Aggressive defense to anchor team

Out with the old, in with the new. When Gerry DiNardo was named head football coach, he brought with him a new staff. With a new staff comes new philosophies, and the biggest change may occur on the defensive side of the football.\nDefensive coordinator Tim Kish brings a lot of Big Ten experience to IU, working last with Illinois in 2000. He brings a new style that will be a stark contrast to the previous seasons.\nThe defense in the past couple of years has seemed at times to play passive, giving up an average of 27 points a game. This season the defense is preparing to be more aggressive in its attack, Kish said.\n"We're going to try and press a little bit. We're going to play bump and run," Kish said. "We're going to be an aggressive, attacking style of defense. Our secondary is going to be on islands. It's going to be them versus the man over them. That will be their challenge in the back row."\nAnchoring the secondary will be senior Joe Gonzalez who has had extensive playing time the last two seasons. Kish calls him the coach on the field. Gonzalez said he is excited about the new system.\n"I think the change over has been easier on the defense. A lot of the coverages stay the same but are called other names," Gon-zalez said. "We're going to be blitzing a lot, coming from every angle. It's a fun defense to play because we're always on the attack. We're always taking chances. We're always taking risks."\nMaking his return to the defense after a year as a tight end is senior Kris Dielman. Kish said he believes that his presence adds a lot to the defense.\n"It's like he never missed a down," Kish said. "He's added work ethic, character, intensity, leadership. I can't say enough about Kris Dielman. He's really provided us with a spirit on our side of the ball."\nThe linebackers are led by senior Ron Bethel and sophomore Herana-Daze Jones. Kish said he hopes that their passion for the game rubs off on the rest of the defense.\n"The linebackers are responsible for the main production of the defense," Kish said. "The guys up front protect the guys in the second row. It all starts up front."\nBethel said he hopes that the defense can help take some of the pressure off of the offense.\n"I've got a lot of confidence in what we are doing," Bethel said. "I think we look good. We looked real good in the spring. As long as it carries over to the fall, we should be great."\nJones said he thinks that the new system will help the defense in their decision making.\n"Last year (the defense) was more complex. This year it's real easy and simplified," Jones said. "By knowing what we have to do, it will allow us to play quicker. You don't have to think as much. You just react because you already know what you are doing."\nBethel said he knows that changes have to be made. He said that many teams will underestimate IU because they lack a marque player, but IU's talent without having a big name player might surprise people. Bethel said he hopes the changes to the defense will lead to better results for the team.\n"We got more to prove to ourselves," Bethel said. "Losing isn't fun, and we know that. I want to start here. If we have a winning season that's good. If we carry that on to the next year and the next year, I'll be proud of that"