Penn State travels to Indiana this week to face the Hoosiers. Due to time constraints, we move ahead in this week’s Film Room post.

Kill The Lights

The gif below shows Indiana’s base 4-3 defense on 1st and 15 against Michigan State’s spread look. The SAM LB, #42, standing over the slot receiver, will come on a blitz, and safety #9 will play man coverage on the slot receiver.

The gif below shows Indiana’s base 4-3 defense on 2nd and 20 against Michigan State’s spread look. The SAM LB, #42, standing over the slot receiver, will come on a blitz, and safety #9 will play man coverage on the slot receiver.

The gif below shows Indiana’s base 4-3 defense on 2nd and 7 against Michigan State’s spread look. The SAM LB, #42, standing over the slot receiver, will come on a blitz, and safety #9 will play man coverage on the slot receiver.

The gif below shows Indiana’s base 4-3 defense on 2nd and 9 against Michigan State’s spread look. The SAM LB, #42, standing over the slot receiver, will come on a blitz, and safety #9 will play man coverage on the slot receiver.

The gif below shows Indiana’s base 4-3 defense on 1st and 10 against Michigan State’s spread look. Technically a WILL LB in this formation, but still wearing #42, and still standing over the near receiver, he will come on a blitz for a 5-man pressure whilst the the secondary plays single-high man coverage.

Hit The Lights

That LB #42 is Indiana’s modernist “space-backer”, Marcelino Ball. The Indiana roster lists him as a defensive back - a 6’0”, 222-lb DB. That’s pure fiction. Hard core film study like we’ve shown above (read: we spent 15 minutes watching a YouTube) proves that Ball, the successor to Tegray Scales, is Tom Allen’s designated havoc man (because IU isn’t getting pressure from its front four).

Through seven games, and despite the havoc designation, Ball’s accumulated 5 tackles for loss. Which, really, is all you need to know about Indiana’s chances of stopping Penn State’s offense* this Saturday.

Footnote: *assumes Penn State doesn’t stop itself.