Saturday, it was three.
As a team, the IU defense missed 21 tackles in a 37-15 loss to Maryland.
Allen said that was a major point of emphasis at practice Tuesday.
“We had to go out there with more intensity,” he said. “We missed tackles last week so we tackled more. I have to do better just running through the tackle and ?wrapping up.”
As a defense, the Hoosiers are allowing just under 30 points per game. That’s a marked improvement from last year when their opponents scored over 40 points in seven of twelve games.
But, through four games, consistency remains a ?glaring issue.
Part of the problem is an IU secondary with a lot of young players still ?learning the defense, IU safeties Coach Noah Joseph said.
Joseph is coaching some players who, throughout their college careers, have seen two different defensive coordinators and three different defensive schemes.
Former IU defensive coordinator Doug Mallory, who was at IU for three short years, ran a 4-3.
“We’re asking them to do some things that maybe they didn’t do in the past so it’s a learning curve and hopefully they’re getting more comfortable,” Joseph said. “They’re doing a great job in practice and working on it, so sooner or later it better pay off in games.”
Joseph said more than a lack of familiarity, it’s a lack of trust.
Allen has played in eleven games in his career and has started in just five.
Freshman Chase Dutra got his first significant playing time against Maryland in place of starting strong safety Mark Murphy, who suffered a hamstring injury last week.
Freshmen safeties Kiante Walton and Tony Fields have seen limited playing time.
Joseph said although they’re all still getting comfortable playing together, the individual tenacity of young guys like Allen and Dutra is ?encouraging.
“The thing that (Dutra) plays with, and I think you see Antonio Allen play with most of the time, is just a reckless abandonment,” he said. “They may be wrong, but they find the football and we have to get more of that.”
Joseph wants his players to take on his personality.
The first-year IU coach spent the past two years as safeties coach at North Texas.
In 2013, the Mean Green won the Heart of Dallas Bowl and went 9-4. Their nine wins are tied for most in program history.
He said those players took on the personality of defensive coordinator John Skladany. He wants to bring the same mentality to the IU defense, especially with a group that’s just being ?developed.
“I think it’s easier to get guys to take that personality on when you don’t have to un-teach them,” Joseph said.
Allen leads the secondary with 6.3 tackles per game and cornerback Tim Bennett has 5.8.
Something Joseph wants to see out of both his safeties and corners is making the big play, making game-changing plays.
Being more aggressive, something the coaches have emphasized since a 45-42 loss to Bowling Green, will come with those big plays.
Right now, the defense isn’t preventing the Hoosiers from winning.
But, it isn’t helping them win either, Joseph said.
“If things aren’t going well, or we need a stop, we need someone to step up and be the guy to get that stop,” he said. “I’d like to see us be a little bit more aggressive and make more plays out there.”
