Written by @zachegreene

After another frustrating loss, Indiana fell to 2-4 on the season, coming against the #10 team in the nation and now #9 in the nation Michigan State Spartans. Still, defensive coordinator Charlton Warren was pleased with how his unit stepped up despite dealing with critical injuries in the secondary. One of those players to step up was cornerback Noah Pierre.

“The word is resiliency. He played safety two months ago, played the husky star, he’s played money, and then three weeks ago we asked him to play corner, and then he goes in and plays corner against the second most productive pair of receivers in the Big Ten. They go after him and ends up with nine tackles and a big interception at the end, and it gave us a chance to win the game. I couldn’t be more proud of him. It shows you the character and core of our team. Guys like him.”

With under four minutes left in the game, the Hoosiers were down five points when Pierre came up with a huge interception to give the Hoosiers a chance to drive down the field and win the game.

Pierre, a four-year player, stepped up when called upon. Along with multiple players on this defensive unit, he has played various positions during their time in Bloomington. Playing numerous roles shows what kind of players Tom Allen and the coaches like to recruit. They like guys who are willing to step out of their boundaries and try something new.

This week will be like last week regarding the injuries in the secondary. Cornerback Taiwan Mullen was still a boot after the loss this past Saturday. When I asked him how he was feeling, he, “Said I’m feeling good.” Hopefully, he will feel good enough to play against the best wide receiver unit in the Big Ten if not the country.

On the same note, the status of Cornerback Reese Taylor remains unclear. Taylor suited up during warmups during this past Saturday’s game but then was shut down and spotted in shorts and shorts during the game.

If both Mullen and Taylor are unavailable to go this Saturday against Ohio State, guys like Pierre will need to step up against one of the best teams in the country.

“Everything stands out about Ohio State. They are well-coached. They are great athletic players. Fundamentally sound at catching the ball, route running. Their scheme uses tempo, power run game, zone run game, and it gets their athletes in space. You combine that with a dual threat at Quarterback. They have done a great job of recruiting. They have done a tremendous job of utilizing the tools they have. You can’t defend it all. You have to pick your spots.”

Without a doubt, if Mullen and Taylor cannot go on Saturday, Ohio State will look to attack the weak and vulnerable Indiana secondary. If guys like Noah Pierre can step up again the way he did on Saturday, Indiana will surprise a lot of folks.

Going into this week, there is not a lot of pressure on this Hoosiers team. They already have four losses coming against the top 10 teams in the nation, and they don’t have much to lose. That said, the Buckeyes can just assume this is a catwalk win on Saturday.

The Hoosiers will be hoping for an upset like Purdue against the Buckeyes a while back, while the Buckeyes will be looking to sucker punch the Hoosiers after almost losing last season.

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