Jailin Walker Shows the IU Defense is Suffocating in 66-0 Bucket Game Win
/
Written By Nick Gonzales (@nrgonzales_)
The regular season is officially over for the Hoosiers and for the first time in program history, they are 11-1! After a heart-breaking game against the Buckeyes last Saturday, the Hoosiers had some issues to work on before facing off against their biggest rival, Purdue. Throughout the game, it was clear that the Hoosiers understood the assignment as they tore the Boilermakers to shreds.
“I thought our defense was tremendous tonight. (They) swarmed the ball, stopped the run, harassed the quarterback, created a lot of turnovers. I think they (Purdue) got an early first down on a PI call, and then I don’t remember them getting another first down until the end of the half.” Curt Cignetti stated in his post-game press conference Saturday night.
In the Hoosiers 66-0 win over the Boilermakers, they were the first team this season to hold Purdue to less than 100 yards in either passing or rushing. Not only that, but Indiana is the only team to hold the Boilermakers to less than 150 total yards in a game this season (2nd lowest yards per game allowed against Purdue was Notre Dame with 162 yards allowed). Indiana held them to just 67 total yards of offense (54 passing, 13 rushing), and a key player in their outstanding performance was linebacker Jailin Walker.
“I’ve always considered Jailin Walker an impact player. I mean he’s a Will linebacker who can fly, run and hit guys. (He’s) from Richmond Virginia, he made some huge plays for us at JMU. He’s got a nose for the football, and nobody likes playing football more than that guy. He’s a tough guy to block and he can do a lot of things. He’s a great athlete.” Coach Cignetti responded when asked about Jailin Walker.
Walker had a phenomenal day finishing with 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 4 TFL, 1 interception, and a forced fumble. He was absolutely eating last night. Walker may be a transfer from JMU, but he understood how important it was to win back the Old Oaken Bucket
“It’s a lot of players that came from everywhere, but at the end of the day it’s like family. Not just the football team here, we’re just family. Not only do (we play) football, we go out, we hang out, we eat together, we do everything. We treat each other like brothers, so it feels special to have your brothers fight out with you against other people, against rivalries, so I say it’s a special thing,” Jailin Walker said about the culture the team has created throughout the season.
The 2024 Indiana Hoosiers have been a special team to watch this season and are making many Hoosier fans excited for the future of this program. Jailin Walker also emphasized the importance of showing out on Saturday as a form of redemption of their poor performance against Ohio State. With the final game of the regular season over with, the Hoosiers have some time off until they potentially play their first game in the expanded College Football Playoffs. Until then, the Hoosiers will be doing whatever they can to improve because many of the players and coaches have said that they aren’t satisfied yet.