ATLANTA –– When Indiana football defeated Oregon on Oct. 11, the Hoosiers owned a healthy defense. The unit held Oregon, a team averaging 206.1 rushing yards per game this season, to just 81 ground yards in the contest and 267 total yards.
But ahead of the two programs’ College Football Playoff semifinal rematch Friday, the Hoosiers experienced key defensive losses, and the 11 players now on the field look different for Indiana.
Senior defensive lineman Kellan Wyatt sustained a season-ending knee injury in Indiana’s 38-13 victory over Michigan State on Oct. 18. Wyatt picked up 1.5 sacks in the Hoosiers’ first matchup against the Ducks.
Another season-ending knee injury suffered by senior defensive lineman Stephen Daley while celebrating the Hoosiers’ first outright Big Ten Championship title since 1945 on Dec. 6 cast a shadow over what was an otherwise historic night.
Yet the Hoosiers have continued their defensive dominance into the postseason.
“They keep the standard the standard –– next man up mentality,” junior defensive back De’Angelo Ponds said during media availability Wednesday. “The same things that those guys that got hurt were getting taught, the next man is getting taught the same thing. And we keep the same standard, and I feel like we adjusted to some things because some things you can’t replace.”
By maintaining their high standard through injuries, the Cream and Crimson held the University of Alabama to a season-low three points in their Rose Bowl victory on Jan. 1.
“There's a standard in every room and as a team,” redshirt junior linebacker Isaiah Jones said during media availability Tuesday. “And if one guys goes down, there should be no let-off and no difference in the guy that steps in.”
For Indiana, the guy who stepped in to replace Wyatt on the edge was Daley, whose 19 tackles for loss led the Big Ten before his injury. Once Daley was lost, Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines and the coaching staff turned to sophomore defensive lineman Daniel Ndukwe to fill that void.
In preparing him for a larger role, Haines said he did not have a “black and white” conversation with Ndukwe about the expanded responsibilities. Instead, Haines emphasized preparation through practice.
“I was a little bit more forward with some of my coaching with Daniel Ndukwe,” Haines said Wednesday. “Maybe getting him a little bit more involved in a very, very specific technique here or there. And that was kinda my way of saying ‘hey listen, we’re expecting a very detailed performance.’”
While sophomore defensive lineman Mario Landino earned the start against Alabama at edge rusher, Ndukwe frequently rotated in –– and made an impact. He tallied just two tackles, but shed the block of Alabama All-American offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, before holding quarterback Ty Simpson to a 1-yard rushing gain on third down, forcing a punt.
Ndukwe proved his capabilities against Alabama and with heightened confidence from his teammates and coaches, he looks to build off that performance against Oregon.
“His opportunity arose,” senior linebacker Aiden Fisher said during media availability Tuesday about Ndukwe. “He took advantage of it last week. We just need him to keep doing that. He's doing a great job. We have all the confidence in the world in him. We're happy with having him in that spot.”
While Haines played a key role in preparing Ndukwe to step up in Daley’s absence, he credits head coach Curt Cignetti and the rest of the coaching staff for installing and maintaining a next-man-up mentality within the program.
“In terms of next man up, that’s far above me,” Haines said Wednesday. “That’s the way that coach Cignetti operates. That’s the way he recruits. It’s the people he brings in the program. It’s the position coaches –– (defensive ends) coach Buddha Williams and (defensive tackles coach) Pat Kuntz. Those guys are gonna prepare their entire rooms.”
As individual performances have helped Indiana weather injuries, the Hoosiers' ability to maintain their standard reflects a broader defensive identity engineered over the course of the season –– one that has powered them to the second-ranked defense in the nation.
With the Cream and Crimson’s first National Championship game appearance in program history on the line, Haines reflected Wednesday on a defense that has remained dominant this season despite mounting injuries.
“I’m very proud of this unit,” Haines said Wednesday. “Obviously we’re not satisfied. We have a lot more work to do but I'm proud of the way they play. I’m proud of the fact that they play for one another and I love how hard they play –– how competitive they are.”
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
