Myles Jackson Exemplifies 'Ball Finds Energy' in Win Over Western Kentucky
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Western Kentucky lined up at the Indiana 9-yard line, looking for the knockout punch. The Hilltoppers commanded an 11-point lead with just under three minutes in the third quarter, and ESPN analytics gave them a 94.8 percent win probability in this moment.
Western Kentucky quarterback Austin Reed took a shotgun snap and was forced to roll to his right as pressure immediately burst through the line from Indiana linebackers Cam Jones and Dasan McCullough. Reed threw back across his body on the run, looking for the end zone and a touchdown to give Western Kentucky a three-possession lead.
Indiana linebacker Bradley Jennings Jr. stretched his right arm, tipping the ball into the hands of Myles Jackson in the end zone for an interception. Jackson was tackled at the Indiana 10-yard line, standing up to hugs and helmet pats from his teammates and coaches.
“Once you get into the redzone, you’ve got to bow up or they score,” Jackson said. “In critical moments like that, it’s about trusting your teammates, trusting that the person next to you will do his job and doing your job and just collectively working together. It’s just about a mindset. We don’t blink.”
Indiana quarterback Connor Bazelak marched the Hoosiers 90 yards down the field, and Josh Henderson scored a momentum-shifting 19-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. But the Hoosiers still had plenty of work to do in hopes of staying undefeated.
Clinging to an eight-point lead with just over eight minutes left in the game, Reed swung a pass out to tight end Joshua Simon in the flat. Jones digested the play and sprinted to Simon behind the line of scrimmage. He punched the ball to the turf, and Jackson slid in for the fumble recovery. The pair of fourth quarter takeaways from Jackson led to 10 Indiana points and were crucial in the Hoosiers’ 33-30 comeback win over Western Kentucky on Saturday.
Jackson, a transfer from UCLA, has played both defensive end and the ‘bull’ position for Indiana, and coach Tom Allen said he has been a pleasant surprise. Allen and Wilt both love Jackson’s effort and motor on defense, which were major factors in him coming down with an interception and fumble recovery against Western Kentucky.
“Coach [Paul] Randolph has a saying, 'the ball finds energy.' So if you play with relentless energy, the ball is going to find you,” Jackson said. “So I feel like that's what happened, and we got a spark from that. It was overwhelming. It was amazing. It was a good feeling."
Since transferring to Indiana, the 6-foot-2, 255-pound Jackson believes his skillset has been optimized playing in Indiana’s defensive scheme. Allen said Jackson is strong enough to play strong-side defensive end, athletic enough to play bull and his effort in practice is among the best on the team.
At the bull position, his responsibilities vary from pass rush to stopping the run and even some pass coverage. Jackson moved from inside linebacker to the Bruin position before ultimately playing defensive end at UCLA, but he feels a better fit at Indiana.
Jackson said standing up while playing the bull position helps him see formations and read the offense, which allows him to play faster. He also credits Indiana outside linebackers coach Kasey Teegardin’s teaching style for his heightened grasp of the position.
"I feel like I'm utilized a lot better,” Jackson said. “Everything I can do, I feel like I'm allowed to do. I feel like the bull position uses my athleticism to its fullest, and it pretty much doesn't hold anything back, which is something I really appreciate … It's a real fun position to play."
Teegardin said along with fundamentals and technique, he’s challenging Jackson and other Hoosiers to take another step in disguising their pre-snap look. Ultimately, Teegardin wants this position to create added confusion for opposing quarterbacks to help the team’s overall pass rush.
“If I'm a quarterback standing back there and the picture looks the same every single time,” Teegardin said. “I would be a little nervous back there – is he dropping, is he not?”
Indiana's Cam Jones (4) Myles Jackson (10) and Alfred Bryant (92) stop Western Kentucky's Austin Reed (16) on the one yard line during the Indiana versus Western Kentucky football game at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 17, 2022.
Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Along with freshman Dasan McCullough, who bounces all over the Indiana defense, Jackson and sixth-year senior Lance Bryant have seen the most playing time at bull. Teegardin said the 2022 roster features more depth at this position than past years, which pushes each player to elevate their game.
Although Bryant started all 12 games at bull in 2021 he knew playing time wouldn’t be a guarantee when Jackson arrived in Bloomington.
“My initial impression is that [Jackson] a big guy and he's fast,” Bryant said. “So I've got to bring my A-game every day, and if not, I can get my job taken.”
But throughout fall camp, Jackson and Bryant didn’t view it as competing against each other, rather competing with each other to improve. The duo came in for extra workouts in the offseason, with Bryant teaching Jackson the Indiana playbook and Jackson bringing additional knowledge from his time at UCLA.
As a result, the two became close friends off the field, which led to other competitions. After practice, they often play each other in Madden, NBA 2K, Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone, making the transition to a new school easy for Jackson.
“Usually when you're a transfer or you're new and you go somewhere people don't accept you as easily, especially someone you're supposed to be competing with,” Jackson said. “But LEO really means a lot here.”
Following a disappointing 2-10 season in 2021, Allen decided to wipe the slate clean and let the players vote for a new leadership council. On a roster full of new faces – 22 freshmen and 13 incoming transfers – Jackson received the most votes of any newcomer. Teegardin said Indiana’s three-time captain Cam Jones will step aside to let Jackson speak to the team during practice.
“Even the strength coaches are like, 'Look at that. The dude’s been here for just a couple months,’” Teegardin said. “It's because of his work ethic, his body language, his coachability, the intensity and the focus that he brings every single day has been off the charts.”
Indiana holds a 3-0 record following Jackson’s two-takeaway game against Western Kentucky, but the Hoosiers gave up 545 yards on Saturday, which is the most since allowing 607 against Ohio State in 2020. The schedule continues to get more difficult this week as Indiana prepares for a road trip to Cincinnati, who is coming off a College Football Playoff bid last year.
Jackson went through up-and-down seasons at UCLA, going from 3-4 in 2020 to 8-4 in 2021. He’s hoping that experience can help Indiana continue a bounce-back 2022 campaign.
“I try to make sure we all raise the bar and raise the standard,” Jackson said. “Make sure this season can be better than last season.”
Related stories on Indiana football:
- WHAT WENT RIGHT AND WRONG IN WIN OVER WESTERN KENTUCKY: Indiana football defeated Western Kentucky 33-30 on Saturday to improve to 3-0 on the season. Here's what went right and what went wrong. CLICK HERE
- INDIANA DEFEATS WESTERN KENTUCKY IN OVERTIME: Indiana football trailed Western Kentucky for the majority of Saturday afternoon, but a pair of late takeaways by the Hoosier defense and composure from quarterback Connor Bazelak forced overtime, where kicker Charles Campbell came through in the clutch. CLICK HERE
- WHAT TOM ALLEN SAID: Indiana football came back to defeat Western Kentucky 33-30 in overtime, moving the Hoosiers' record to 3-0 on the year. Here's what coach Tom Allen said after the game. CLICK HERE
- WHAT CONNOR BAZELAK SAID: Indiana football defeated Western Kentucky 33-30 on Saturday, and quarterback Connor Bazelak completed 33-of-55 pass attempts for 364 yards and two touchdowns. Here's what he said following the win. CLICK HERE
