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KelleyHoosh

Breaking the Mold of IU Football

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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.

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.



[url=https://btownbanners.com/page/index.html/_/football/news-notes/breaking-the-mold-of-iu-football-r248]Click here to view the article[/url]

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So close fans can taste it. Come on Hoosiers!!!! Just flip that final switch!

I wasn't impressed at first with their display against Iowa. But I think they turned it on and made a few adjustments and were competitive. Ironically the passing game was what did them in IMO. All it takes is a complete effort, this team has talent. If they're hanging in there with top 10 teams, the challenge is in the coaches getting the same effort from them against teams like Rutgers/Maryland/Purdue. These players need to find their motivation and not let go

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I wasn't impressed at first with their display against Iowa. But I think they turned it on and made a few adjustments and were competitive. Ironically the passing game was what did them in IMO. All it takes is a complete effort, this team has talent. If they're hanging in there with top 10 teams, the challenge is in the coaches getting the same effort from them against teams like Rutgers/Maryland/Purdue. These players need to find their motivation and not let go

I always wonder if it's a physical or mental failing explaining our fourth quarter problems. I think we definitely faded in the fourth quarter against Iowa too, which, points me toward conditioning. But, since it's been a trend in Indiana football for awhile now, you have to wonder if it's mental instead. Or both really.

 

We had the talent and skill to beat Iowa (and you're right, Howard's run game was tearing them up, why back off?). We might have the talent and skill to beat Michigan (it may just be my love for Harbaugh, but I think regardless of talent and skill, you have to out-coach Michigan to beat them). We definitely do against Maryland and Purdue (on the road in the Big Ten we don't historically do super awesome, but have to change that sometime). 

 

The season isn't over. If this team decides they're going to overcome whatever has been holding them back in the last 15 minutes of each game, then they have a shot. If they can't make that leap, then basketball season has started!

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I always wonder if it's a physical or mental failing explaining our fourth quarter problems. I think we definitely faded in the fourth quarter against Iowa too, which, points me toward conditioning. But, since it's been a trend in Indiana football for awhile now, you have to wonder if it's mental instead. Or both really.

 

We had the talent and skill to beat Iowa (and you're right, Howard's run game was tearing them up, why back off?). We might have the talent and skill to beat Michigan (it may just be my love for Harbaugh, but I think regardless of talent and skill, you have to out-coach Michigan to beat them). We definitely do against Maryland and Purdue (on the road in the Big Ten we don't historically do super awesome, but have to change that sometime). 

 

The season isn't over. If this team decides they're going to overcome whatever has been holding them back in the last 15 minutes of each game, then they have a shot. If they can't make that leap, then basketball season has started!

This is a really interesting point. Marcus Oliver said after Iowa he thought some of the younger guys may be intimidated by playing the bigger B10 teams. The fact that the game is usually competitive through three quarters though makes me think it could be physical. It seems like we get punched in the mouth against the big guys and fold, whereas we fought back against the OOC teams. 

 

Granted, theres something to be said about play calling. The fault doesn't all lay there though IMO. Theres only so much you can do when your offense can become one dimensional. 

 

Its been an interesting season of IUFB. I think they can still finish strong and have one of the best seasons in recent history.

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This is a really interesting point. Marcus Oliver said after Iowa he thought some of the younger guys may be intimidated by playing the bigger B10 teams. The fact that the game is usually competitive through three quarters though makes me think it could be physical. It seems like we get punched in the mouth against the big guys and fold, whereas we fought back against the OOC teams. 

 

Granted, theres something to be said about play calling. The fault doesn't all lay there though IMO. Theres only so much you can do when your offense can become one dimensional. 

 

Its been an interesting season of IUFB. I think they can still finish strong and have one of the best seasons in recent history.

Do you think it was more fighting back against the out of conference guys or they didn't punch quite so hard and we were able to stay on our feet until the last bell? I haven't gone back and watched any of the out of conference season again to see the differences, but we did win one on a missed two point conversion and the rest were tightening up.

 

I guess part of it is I can't remember ever really feeling like we had a game in the bag until the last couple minutes. Well, except Rutgers. It always seems like the fourth quarter is a huge struggle even when we're playing well.

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Do you think it was more fighting back against the out of conference guys or they didn't punch quite so hard and we were able to stay on our feet until the last bell? I haven't gone back and watched any of the out of conference season again to see the differences, but we did win one on a missed two point conversion and the rest were tightening up.

 

I guess part of it is I can't remember ever really feeling like we had a game in the bag until the last couple minutes. Well, except Rutgers. It always seems like the fourth quarter is a huge struggle even when we're playing well.

Honestly, we have traded punches with Iowa and OSU. Michigan State thoroughly overwhelmed us, for a number of reasons. Those teams are superior. 

 

In my very uneducated opinion, it seems to me that IU is a team that always plays to the level of its competition. It doesn't have the killer instinct yet. Thats not something they've embodied to this point. The defense that kept IU in the game against OSU isn't the same defense that collapsed in the fourth quarter against Rutgers.

 

I think its mostly a mental issue. Maybe thats why the coaches have harped so hard this year on preparation. They aren't consistent and thats a momentum killer. Those lapses are easier to overcome against the likes of Wake Forest than Iowa. 

 

My real point of intrigue at this rate is whether the team, knowing the season and possibly their coaches jobs are on the line, will find the ability to dig deep and compete with Michigan and beat Purdue and Maryland. Lets see them bring the intensity/mental fortitude necessary.

 

I don't think this team has given up. I do think they have to get over the idea that they don't belong on the same field as elite teams. They need to focus on playing the guy across the line from them and not worry about "its Indiana vs PSU/OSU/MSU/Iowa, we don't stand a chance"

 

...Sorry if that doesn't really answer you or is really vague. Its been a long day

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