‘Attack the Week’ – Casey and Hoosiers Seek Bucket Return
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - You know the story. Player unhappy with his playing time moves on. It’s happened ever since college sports first emerged, accelerating in these transfer portal times.
Indiana senior linebacker Aaron Casey didn’t leave the Cream & Crimson program when adversity hit, and now he has one last chance to beat Purdue, one final crack at the Old Oaken Bucket that the Boilers (3-8) have had for the last two seasons. It comes Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium.
“We want the Bucket back,” he says.
Rivalry breeds respect as well as contempt. It adds zest to an already zesty sport.
Growing up in Georgia, Casey had no knowledge of the Bucket and the IU-Purdue rivalry. He knows now, experiencing the thrill of victory in 2019, and the agony of defeat in 2018, ’21 and ’22.
“Coming from out of state, I didn’t know how big it is,” Casey says. “When I got here, I could see how big the beat Purdue thing was, how important it was to have the Bucket around Memorial Stadium.”
The Hoosiers’ 3-8 record hurts. A victory won’t wipe that away, but it would provide a college career ending to remember.
“We’re going attack the week like any other week,” Casey says, “but there is extra motivation playing for that Bucket. Guys know the gravity around this game. It hypes us up even more.”
Casey’s career-best 98 tackles tie for fourth in the Big Ten. He’ set to be become the first Hoosier since All-American linebacker Tegray Scales in 2016 to surpass 100 tackles in a season. He leads the conference with 16.0 tackles for loss. That ranks No. 7 among all major college players.
This comes after minimal playing time in his first three seasons. Rather than pushing him to the transfer portal, it fueled him to work even harder.
“When I first got to IU,” Casey says, “I became close to Tegray Scales. He had a saying, ‘Trust the process.’ I embodied that.
“He was an influence on me. He still is. Things didn’t work out for me at first the way I wanted them to. Not in my first year, not even my second or third year. I was not given the time I wanted. But I trusted the process, did the work, did the right things, like being coachable and learning from others. You can become that player you want to be.”
Casey is driven to deliver difference-making performance on Saturday, aiming to inspire teammates to do the same. IU ranks second to last in the Big Ten in points allowed at 29.5 (only Purdue is worse at 30.4) and last in total yards allowed at 387.8 (the Boilers are next at 384.2).
What’s been the problem?
“It’s our execution,” Casey says. “When it comes down to it, we don’t always execute the way we’re supposed to. We have to find a way to get off the field. That’s one of our Achilles heels. We have to improve our focus and get better at it this week.”
Strong defensive line play is crucial. Guys such as defensive end Andre Carter (his 27 total pressures rank 14th in the Big Ten) must disrupt a Purdue attack that ranks fifth in the conference in scoring (22.9) and total offense (373.3 yards), slow down a rushing attack that has gained 303 and 353 yards in its last two games.
“Defensive line play is a huge point of emphasis,” co-defensive coordinator Matt Guerrieri says. “It all starts up front. You’ve seen us play more physical on the front, be more disruptive on the front. That has to be how we play from the run and pass standpoint on Saturday.
“In November football in the Big Ten, especially in rivalry week, you have to win the line of scrimmage. That will be a huge challenge for our guys. Their job is to establish a mentality and physicality up front.”
IU has three victories, and put itself in position to win four others (Louisville, Penn State, Illinois, and Michigan State). In the last two weeks, the defense had a chance to close out a victory and couldn’t.
For senior offensive lineman Mike Katic, disappointment doesn’t turn to blame.
“It’s frustrating, but I’m not frustrated at the defense or anyone else,” he says. “I’m focused on doing my job and making sure the offensive line is doing its job.
“The defensive guys put in as much work as we do. They work their butts off every day.”
Katic says the offense could score more points to take the pressure off the defense.
“We have to do a better job of not putting them in those situations. It’s the whole game. It’s not one play that makes the difference. It’s all the plays.
“The offense can do a better job of putting more points on the board and not putting the defense in those situations.”
Saturday is the last chance to do that.
“I’d have liked to have won all these games,” Katic says, “but you have to press on, move on, and get the win. That’s what we’re going to do."