Good to great.
That’s the next step for IU’s defense this season.
Through six games, the defense has been this team’s backbone, but both defensive coordinator Tom Allen and the players said they know they can be even better.
“I pointed to them and said, ‘You have to take ownership when you’re in the game to win the game and beat a top-10 team in the country,’” Allen said. “They have to do that throughout the week, in practices and walk-throughs, to be at their best. It’s a culmination of those things along with our depth, just getting us to a position where we’re not content with playing good. We want to be great.”
The numbers suggest they are nearing greatness.
Per Football Study Hall’s S&P+ metric, which factors in efficiency and explosiveness, IU’s defense ranks 30th in the country.
That feels just about right — IU is for the most part succeeding on defense but, at certain times, struggles and gives up a big play or fails to get off the field on a critical drive.
It isn’t an elite defense yet, but it’s close.
That was the case against Nebraska as IU’s defense showed flashes of brilliance but gave up critical points late in the game on a long drive by the Cornhuskers.
“I told them that we played really well the majority of the time, but when we had to have it in that final drive and the little things cost us,” Allen said. “It was a guy not fitting the run right, a guy not scraping or spilling.”
Against Ohio State, the defense was put in two tough positions when the Buckeyes recovered a fumble deep in Hoosier territory and when Ohio State returned a kickoff deep into IU territory. Both times Ohio State scored touchdowns.
If IU wants to be a great defense, the Hoosiers have to hold the Buckeyes to at least field goals in those situations.
Along with that, the sack numbers could stand to improve. The Hoosiers only have nine sacks this season. Once again, good but not great.
Too many times against Nebraska’s Tommy Armstrong IU would bring pressure and force him outside the pocket but fail to wrap him up. Those were great opportunities to blow up Nebraska’s drives that IU has to capitalize on in these next six games.
The defense will be tested right away against Northwestern on Saturday. The Wildcats have the Big Ten’s leading rusher — Justin Jackson — and leading receiver — Austin Carr. Both players have emerged as dangerous play-makers who can attack IU’s defense in different ways.
If IU passes this test, the majority of the offenses, other than Michigan, on IU’s schedule aren’t as stellar.
IU has taken a bigger step forward defensively this year than anyone could have predicted, but in doing so, it has also raised the bar. The defense has to bring it every single drive.
Through six games, IU is a changed defense, but the next step for this defense is harder than the initial leap forward. The Hoosiers are more than capable of becoming an elite defense.
That journey starts Saturday.
aphussey@indiana.edu
@thehussnetwork
