Improved D-line works the trenches

Residing in the Hoosier locker room is a dry-erase board with the vague outline of a quarterback drawn on it. One might call it an effigy. It belongs to the defensive linemen, who are affectionately referred to as the “men in the trenches.” A little more than half the drawing currently has color. Before the season ends, the defensive line hopes it’s completely inked-in. But if the men in the trenches want to color in the top of the quarterback’s helmet, they will have to bring their number of sacks from 18 to 30.\n“We have a ceremony on Sunday where we color the quarterback in as we go,” defensive line coach Brian George said. “We have numbers 5, 10, 15-20, 25-30 and it’s the number of sacks. Whoever gets that number gets to color in the board. That’s been a lot of fun obviously this year.” \nThrough four games, the defensive line has been able to color the quarterback 18 times, already exceeding the total number of sacks it recorded all of last season. Much of their early success they credit to the experience they have and the work they put in every day at practice.\n“We have a lot of experience, and I feel like we’re working really hard in practice every day coming to play,” senior defensive tackle Joe Kremer said. “Coach George has done a great job getting us ready to play every day.”\nWhile the experience and hard work has certainly helped the men in the trenches, having more depth – more men to throw into those trenches – has been the biggest factor in their ability to hunt down the quarterback. \n“The fact that we got a little bit more depth up front certainly helps,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “I do believe this: Sacks are great, but pressures are sometimes just \nas good.”\nThe reason depth is such an important factor for the defensive linemen is that they are the ones who go toe to toe with the big offensive linemen. If a defensive lineman is to play the whole game, eventually he will tire. Then, a reliable back-up is sorely needed.\n“There are a couple guys in years past that have played every snap,” George said. “They realize how exhausting it is to have a 300- to 315-pound offensive lineman leaning on you every play. It’s always good to play at your peak as opposed to being tired.”\nIt is almost impossible to find a football player who likes to be taken out of the game, and the IU defensive linemen are no exception. Although they don’t like to be taken out, the starting defensive line understand that sitting on the bench for a few minutes is actually an advantage.\n“I’d like to stay out there, but I’d like to be not tired out there too,” Kremer said. “When you have fresh bodies out there and you’re rotating guys, you get to play harder then you would if you’re tired.” \n“When I see someone make a play, the competitive side in me wants to make a play,” junior defensive tackle Greg Brown said. “Just because I saw someone make one, it makes me want to get back in there and do the same thing.”\nIf the IU defense is to contain offenses in the Big Ten, the defensive line might be the key to that success. Sophomore defensive end Greg Middleton said the play of the men in the trenches directly affects the play of the rest of the defense.\n“If we can pressure the quarterback, that makes the whole defense better, because we force the quarterback into making decisions that he won’t want to do,” Middleton said.