Indiana Brings the Energy in Full Pads in the Final Practice Before Break
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The Hoosiers held their forth spring practice on Thursday Image: Sammy Jacobs Hoosier Huddle
Written By Rylie Kyhn
It wasn’t feeling much like spring in Bloomington on Thursday morning, with the snow flurries falling and the freezing wind chill, but inside John Mellencamp Pavilion the energy and intensity at IU's fourth spring football practice was enough to keep anyone warm as the Hoosiers were in full pads for the first time this spring.
Immediately, both the offense and defense jumped into working off the snap on separate sides of the field and both looked ready to put in work. The defense worked through a few stations by position group. One drill in particular that stuck out was where the players had to keep the ball in-bounds as it was rolled out onto the field, bouncing along the sideline and then recover it. They put two guys up against each other, both going after the same ball and you could feel the intensity of the competition and drive in each player to come up with the ball. Recovering loose balls is an aspect of the game that the Hoosiers will look to improve on in the upcoming season. During the 2017 season they lost 20 fumbles and gained only 13 so this drill will likely be one that we will see quite a bit of throughout the spring and summer.
Another station had them working on tracking the ball after it was snapped and the final was working off the snap on the Coach’s call. After time was up at each station Coach Allen sounded the horn and each group rotated through every station and once they were finished, everyone ended up coming together in a big group to do a form of dynamic warm-ups and stretches in lines.
Coming back to the field, it was scrimmage time and the intensity elevated even more. Defensively, they didn’t allow a lot of production in running game despite a few breakaway runs, and the passing game didn’t see a ton of success either. The defense had a few knockdowns and quite a few pass breakups. One contributor to these pass breakups that stood out was redshirt junior Andre Brown. Brown appeared in 11 games last season tallying 33 tackles, 22solo, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. Brown is a player with experience and has proven to be reliable on the field. So, with the youth of the defense they will look to him to step-up and take more of a leadership role.
The defensive line looked strong, competitive and as hungry as ever. They were consistently getting around their blocks and to the quarterbacks quickly. This is something that head strength and conditioning Coach Ballou stressed throughout winter workouts. Making sure the guys up front, on the lines, are as strong and as powerful as ever and we are seeing this development already on the defensive side of the ball.
One player that stood out and made the blocker miss on multiple occasions was junior Allen Stallings IV. Stallings looked like a powerhouse out on the field and a definite weapon to watch for throughout the spring. In 2017 Stallings finished third among IU defensive linemen in tackles and fourth in sacks. His production has been and will continue to be valuable for the Hoosiers on that defensive line.
A player that made his mark at practice in scrimmage play was redshirt sophomore, Jonah Morris, who had a recent position change from wide receiver to defensive back. With only being at defensive back a few weeks, he looked like hasn’t missed a beat and looked strong.He was reading the offense and he made a few stops which caused the whole defensive defensive sideline to erupt in cheers and applause. We saw him mostly on special teams last year so it will be interesting to get a fresh look at him playing defensive back this spring in order to understand how he will fit into the defensive lineup and stack up against the others.
The focus on development in the defense throughout this spring season is clear. Considering the fact that the Hoosiers lost more than half their starters on defense from last season, developing the younger players and getting them exposure is going to be a major focus for the spring and upcoming summer.
Speaking on the youth of the defense Head Coach Tom Allen stated, “It has caused us to be slower on our install and a lot of teaching.” He also made it clear the importance and the emphasis they are putting on fundamentals, “Spring ball is always a time to work on fundamentals.”
This youth on the defensive side of the ball means older more experienced players will have to step up and take a leadership role on the team. Jonathan Crawford and Jacob Robinson are two seniors that Coach Allen has spoken about who are becoming more vocal leader sand guys everyone looks up to. He has praised both Crawford and Robinson for stepping up and the tremendous amount of work they have put in. Crawford was a guy that caught an eye or two in practice this morning with a few knock downs and broken up passes.
On Crawford’s ability to be a vocal leader on defense, “His position demands it. As a senior now, being the only guy back there with all that experience. He feels it and he knows he has to,” said Coach Allen.
You could see the level of leadership he has just by watching a few snaps on Thursday morning, not only in directing his teammates in front of him but also being vocal in what’s going on on the field. There is a level of respect that is felt for the seniors as well as the rest of the team because of their work ethic and desire. You can tell that the younger players understand that this is their time to step up, work hard, and show what they are capable of.
Although the defense capitalized on quite a few aspects, it wasn’t enough to come up with any takeaways which is a set goal they have each practice. The defense must get a certain number of takeaways each practice based on the number of periods they have and the number of opportunities they have to get those takeaways. The defense didn’t meet their goal which means one thing: running consequences for everyone, including Coach Allen.
“It’s a big part of our culture here and the guys know it. That’s why they are fighting to get those takeaways but we all have to run together,” said Coach Allen in the press conference after he finished consequence running with the defense. It might be termed consequences but Coach Allen was all smiles and seemed in good spirits despite the sprints he had just run.
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