'I Wanted to Elevate This Program:' Tom Allen Proud of Indiana After Defeating Michigan

Tom Allen wanted his team to elevate their status after this week, and he believes his team did so.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Tom Allen wasn't happy with the energy his team brought to practice on Wednesday.

The Hoosiers weren't complacent, but for Indiana to have what it takes to beat Michigan for the first time since 1987, Allen needed to see more out of his team.

So he challenged them to be aggressive and take their practice to another level. The Hoosiers answered the bell. Allen said one player even got injured during the practice, but it was the aggression he needed to see out his team.

"I went on a rampage," Allen said. "They responded to everything I challenged them to do."

So when No. 13 Indiana took the field against No. 23 Michigan on Saturday afternoon, they came out aggressive.

Indiana forced Michigan to go three-and-out on its first possession. The Hoosiers took the ball, moved right back down the field and scored first to take a 7-0 lead.

The Hoosiers took it to the Wolverines for 60 minutes, doing what Allen has always wanted them to do — finish games.

Indiana made sure to put Michigan away. The dagger, as Tom Allen put it, was an interception from Devon Matthews with five minutes to play, leading 38-21.

After the pick, Allen sprinted about 20 yards to go meet Matthews and jumped on top off him and brought him to the ground.

Matthews still had his helmet on, so as a result, Allen has a gash on his left cheek, but he doesn't care.

We love hard over here. 😂

@CoachAllenIU #LEO pic.twitter.com/WkchVOgJAq

— Devon “MONSTER” Matthews (@iam_djm25) November 7, 2020

"I took off, sometimes I don't really think too much in those situations, that's why I got this cut on my cheek," Allen said. "Bottom line is I don't really care. I love this team. These guys have worked so hard, and everybody has doubted us and said this and that, and it's just so neat to see them get rewarded for believing in us."

This has been a moment in the making for Allen and his program.

He vividly remembers the overtime loss to Michigan in 2017 when Indiana couldn't put the Wolverines away.

"That one hurt so bad," Allen said. "I was determined that we were finally going to get these guys. Just perseverance, grit, that's what it is from everybody in this program."

The last three years, he's been a part of Indiana's 24-game losing streak heading into Saturday.

Allen was a senior in high school the last time the Hoosiers took down the Wolverines. He's 50 years old now, so he knows it's been a long time.

But this week wasn't about Michigan. It was about Indiana.

"This whole week, I said this has nothing to do with Michigan," Allen said. "This is about the Indiana Hoosiers and how hard are you willing to work this week, how hard are you going to prepare? That's why I used the word elevate.

"I wanted to elevate this program. I knew beating Michigan would elevate this program's status in this country."

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