Something To Prove – Tucker, Hoosiers Focused on Michigan
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The spotlight finds Tyrique Tucker reflecting on his something-to-prove Indiana opportunity, the one all the Hoosiers have in this most remarkable of football turnaround seasons, the one that particularly resonates with Tucker and his fellow James Madison transfers as they continue to thrive on a Big Ten stage.
“We are a tight knit group,” says Tucker, a 6-foot, 298-pound sophomore defensive lineman. “We all believe that we can win. We did that at JMU, and we believe it here.”
Belief is fueled by a Big Ten-best 33-point margin of victory, by winning every game by at least 14 points, by dominating with offense and defense and special teams in ways the program has never seen.
“We want to win and prove it to the world like we always do,” Tucker says. “We always have that chip on our shoulder. We always strive for more. We're always hungry to get it done.”
Hunger is now directed at Michigan on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The No. 8 Hoosiers are 9-0 overall and 6-0 in the Big Ten.
“We are never satisfied,” Tucker says. “We just win, and we keep doing it. Like this week, we're back onto it. You've got to redo it, rinse and repeat, every week.”
That requires relentless mental and physical effort. Credit comes in part from a rigorous training program that prepares the Hoosiers for Big Ten challenges.
“We hit the off-season really hard,” Tucker says. “We had our own two-a-days, worked our craft and tried to get better every day. You stack days and control the controllables.
“It’s been good to see it all happen, but we have to keep going.”
Tucker continues to do his part. He was at James Madison for two seasons, redshirting his first year, starting five times in 13 games in his second before transferring to IU to continue playing for head coach Curt Cignetti. Now, he’s part of a four-player inside defensive line rotation and an overall unit that is punishing offenses with Big Ten-leading totals of 69 tackles for loss and 31 sacks. Tucker ranks second on the team in tackles for loss (4.5) and sacks (2.5). He has 20 tackles overall.
“I’m blessed to be in this position,” he says, “and I've got to keep going.”
That’s exactly what Cignetti wants to hear.
“He’s made some really good plays. He’s developing as a player. He's gotten better every year. I'm really proud of him. I've seen where he's come from, and where he's at today.
“He’s in a position where we’re able to rotate him and keep him fresh. He’s really played well.”
In transferring to IU, the program’s history of football struggles didn’t bother Tucker, who recognized the instant impact Cignetti and his staff could make.
“I knew what we could do here, and I believed in it. I believed in the coaching staff, just like they believed in me. It's our job to go out there, put it on film, and let the world see it.”
Tucker was part of Indiana’s dominating defensive display against Michigan State last Saturday that included 15 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Under defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, the Hoosiers emphasize an aggressive, attacking, disruptive style.
“It goes with our preparation,” defensive lineman CJ West says. “Every day, we work as hard as possible, like it’s a game. Sometimes, practices are harder than games. That shows how serious our preparation is and what we do during the week to prepare.”
Offensive lineman Trey Wedig vouches for the challenges the defensive line creates. He deals with it every day in practice.
“They’re smart and savvy,” Wedig says. “They take advantage of a lot of different things. They’re really good players.”
Preparation includes rugged practice sessions in which the No. 1 offense battles the No. 1 defense.
“It’s very competitive,” West says. “If we go as hard as we can for them, we’ll make their looks so much harder, and that makes it easy for them in games. We go at them hard, we compete hard, we prepare hard. It’s how we go about things.”
No Hoosier does it better than defensive lineman Mikail Kamara, who was named national defensive player of the week by the Maxwell Football Club and the Walter Camp Foundation. Kamara had seven tackles, 4.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks against Michigan State.
He helped the Hoosiers hold the Spartans to a program-record minus-36 rushing yards.
For the season, the 6-foot-1, 265-pound Kamara leads the Big Ten in sacks (9.5) and tackles for loss (14.5).
“He prepares like nobody else,” West says. “He practices as hard as possible. He watches a ton of film. He’s one of those guys who can perform because of how much he does during the week.
“He makes our job easier. He puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback. He gets the focus off us and we get to create plays. Playing next to Mikail is huge.”
Adds Tucker: “We’ve worked out together for years. I’ve known he was going to be like this. Now everyone is seeing it. I’m happy for him.”
As far as Michigan, the Hoosiers know what lies ahead.
“Every team comes with its own challenges,” offensive lineman Carter Smith says. “It’s just another week. It’s putting your head down and putting in the work. As long as we stick to the books and hammer down on the field, we’ll be fine.”
IU has beaten Michigan just three times since 1966, most recently in 2020, the pandemic season.
“It’s a great opportunity,” West says. “It’s another chance for us to do what we do and prepare for another great team.”