Hoosiers try to bounce back from ‘gut-wrenching loss’
Indiana University coach Tom Allen admitted this one stung.
The Hoosiers, despite outgaining Penn State 554 yards to 417, dropped a 33-28 decision last Saturday to No. 18 Penn State at Bloomington.
“Just a gut-wrenching loss to our guys,” Allen said.
Allen said he was proud of the way his team played after a disappointing effort in a 42-16 loss to visiting Iowa on Oct. 13.
The Hoosiers (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten East) now will play Minnesota (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten West) Friday night in Minneapolis for the first time since 2008. It is the first Friday night game for the Hoosiers since playing Central Michigan in 2005.
Allen said one major concern with the Gophers is their defensive front and the tackles for loss and sacks the unit produces.
“And bottom line is we have got to do a great job up front once again, challenge our guys (Monday) about protecting our quarterbacks and running the football and that’s the huge emphasis we have because that’s what they present,” he said. “That’s what they do really, really well. Offensively they’ve just gotten better and better every single week. They started fast and won their first three and got into Big Ten play and played some really good football teams but have consistently moved the football.”
Allen said the team has to be prepared to play its best football on the road with one day less to prepare.
“A very, very important football game for our program,” he said. “We have to have our best week of preparation for this one and that’s my expectation.”
P.J. Fleck is in his second season coaching the Gophers. Allen praised Fleck’s amount of energy and passion.
“So it’s going to be a tremendously hard-fought, physical game,” Allen said.
Indiana leads the Big Ten and shares 11th nationally with 16 takeaways.
