The Huddle is Hoosier Huddle’s home base for all of the latest Indiana Football News.
Written By Lauralys Shallow
The defensive unit as a whole has already made great strides the past few seasons under Tom Allen, current head coach and former defensive coordinator. In 2015, IU was 121st nationally in yards per game allowed, and in 2017 IU improved to 27th. Any successful defense starts from dominating the line of scrimmage. Today, we preview the defensive line.
Read MoreBy David Sugarman (@David_Sugarman2)
As Indiana has geared up for its first full season under Tom Allen, there have been a number of coaching changes, but the core of the defensive staff has stayed intact. Back for his second year as the defensive line coach, Mark Hagen will look to continue the progress his group made in 2016.
Last season Indiana gave up 35 less yards per game on the ground than they did in 2015. The team’s crowning achievement may have been when they held likely the Big Ten’s and nation’s best running back in Penn State’s Saquon Barkley to 58 yards on 33 carries, less than two yards per touch.
Now headed into year two with Hagen, Indiana will look to replace Ralph Green III due to graduation and Nile Sykes, undisclosed season ending injury. Those two combined for nearly 50 tackles and six sacks in 2016. If Indiana wants to take another step in the right direction and achieve their goal of becoming a top 25 defense, it starts with the big boys in the trenches.
Read MoreWide receiver Luke Timian and defensive tackle Mike Barwick talk to Hoosier Huddle about what needs to be done to have a successful season.
Read MoreWritten By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
We are just a day away from the halfway point of our Countdown to IUFB Kickoff, we will double-up at 51 with Mackenzie Nworah and Mike Barwick Jr.
Read MoreNew defensive scheme? Check. New defensive line coach? Check. New defensive line starters? Check. Plenty has changed since the Hoosiers gave up 44 points to Duke in the Pinstripe Bowl, a game that was gift-wrapped and delivered a day after Christmas to the Blue Devils. Well, if Indiana is to avoid a similar set of events in 2016, change is necessary, but change in itself is not nearly enough. There has to be a greater level of execution, which starts upfront, in the trenches at the point of attack.
Read MoreThere are now 51 days remaining until the Indiana Hoosiers kick-off the 2016 season in Miami against the Florida International Golden Panthers. Join us each day for each part of our 100-day countdown to the opener! Today is the day to focus on Mike Barwick Jr., so here we go!
-Height: 6’0”
-Weight: 300 pounds
-Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
-Position: Defensive Line
The Indiana Hoosier defensive line will look immensely different in 2016 than it did at the end of 2015. Gone are the likes of Nick Mangieri, Darius Latham, Adarius Rayner, and Zack Shaw. Those four players combined to play in 50 games and make 153 tackles, including 17.5 sacks and 36 tackles for loss. Their production will be missed upfront and the Hoosiers will look for answers from some old friends and new faces.
Indiana also sports a new(ish) defensive line coach in Mark Hagen, who replaces Larry McDaniel. The Hoosiers also add a new defensive coordinator, Tom Allen, who will try to implement a new defensive scheme— his 4-2-5 defense. This means the emergence of the new “Bull” position, which will be like a Bandit, but more of a true defensive end.
While the issue that stood out the most with the Hoosiers in 2015 was on the back end of the defense, the defensive line has to create some havoc in the offensive backfield. A good pass rush will help the still young secondary out by forcing throws a little quicker.
Written By: Nick Holmes (@HoosierHolmes)
Seventy-five days separate the Hoosiers from their first contest in 2015, when they battle Southern Illinois on September 5th at 4 P.M. at Memorial Stadium. The last time the Salukis made the trip to Bloomington was in 2006, leaving victorious and costing the Hoosiers a valuable "W." By the end of the season, that loss loomed large as the team finished 5-7 and fell a game short of the postseason. To continue our countdown, we take a look at number 75, redshirt freshman, Mike Barwick Jr.
Read MoreDL Mike Barwick, Jr.
Source: @Hoosierfootball
Mike Barwick Jr. has been on the Hoosier train since June 2013. The 6'1" defensive tackle will add both bulk and depth to a very young, but talented defensive line. He was a 3-star prospect according to 247 Sports.
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