Media Monday: Notes and Quotes from Tom Allen's Press Conference Ahead of Rutgers

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Indiana head coach Tom Allen took to the podium on Monday to update the media on IU’s loss to Michigan, the latest injuries and where his team goes from here.

NOTES:

Injuries:

• “Michael and Jack, they're both going to practice this week, have progressed from last week. They've been involved, but they're going to be more involved, and so that's positive news for sure. Just trying to get those guys healthy, and we'll see how this week progresses with that, but yeah, we're going to have all three of those guys out there taking reps.”

• Stephen Carr: “an ankle injury that he's going to be working back from. Nothing broke there. Did have all the X-rays and MRIs with that over the weekend. Just working hard to get him back, so don't know where that stands yet, don't know how it's going to affect his ability to practice at this point.”

• Jaren Handy: “Jaren Handy still is probably going to be out for a little bit”

• Luke Haggard: “Luke played three snaps and then was injured. Hope to get him back. We'll know more tomorrow. But the plan is for him to practice, but hope to get him back”

Players of the Week:

Offensive Scout Team: Jordan Jusevitch

Defensive Scout Team: Patrick Finley. and Cooper Jones

Special Teams Scout Team: Eli Jochem

TOM ALLEN QUOTES:

As always Tom Allen opened with a statement :

“Just a few comments from Saturday. Just continue to evaluate everything, and met with our guys yesterday, and obviously as with our staff exclusively, and just trying to go through, and obviously guys are playing hard and just got to -- obviously got to keep working hard to get better in a lot of key areas.

I thought the defense did some good things, but consistently got to eliminate some of those big plays, long run, long pass, both set up touchdowns. I think the thing that stuck out to me there defensively was three of our touchdown drives were in 12 plays and then 58 snaps were in the other ones that led to field goals. So just trying to eliminate those chunk plays, big plays, and when we're doing that, we're doing some good things.

Not enough, and then offensively obviously struggled in the passing game predominantly and really struggled in that area, and got to get our receivers the ball, get them more involved and get our tight ends more touches, as well, especially 86.

Very disappointed and frustrated, as well, but guys came back today, ready to battle, refocus, and anything we can do to get our guys in position to get ready for Rutgers coming in this week.

They're a very physical football team, play hard. Coach has done a great job there getting those guys and changing their whole mindset and how they play and how they compete for 60 minutes. So know that that's going to be the case this week. Very important for our guys, and they understand it.

We talked a lot yesterday about how we finish. That's how you're remembered as a group, and it's going to be important for these guys in that area, as well.

Recognize some guys from last week on the scouts, Cooper Jones and Pat Finley, defensive scouts for the week, both freshmen; and then we've got Jordan Jusevitch, offensive scout, just an unselfish guy that's come here and hasn't got to play as much as he wanted to, but he's been on special teams, but went on the other side of the ball and helped out in every way possible last week, and just got an amazing attitude. Appreciate him so much.

Then Eli Jochem, the special teams scout of the week is one of our receivers, continues to give us great effort, and Eli does an awesome job for us.”

With a bowl out of the picture Allen talked about a potential youth movement:

“ I think the objective is to win the game, so if those younger guys were in position to help us do that, then they'll be the ones that are going to play. Obviously that's our whole objective is to continue to help this team finish strong and due to injuries you're probably going to have a lot of younger guys have opportunities because of that. Those will naturally probably happen for the guys that are in position to help us do that, and so we'll progress accordingly.

But the number one goal is to beat Rutgers.”

Allen talked about who he has reached out to get advice from after his program took a step back:

“Yeah, there are, and guys that I've worked with and that I know and trust. Some are football, some are not football. Yeah, there's no doubt this has been a major disappointment and frustration, way different than any of us ever expected, thought, even imagined would happen.

But here we are. That's what I talked with our guys on Sunday is that when things don't go the way you want them to, how are you going to respond. Then you fall back on what you believe and you get tested. Right now we're being tested in a strong way, and these testings, they try you and they shape you, they form you, and you've got people that you rely on and you talk to, and they encourage a lot of guys, send me a lot of things encouraging us, and I appreciate that. Guys that you believe have been where you've been and have had those experiences, as well.

Bottom line is you've got to -- just like I said, it tests who you are and what you are and what you believe and really truly why you believe it. I think that's why these times are very, very difficult, and they're not a whole lot of fun, but they're part of life.”

Allen also tried to narrow down the issues on offense:

“Yeah, quarterback play in general to me just -- even before that, just not -- for whatever reason, different variables involved with that. But obviously not where we want to be, need to be, and it's been a frustrating thing for all of us. A group of guys that we had high expectations for, and they did themselves, and I know they're frustrated, as well, and I understand that and I don't blame them for that at all.

Just going back and looking at the different variables, there's things that probably stand out like everything else. There's never just one single thing. But getting ourselves in a position to have better quarterback play is really the key in my opinion. It starts up front, and then obviously those guys getting open and being able to finish plays when they get to that position.

Obviously not been anywhere close to what we expected, and so a lot of variables go into that, so that's a part of just the whole evaluation process you've got to go through when this is all said and done.”

Allen addressed what the last quarter of the season means for the future of this program:

“It's huge. To me that's all we talked about yesterday is how you finish. This team -- I know they're hurting. Obviously they are, physically and mentally and all of the above.

I think that that's where your leadership has to come through very strong, and that's going to be -- going to meet with some more of those guys as the week progresses and just rely on that. We need those guys to step up, and it is truly an issue of what you're made of on the inside and how hard you're willing to prepare and to be able to be at your very best because the bottom line is you're playing Big Ten football every single weekend, and it's going to be a dogfight to find a way to win these football games.

But love this team, love our guys, proud of them for the way they've continued to fight, and that to me is what we're going to rely on is that leadership, leadership of our coaching staff to be able to help our guys.

It begins with me, to be able to have our guys prepared and have the right physicality, the right mindset to be able to finish.”

Allen on the recent struggles of the defense:

“You know, the takeaways, and then you go back to, okay, why are you not getting them. But I think that's -- if you look at even the stats of games and you go through and evaluate, that to me is the biggest -- that's the difference is taking the ball away.

We gave up some yards last year. We gave up some drives, but we got a lot of takeaways, and those negate a lot of things and they make you forget about a lot of things.

But that to me is different for sure. I think sometimes there's certain years they go your way, but we haven't changed the emphasis. I know that for sure. It's always been a massive emphasis for me, and that will never change.

Just haven't had as many. I think pressure on the quarterback is part of it, too. Those pressures I think create a lot of those takeaways. They create errant throws and as you hit the quarterback as he's throwing. We got four sacks against Michigan and they had only given up two the entire year.

Did some really good things in that area. We got the takeaway late, but it really was inconsequential in the outcome of the game.

That to me is when you go through it, we've got to continue, and I know we've had years here where we've gotten more than others, but that's the whole goal. That's why you see when you get takeaways it changes everything, and that's never going to cease to be a huge priority for us.

You look at our whole team, we turned the ball over on offense, especially early in the year, and it cost us big time, and we're not getting the takeaways. Those are things we were able to do a year ago. Not turn it over on offense, create them on defense, creates a whole different outcome for your team, especially in these close games.

That's been the frustration without a doubt. We've got to continue to go back and look at it and evaluate it and make sure we're doing everything we can do to help us. I know we're still continuing to play a combination of man and zone and vision coverages and match mans like we've always done, so that part hasn't changed dramatically. The system hasn't changed. It's tweaked a little bit every year. But yeah, to me it's just not getting takeaways. That's the biggest difference.

On offense it's been quarterback play. On defense it's been lack of takeaways are the two biggest things that stick out to me as far as what's been lacking for us.”