Notes and Quotes From Tom Allen's Media Monday: No. 18 Iowa

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Image: Indiana University Athletics

Image: Indiana University Athletics

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Hoosiers open up with a road game against Iowa on Saturday September 4th, Indiana head coach Tom Allen met with the media for his weekly press conference.

NOTES:

Injuries:

- None of Note

Announcements:

2021 Team Captains

  • Micah McFadden

  • Michael Penix Jr.

  • Cam Jones

  • Ty Fryfogle

  • Marcelino McCrary-Ball

  • Peyton Hendershot

Rankings:

  • IU is ranked 17th in the preseason AP Poll and Coaches Poll

TOM ALLEN QUOTES:

Allen gave his insight on what he has seen on film while preparing for Iowa

“You have to physically beat them. They don't beat themselves very often. That's a key thing. If you think about the fundamentals of this game, you think about how they have long-term success in a program and there's a toughness to their program that sticks out and that's a key to long-term success. The special teams play sticks out. That's a key too long-term success. Consistent performance, they do a great job in that area. Very well coached. Don't make a lot of mistakes. You run the football well, you stop the run. That make it's tough on teams. They don't give up a lot of explosive plays schematically and from their discipline on defense.

So, a lot of things all kind of add to the reason why they're good every year. So that's something that you look at. And their player development, they get guys, they kind of have prototypical guys at each spot per their height and weight. Different numbers maybe every year but similar results. So that's just a sign of a consistency there and a program that's been in place for a long time, a staff that's been in place for a long time.

So that's why I say we have a lot of respect for us. As the head coach at Indiana and what we're attempting to build here every single year, to have a consistency that no matter who is out there each given year they play at a certain standard and that's what you see from them. There's a reason why some are picking them to win the [Big Ten] West [Division] and it's kind of seemed that way every year. They're always in the conversation. Hats off to them and we got to be able to play really good [this Saturday].”

The Hoosiers enter the season ranked 17th in both national polls and expectations are high. Tom Allen gives his answer on whether or not he enjoys those lofty expectations:

“I would say there's been a lot of messages, a lot of excitement within our alumni base, about our program and where we are and the direction that we're going. So, yeah, that's been super awesome to have that. Appreciate their engagement and their excitement. Guys that Vaughn Dunbar is a young man that came by last weekend, and I knew who he was, he's a year older than me, knew him out of high school and [played football at Indiana], but never met him before. He was just a great, great player here, without question. But just to hear him talk about the program and how excited he is and got a chance to see the facilities he hadn't been back in a while, and just talked about, man, would love to be able to be here at this time and be a part of what's going on. Then even the locker room and the way it looks, it's so different than when he played and even the way the stadium looks and feels. So, hats off to our administration for what they have invested in football.

So, guys like that, but, yeah, there's definitely a lot of that and that's awesome and but the expectations are what they are. Like we said in the beginning, we came here with a vision to be able to change the expectations and create belief. That process is ongoing and so we're embracing it. You have to be able to have those earmuffs and blinders, that part doesn't change, and to be able to create the focus that you want to be able to be an elite performer on game day.”

The Hoosiers feasted on takeaways in 2020. Tom Allen explained why IU is so good in that area:

“I think you get what you emphasize. We emphasize so much about takeaways. We have three [things we talk about], we call it our DNA on defense, and we have a DNA for offense, defense and special teams. So, the DNA on defense is takeaways, tackling and effort. And takeaways is the very first one. It's been that way since I've been here and I believe in that.

So, we just work on it. If you come to our practice they're going to be doing something with takeaways every single day. We say we install that mindset every single day and there are multiple layers to it. There's the pressure up front that you have to use to create those opportunities and quarterbacks, if they have time to throw and they get in rhythm and they can step up into their throws and do that on time they're hard to get. But if you can get them off their spot, you can get them to move around, make them feel uncomfortable mentally and physically it's affecting the quarterback, that's a big variable.

So, it's the pressure up front which affects the quarterback and then the mental affecting of the quarterback is how you can disguise your coverages, the things that you're doing in the back end. And then there's ball skills, you have to catch the ball. So, we work on ball skills every day. We tell them, they're not on defense because they can't catch, they're on defense because they're great athletes and they can create the takeaways. We say they are created; they don't just happen by chance.

I get it, certain years you get more than others and there's been years where we worked on them, and we don't ever work on them any less, and I'll take them anyway we can get them, whether they're fumbles or interceptions, we just want to get the ball from their offense and give it to our offense. I just think that there's a lot of reasons for us creating those and they're big and that's how you win football games. You have to protect [the football] on offense and you have to be able to create the takeaways on defense.”

Tom Allen did not name Michael Penix the starting QB for Iowa, but read his quote for yourself:

“Yeah, I would say more let it go. We definitely didn't announce it. I guess that, to answer your question though, it's a good question, about the process that you go through. Yeah, I mean, there was the expectation that he would be ready, but he had to get ready, and he's done that. So yeah, he will be the starter on Saturday.

That was the expectation from the beginning if he did what he was supposed to do. Now there's no doubt it could have not been the case based if things didn't go the way you wanted them to or whatever happens along the process. There's no guarantees with that.

As far as naming for the team, we never really had to say that. But at the same time, we have had opportunities for Jack [Tuttle] to take reps with the one's which he's done that consistently throughout camp and to make sure both guys are ready and then obviously getting Donaven McCulley ready as well, just because you have three guys there that I believe all have special skill sets. So, bottom line is that Michael's been doing a great job and the things we have asked.

And to your question about throughout the season it's more of a maintenance part of that. In fall camp there was a lot of conditioning emphasis and doing specific things to continue to rehab. The rehab part of it, I think the main part, just like any other guy that's injured, you go through that. But from a conditioning perspective, no, won't be doing those extra things. You just continue to maintain the exercise that you do. We do things, a lot of guys have things that they do. Oftentimes it happens pre-practice and post-practice which will be the same case with him. More of that probably than during practice. So that will be a continuous part of his process like other guys are coming back from either ACL surgeries or either, with Thomas and his hip surgery he has things he has to keep doing and will continue to do throughout the season.