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Coming into Indiana's week three matchup with Western Kentucky, Tom Allen's defense knew they were going to give up yards. Make no mistake about it, with such a high powered offense, Indiana won't be the only team to struggle to contain the up-tempo play that the Hilltoppers have made their brand each Saturday.

Still, when asked about the defense giving up 545 yards of offense to the 'Toppers offense, Allen wasn't the happiest camper in the world.

"Whew, that stinks," Allen muttered under his breath as the question went on.

Yet still, one of the predicating factors of Allen defenses during his tenure at IU has been the ability to create takeaways. If the offense is struggling to punch it in or piece drives together, Allen generally enjoys to have the luxury of his defensive unit flipping the game on its head with a takeaway in some sort of fashion.

So, when Western Kentucky was on the brink of putting Saturday afternoon's game away, that's exactly what they did.

Trailing 24-13 with 2:56 to play in the third quarter, Hilltopper QB Austin Reed rolled out to his right from the IU 9 yard line. Throwing across his body, Bradley Jennings Jr. got just enough of his hand on the ball to slow it down, causing the ball to fall into the waiting arms of edge rusher Myles Jackson in the endzone, who was dropped into coverage on the play.

It's not uncommon for defenses to tighten up when the opposing offense nears the goal line, but Indiana's defense has been tremendous when the opposition enters the red zone, which Allen says they define as anywhere within the 25 yard line, and inside the 12 as the "score zone."

"Once you get into the redzone, you've got to bow up or they're going to score," Jackson said following the game Saturday. "Collectively, it's about working together, but it's just a mindset. We don't blink, no matter if there's a turnover or a sudden change."

Fellow linebacker Cam Jones embodied that same sentiment, crediting his coaching staff to being able to make adjustments on the fly and provide the Hoosier defense with the tools it needs to succeed with their backs against the wall.

"Most people don't understand what goes on behind the scenes, only on the sidelines," Jones said following the win. "To be able to have a coaching staff that's able to make changes, call up key players and get everyone on the same page, it goes a long way.

"I just tell the guys to make the biggest play, and that's what the guys did."

Indiana would take the ball 90 yards on nine plays following the interception and convert for a touchdown, keeping IU in the game. Instead of being down 31-13, IU was suddenly only down five after missing the two-point conversion, 24-19.

"Coach Allen calls those sugar cookies," Jackson said. "Whenever we get a sugar cookie, it's time to go."

Indiana's second 'sugar cookie' of the day came in the fourth quarter following a punt that had Western Kentucky pinned deep inside their own territory. Stationed at the WKU 22, Jones read a bubble screen like a book, lighting up receiver Joshua Simon and forcing the fumble. Surprise surprise, Jackson was there once again to fall on it.

Indiana would take over on the WKU 14, and although the offensive drive following the turnover resulted in just three points, Indiana had drawn closer with a considerable amount of time on the clock. With just seven minutes to play, IU trailed 27-22.

"(Those turnovers), it's a spark because everyone wants to do their job and everyone wants to make plays," Jackson said.

The mindset to be in the right place at the right time is instilled in IU's defensive DNA at all times, where the Hoosiers say "the ball finds energy." Jackson, who was the one credited for each of Indiana's takeaways, embodied that sentiment in every way on Saturday.

"If we play with relentless effort, the ball is going to find you," Jackson said. "I feel like that's just what happened, and we just got a spark from that and it was just overwhelming. Right? It was amazing, and it was a good feeling."

That elation and emotion that flowed through Jackson's body was absent throughout the week according to his running mate Jones, who in the true fashion of a team leader, talked Jackson through it and reminded him how special of a player he is. With that in mind, you can imagine how an already special moment for Jackson became that much more impactful.

"Me and Myles, we had a conversation a couple of days ago," Jones said. "You know, he was kinda just down on himself for not being able to make a lot of plays. So, just him being able to step up in key moments, that's a confidence builder. I'm just so proud of him, I can't wait to see what he does. He's a great guy, a great teammate, and all he does is work."

As for the details of that conversation, Jones said it was all about Jackson finding his game again and trusting in himself.

"I just told him to calm down and go back to the basics," Jones said. "You've been doing this your whole life, and he just kind of felt the pressure, so I was like, 'Just have fun with it, we're out here to have fun.

"He definitely showed up today, big time. I'm happy for him."

As Jones is happy with his teammate and Jackson is happy with his happy with himself again, Indiana has reason to be happy as well. The Hoosiers are 3-0, and it's thanks in large part to their veteran leaders on defense coming up big when they needed it most. Myles Jackson is just the latest to join the list.

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