Media Monday: Notes and Quotes From Tom Allen's Week Five Press Conference
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Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
Indiana head coach Tom Allen took to the podium on Monday after the Hoosiers 29-27 win over Akron and ahead of Indiana’s first true road trip to Maryland.
NOTES:
Injuries:
The following players were all ruled OUT prior to Saturday’s game. An updated availability report will be out Saturday at 1:30 pm.
5 Dexter Williams II
7 E.J. Williams
9 Jamier Johnson
26 Josh Henderson
48 James Bomba
60 Max Longman
Players of the Week:
Offense: Cam Camper
Defense: Louis Moore
Special Teams: Chris Freeman
Scout Team Players of the Week
Jack Greer and Reece Bellin (Offense)
Race Stewart (Defense)
Reece Lozano (Special Teams)
TOM ALLEN QUOTES:
On What the Process was of Evaluating the Team After the Game Saturday:
“Obviously, a late, late finish. When you finish a game, you're not like -- you can't just turn your brain off. So it takes a while to kind of unwind and then you watch a few clips. I watched the majority of it in the morning bright and early.
But just talked to some coaches. Talked about some things together. Obviously, they want to get a chance to watch everything. And for me, it's watching both sides of the football. We modified our schedule with our players, just felt like we kind of needed to give them a little more -- some time. We brought them in, met with them. Did recovery work with them, watched the film together, and then got them out.
So you kind of -- you go through and you've been going, obviously, since fall camp. So just thought they needed a little bit of a break.
So but as a coaching staff, just really go through and you want to break down, okay, why did we not on each particular play. Was it scheme? Was it the technique that the player was using? Or was it just something that he's not good enough at right now or something that he needs to either improve at or, hey, this is not a good match for his skill set. So try to find out what caused the breakdowns as you go through on each side of the football and special teams.
So, obviously, you try to identify all those issues. And, without question, didn't play to our standard. Not acceptable at all in regards to us not finishing drives offensively. In those situations, would have changed the whole complexion of the game if you do. Dropped balls, to me, are just lack of focus and fundamentals of looking the ball in and then running after you catch it to create really momentum-shifting, game-changing plays that hurt you in those situations.
And so -- and then just talking about, hey, what do we got to do to make sure that we're not having -- two weeks in a row, we didn't play in the first half especially. I thought our defense played well the majority of the first half. But didn't play well offensively in the first half. So that's two weeks in a row of that.
So, okay, now you got a pattern of that happening. So how do you address that? And what changes do you make to be able to -- is it one of those three areas, you go through. So, obviously, a lot of discussions and adjustments and, obviously, in that -- still in that mode right now as we get ready for tomorrow's practice.”
On Setting the Focus on Maryland:
“I do think there's a balance. I do think there's an understanding your team. But it goes back to kind of what I said as far as, okay, why, you know. And I know -- and I know I saw the thing on the Big Ten Network where it's been, like, 16 straight years where a MAC team has beaten a Big Ten team. So this would have been -- by us finding a way to win in a tough battle that we, you know, found ourselves in, that was the last game for this year. So this is the first time that they haven't beaten a Big Ten team in the last 16 years. So it's obviously something you have to battle against. I think there's a common misperception of your players sometimes about the different levels. And we fully know as a staff that you don't show up and play your best, you've got a chance to get beat. I don't care who you're going to play. Especially a team from that conference that has good enough players, good enough coaches to beat you if you don't play your best, especially if you make mistakes.
So I feel like getting them to understand that, that's the challenge. And you go through different things. And I gave a lot of different stats before the game starting on Tuesday to go through and gave how many -- in the last 20 years, there's been 187 group of five teams that have beaten Power Five teams. Okay? That's a lot of games that they've won. So just trying to show that. And then, you know, still felt like even during the week, you're not quite getting the focus that you want.
But players have got to understand that, and they've got to respond. And they've got to be ready to play, no matter who you play. And you've got opportunities you've got to take advantage of. So just disappointed that we didn't have the whole team ready to play at their very, very best. That's what I expected us to be at and worked to that end during the week. So now, okay, you address that. You talk about that. So you kind of -- everything you do on Sunday is about getting your minds right, because, obviously, we understand, you know, we're now back in Big Ten play. So those issues are no longer there in regards to getting yourself ready to play and understand who you're playing against. But, at the same time, you don't want to see a team not take advantage of an opportunity. And I felt like we kind of -- we didn't in that situation because you want to be able to keep growing and building in your preparation approach and how you do things each and every day.
So just want our guys to understand the brevity of every situation. You better be ready to play every time you take the field because a lot of good football teams out there that if you're not at your best, you're going to be disappointed.”
On the Offense’s Identity:
“Yeah. I just think that -- you know, as we talked about before, the way that we played in the second half of Louisville, to me, is what you see is what you want. And I feel like we've got to be able to run the football. Did not do a good job of that at all. Didn't stay on blocks. We got to the right people and didn't finish them. That has to change. That's a big area of focus this week. And feel like that -- want to be able to throw the football effectively. Know we have to. Didn't do as good a job protecting our quarterback. That was kind of multiple groups, wasn't just up front. It was our running backs. It was our tight ends as well. Didn't do a good job. Did have guys targeted correctly but didn't finish some of those as well, especially with our backfield blocking, wasn't near to the standard it needs to be. But that, to me, is -- we still made some explosive plays in the throw game but not nearly what we should have.
So, to me, you ought to be able to be a team that they can't key on certain things, whether it's formational, personnel, run-pass formations as far as you've got to be able to have them having to react to what you're doing in the moment instead of pre-snap and the things that you have. So, to me, we've got to be able to be -- we just didn't have our rhythm. We didn't play. It just was obvious. We've got to, obviously, get that back. And, to me, that's on us as coaches. We've got to do a better job getting our guys ready to ply and the play calling itself just in terms of matching the strengths of our guys. That's what I'm saying. Because, obviously, what we did wasn't effective and wasn't good enough, especially down there in the score zone. So, to me, that's about being able to score points. And that, right now, is something we're not doing at a high enough level. And that's what we have to do to win in the Big Ten.”
On the Challenges of Facing Maryland:
“Well, really good football team. Coach Locksley is doing a great job there. They've recruited a lot of good players. Got a really good quarterback, one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten, obviously, as a returning multi-year starter. They're experienced. A lot of talent at the receiver position. The tight end position, very productive. Their leading receiver is a tight end. Three good running backs, two that we faced last year extensively. And defensively big and physical. They've always been athletic every year. Played them here for eight years now. And always one of the most athletic teams we play. That's no different this year. They're creating a lot of take-aways on defense. They've scored a lot of points off take-aways from their offense. So they're playing really complementary football. They're 4 and 0 right now, their first Big Ten win this past weekend and played really well in East Lansing. So a really good football team. And they play hard, physical, athletic on both sides of the ball and on special teams as well. So definitely a very, very important game for us, big week for us, as we get back into Big Ten play and playing a really, really good football team on the road.”
On Challenges of the First Road Trip:
“Well, you need to play well on the road, obviously, in order to have success for a reason. So I think, you know, we obviously had a chance to travel to Indianapolis. Wasn't a long trip. Did not get on a plane. Took a bus there. So we're going to fly to Maryland. But once you get there, I think it's a similar feel. So you have the hotel, the walk-throughs, the movements and that setting, so a chance to do that together, which is a positive thing.
Have a 3:30 kick, so that allows you to get in a good rhythm on game day. So, to me, it's just -- the road is the road. I think it can bring teams together. You have a chance to really bond on these trips and be able to continue to build your team and build the chemistry and the connection of your guys.
So I look forward to road trips. I know it's obviously challenging to play on the road. You've got the noise level of different stadiums that becomes a variable and a factor for offenses, you know, on the road and to be able to communicate effectively. So just going to do a great job preparing for that and handling that.
And, obviously, with having a young quarterback, more specifically, to be able to have him ready for those environments, which is important. So definitely looking forward to this opportunity without question and excited for our guys to come back tomorrow to be really ready to have a great week of preparation.
So, to me, the focus is, you know, should not be an issue. Obviously, we're back into Big Ten play and playing against the Big Ten teams the rest of the way. So know that our guys understand where we're at, what we need to do, and just rely on your leadership for your guys to be able to help us travel well and be really, really good on the road.”
On Adjusting the Defense to Face a Mobile Quarterback:
“There's no doubt. You bring up a great point. It's going to be a huge emphasis this week. We're playing the third one that's going to be very, very elusive. He hasn't been sacked very many times because he's hard to get on the ground. We've played him the last couple years and know full well.
So, yeah, we've got to specifically drill. We're going to do some things specifically in drill work as a defense to be able to work through this. I've got to do a great job of simulating that. Going to make some adjustments schematically because, obviously, some things we've been doing to put a little more stress on that and not giving us a chance to be as effective. So we're going to make some adjustments there, which we need to make.
But bottom line is, you're right. When a quarterback breaks containment like that, that's when everything -- whether him running it or -- and, obviously, Irons had the ability to -- has the speed to get down the field and hurt you in a big way. And so does the one we're playing this week. So I just think that we've got to have a better -- do a better job schematically.
And then we've also got to do a better job practicing it specifically, you know. So, obviously, you work through it all, but that's got to be a specific thing we're working on. It is going to be this week because, obviously, it hasn't been one of our strengths the last two weeks. And it's going to have to be on Saturday.”