Notes and Quotes From Tom Allen's Press Conference (11/6/17)
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By David Sugarman (@David_Sugarman2)
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
Offense: Wes Martin
Defense: Robert McCray
Special Teams: Griffin Oakes
Offensive Scout: Jack Moran, Phil Benker and Sam Garvin
Defensive Scout: Derrian Meminger
INJURY NEWS:
- Tom Allen said Peyton Ramsey’s status is still uncertain going into the Illinois game and said they’ll know more as the week unfolds
- Allen noted that he doesn’t think they could’ve gone to Ramsey on Saturday and likely would’ve had to go to Nick Tronti
- Allen said he’d be surprised if Marcelino Ball was back this week
- Peyton Hendershot is out this week
NOTES:
- Normally given more in advance, Indiana Football announced that the networks have used the six-day selection period before announcing a time for the Rutgers game which Indiana will host November 18th. The game time will be announced six days out from the game.
QUOTES:
TOM ALLEN:
Allen said after a normal Sunday meeting he had the seniors come and speak in front of the team:
“Want them to look them in the eye and want the seniors to look them in the eye and understand what's at stake the last three weeks of the season. Special group of guys here with us, and it's all about people. I made that a point at that time as well.
The motivation for us is from within. It's the guys that's next to you. It's not about the challenge before you, it's those who are beside you. That's what I believe is a powerful thing that our guys have bought into. The guys beside them is a special group the seniors.
There is a sense of urgency that I believe we have to have and we will have. We have some great leaders in that senior class. I wanted the whole team to look them in the eye and know as they prepare for this huge game for us, which is the biggest game because it's our next game, but we all understand where we are and what we need to do.
So I'm wanted those guys in front of them just to symbolically show what this is all about.”
Allen touched on how the lack of depth has hurt the team late in games:
“We go through and we study everything by quarter, whether it's first down production, third down production, just the number of three-and-outs we give up as an offense, number we get as a defense.
The fourth quarter has been tough on us, and I believe and I know that the injuries have taken their toll. That's where it really gets exposed.
For example, Tegray and Chris Covington played every snap. So they're playing 80 snaps on defense and that's hard were really hard.
So they're giving us phenomenal effort. Yeah, you can just go through and I just think that that hurts us for sure. The answer for that is recruiting and create more depth and getting guys back from injuries. So it's not a simple response to that. Really not a quick fix by any means.
But there is no question that's hurting us. Especially against a big, big physical team like that that just keeps rolling them in. The size they have takes its toll as the game wears on.”
Allen responded to the thought that the needed sense of urgency could turn into recklessness or carelessness:
“No, I don't think so. I think that's leadership. I think that's what we have to -- you know, I think time creates that, you know, some situations. The clock continues to tick on the season, and so that happens regardless of what you do, and so as is the case in life.
So I just think more that than anything, it's just a sense of urgency that you have to understand where we are. But I think that can be a good thing. I do. That's how I look at it. I'm one of those that's always looking for every angle of motivation with our team.
I think our guys understand that concept. You don't want them to press. Just go out there and play your hardest and play your best.”
Allen on what he feels Illinois does well:
“Well, they have -- they've changed quarterbacks, and No. 10 is a very good athlete. The quarterback running game with him is a lot different, and it's something that they've taken advantage of and been able to utilize. They have skilled receivers for sure, and effective runningbacks that have done a good job.
They have had some injuries as well at certain positions. They have a lot of youth on the offensive line. I think that always, as we just had those discussions with our guys, creates challenges for sure. They play the same Big 10 schedule we will we play, so you got tough opponents.
But to me it's about us playing our very best. That's what we have to do in all three phases. We focus on us being a team that does the little things right during the game, creating takeaways, protecting the football, (indiscernible) on special teams play. That, to me, is what has to be our formula for going on the road and winning.”
After watching the film Allen touched on what the team needs to improve on going forward:
“Well, from a defense perspective, the biggest thing, you know, with their size and the way that they move, there were some things that from where we set our front a little bit, went back and said, Hey, we need to be able to do this in the future just because of angles and leverage.
We moved at times -- the thing is, you play a team like that, you're trying to balance your movement up front with playing your gaps. If you're too one way or other, their size can just kind of wash you down if you move too much; if you don't move enough, they'll just knock you off the ball because they know where you're going to be.
So just felt like we need to kind of keep them maybe a little more off balance in some of those points. I think the biggest thing was we had some critical second and longs and a couple third downs where -- I mean, we were within like a step or a half a step of getting to the quarter.
Sometimes it's just a little thing of whether -- not even the guy that was involved with that, where if another guy, you know, takes an inside path instead of outside path, that extra step he had to waste would've been made up.
Once it goes back to the execution of those little things at the key times, can be a sack causes a fumble if the quarterback is not looking that changes everything. You always have a little bit of that adjustment.
I think offensively, you know, we just felt like we got in too many situations where we had to throw the football. You got to continue to be able to keep them off balance with the run and the pass game.
Even though they're hard to run the football on, you still have to be effective in the run game. That's not always necessarily yards as much as it is reps and opportunities to be able to keep them off balance with your decision-making, and to be able to find ways to get your playmakers the ball.
They were playing very aggressive coverage on our outside receives and making it hard to get them the ball at times. I think you continue to give No. 1 shots, because they are going to have to interfere with him as they often do to be able to keep him from catching the ball.
So that's the stuff you go through. We're always reevaluating everything, and Coach DeBord does a great with that.
You're always going to go back and say, Man, I wish we would've done this a little bit different, maybe this maybe we would've modified.
But the thing that you look at is, Hey, it's a one-touchdown game in the fourth quarter, and we just didn't take it away on one side and we gave it up on the other.
To me, that was the difference in the game, bottom line.”