Here's What Micah McFadden Said on Tuesday Night's Podcast
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana was all about hitting the reset button during its bye week, and Indiana linebacker Micah McFadden said it came at a great time for the Hoosiers. They're ready to dive into the second half of the season, starting with Saturday's Homecoming game against Michigan State.
Former Indiana star and program benefactor Terry Tallen joined the show in the second half, and had some great Homecoming day memories from his time at Indiana.
Here's what they had to say during the 30-minute podcast, which was done virtually because of the bye week. The show returns to Yogi's Bar & Grill in Bloomington next Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.
Indiana plays Michigan State on Saturday at Noon ET at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
— Micah on bye week refresher
"Yeah, it came at a great time for us. We had a great week off, and we're excited about preparing for Michigan State this year. They'll be a great opponent. It's a great time to get rest for some guys who need it, but it's also crucial to get a jump start on this next week. It's helped getting ready for them.''
— Micah on 2-3 start and moving forward
"I see a lot of fight in this team right now. Even in the Penn State game, as tough as it was, no one stopped fighting. We need to continue that, because these next couple of weeks (No. 10 Michigan State, No. 6 O Ohio State, it's going to be a tough road. But we're ready for it. Throughout the whole team, guys are finding out what their roles are, and we've seen guys that can step up and make big plays going forward.''
— Micah on Kennth Walker and Michigan State
"It's definitely going to take a lot from our front seven to fill the gaps and set edges, and force them to throw the ball. They have a great running back and a great scheme, and it's on us to stop. We'd done pretty well overall stopping the run, and we need to continue that this week. It's definitely going to take all of us to fit up this running back and make sure they don't get any explosive (plays).''
— Micah on getting back to practice
"Yeah, today at practice I heard a bunch of guys say how good they felt, and how fresh their legs were. The bye week helped. We're still very confidence. Coach said in our meeting that we're 0-0 and this is the fresh start we needed. I'm excited to see how this team responds.''
— Micah on cooler weather
"I love this time of the year. You could even feel it during our practices last week, with it being cooler and the leaves changes. I love playing in weather like this. I know it was hot in our bowl game last year, and guys were cramping up in that 80-something degree weather. We just got there a few days before, and it was hard to prepare for it. It definitely showed when you get down there on a Wednesday before we played on Saturday, and a lot of guys could feel it.
— Terry Tallen on playing in the elements
"It's one of the great things about college football. It's an outdoor sport and we play in all the elements. You'll start your season in 85 degrees, and then you play in the rain and then freezing temperatures. We played a few cold games with Purdue, it's a little chilly that time of year, and we had one game at Illinois that was pretty cold. We played at LSU in (September of 1978), and that was pretty hot and humid. Micah know that hot and humid weather from his Tampa days.''
— Terry Tallen on restart
"The point that Micah made before is exactly right. It's a reset. We learned from that, and I think the team is going to do well going forward after that experience. It's like a mid-term exam, where you see where you are and you go forward.
— Micah on home crowd advantage
"We love it, and it's crucial for a Big Ten team to have that and disrupt them with all their noise. It definitely makes the difference in a game. It can definitely change a game. The Cincinnati game, the noise affected them for sure (with six false starts). The noise is a huge factor in the game.
— Terry Tallen on Memorial Stadium fervor
"No doubt about it, it was fantastic being back. We had a full house, and you can disrupt their offense. It's a testament to the leadership at Indiana ... that's it's all part of that cohesive group of leaders (building the program).''
— Micah on Devon Matthews' return
"It's great having (Indiana safety Devon Matthews) back. It means so much, because he's a great player and it really helps with communication. He's loud back there, and I'm glad to have him back.''
— Terry Tallen on Homecoming experience
"In 1980, our homecoming, we beat Wisconsin 24-0 and Wisconsin's band stormed our field and tore down our goal posts. That's Indiana trivia.''
Watch the entire Mike & Micah podcast here
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