As Indiana has begun its transition into preparations for Tennessee, Indiana head coach Tom Allen and quarterback Peyton Ramsey talked to the media before the holidays to discuss the progress of the team before it disperses and eventually meets up in Jacksonville on Jan. 28.
Kalen DeBoer will coach the Gator Bowl
As TheHoosier.com detailed after the media spoke with Indiana offensive coordinator and newest Fresno State head coach Kalen DeBoer last week, the team was proceeding through bowl practice as if DeBoer was its offensive coordinator, though without official word of whether he would be able to coach the team Jan. 2 in the Gator Bowl.
Tom Allen confirmed Monday that DeBoer would be the team’s offensive coordinator.
“It’s something we were working towards and were hoping to have done,” Allen said, backing up what he said during the first day of the Early Signing Period. “Both sides worked together to make that a possibility, and I really appreciate that. He wants to finish what we started.”
Allen didn’t dive into too many details about what the hold up was in regards to getting confirmation, but he mentioned that both athletic directors were supportive of Indiana’s and DeBoer’s position and that it took transparent communication in getting the process completed.
“Both ADs were supportive,” Allen said. “Selfishly, we wanted to keep him here for the remainder of our time. But I’ve been in situations with staffs and my own self. Not a head coach but going to a different staff, and ended up not coaching a bowl game because of that. What goes into it is good communication from both sides and just sitting them down and talking them through, a give and take on both sides.”
Payton Ramsey expressed excitement when he talked about DeBoer coming back to serve as the offensive coordinator as well. Ramsey, after spotting redshirt freshman quarterback Mike Penix for much of the first half of the year, finished a career year – 2,227 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions on 69-percent passing – under DeBoer, who seemed to tap into Ramsey’s strengths with his offensive philosophy.
“Coach DeBoer has been monumental in my development as a player and as a person, and to be able to have another game with him means the world. It’s awesome. It says a lot about him that he was willing to come back and be a part of this one.”
Stevie Scott update
During nearly every press conference since the Michigan loss in November – through the Purdue game, through Fred Glass’ retirement, through the Early Signing Period and now through Dec. 23 – Tom Allen has been asked about the progress and status of sophomore running back Stevie Scott, after the lead running back suffered a lower body injury against the Wolverines.
Each time, Allen has said his status is unknown, and that didn’t change Monday.
“He’s still working hard,” Allen said. “Don’t have a decision yet. Stevie’s working hard with our training staff and making progress, but we don’t know yet.”
The team's energy in first practices in preparation for Tennessee
Indiana has been in the midst of bowl preparations for a couple weeks now, but Allen had stressed at the beginning of the month that managing time in the weeks leading up to a bowl game can be a challenge, yet is crucial in preparing for a game played a month after the regular season has finished.
Indiana scheduled three bursts of practices that featured three practices each, with a two-day break period in between. The Hoosiers will complete the final burst on Dec. 24 and will disperse for the holidays, before they meet up again in Jacksonville on Dec. 28, when they will return to practice.
This third burst was always the group of practices dedicated to initiation of Tennessee preparations, and Allen said he was encouraged by the energy he saw and felt from his team Sunday, as it was split into scout teams and the team moved past simple fundamentals.
“What I was really impressed with was how guys approached yesterday,” Allen said. “We came back to focus on Tennessee, and that's where I really loved, the meeting room. The focus, the way we practiced yesterday morning. Based on that, you feel like there was an excitement this week. I’ve been encouraged by the guys’ energy, and that is a good sign of focus on what’s in front of them and what this opportunity creates for them. We’re going to have to play really good football to beat Tennessee, and I think our guys realize that. That’s very important.”
Young players standing out in "second spring"
During the first two bursts of practices, Allen and the team had talked about the experience and the reps that those practices have provided the younger players on the team, saying earlier in December that it was almost like “a second spring.”
He mentioned some players he felt encouraged by, whether they surprised him or met expectations for their development.
The first player he noted was freshman linebacker Cam Williams and thn lumped freshman linebacker D.K. Bonhomme in with him. He also mentioned the “entire defensive line,” the young interior linemen in particular.
On offense, he singled out the wide receivers – Jordan Jakes and DeShaun Brown in particular, noting that the 6-foot-5 Jakes has “a high ceiling” and reiterating his repeated praise for Brown.
“It’s one thing to follow a card when someone tells you to go make plays, but it’s another thing when you have to know the call, know the splits, adjust your route according to the coverage and then catch the football,” Allen said. “That’s where everything changes.”
Allen also mentioned that tight end Gary Cooper “has so much talent” and that injuries earlier this season had prevented him from developing as quickly as he could but that these practices help make up for some of that.
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