Hard Hitting – Zachman Making Big Defensive Impact
By Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- How important is safety Preston Zachman to the latest version of Indiana’s punishing defense?
Consider this one-on-one reality with a potential shutout at stake against Western Kentucky.
The Hilltoppers are poised to score a second-quarter touchdown. Quarterback Brock Glenn’s short second-down pass to running back Ajay Allen in open space finds only Zachman between Allen and a touchdown. It’s one-on-one, a be-more-man-than-the-other guy moment between the 6-foot-2, 212-pound Zachman and the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Allen.
They collide at the IU 2-yard line, and Zachman’s thou-shalt-not-pass tackle keeps Allen there, which is where the Hilltoppers stay after consecutive Glenn incompletions, the second coming from fierce pressure from defensive linemen Tyrique Tucker and Chiddi Obiazor and cornerback Jamari Sharpe’s pass break up.
“Preston can play,” fifth-year linebacker Isaiah Jones says. “Man, he’s smart, instinctual. He’s always around the football. He knows where he needs to be. He’s out there making plays.
“You saw that on that second-down play at the goal line. He set us up for that fourth-down stop. You’re talking about a tackle with no forward movement. It’s doing his job, making a tackle in open space. That’s just winning your one-on-one. He’s a ball player.”
This is among the reasons why IU head coach Curt Cignetti and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines signed the former Wisconsin Badger out of the transfer portal.
“That was a big-time play he made,” Cignetti says. “He was the player of the game on defense.”
Zachman, who is in his seventh college season, finished with eight tackles against Western Kentucky, one less than team leader and veteran linebacker Rolijah Hardy.
“Preston’s really good,” veteran receiver Charlie Becker says. “He hits really hard, which is one thing I found out in practice when we were good on good. He fits the run and he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.”
For the season, Zachman’s 13 tackles rank fifth on the team behind Jones (22), Hardy (21), defensive back Byron Baldwin Jr. (14) and cornerback Ryland Gandy (14).
“We’ve been moving people around back there to keep guys fresh,” Cignetti says. “He knows all three positions -- free safety, strong safety, and rover -- and he played a little rover for us, too.
“Zachman is a really intelligent guy that can handle a lot of stuff in terms of assignment and responsibility. He’s a good communicator with adjustments.”
If it seems as if Zachman plays safety like a quarterback, there’s a good reason for it. He once was a standout high school quarterback in Pennsylvania, throwing 38 career touchdowns for a powerhouse Southern Columbia program that went 63-1 with three state championships during his four seasons. As a senior, he threw for 1,925 yards and 30 touchdowns.
“I try to be a high-level player and think like a quarterback, and play games with the quarterback,” Zachman says. “That’s something I take pride in. I try to be a step ahead of the offense and the quarterback.”
That’s crucial in Haines’ attacking scheme that requires every defensive player to know the responsibilities of every position. Zachman says having two defensive coordinators while at Wisconsin helped.
“When you learn a new defense, there are always challenges, but I’ve been around so many different coaches and learned so many new things that there are always connections with a lot of it so you can pick it up pretty quick.”
What makes IU’s defense unique, he adds, “is the versatility and how you can move guys all around and things might look the same, but it’s a lot different in tiny ways that can make a big difference.”
It helps that Zachman quickly built a rapport with veteran safety Amare Ferrell.
“Both of us being veteran guys,” Zachman says, “we’re both high-level thinkers. Being on the same page all the time makes our jobs a lot easier. He makes my job easy. I make his job easy. It’s good to have that kind of connection with him.”
Zachman says the biggest challenge this season was getting back into playing rhythm after injuries cost him most of last year. He only played in three games, recording 12 tackles and two interceptions.
“It’s just going out there and playing live game reps. Getting back on the field and the flow and how a game goes has been the biggest challenge. I’m feeling good. I’m ready to keep improving.”
IU (3-0) is defensively peaking as it prepares for Friday night’s Big Ten opener against Northwestern (2-0), which averages 37.5 points a game. The No. 5/4 Hoosiers, who allow 5.3 points (only Iowa, at 4.3, is better in the Big Ten), have shut out consecutive opponents for the first time since 1993. That reflects Haines’ disruptive approach that annually makes his defenses among the nation’s best.
“We take a lot of pride in that, giving up no points every single week,” Zachman says. “We feel strongly about our team, and our defense. It feels pretty good to be able to do that at the end.”
IU made a defensive jump from the North Texas to the Howard games, and then to Western Kentucky. The Hoosiers haven’t allowed a point in nine consecutive quarters.
“It’s more of our attention to the detail, just being intentional with our tackling, communication, everything like that,” Zachman says. “It’s all the little details. We weren't very clean the first week. We were a little sloppy. We made good improvement and have to continue to do that.”
What makes this defense special, he adds, is “there isn’t one player who carries the team. You can’t find a low spot or a weakness. Guys step up.
“It’s like the cornerbacks. The starting corners (Sharpe and A.J. Harris) went down (against North Texas), two guys (Jaylen Bell, Gandy) stepped up and it was like you didn’t even notice.”
Credit for the defensive dominance includes IU’s potent offense, which leads the Big Ten with a 48.3-point average. Facing offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan’s diverse attack is a practice bonus, Zachman says, although reward includes misery.
“They’re very challenging,” he says. “They give us a lot of issues. They show us where the problems are on defense. That’s really good work. I’m glad we don’t have to play against them.”