Monster is coming back

[Baller23Boogie]

If he can stay healthy and return to 2020 form along with Mullen, our secondary could be a strength back there.

 

[lUCX9]

Defense in good shape as always under CTA.

 

[IndyIUFan66]

Mullen, Monster, I think McFadden goes pro (but he’s welcome back to me if that’s his choice) but I would like to see Cam Jones return too. I think portals and recruits and returning players could lead to a better year 2 for Warren. And if offense can be 25% better it will hep the cause!

 

[YOTHN]

This is good news. 2 Mullens, Monster, McCullough, maybe McFadden (?), Bradley Jr.,..... We have to keep building. Tom Allen might want to get back more involved in the room with the defense again.

 

[vesuvius13]

This is good news and I hope he has an injury free year in 2022.

 

[TMFT]

Mullen, Monster, I think McFadden goes pro (but he’s welcome back to me if that’s his choice) but I would like to see Cam Jones return too. I think portals and recruits and returning players could lead to a better year 2 for Warren. And if offense can be 25% better it will hep the cause!

Just talking business here a moment, I think C4 needs to come back for his long term interests. The kid can flat out hit and I think he could make a statement next year. Mullen would obviously anchor the DBs, and hopefully some of the young guys who got forced into action in the defensive backfield this year will be able to keep improving, because Pierre, for example, shined in spots during the MSU game.

Forgetting turnovers for a moment, the defense just needs the offense to put some points on the board.

I just pulled the play-by-play from ESPN for the MSU & PSU games as examples of what the defense could do before the wheels fell off.

MSU:

• 5 3 & outs (4 in first half)
• 2 FGs on long drives (46 & 60 yd drives, respectively)
• 1 TD on a drive starting at the IU 39 after an INT
• The offense gave them 4 FG tries in the first half (1 missed) and 1 long TD drive in the 2nd half (75 yards)
• The offense also gave away a pick-6 early
• A modestly effective offense through that game and it's a runaway win.

PSU:

• First half ends at 14-0, offense has 4 3 & outs plus an INT and a TO on downs at the PSU 4.
• Defense gave up 2 long TD drives
• 2nd half there was another long TD drive and a FG after a punt return where the defense stopped them cold on the drive but were already in FG range.
• 2nd half offense had a 5 & punt, 3 & out, missed FG, & INT.

You could argue that the defense fell flat at PSU because of the three long drives, but it's not 1975 any more and there aren't going to be many games that end up 14-10 or something like that. Even with a conventional defense that doesn't rely on takeaways like they did in 2020, the team can win with a defense that plays like they did in the first half of the season, they just MUST MUST MUST learn to score points and stop putting the defense in horrible field position (that's on the offensive turnovers & poor punting).

 

[Fenny72]

Jaylin Williams coming back too. Defense will be solid next year. Would be great if Cam Jones came back and amazing if McFadden did as well.

 

[Mas-sa-suta]

This is good news and I hope he has an injury free year in 2022.

That won't happen...but then, losing 18 players for the year can't happen....but it did.