Hoosier State of Mind
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Indiana Football: 5 reasons why IU will make a bowl game in 2019

By Zacarias Olvera

Indiana players greet fans as they head into the stadium prior to action between the Michigan Wolverines and Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana on November 11, 2006. Michigan won 34-3. (Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images)
Indiana players greet fans as they head into the stadium prior to action between the Michigan Wolverines and Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana on November 11, 2006. Michigan won 34-3. (Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images) /
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BLOOMINGTON, IN – OCTOBER 20: Dameon Willis Jr. #43 of the Indiana Hoosiers celebrates with Marcelino Ball #42 and Allen Stallings IV #99 after a defensive stop against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the third quarter of the game at Memorial Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Bloomington, Indiana. Penn State won 33-28. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN – OCTOBER 20: Dameon Willis Jr. #43 of the Indiana Hoosiers celebrates with Marcelino Ball #42 and Allen Stallings IV #99 after a defensive stop against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the third quarter of the game at Memorial Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Bloomington, Indiana. Penn State won 33-28. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

5. Defensive Minds

Having both Tom Allen and Mark Hagen oversee the defense that has seen tremendous improvement since their arrival, Allen has taken his hands off of the defense and handed the keys over to Kane Wommack.

Before his tenure at IU started, he starred in his two seasons at Southern Alabama. He turned a sub-par defense into a top-15 defense nationally in scoring defense, passing defense, and rushing defense. In addition, he had numerous All-Conference players on the defensive side of the ball.

As multiple defensive minded individuals who bring in intensity and pressure for the team to perform, their ability to stress turnovers has been a key to their defense.

Next. Game-By-Game Predictions; Weeks 1-4. dark

With an improving defense, as they finished second in the Big Ten with 26 takeaways in 2018, the defense should only improve as experienced upperclassmen Reakwon Jones and Marcelino Ball lead by example in a locker room full of promising underclassmen recruits.

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