Here's What Ryder Anderson Said During Tuesday Night's Mike & Micah Podcast

Indiana defensive end Ryder Anderson joined the Mike & Micah podcast on Tuesday night, and he had plenty of great stories to tell, including being able to laugh now about roughing up quarterback Jack Tuttle in the Outback Bowl in January when he was still playing for Ole Miss.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana defensive end Ryder Anderson has been having a terrific year in his first season with the Hoosiers. The Ole Miss transfer is tied for the team lead in sacks with linebacker Micah McFadden, and is second in tackles for loss. He's filled a big void in the Indiana defense, getting pressure on quarterbacks and stopping the run.

Anderson was a guest on our Mike & Micah podcast this week, and he had a lot of great stories to tell, about his time at Ole Miss, why he decided to transfer to Indiana and what it was like playing AGAINST Indiana in last year's Outback Bowl in Tampa.

The entire podcast is available below. Anderson comes in at the 15:20-minute mark. Enjoy it, he was a great guest. He had a lot of great stories to tell.

Here are the highlights of Anderson's entertaining chat:

— on transferring to Indiana

"I was just looking for a scheme that I felt like I could really thrive in, and showcase some of my other skills. I already knew a lot of the (Indiana) coaches from Ole Miss, (safeties coach Jason) Jones and (wide receiver coach Grant) Heard, so that helped a lot. I already had that built-up trust with. them, and I knew I would be taken care of here. It was easy deciding to come here. Everything fit right, and it felt good. I could tell this is where God planned out for me to be here. It was easy to pull the trigger.' 

"It's been great, the scheme. (Defensive coordinator Charlton) Warren comes from the SEC and Coach (Kevin) Peoples has taught me a lot, helping me with my game. This year is the most comfortable I've felt in my skill set. A lot of that has come from experience, but it comes from working hard every day. 

— on watching film of the Ole Miss-Indiana game with his new teammates

"The film kind of comes up a little bit with a little smack-talk between me and the O-line guys. Like 'Oh, I got you here.' 

— on hitting quarterback Jack Tuttle and injuring his shoulder

"We've had this conversation, and I think it was a different play where he actually dislocated his shoulder. I definitely had a couple of shots on Jack. I told him this. This whole time in that game, it's like 'get the quarterback, hit the quarterback,' but now that I've met him in person, he's like the nicest dude ever we've become best friends.''

— on Tuttle's ability as a quarterbck

"Jack's just as qualified as anybody to take over the reins. He puts in the work, and even when he was backing up Mike, he prepared like a QB1 and he's always ready to play.''

— on fitting in quickly with new teammates

"This is a great family atmosphere. I bonded with the guys immediately, like I've been here four years. A lot of guys say that, that it seems like I've been here more than half a year. It's been great. I love it here. I wouldn't change anything. I was grateful for my time at Ole Miss, and I played a lot of positions all over the time. But coming here, and having a full complete resume by being here really helps me.''

— on playing in the Big Ten vs. the SEC

"I'm definitely on the sideline a lot longer here because we played at such a quick tempo at Ole Miss. But the two leagues, there's not much difference. 

— on preparing for Ohio State

"They have a great offensive line. They're really big up front and they have a lot of athleticism. They have a tight end who blocks pretty well, too. They're definitely a sound fundamental group up front. But we'll be ready. Just watching them, it usually comes down to rushing relentlessly and not giving up on rushes, and I feel like that's our defensive line's best trait. That's why you see our growth every week. Guys go at it hard, even every day in practice. That's our standard on defense, just flying around on every play.

— on playing in cooler weather

"I'm definitely a fan of cooler weather. It gets scorching hot down in south Texas. This feels great.

— on living in Bloomington

"I love it. It's a great college town. It's a little bit bigger than Oxford, so it's great being able to get out and exploring places around town. I eat. I definitely have my cheat days.'' 

Watch the entire podcast here

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