After losing 24-14 to Northwestern last week, IU defensive coordinator Tom Allen rallied his defense during practice as the team prepared for Saturday’s matchup against Maryland.
He wrote “371” on the board — the number of first-half yards the Hoosiers surrendered to the Wildcats.
Then the coordinator wrote “37” on the board — the number of second half yards IU gave up.
“What’s the difference between these two numbers?” he asked his defense.
Allen looked back at the board and erased the one at the end of “371.”
“Look what we do when we’re not all locked-in and focused and playing hard,” Allen said. “Then look at what we do when we are all locked in and doing what we need to do.”
That message spoke to sophomore defensive end Nile Sykes and his teammates.
“The defense, we want to play that second half all the time,” Sykes said. “We always talk about the 60 minutes in the game and finishing. Now we gotta start.”
IU has lost its last two games against Northwestern and Nebraska by a combined 15 points.
In those games, the Hoosiers lost the first half, 41-11.
Against Northwestern, IU posted two three-and-outs to start the game. In that time, the Wildcats scored two touchdowns to go up 14-0.
IU played from behind for the rest of the game and never saw a lead.
IU Coach Kevin Wilson said that’s unacceptable, especially when welcoming in a 5-2 Maryland team.
“We’re down three scores in our last two games out of the gate,” Wilson said about starting the second half behind. “We’re playing catch up. We can’t do that.”
Northwestern’s playmakers were finding holes in the defense early on, and 371 yards later the Wildcats were leading 21-3 at halftime.
Wilson said the defense got rattled by two instant scores from Northwestern and got pushed back on it heels. It wasn’t playing aggressively enough and the play-calling wasn’t aggressive enough, he said.
Now, against a Maryland team that boasts the third-best rushing attack in the Big Ten and a weak passing attack, the responsibility will fall on the front seven to stop freshman running backs Lorenzo Harrison and Ty Johnson. The freshmen average 7.7 and 10.3 yards per carry, respectively.
It starts with the defensive line, Sykes said.
“When we’re doing good up front and creating pressure and creating havoc in the backfield, everything on the back end — from the linebacker to the corners to the safeties — it makes their jobs easier,” Sykes said.
The Terrapins allow the second-most sacks in the Big Ten and have the second-worst pass offense. The opportunities will be there for the Hoosier defensive line. It’s just a matter of executing in those opportunities, which is something defensive line coach Mark Hagan said has been an issue throughout the season.
For Sykes though, the message is clear.
“We’re not really changing anything,” Sykes said. “We’re just putting emphasis on coming out strong and maintaining it for 60 minutes.”
