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During a time in college football where quarterbacks and other skill positions on offense have debatably never been better, there is perhaps no bigger element to a successful defense than an aggressive pass rush.
To understand the importance of an imposing front line on defense, you have to look beyond the numbers. No, the defensive line won't always get the quarterback to the ground or stop the halfback for a negative gain. But again, a successful pass rush encompasses so much more than just sacks or tackles for loss.
Hurrying the quarterback through his progression to cause a mistake, overloading the offensive line with disguised looks, and varying pressures with coverage are all parts of what creates a disruptive pass rush. Instead of breaking through to create an impact once every so often and disappearing on other plays, great defenses can cause discomfort for an entire offense all game long.
With such a defensive-heavy background, no one understands the importance of that more than head coach Tom Allen. Running a 4-2-5 defensive set, Allen relies heavily on his defensive backs to defend against the air attack while a mix of interior D-lineman, inside linebackers, and edge rushers do their best to offset the run game and generate the pass rush.
Those edge rushers aren't your typical everyday D-lineman anymore, though. As it's called in Indiana's defense, the "bull" position is one that combines physicality and power with speed and aggression in order to wreak havoc on opposing offenses. As redshirt-senior linebacker Lance Bryant and UCLA-transfer Myles Jackson have flourished in the position, it's proved beneficial for the entire defense.
"We partner up in drills, so they're going against each other. They're challenging each other in the meeting room, challenging each other off the field," said outside linebackers coach Kasey Teegardin earlier this week of Bryant and Jackson. "I think when you have better players that are twos and threes, it elevates the ones, it pushes everyone to be better."
Allen's defense relies heavily on the position, so not only will one of Bryant or Jackson be on the field at all times, there's a possibility for sets to include both of them on the field at the same time. Having two talented guys that you have complete faith and trust in is usually something out of a coach's dream, but for Indiana, it's a reality.
"To us, getting our best 11 on the field in those money-down situations or crunch time, which you got to do, we feel like those guys help us in those situations," Teegardin said.
The competition between the two inspires elevated performance out of each other as well. The butterfly effect that has not only expands to their teammates, but the coaching staff too.
"Myles makes [Bryant] bring his A game every single day, and [Bryant] makes Myles bring his A game every single day. Those guys, they really rally the charge and they're doing an awesome job," Teegardin said. "It makes coaching fun to see these guys compete at a high level, it's what this profession is all about."
"Lance is like, probably one of my closest friends, if not my closest friend on the team right now. So, we understand that it's a competition but at the end of the day, we're still brothers," Jackson said as he met with the media. "We just push each other each and every day. If I'm having an off day or something like that, he pats me on the back, gets me going. If he's having a hard day, I do the same thing for him.
"At the same time it's fierce competition, but we're not so much competing against each other. We're competing with each other," Jackson said.
Although they share time at the same position, both Bryant and Jackson have intangibles and factors about themselves that separate them from each other. The development of the position itself plays a factor, but it ultimately comes down to the men between the white lines when it's all said and done.
"He's a coach on the field," Teegardin said of Bryant. "He knows where he's supposed to be, how he's supposed to fit, and I think that's allowing him to play faster. I have not seen him move this fast. Just in generality, I think he has a better feeling and understanding."
On the other hand, Myles comes from a more interior-focused position at UCLA, one they called the "Bruin", before being move to defensive end. Having his hand in the ground somewhat-limited Jackson's ability to utilize his athleticism, but at IU, however, he's now been unleashed to make plays by utilizing himself as his weapon.
"Myles just brings the physicality factor, and his energy level is off the charts," Teegardin said. "He's got a great base knowledge of what we're trying to do, too. He can watch [Bryant] go and see how his post will look and react off of that, so that's been great."
With respect for his former school, Jackson expressed the same sentiment and his appreciation for the ability to be able to fully tap into his athleticism at his new home.
"I feel like the bull position uses my athleticism to the fullest and it pretty much doesn't hold anything back," Jackson said. "My experience, standing up and things like to allows me to see formations and read the offense a lot better and play faster."
Overall, Teegardin has been impressed with the position and the progress they've made this fall. He, along with many others, hopes that a take-no-prisoner approach from IU's pass rush spearheads a complete defensive turnaround from a season ago.
"Both of those guys are doing a tremendous job and it's going to be a great season for them."
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