a new position, and playing as well as he did, I was impressed."

Now it comes down to the Bucket game. Wilt is as pumped as any player.

"We finish with two games that really matter, two trophy games with something to attain," he says. "Winning both trophies in the same year is a big feat."

IU has only done it five times in program history.

"We challenged them to elevate their preparation to elevate their performance," Wilt says. "Purdue is good. We have to find a way to play better. Every man has to elevate his performance. Just execute."

Execution is part of what Allen wants to see Saturday. Then there's this:

A victory.

"That is the focus," Allen says. "That makes everything feel better in the offseason. You want to see your team progress, the guys that you have coming back to finish on a strong note and see where they got to.

"Now, you have a launching pad to take it to another level in the offseason. You want them to have confidence to create the momentum you need to keep your program going where you want it to be.

"But the bottom-line goal is to win."

Indiana University Athletics

History, A Bucket, and A Final Hoosier Senior Opportunity

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Players Mentioned

Bryant Fitzgerald

James Head Jr.

Cam Jones

Micah McFadden

Noah Pierre

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