What Quarterback Tayven Jackson Said After Indiana's 21-14 Loss to Louisville
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Tayven Jackson made his second-career start for Indiana on Saturday against Lucas Oil Stadium, but it was the first time he played the entire game as a Hoosier.
After a slow start for the entire team, Jackson and the Hoosiers mounted a comeback in the second half, but ultimately fell just short in the 21-14 loss.
Jackson completed 24-of-34 passes for 299 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Tayven Jackson (2) drops back to pass the ball against the Louisville Cardinals in the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Here's everything Jackson said after the loss.
On takeaways from his second-career start:
Jackson: "You've got to take the mistakes and move on from them. Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned and as we wanted, but that's life and that's football and we've got to move on to Akron."
On finding his rhythm as the game went on:
Jackson: "Yeah, I think once we started playing fast, I'm used to that, so I think it just brings out all of us as a group of quarterbacks and receivers. We all know how to play fast, and when we play fast, we play free. I think the receivers did a phenomenal job getting open."
On his dive for the pylon in the fourth quarter:
Jackson: "I thought I had it. I have not [seen it], no. I don't want to see it. We lost that game because I didn't get in, so. Growing up as a little kid you're always in the backyard, 'Oh, three, two, one,' dive for the end zone, and you finally get that moment and it doesn't go as planned. So it's a hard pill to swallow."
On his emotions before the game:
Jackson: "I don't really get nervous before the game. I have so much trust in our offense and our team, so I just go out there and play free and play fun. I trust the coaches calling the right plays."
On mood in the locker room at halftime:
Jackson: "It was very intense. Coach Allen was standing up and, you know, coaching hard. He was telling us. 'We're not quitting, we're going to keep going. This is who we are as a program and we're fighters and this is what we do. When we come out, we're coming out like a wrecking ball.' And that's what we did."
On a specific play or series that made him feel more free or made the offense click:
Jackson: "I don't think so, I just think we were doing what we do in practice every single day, and that's move the ball down the field. That's what we need to continue on doing as an offense."
On the onside kick:
Jackson: "I had no idea it was going to be an onside kick. I saw it. It happened. I put my helmet on, and it's time to go score."
On balancing emotions in second half:
Jackson: "It was not tough at all. When you have confidence in your players and other guys around you make you better and they do everything right, it's pretty easy as a quarterback when you have receivers that get open and catch and o-linemen and running backs that block and run the ball well. Again, I'm just out there trying to get them the ball."
On multiple 90-yard touchdown drives:
Jackson: "Yeah, coach Bell always preaches if we're stuck back there, we've got to get out of it. Once we do and we pass the 15-yard line, it's go time. Again, the receivers did a phenomenal job of getting open and that's the reason we had 93 and 97-yard drives. It's because of them and, hold on, the offensive line was the reason and then the receivers."
On Jaylin Lucas:
Jackson: "Yeah, having J-Lu out there makes the game easy. J-Lu is a phenomenal player, an explosive player. You put the ball in his hands, and he's going to make social media go crazy. If I was a defensive coordinator, I would be worried about 12."
On onside kick boosting team morale:
Jackson: "When we got the onside kick, I saw some heads pop up a little bit and some energy was raised a little bit. It was a great call by coach. It was a ballsy call, honestly. That's what coach Allen is all about. He's going to bring the energy."
On managing the play-clock and pre-snap responsibilities:
Jackson: I think I did a poor job of – I think we almost got two shot-clock violations, and coach Allen bailed me out on those. So we just got to get better and learn from the mistakes and we've got to be better on seeing the signals and communicating to the line.
On confidence gained from a 97-yard drive:
Jackson: Yeah, you can build on that. It's all about scoring the football, putting the ball in the end zone and getting points. Our 93-yarder we didn't put the ball in the end zone, so it doesn't matter if you can't put the ball in the end zone, you can't put points on the scoreboard and give you a chance to win the game, you can't do anything about it. You can have momentum going into next week, confidence that we can do those kinds of things."
On big-picture takeaway he walks away from the game with:
Jackson: I don't know. Right now I just feel disappointed, and I feel like I let the team down because I didn't score the touchdown. But once I get in the film room with coach Bell and watch a couple things, maybe the thought process will be different, but right now that's my thought process right now.
Related stories on Indiana football
- IU-LOUISVILLE GAME STORY: Indiana lost 21-14 to Louisville inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Indiana started down 21-0, and its second half comeback was too little, too late. CLICK HERE
