ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Unlike Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule and [anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media], Indiana’s Tom Allen didn’t wax ecstatic about what he saw across the field from his team on Saturday. Now, he praised Michigan football, but not nearly to the extent of the others.
In the postgame press conference after the Wolverines’ 52-10 win over the Hoosiers, a reporter asked about IU taking an early lead, noting that it appeared Indiana was dominating in the trenches at the outset of the game. Allen wasn’t exactly buying into that, elucidating that even if you get some early success up front against Michigan, that’s not going to last for very long.
“Well, I just think you get into situations as the game progresses. And if you notice, I felt like that they do weigh you down, and I think that’s one of their strengths as a team,” Allen said. “And if you watch them play, even his whole entire season, that’s kind of what they do to people. And so that’s why it’s hve so critical we did not give them a chance to pull away in the end of that second quarter and third quarter.
“If we would have gotten some key stops there it would have been huge. Had a bust there in the secondary given for the touchdown they scored. It was frustrating because we don’t get a chance there on a fourth down to get a stop, get our offense the ball. Pretty deep, but you get the ball back.
“So they physically wear you down and really weigh you down without question, because of their size up front on both sides of the ball. And as it takes its toll a little bit as the game wears on, that’s why you’ve gotta stay ahead, put yourself in a position that keeps the energy high, keeps the guys fighting and battling. Because it gets physically difficult against a team like that.
“They have the physical talent to be able to kind of pull up pressure on you for 60 minutes. And that’s where they get in the end.”
Ultimately, that’s all he said about Michigan in his postgame press conference.
With Michigan State coming up next week, it’s unlikely there will be much praise no matter how the game goes this Saturday.