With questions surrounding the IU offense, the defense has taken it upon itself to alleviate some of the pressure.
With IU junior quarterback Nate Sudfeld out with an injury and the Hoosiers going up against perennial Big Ten defensive power No. 8 Michigan State, points may be at a premium for IU.
Junior linebacker Zack Shaw knows this. But he said the defense is more than comfortable with trying to take the load.
“It’s kind of on us a bit,” Shaw said. “We know we’ll have to play well Saturday and keep us in it.”
Michigan State’s defense, which has had a recent history of being among the best in the nation, has gone through a few early struggles this season.
But while the defense has taken a slight step back, the Spartan offense has been firing on all cylinders, led by sophomore quarterback Connor Cook.
Cook has the 10th best Total Quarterback Rating in the nation, leading the Big Ten. He’s 11-0 in the Big Ten throughout the last two seasons.
The Hoosiers will look to slow him and the Big Ten’s leading scoring offense down at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in a fight for the Old Brass Spittoon.
“He’s very talented, makes good decisions,” IU defensive coordinator Brian Knorr said. “Probably as accurate as a passer as we’ll see this year.”
Cook’s favorite target this year has been senior Tony Lippett, who leads the conference in receiving yards per game with 110.5. The next ?highest average is Penn State’s DaeSean Hamilton, who averages 93.3 yards per game.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 185-pound Lippett has been giving opposing cornerbacks fits this season with his combination of speed and ability to rise above defenders to sky for balls.
“You certainly have to be aware of where he is,” Knorr said. “He can stretch the field; he can make you miss. He can do a lot of things once he gets the ball in his hands.”
Part of the trouble with defending receivers like Lippett is Michigan State’s ability to play multiple ?offenses.
Knorr said the Spartans play more shifts and formation complexities than anyone the Hoosiers will play all season.
He credited that ability partly to an experienced group of receivers and an offensive line that is second in experience to only IU’s rotation.
The Spartans haven’t been shy about moving receivers all over the field, and Cook has been able to locate them wherever they have lined up.
Shaw said the quickest way to disrupt Cook and the passing game is to get pressure on him.
Pressure leads to hurried throws. Hurried throws mean mistakes. Mistakes mean turnovers.
And that’s exactly what Knorr wants to see more of.
“One of the things I talked about earlier is just being able to create takeaways,” Knorr said. “Being able to get the ball back for our offense, and that’s something I think you have to be able to generate.”
Without knowing how much offense IU will create, the defense will look to emphasize those turnovers and create easier scoring opportunities for a Hoosier offense that no doubt will be looking to reinvent itself.
With a Homecoming matchup and the Old Brass Spittoon trophy on the line, a win for IU would be the first against the Spartans since 2006.
“They have controlled it and they have this Spittoon, and we need to go get that thing,” Wilson said.
