Indiana co-defensive coordinator Mike Ekeler cares. Never
forget that. He’s a passionate coach who directs with emotion. He yells, jokes,
jumps and drives.
He also looks in the mirror.
Ekeler sees the Ball State game ending, when the
Cardinals drove for the winning field goal in the last 40 seconds, and takes
responsibility.
“Football is a crazy game. It teaches you a lot of
lessons. You pour everything you have into it. Last week we put everything we
had into it and came up short. I’ll take 99 percent of the blame. I did a bad
job at the end. It burns in you as a coach. It should. You invest so much.
You’ve got to refocus.”
In an ideal world, IU would have had another game the
next week to get over the defeat. Instead, the bye week provided extra time for
the loss to linger.
“It would have been great to have been able to have
another game, but that’s not the way the schedule played out,” he said. “We
tried to use the time wisely.”
It’s all about accountability, you see. The coaches job
is to put guys in position to make plays. It’s about getting guys to play to
their ability, and then just a little bit more. It’s also about players doing
their jobs, which is as much mental as physical.
IU’s often bend-and-break defense strives for change.
It’s been striving for a generation, and giving up 41 points to Ball State
indicates a lot more work is needed.
Ekeler sees signs the work is paying off.
“It’s about meshing as a group, bringing it all
together,” he says. “I see a different focus and level of commitment and
understanding. These guys are a lot of fun to coach.
“I like the resiliency we have, the leadership we have.
We didn’t get the result we wanted (against Ball State), but it’s not due to a
lack of fighting. That’s the difference I’ve noticed.
“Our guys enjoying going to practice. They enjoy getting
better each day. That’s a good mixture.”
On Saturday IU opens Big Ten play against Northwestern.
The Wildcats are 4-0 and features a run-heavy offense capable of producing big
numbers. They scored 42 points against Syracuse and 38 against South Dakota
State.
“They get the momentum and get rolling and you’ve got to
put the brakes on them,” Ekeler says. “You’ve got to get them off schedule.
“We’ve got to handle their run game. That’s what it boils
down to. Try to make teams one dimensional.”
Last year Indiana never stopped Northwestern, losing
59-38.
“They did a fantastic job schematically,” Ekeler says.
“We’ve changed. They’ve changed. You can be in better defenses and make better
calls, but it all boils down to you’ve got to get off blocks and you’ve got to
make plays.”
This year’s Northwestern squad features a two-quarterback
approach in Kain Colter and Trevor Siemian. Colter is a run-pass threat.
Siemian is more of a passer.
“They both can throw,” Ekeler says. “One of them (Colter)
is more athletic as far as mobility. When the pass isn’t there, he can tuck it
and run. He makes a lot of plays with his feet. The other one (Siemian) has a
stronger arm. He’s more of a drop-back quarterback. They’ve brought him into
games when they’ve been down. He’s very good. They complement each other very
well.”
The Wildcats also have an explosive tailback in Mark
Venric. He’s only 5-8 and 180 pounds, but very fast. He’s rushed for 399 yards
(averaging 5.5 yards a carry) and four touchdowns. He’s also caught 11 passes
for 75 yards and a touchdown.
“He’s one of the fastest guys we’ll see all year,” Ekeler
says. “He has sprinter’s speed. You have to know where he’s at all the time.
“Overall they’re very physical and very balanced. They
make you be extremely balanced.”
No comments:
Post a Comment