On the Attack – Aggressive Approach Brings That IU Lovin’ Feeling
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Forget bend, but don’t break. Indiana has bigger defensive goals in mind every time, especially Saturday, especially against No. 2 Ohio State (9-1) at Ohio Stadium.
The No. 5 Hoosiers (10-0) play to disrupt, to attack, to break. Linebacker Aiden Fisher wouldn’t want it any other way.
“I love it,” Fisher says about IU’s aggressive defensive approach. “With a lot of defenses, you'll look at them, and they're trying to survive the game and let their offense win it. Here, it's different.
“If we need to win a game, our defense will win the game. That's something I really enjoy. I love the aggressive aspect of it, and I think it fits me and a lot of the players on this defense. They want to get after the quarterback, and they want to get to the ball carrier with bad intentions. Everybody enjoys that.”
Enjoyment finds IU leading the Big Ten in sacks (31.0) and tackles for loss (73.0). It’s tied for second in forced turnovers (20 with 11 interceptions and nine forced fumbles).
This is by design. Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines and head coach Curt Cignetti have no interest in passive play. With a veteran group, Haines adds complexity to his defensive schemes with new plays and different looks.
“He puts a lot on our plate,” Fisher says, “but he knows we can handle it. We do a great job as a unit making sure we’re on the same page, so when we do get those things thrown at us -- in practice we see about every look you can think of -- we’re prepared really well. We make sure we have all the loose ends tightened up so we’re ready for Saturdays.”
Fisher, who is in his third season playing under Haines, takes the leadership role.
“That means a lot to me,” Fisher says. “It speaks to the trust (Haines) has in me. It’s something I’ve earned over the last two to three years. I take a lot of pride in that.”
Pride resonates throughout the program these days. IU’s 10-0 record has transformed the fan base. In the season-opening win over Florida International, many fans, especially students, were gone by the start of the second half. Now, everyone stays to the end, twirling towels and shouting as if their next five meals depended on it.
“Early on,” Fisher says, “we were hearing, ‘It’s going to be the same old IU; they’re bringing in a new coach and new players; we do that every year.’
“Once we put that product on the field, we started selling out games, and getting congratulated in the classroom by our peers. We could see how much it means to this community and this school.”
IU athletic director Scott Dolson and university president Pam Whitten also saw it. They signed Cignetti to a new eight-year, $72 million contract (less than a year after hiring him with a six-year, $27 million deal).
“I’m ecstatic for Coach Cig,” says Fisher, who played for Cignetti for two seasons at James Madison before transferring to IU to join his coach. “Nobody deserves it more. With the amount of work he puts in, he deserves every single penny.”
IU is coming off a bye week. That was big for quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who is still healing from thumb surgery that sidelined him for the Washington victory, although he’s played the last two games.
“The thumb feels great,” he says. “One of the things I was most looking forward to about the bye week was letting my thumb heal and not beat it up by having to throw five to six days a week. I’m excited with the progress I’ve made. I’m feeling close to 100 percent.”
That’s important given Rourke completes 71.8 percent of his passes for 2,410 yards, 21 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Pro Football Focus lists him as the nation’s highest-rated FBS passer at 92.3, and he has nation’s second-best pass efficiency rating at 182.7. He’s positioned for multiple national awards – the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Walter Camp Award, the Maxwell Award, and the Davey O’Brien Award.
On Saturday, IU’s Big Ten-best offense will meet Ohio State’s Big Ten-best defense. The Hoosiers average 43.9 points and 453.2 total yards. The Buckeyes allow 10.3 while holding opponents to just 250.8 total yards.
“They have good players, run a good scheme, and are well coached,” Rourke says. “They have a good amount of talent. We’re excited to get after them. It will be a good game.”
Offensively, Ohio State is second in the Big Ten in scoring (37.8 points). IU is third defensively in points allowed (13.8).
Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard has thrown for 24 touchdowns against five interceptions while completing 72.9 percent of his passes. He’s also run for six TDs.
Ohio State has two of the Big Ten’s best running backs in Quinshon Judkins (723 yards, eight touchdowns) and TreVeyon Henderson (662 yards, five touchdowns), and two of the conference’s best receivers in Jeremiah Smith (49 catches, 865 yards, nine touchdowns) and Emeka Egbuka (49, 612, eight TDs).
“They have a lot of playmakers,” Fisher says. “They have a very explosive, dynamic offense. The biggest thing is keeping those dynamic, explosive playmakers in front of us and making sure we're doing all the right things on our end. It’s taking care of things here before we head into Saturday.”