Joe Brunner and the Right Side of the Offensive Line Are Beginning to Feel ‘Very Comfortable’

Indiana football had more questions than desired coming into the season. One of these questions was answered way back during Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, when Cignetti told the press that Joe Brunner was going to switch to right tackle, with Adedamola Ajani moving in at right guard.

This change wouldn’t make it very far, as now for a majority of the season, Brunner has been back to playing guard.

The Indiana offensive line had high expectations heading into the season, after being finalists for the Joe Moore Award last season. These expectations didn’t seem to be met early on in the year as Indiana struggled to run the ball early and struggled in pass protection. A lot of the early blame was pinpointed at the right side of the offensive line.

Since then, especially in the Rutgers game, the right side of the line has made a statement.

“Right now me and De Mo (Adedamola Ajani) are getting very comfortable next to each other,” Brunner said. “I think every game we’ve grown, and we’ve learned, and we’ve gotten better”.

Brunner credits their recent success to just getting more comfortable in their roles next to each other. Obviously, the staff wasn’t entirely sure all offseason how they wanted to position these guys, but now that it seems like this status will last, Brunner and Ajani can just work on being the best they can be at their respective positions.

The success has been evident the last two weeks as Indiana has had over 600 rushing yards combined in its first two Big Ten games.

“That’s the standard here,” Brunner said. “You want to be able to run the ball. But for us, it’s just putting our head down and working. And obviously, there’s still things that we need to work on, improvements that we can have, but it’s exciting, and, we need to know what we’re capable of. So just continuing to grow each week with that”.

Indiana has talked so much about the standard that even the documentary series being put out by the University is titled “The Standard”. Brunner and the offensive line have the same standard that any other position has, and it is to produce on the field. Offensive line production is seen in the run game and when the quarterback has a clean jersey.

“I think that’s our number one job is to protect the quarterback,” Brunner said. “And Josh is a phenomenal player, and I know any anyone any five of us will lay our life on the line for that guy”.

The offensive line is finding its stride at the right time, and Brunner and Ajani will have yet another great test when the team travels to play a Nebraska team that has a great front seven with 16 sacks on the year so far.

“I think it’s just studying film, right?” Brunner said. “Seeing their tendencies and seeing what they do defensively and studying their guys, seeing what they do, but then going out there and practicing your tail off every single day and getting better and really knowing what they do well and working on that day in and day out”.

Brunner has respect for Nebraska, but knows that if his guys do the correct preparation, they will win the football game. Indiana’s offensive line will be a focal point in this Nebraska game, so Brunner and Ajani need to continue to progress in their positions.