KelleyHoosh

Another week, another loss for Indiana football.
 
It is a familiar story for a program that has struggled to compete for as long as fans can remember. Maybe this season, the sting is a bit more intense because of the optimism that seemed well founded based on a perfect out of conference start. After a five game skid, things are back to how they used to be for the Hoosier football team. Did anybody ever really expect different? After all, like senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld said after their loss to Iowa, “It’s Indiana.”
 
Basketball coach Tom Crean used the phrase at his introductory press conference and it’s still referenced by fans today. “It’s Indiana,” is a standard on the hardwood while for football, it’s more of an explanation for poor play.
 
This team was supposed to be the one that changed that. This wasn’t going to be the same old IU football team. It’s Sudfeld’s senior year. They added a talented running back transfer in Jordan Howard. It’s the second year of a new defensive system. The players know the expectations they had for this year. And they know they face coming up short of those goals if something doesn’t change.
 
“We still have goals to achieve,” senior tackle Jason Spriggs said. “You’re playing for your brothers, for your teammates.”
 
One of those goals has to bowling. To be fair, there is still reason for optimism about this season. In every game except for Penn State, the Hoosiers have entered the fourth quarter with a chance to win. That includes games against undefeated teams like Ohio State and Iowa as well as Michigan State. It also includes a historic defensive collapse at home against Rutgers.
 
At this level of football, moral victories are nice but they’re just that- nice. Not the objective. The objective for this squad is to be the first IU football team to go bowling since 2007. The team has put themselves in position to do that with only one more win thanks to their APR score, but the easiest road to a bowl is to win two of their next three games against Michigan, Maryland and Purdue.
 
“It’s frustrating because we know what we are capable of and we get the loss then watch film and realize one or two mistakes and (if they were avoided) it’s a completely different game,” Spriggs said. “It comes down to a series or a play where we didn’t focus or whatever it is and the momentum changes.”
 
The momentum for the last five games has been shifted against Indiana whereas in the first four games, the breaks went their way. Linebacker Marcus Oliver said after the Iowa loss that the first four games of the season the team expected to win and that is something they are trying to get back to.
 
Does that mean Indiana players thought they would lose once Big Ten play began? Probably not. But in the face of adversity, the team has folded in the last five games. Nobody bats an eye because “it’s Indiana,” may as well be a self-fulfilling prophecy at this point.
 
That is probably only the case for someone who sees scores on an ESPN ticker. Those watching the product on the field know this Indiana team has competed with top 10 teams. In their most recent game against No. 8 Iowa, the team did a few things well.
 
“It gave us some confidence,” Spriggs said of the offensive line’s run blocking. “We finally got to the point where we were running the ball and blocking like we know we can.”
 
Spriggs and his unit knows they are capable of getting the best of one of the nation’s best run defenses. If the passing game fell a bit more in Indiana’s favor, the outcome of that game may have been different. The challenge is consistently bringing that performance through four quarters over an entire season. This team has to finish a ball game the way they start.
 
The Hoosiers’ next chance to do so is against No. 15 Michigan when they come to Memorial Stadium on November 14th.
 
“They’re going to play hard, they’re very physical, a lot like Iowa,” Spriggs said. “They’re going to try to play upfield, we’ve seen quite a bit (of film) and we’ve got our gameplan.”
 
This is the last chance for IU to get a signature win this season. Spriggs said it would be a statement win. At this point of the season, as long as they bring a complete effort against Maryland and Purdue, this Indiana team has shown they have the talent to win and get to 6-6. That is in itself a huge feat for this program.
 
The fact is, Indiana may or may not beat Michigan. If it does, fans may decide that this five game losing streak wasn’t as bad as it seemed.
 
If it doesn't, well, it’s Indiana.

Indiana coach Tom Crean was looking forward Tuesday night to seeing how his team had improved since the last time it had faced Ottawa during a summer tour of Canada prior to the 2014-15 season.
 
That year, the Hoosiers had fallen to Ottawa by eight points.
 
Tuesday night, it was a different looking IU basketball team that took the court for its exhibition opener at Assembly Hall.
 
Ottawa head coach James Derouin noticed it, too.
 
IU beat Ottawa Tuesday night 82-54. In doing so the Hoosiers limited Ottawa to almost exactly half of the points it had scored a year ago in a 109-101 victory over the Hoosiers.
 
Tuesday, IU held Ottawa to 22 second-half points and closed the game on a 25-3 run. While Indiana struggled at times with the same issues that plagued the Hoosiers last season – turnovers and defense – IU looked largely improved.
 
Derouin was impressed.
 
“The first thing that jumps to mind (about how this Indiana team is different from last year’s) is the size on the offensive glass,’’ Derouin said. “I thought on the glass especially they were outstanding with 18 offensive rebounds and those extra possessions were huge. And then their defense I thought their rotations and closeouts were much, much tighter than they were a year ago.”
 
So the man who coaches the top ranked Canadian team had some pretty high praise for the two most questionable facets of the Hoosier’s game. While keyboard warriors may be more critical, the facts indicate that head coach Tom Crean’s team has improved markedly in those areas as it outrebounded Ottawa 46-34 and limited the Gee-Gee’s sharpshooting offense to just 19 percent from the 3-point line.
 
Sophomore guard James Blackmon Jr. has an idea why the guards were better able to rebound. A lot of the thanks, he believes, belong to Thomas Bryant and Max Bielfeldt’s presence in the game at the same time.
 
“It is so much different with those two in there, it seems like everything is carved out,” Blackmon Jr. said. “It makes it so much easier for us, I go in to crash the glass and it’s wide open.”
 
Crean later said he wasn’t sure that the guards graded out so well in terms of offensive rebounding. Whether or not improved rebounding was the intent of the bigger starting lineup, the fact that it was used is intriguing. Last year fans grew tired of a three guard offense that struggled to find defensive success. This year, Blackmon Jr. says he has been adjusting to a bigger lineup.
 
“We have shot blockers, so I have confidence pressing up on guys,” Blackmon Jr. said. “I know Max and Thomas have our backs.”
 
That faith in teammates is a crucial part of help defense. Crean thinks while having faith in one another is important, the rotations have to improve after this game.
 
“There is no question we got spread out a little too much and had to give too much help, but I liked our recovery,’’ Crean said.
 
The ultimate goal of Crean’s philosophy is to be close to basketball without defined positions. The roster currently has a mix that of players he feels is closer to that goal than in years prior.
 
“They can all shoot, they’re getting better with their handles although it didn’t look like that tonight at certain times,” Crean said. “If we can get to a place where we can guard different positions then that will really lead you to another place offensively.”
 
And in its first exhibition game, the Hoosiers showed the benefits of being in Crean’s desired offensive “place.” The team shot 49 percent from the field with five players going for eight or more points. However, all the positives of this exhibition didn’t come without some negative. Indiana struggled to take care of the ball, throwing several errant passes on their way to 17 first half turnovers. The point was corrected at half time as the Hoosiers only had six turnovers in the entire second half. Crean says the difference is thanks to mostly better defense.
 
“Frankly (it was) better defense for longer periods of time leading to easier baskets for us,” Crean said.
 
If Indiana can do a complete 180 and find offense because of its defense, this could be an extremely dangerous unit. As it was an exhibition game, you should probably take the Ottawa performance with more than a single grain of salt. The rhythm was a bit chaotic as Crean tried several different lineups. There probably isn’t anything conclusive about this year’s team based off Tuesday night’s play.
 
So were IU’s guards more physical rebounding the ball Tuesday night or was it a product of the opponent?
 
“Well we have young guys so it may look like that tonight,’’ Crean said. “I’m not sure its gonna look like that when we play teams in the conference, Maryland, Purdue, Michigan State, Iowa and teams like that.’’
 
As of now we don’t know much of anything about how this team will compare to last years. Well, other than that Bryant is a whole lot better than last year’s starting center.

Indiana coach Tom Crean was looking forward Tuesday night to seeing how his team had improved since the last time it had faced Ottawa during a summer tour of Canada prior to the 2014-15 season.
 
That year, the Hoosiers had fallen to Ottawa by eight points.
 
Tuesday night, it was a different looking IU basketball team that took the court for its exhibition opener at Assembly Hall.
 
Ottawa head coach James Derouin noticed it, too.
 
IU beat Ottawa Tuesday night 82-54. In doing so the Hoosiers limited Ottawa to almost exactly half of the points it had scored a year ago in a 109-101 victory over the Hoosiers.
 
Tuesday, IU held Ottawa to 22 second-half points and closed the game on a 25-3 run. While Indiana struggled at times with the same issues that plagued the Hoosiers last season – turnovers and defense – IU looked largely improved.
 
Derouin was impressed.
 
“The first thing that jumps to mind (about how this Indiana team is different from last year’s) is the size on the offensive glass,’’ Derouin said. “I thought on the glass especially they were outstanding with 18 offensive rebounds and those extra possessions were huge. And then their defense I thought their rotations and closeouts were much, much tighter than they were a year ago.”
 
So the man who coaches the top ranked Canadian team had some pretty high praise for the two most questionable facets of the Hoosier’s game. While keyboard warriors may be more critical, the facts indicate that head coach Tom Crean’s team has improved markedly in those areas as it outrebounded Ottawa 46-34 and limited the Gee-Gee’s sharpshooting offense to just 19 percent from the 3-point line.
 
Sophomore guard James Blackmon Jr. has an idea why the guards were better able to rebound. A lot of the thanks, he believes, belong to Thomas Bryant and Max Bielfeldt’s presence in the game at the same time.
 
“It is so much different with those two in there, it seems like everything is carved out,” Blackmon Jr. said. “It makes it so much easier for us, I go in to crash the glass and it’s wide open.”
 
Crean later said he wasn’t sure that the guards graded out so well in terms of offensive rebounding. Whether or not improved rebounding was the intent of the bigger starting lineup, the fact that it was used is intriguing. Last year fans grew tired of a three guard offense that struggled to find defensive success. This year, Blackmon Jr. says he has been adjusting to a bigger lineup.
 
“We have shot blockers, so I have confidence pressing up on guys,” Blackmon Jr. said. “I know Max and Thomas have our backs.”
 
That faith in teammates is a crucial part of help defense. Crean thinks while having faith in one another is important, the rotations have to improve after this game.
 
“There is no question we got spread out a little too much and had to give too much help, but I liked our recovery,’’ Crean said.
 
The ultimate goal of Crean’s philosophy is to be close to basketball without defined positions. The roster currently has a mix that of players he feels is closer to that goal than in years prior.
 
“They can all shoot, they’re getting better with their handles although it didn’t look like that tonight at certain times,” Crean said. “If we can get to a place where we can guard different positions then that will really lead you to another place offensively.”
 
And in its first exhibition game, the Hoosiers showed the benefits of being in Crean’s desired offensive “place.” The team shot 49 percent from the field with five players going for eight or more points. However, all the positives of this exhibition didn’t come without some negative. Indiana struggled to take care of the ball, throwing several errant passes on their way to 17 first half turnovers. The point was corrected at half time as the Hoosiers only had six turnovers in the entire second half. Crean says the difference is thanks to mostly better defense.
 
“Frankly (it was) better defense for longer periods of time leading to easier baskets for us,” Crean said.
 
If Indiana can do a complete 180 and find offense because of its defense, this could be an extremely dangerous unit. As it was an exhibition game, you should probably take the Ottawa performance with more than a single grain of salt. The rhythm was a bit chaotic as Crean tried several different lineups. There probably isn’t anything conclusive about this year’s team based off Tuesday night’s play.
 
So were IU’s guards more physical rebounding the ball Tuesday night or was it a product of the opponent?
 
“Well we have young guys so it may look like that tonight,’’ Crean said. “I’m not sure its gonna look like that when we play teams in the conference, Maryland, Purdue, Michigan State, Iowa and teams like that.’’
 
As of now we don’t know much of anything about how this team will compare to last years. Well, other than that Bryant is a whole lot better than last year’s starting center.

The 2015 Haunted Hall of Hoops featured two 10-minute periods and a third period that was about six minutes. Collin Hartman, Juwan Morgan, Thomas Bryant, Tim Priller, Nick Zeisloft, Yogi Ferrell and Robert Johnson made up the white team while the red team had James Blackmon Jr., Troy Williams, Max Bielfeldt, Harrison Niego, Ryan Burton and Josh Newkirk. This event likely provided a better glimpse of who can provide what this season than Hoosier Hysteria, though it should still absolutely be taken with a grain of salt.
 
With that said, after about 25 minutes of basketball plenty of observations and logical deductions can be made. While Blackmon Jr. was the leading scorer with 17 points, Anunoby stole the show with his active hands on defense and athletic finishes at the rim that netted him 15 points. Bryant and Ferrell also finished with 15 points while Williams had 11 and Bielfeldt scored nine to go along with nine rebounds.
 
What can we expect out of Anunoby this year? He wasn’t highly rated coming out of high school. Most of the fan base has no expectation for significant contributions to be made by him in his first season. But after a scrimmage where he intercepted passes, tipped balls, defended well AND showed the ability to run the floor well, that may change. Associate Head Coach Tim Buckley said for Anunoby to see the floor he must understand his strengths and weaknesses. “The speed of the game is something every freshman has to get used to,” Buckley said. “You see how guys listen and how they understand… I think there will be development thanks to practice, the film room, and things like that.”
 
It would be silly to expect the kind of production he had Saturday afternoon during the regular season, but if he can even just bring the same intensity to the defensive side of the floor, Anunoby could find himself getting quite a bit of playing time.
 
Fellow freshman Bryant scored 15 points as well. He, however, did not have the dominating performance he had during Hoosier Hysteria. There are two ways to look at Bryant’s display at Haunted Hall of Hoops. On one hand, he didn’t play anywhere near his best game and still scored 15 points. He was sloppy at times, committed fouls, and looked a bit uncomfortable. If he can grind out a performance like that during a bad day, he could exceed his freshman expectations.
 
On the other hand, the first game is 13 days away. Bryant is by far the best big man IU has and he was taken advantage of at times by fifth year transfer Bielfeldt who was never overly impressive at Michigan. The question has to be raised: how much of Bryant’s development was stunted by all the time he has missed in the preseason at the hands of a foot injury? For this team to have any success, Bryant must find his groove by the time conference play starts.
 
As previously mentioned, Bielfeldt more than held his own against a five star talent who is taller than him by two or three inches. Any fan who agonized over the Hoosiers’ defensive woes in the paint last season will appreciate a smart player who knows the ins and outs of the Big 10 play. He was one point and one rebound away from recording a double-double against the team’s best post defender. That presence, which Buckley called poise in the post, will be needed to add depth in the front-court. It cannot be understated how valuable the perspective of a fifth year player is in an otherwise very young group.
 
Blackmon Jr. looked smooth bringing the ball up the court against pressure from Johnson. He looked even smoother hitting several threes. Buckley says Blackmon Jr. is still recovering from his injury. “He has done a terrific job bouncing back mentally and physically,” Buckley said. “He is playing more at the point where he is initiating the offense and getting used to guys getting into him, but he has always had a really nice stroke and that hasn’t changed much.” Blackmon Jr. also appeared to be more aggressive, driving with much more strength than he did at times last season.
 
Conversely, Williams didn’t look like the Hoosier Hysteria 3-point shooting contest winner. While he played well by all accounts, fans may want to temper their expectations for him this year. While the athleticism is undeniable, he still doesn’t look to have taken the same sophomore to junior year leap of Victor Oladipo that fans have been clamoring for.
 
The scrimmage also showcased one look that fans begged for at times last year- a press. There was plenty of full court pressing, albeit soft at times. Buckley said it is a strategy that makes the most of Indiana’s athleticism.
 
“We want to be able to use our athleticism and our length,” Buckley said. “But we don’t want to get out of position so we really have to keep our chests in front of the ball handlers and not let them into the paint.”
 
There were plenty of opportunities last year where a press would have been beneficial, but it never came to fruition. This year, Buckley says, it may be an option.
 
“The guys are starting to do a much better job of covering for each other,” Buckley said. “Our guys are understanding those rotations better.”
 
Part of why so many fans wanted a press was the distinct height disadvantage Indiana often found themselves in. This year, that may not be such a problem as the staff believes their personnel allows them to matchup with teams much better.
 
“Basketball is becoming more and more of a matchup game than a position game, so you pretty much are who you can guard,” Buckley added. “You could see Max and Thomas on the floor at the same time along with Collin (Hartman) and I think we have a lot of possibilities to be a versatile team.”
 
At the end of the day, this is another scrimmage and it certainly won’t be indicative of how the season will go. However, there were some refreshing changes in philosophy and a lot of growth in player’s individual games. There is a lot of reason to believe that this team won’t be the same as last year’s with a few different faces. Indiana has two more exhibition games before it kicks off its season against Eastern Illinois on November 13 in Bloomington.

Rutgers comes to Bloomington on Saturday for the Hoosiers’ homecoming weekend. Rutgers is coming off a nail-biting loss to Michigan State while Indiana tries to bounce back from a 29-7 defeat at Penn State.
 
Indiana fans have had this game circled as a ‘win’ since the schedule came out. At 2-3, the Scarlet Knights look to be about what opposing fans expected in the preseason. That record may be deceiving however, as they put a scare into the then fourth ranked Spartans of Michigan State. Clearly, Rutgers has the talents to win big games.
 
“Although their record is 2-3, they are a very talented team,” said secondary coach Brandon Shelby. “When you watch film you know it will be a challenge.”
 
The premiere challenge in this matchup will feature the leader of the IU secondary, Rashard Fant, against future NFL draft pick Leonte Carroo. This will be Carroo’s second game after being suspended earlier in the season. He looks to repeat his performance from last week.
 
“Carroo is a dominant player, his first week back he had seven catches and three touchdowns,” Shelby said. “He keeps them in games.”
 
Shelby was critical of Fant’s play to this point in the season.
 
“His first five games I don’t know if he graded out that well, but he did a great job last week,” Shelby said.
 
While Fant is the closest thing Indiana has to a veteran in the secondary, the coaching staff believes he still has plenty of room to grow. Shelby stated that Fant will look to build on his performance against Penn State last week.
 
“His (Fant) first few games I was disappointed in his play, last week he played a full, good game,” Shelby said. “Can he do it again? If he wants to reach his goal he has to do it again and again.”
 
Part of that building process for Fant includes being more aggressive and overall a more physical corner. Fant believes those are the areas of his game where he can improve the most. Shelby shared a similar sentiment.
 
“Rashard needs to be a dominant player for us and part of that is attacking more to get interceptions and make plays,” Shelby said.
 
Everyone in the secondary is excited to meet the challenge. In just three games, Carroo has totaled fourteen receptions, 315 yards and six touchdowns. While Fant is expected to get the majority of snaps against Carroo, fans should expect a mix of players to guard the Edison, New Jersey product. The thought process behind this is that each player in the young Hoosier secondary has a different skillset, so by throwing a combination of looks at Carroo, Indiana can figure the most effective way to minimize his production.
 
“We’ll probably throw everybody at him, let everybody get a chance,” Fant said. “We are all going to go in there and give it everything we’ve got.”
 
Carroo, a savvy veteran, has the potential to take advantage of a relatively weak Indiana passing defense. As a likely future NFL player, he is at the stage of his career where IU’s young secondary may not present much of a challenge.
 
“He’s been doing it for a long time and we have guys like Andre Brown who has been doing this (college football) for a couple months,” Shelby said.
 
But youth won’t be used as an excuse by anyone on the Indiana football team. The team has been taught preparation all summer long, and Fant has been reinforcing the coaches’ message with the younger players.
 
“I watched the whole MSU game and half of the Washington State game and told the younger guys to watch the MSU tape,” Fant said. “We want to see where MSU’s corners could’ve maybe done something differently and take what they did do well and use it, because they are great cornerbacks.”
 
Ultimately, Shelby believes his players know the challenge that awaits them.
 
“I don’t have to say anything, they can look at the film,” Shelby said. “I was watching the tape and I was in awe because that’s a very good defense at MSU and he (Carroo) was all over the field making great plays.”
 
The young Indiana secondary will get a test against one of the best players in the Big Ten and a future NFL draft pick. The unit has grown quite a bit as the season has progressed, but Fant says they have put their development in perspective.
 
“There is a lot of room to get better, we are 4-2 but none of us are satisfied,” Fant said. “We have to get better at our positions, we aren’t happy about 4-2 because we should be 6-0.”
 
Shelby expects homecoming to be a great game, and emphasized that for the team to improve to 5-2, it has to get Rutgers off the field.
 
“Their quarterback has the best third down percentage in the league and they are going to score points if we don’t get them off the field,” Shelby said.
 
After a two game losing streak, a homecoming matchup with Rutgers may be just what the Hoosiers need to get back on track. If they do improve to 5-2, Indiana will be one step closer to going bowling for the first time since 2007.

If you pick a single area where Indiana fans are the most nervous going into the 2015 season, the consensus would be the defensive secondary.
 
Mark Murphy and Tim Bennett graduated and Antonio Allen was dismissed (and is now transferring to Indiana State). The fourth starter, Michael Hunter, transferred to Oklahoma State. All four of those players were among the top nine on the team in tackles a year ago.
 
But while fans may be worried, Indiana defensive coordinator Brian Knorr did his best to breathe an air of confidence into the secondary picture Friday after practice.
 
Only one cornerback from last season who registered a tackle is back in Rashard Fant, while the other, Donovan Clark, may be sidelined for the year with a back injury. There isn’t a lot of experience defending the pass and in a league like the Big Ten that’s a recipe for disaster.
 
Just because they haven’t done so yet, does not mean that this unit does not have the ability to play at a high level. There will likely be growing pains, but Knorr is impressed to this point with his younger players, particularly Jameel Cook and Jonathan Crawford.
 
“They will be in the mix,” Knorr said, “I think this is a special group as far as skill level and I think they can go out and play how we want.”
 
Knorr stressed that it will be important for the team to get an aggressive rush on quarterbacks so that the secondary will have a margin for error. A lot of his confidence seems to come from the growth and potential he has seen in players at corner and safety.
 
“Rashard, coming into his third year has developed more than anybody I’ve seen on this team,'' Knorr said. "He is in position to be a big contributor for us.”
 
Some other expected contributors Knorr spoke highly of are Tyler Green and Devonte Williams.
 
“Size wise (Tyler Green) looks as good as anybody in the country from a corner standpoint. He still needs to develop a bit but he’s shown signs at boundary corner.” Knorr continued, “Devonte has a learning curve transitioning from running back, but he is athletically very talented and not afraid of contact. You should see him in the return game and or coverage.”
 
Of course, Williams and Green are new to the Hoosier program and will be looking to players who have some time under their belt to show them the ropes. Knorr expects Fant, Noel Padmore and Ben Bach to fill that mentor role. Fant also said that he has done his best to impart wisdom on the younger players.
 
“I played in all 12 games last year, so I have to tell the guys how practice and games are different. I want to be an example to the younger fellas,” Fant said.
 
Padmore also tries to be a leader, too.
 
"I know the system and the ins and outs of the defense,'' Padmore said. "I try to watch film with the younger guys and help them.”
 
Knorr isn’t the only one with high expectations for Green and Williams. Veterans Padmore and Fant expect a lot out of the newcomers. The freshmen have learned the playbook well enough for Fant to say he feels comfortable with them on the field.
 
“I feel like Devonte was a corner from the beginning,” Padmore stated. Fant thinks he is a natural at cornerback.
 
"He has quick feet and he is never scared to hit,'' Fant said.
 
Green has shown all types of promise athletically to this point, earning high praise from his teammates in the backfield.
 
“I thought I was quick but then I watch him,” Fant said.
 
“I know about Richard Sherman but I’ve never seen someone so tall and so fast with my own eyes,” Padmore added with a laugh.
 
Knorr thinks playing against the Hoosier offense will pay dividends during games.
 
“We are tested every day by our offense, being able to cover the field and do it fast,'' Knorr said. "I think our guys are getting a lot more comfortable.”
 
The competition in practice is something the players say has increased this year.
 
“I know I have to go hard in practice every day so guys are ready when we play Ohio State,” Fant said while stressing how he leads this unit.
 
While Fant is gearing up for the Buckeyes, IU knows its first substantial test should be week three in the form of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Knorr noted that teams will, “try and spread us out to test us early,” and that the Hoosiers will be ready when Heisman hopeful Brandon Doughty and WKU come to Bloomington.
 
NOTABLE
 
The strength of this defense will be the front seven according to Knorr. Among those in the front seven he expects fans to see a lot from is true freshman lineman Jacob Robinson from Westfield (Ind.)
 
“I’ve been impressed with his intensity,'' Knorr said. "It is hard to believe he’s a freshman guy.”
 
Joining Robinson on the line, or rather, returning to anchor it, is Darius Latham. Coming off a knee injury, Knorr expects a lot out of Latham this year.
 
“Its good to see number 98 out there,'' he said. "I think this year he will be very athletic and make a ton of plays.”
 
One luxury that the Hoosiers can enjoy across the board on defense is depth. Knorr believes it will play a pivotal role in the Hoosier’s season.
 
“The biggest thing it does right now is let us get guys into the right position. Guys like Nick Mangieri and Zack Shaw. It also saves guys about 12-15 sprints in the course of a game.”
 
Mangieri and Shaw are expected by their coach to be “dynamic players this year.
 
"I think Nick needs to be a dynamic player athletically with his hand in the dirt, and be able to rush the passer,'' Knorr said. "What we do suits him great,”
 
Knorr added that Shaw should provide explosion off the edge while rushing passers.
 
The linebackers have a lot expected of them in the 3-4 scheme, and Knorr highlighted Marcus Oliver and Tegray Scales who provide a lot of depth and flexibility in that regard. Knorr added the team still has plenty of work to do and must work on things like learning the subtleties of an odd front defense and the best way to look pre snap.