Allen, ranked Indiana ready for challenge of Happy Valley
Indiana made its first appearance in the Top 25 in
25 years this week, but that doesn’t mean the Hoosiers feel they have arrived. They understand that staying in the rankings is the thing.
“I’m proud of our guys for being recognized in the Top
25,” Indiana coach Tom Allen said. “It doesn’t really mean anything on the field. You have to keep proving it. We have much more work ahead of us. We have much more work to do.”
The Hoosiers (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten), ranked 24th in the latest Associated Press poll, travel east to face No.
9 Penn State (8-1, 5-1) Saturday at noon at Beaver Stadium (TV-ABC).
They’ve won four straight games since a 4031 loss at Michigan State, beating Rutgers, Maryland, Nebraska and Northwestern before drawing a bye last week.
“It (being ranked) is something that our guys take a lot of pride in,” Allen said. “They also know what comes with it, too — the expectation.”
Indiana has lost 21 of its 22 meetings with Penn State, its lone win coming in a 44-24 rout in 2013 at Bloomington.
The Nittany Lions suffered their first loss last week with a 31-26 decision at unbeaten Minnesota. After seldom trailing in their first eight games, they never led against the Golden Gophers.
Allen said he’s been impressed with Penn State, especially up front.
“They’re very, very athletic,” he said. “It’s really the best line of scrimmage play I’ve seen out of them on both sides of the ball since I’ve been here. It’s their best speed as a group.
“It’s a very, very talented football team that we’re going to be facing.”
Indiana’s not too shabby, scoring 34.0 points a game and limiting opponents to
20.0 points a game. The Hoosiers are first in the Big Ten in passing (308.0) and second in total offense
(446.4).
They lost one of their most dynamic players two weeks ago when redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a season-ending injury to sternoclavicular joint in his right shoulder and underwent surgery.
He had completed 68.8 percent of his passes for
1,394 yards and 10 touchdowns with four interceptions, and run for 119 yards and two scores. Peyton Ramsey, a junior who had alternated with Penix, has completed 72 percent of his passes for 1,302 yards and nine touchdowns with three interceptions.
Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford, meanwhile, leads the Big Ten in passing and total offense. He’s completed 61 percent of his passes for
2,271 yards and 21 touchdowns with six interceptions, including three last week at Minnesota.
“The Clifford kid is just a really, really tough competitor,” Allen said. “That’s where he’s so much like (Trace) McSorley, who was such a tough kid and competitor. They’re a little different. He has a very talented cast around him.
“The thing that stands out to me is their offensive line is just better than they’ve had. Every game they’re getting better and better.”
Wide receiver KJ Hamler and tight end Pat Freiermuth have been Clifford’s favorite targets. Each topped 100 receiving yards at Minnesota.
“Hamler is as quick as you’re going to see,” Allen said. “He makes a lot of people look silly in space. You better have more than one guy there or else it’s going to be a long day.
“If you do too much on one guy, they got others around him to hurt you for that. They present a lot of challenges.”