‘Finish Strong’ – IU Seeks to Keep Old Brass Spittoon
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Trophy games rock.
Yes, every game matters equally in the big picture, but big pictures get altered when rivalry kicks in. It’s about beyond-the-norm sweat, effort, passion, and determination. It comes down to who wants it more, and in trophy games, rivalry games, emotion rules.
Indiana (3-7) will host Michigan State (3-7) on Saturday for the Old Brass Spittoon and play at Purdue (3-7) on Nov. 25 for the Old Oaken Bucket.
“We’ve very motivated to win both of the Trophy games,” senior outside linebacker Lanell Carr Jr. says. “It means a lot. We want it.”
Head coach Tom Allen reinforced that with a narrated video of last year’s win over the Spartans in East Lansing that emphasized toughness, fight, and effort. Mark Deal, IU assistant athletic director for alumni relations, gave a special presentation about the history of the Brass Spittoon. He’ll do the same next week with the Oaken Bucket.
“We use as many avenues as we can to help educate our guys to understand how important this game is and how important it is to keep the Brass Spittoon,” Allen says.
IU hasn’t won consecutive Spittoon games since winning three-straight from 1967-69.
“We’re motivated and excited to keep it,” Carr says. “We just have to keep working. Stay consistent. Stay locked in. Fix the little mistakes.”
Adds junior right tackle Kahlil Benson: “We got this (Spittoon) in our possession. It’s something we cherish. We’re not going to let it go. It’s ours.”
Victories won’t give the Hoosiers a winning record, but they would ease some of the disappointment as well as provide an emotional lift heading into next season. The fact Saturday is Senior Day adds extra emotional significance.
“The seniors have meant so much to the team,” Allen says. “There have been challenges, and they’ve been able to grow through them. They gave us their hearts, their bodies, all the effort and sacrifices they’ve made. It’s a special group of guys who have built life-long relationships.”
Or, as Carr puts it, “We have to ball up for the seniors and come up with the W.”
At Illinois last Saturday, Indiana found offensive magic. It consistently ran and passed as it hadn’t all season, found balance as it hadn’t all season, scored as it hadn’t all season -- 42 points in regulation, 45 overall.
The Hoosiers ran for 162 yards and passed for 289 more. Of its 29 first downs, 12 came through the air, 10 on the ground, seven by Illinois penalty.
Quarterback Brendan Sorsby completed 22-of-33 passes for 289 yards, threw for three touchdowns, ran for two more. Receiver Donaven McCulley caught 11 passes for 137 yards and two TDs. Running back Trent Howland ran for 72 yards while averaging 5.5 yards a carry.
Saturday’s challenge is clear -- do it again, and even more if necessary.
This reflects the improvement over the last month under offensive coordinator Rod Carey, who has slowly built a unit in his image after taking over for Walt Bell.
“We have made gradual improvements,” he says, “found what is working and are doing more of that.
“Our challenge this week is to get back on the horse and get that same improvement. We have a long way to go for the entire offense, and they know that.
“Some days the burdens are heavier. We didn't meet the goal (of winning). When you're a good offense you can have those days and you can meet the goal, and we're not there yet. We're working towards that, but we're not there yet.”
Better defense is crucial. IU gave up 48 points and more than 500 passing yards against an Illinois team that hadn’t previously come close to those numbers.
Allen expects better.
“I want a strong response,” he says. “They have a lot to prove. I expect us to play better, do a great job of stopping the run, do a much better job in the secondary, and that includes the D-line and the linebackers getting pressure. I want to see consistent communication and good tackling.”
Michigan State’s 16.7-point scoring average ranks last in the Big Ten by more than two points.
Allen said IU spent the week making sure the right guys are playing on defense and making some personnel adjustments, but mostly getting in reps and building a game plan around simplicity so everyone understands what needs to be done.
Solving the inconsistency keeps co-defensive coordinator Matt Guerrieri up at night.
“I take a lot of pride on trying to forecast how our game is going to go, what the matchups look like, things that put the guys in the best position.
“You've seen us play high-level defense, and obviously that was far from it this past Saturday. It comes down to execution.
“If you have a breakdown from a coverage standpoint, or a blitz standpoint, it comes down to what are you asking the guys to do, what is the communication, and what is the execution level from there. We have to limit those things to make sure they don't happen.
“I wear and own every part of that. It’s making sure everybody knows the expectation, and we are able to execute on game day.”
Ultimately, in these trophy games, it comes down to this:
“Finish strong,” Benson says. “Stay together. Take care of business. It’s not over yet.”