Indiana improved to 8-1 with a 23-16 overtime win over Minnesota on Saturday.
The full defensive snap counts from the game are below.
But first, here are some position-by-position notes on the defense coming out of the contest.
For a look at the offense vs. Minnesota, GO HERE.
Defensive Line
The rotations at edge/defensive end really stand out. There seems to have been a realization Tobi Osunsanmi and Stephen Daley are too valuable to take out of the game. And their performance this season makes that fairly easy to understand — even as they have very good backups.
Osunsanmi had a team-high five quarterback pressures including the game-sealing sack — his program record eighth-straight week with a sack. He had two tackles for loss.
Daley had the highest run defense grade according to PFF and he added four quarterback pressures including two hits on the quarterback.
With solid marks across the board, tackle Tyrique Tucker had the top overall defensive grade on the team according to PFF, and the top pass rush grade. He had four pressures from his interior spot. He had five tackles, half a TFL, and a hit on the quarterback.
Linebackers
Freshman Jacob Savage filled in for starter Rolijah Hardy, who was injured in pregame. With no advance notice, Savage played every defensive snap and his results were mixed, with a few missed tackles, but two pass breakups, a tackle for loss, two pressures, and four tackles PFF deemed “stops” — or plays that were a failure for the offense. Savage was in coverage for 38 snaps and PFF gave him the top coverage grade on the team. He allowed five receptions but just .6 yards per catch.
With Hardy out, Jeff Utzinger saw the snaps against 12 personnel, and he had a pressure and a tackle for loss.
Safeties
Amare Ferrell had the top tackling grade on the team with no misses.
Among the defensive backs, Preston Zachman had the top coverage grade and broke up a pass. He also led the team with nine tackles and a tackle for loss. He missed just one tackle on his chances.
Rover Byron Baldwin had the second-highest tackle total with seven, and he added a sack, forced fumble and 1.5 tackles for loss. PFF pinned Minnesota’s trick play touchdown on Baldwin, but it’s hard to know if it was really his assignment.
Cornerbacks
On nine targets, Jamari Sharpe allowed just four receptions. He was also an effective tackler in space.
All eyes will be on A.J. Harris next week after he suffered a foot/ankle area injury late in the fourth quarter. He locked down the boundary with just one target and no receptions allowed.
Second-year Jaylen Bell filled in for Harris in critical moments and held up.
DEFENSIVE SNAP COUNTS (60 snaps)
- Jacob Savage, LB (60)
- Isaiah Jones, LB (60)
- Jamari Sharpe, CB (60)
- Amare Ferrell, S (60)
- Preston Zachman, S (60)
- Tobi Osunsanmi, Edge (54)
- Stephen Daley, DE (52)
- Mario Landino, DT (51)
- A.J. Harris, CB (50)
- Byron Baldwin, Rover (47)
- Tyrique Tucker, DT (42)
- Joe Hjelle, DT (14)
- Blake Smythe, DT (10)
- Josh Burnham, Edge (10)
- Jaylen Bell, CB (10)
- Quan Sanks, S (8)
- Jeff Utzinger, LB (5)
- Kaiden Turner, LB (3)
- Daniel Ndukwe, Edge (2)
- Keishaun Calhoun (2)
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
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