NOTEBOOK: Swarming IU Defense Set to Sustain Dominance
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Pressure came as advertised. Disruption ruined FIU's best offensive intentions.
Can the Indiana Hoosiers (1-0) match that defensive performance, and then elevate it, when Western Illinois (0-1) comes to Memorial Stadium Friday night?
That’s the plan.
IU’s defensive dominance -- holding the Panthers to 53 rushing yards (1.8 yards per carry) and 182 total yards, generating eight tackles for loss and four sacks -- set a tone geared to last the whole season, regardless of opponent.
“I liked the way our defense swarmed to the ball, put pressure on the quarterback, got (tackles for losses),” head coach Curt Cignetti said during Monday’s media availability.
Leading the way was a defensive line powered by Marcus Burris Jr., James Carpenter, CJ West, Mikail Kamara, Tyrique Tucker, and Lanell Carr Jr. While they didn’t generate eye-popping stats (Tucker led with four tackles and one quarterback hit), they allowed linebackers Aiden Fisher (12 tackles, one sack) and Jailin Walker (eight tackles) to make plays all over the field.
“They made my job pretty easy,” Fisher said. “We have four guys who dominate every play. I'm just playing behind them and making plays based off of what they do. Allowing them to play fast allows me to play fast and make those explosive plays.”
The Hoosiers were relentlessly disruptive with multiple players in defensive coordinator Bryant Haines’s attack defense. It duplicated what he and Cignetti had done at James Madison.
“That's what I'm used to seeing,” Cignetti said. “We like to pride ourselves on playing defense. We pride ourselves on being fast and physical and disruptive up front and creating a lot of different looks for the defense and being really good against the run.
“We've always been really good against the run and had TFLs and sacks. It was nice to see that carry over with this group. We've added faces to the defense, and a lot of guys did get involved.”
With most college teams limiting tackling during spring practice and August camp, missed tackles are often an opening-game problem. The Hoosiers avoided that.
“We did tackle well,” Cignetti said. “We swarmed and had multiple hats (on the ball carrier). We didn't tackle in fall camp and only once in the spring. There’s a lot to build on.”
The defense thrived with newcomers such as Fisher and Walker (transfers from James Madison), and returning Hoosiers such as defensive Josh Sanguinetti and linebacker Isaiah Jones, who combined for 11 tackles.
“Everybody on this team starts with a clean slate and is evaluated daily, in season or out of season,” Cignetti said. “Once we start practice, typically fall camp, then day in and day out practice, it’s who earns the right to be on the field.
“(Sanguinetti and Jones) have done well and earned that right to play. We need them to play well throughout the whole season.”
A key is having versatile players who can handle multiple roles.
“Bryant does a great job, along with the defensive staff, of creating different packages and week to week based on team's tendencies, what they think puts us in the best position to be successful,” Cignetti said. “Those guys have to be versatile, but part of being a safety is being able to play low, run for it, play deep, and stop the pass.
“That's where it helps to have intelligent guys defensively because it is a heavy plate, where they've got to learn things and there's checks built into formations, et cetera.”
Now the Hoosiers will focus on a Western Illinois team coming off 54-15 loss at Northern Illinois. It allowed 319 yards rushing on 7.6 yards per carry, and 394 yards passing.
Quarterback Nathan Lamb threw for 204 yards and a touchdown. Cameron Smith rushed for 51 yards.
“We’re excited to play again Friday,” Cignetti said.
Kurtis Rourke’s IU quarterback debut was solid -- 15-for-24 for 180 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. It’s his 25th career game with at least one touchdown pass and the 22nd time he’s thrown for at least one score without throwing an interception.
“He did a nice job,” Cignetti said. “He made some plays when he was under pressure, getting out of the pocket, and made a throw or two and threw the ball fairly well.
“He missed a couple reads, but I thought it was a good first time out for him.”
The offensive line, with Drew Evans and Bray Lynch making their first career college starts, along with veterans Mike Katic, Carter Smith and Trey Wedig, dominated while trying to build depth. Two true freshmen, Austin Leibfried and Adedamola Ajani, plus redshirt freshman Austin Barrett, also got action and experience.
They were a big reason why the Hoosiers rushed for 234 yards, their most since getting 257 at Michigan State in 2022.
“We ran the ball effectively, averaged about six yards (5.8) a rush,” Cignetti said.
IU was the only Power 4 conference offensive line with multiple players ranked in the top 10 in pass-protection grade by Pro Football Focus for Week 1.
Smith led the Big Ten and ranked No. 2 in the Power 4 with an 88.5 grade. Lynch was No. 6 in Power 4 and No. 3 in the Big Ten at 87.8.
“On pass pro, we had a couple issues (IU gave up two sacks),” Cignetti said, “but nothing that's not correctible. We're not real deep on the offensive line. We can go probably six deep with veteran guys, maybe seven. So we’ve got to keep progressing.”
Elijah Green led IU running backs with 82 yards on five carries, highlighted by his 51-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown run. Ty Son Lawton had 74 yards and two touchdowns, with a long run of 15 yards. Justice Ellison had 68 yards, with a long of 14.
Kaelon Black was expected to join Lawton and Ellison as one of the three main ball carriers, but he was limited by a tight hamstring to one carry for seven yards.
“Every week we’re going to put our best run game plan together based on the opponent and what we’re seeing schematically,” Cignetti said. “We’ve always tried to play three backs and keep them fresh.
“Elijah Green did a nice job. All those guys did a nice job.”
IU’s nine penalties for 80 yards got Cignetti’s attention. He wants no part of a repeat. Correction starts with lots of film replays.
“Now you can teach it off tape and show the consequence of having a holding penalty and how it puts you behind the chains,” he said. “We've got to get better with our hand placement; got to get our hands inside. They can't be outside. It's always a concern going into the first game.
“We don't have officials at every practice like some people do. You harp on it during fall camp. Sometimes, it takes a consequence to get the result.”