SB Nation - Marcus Thigpen

2009 Indiana football preview: special teams.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:14:13 -0000

Now that I have discussed the offense and the defense, the final preview post of the off-season addresses special teams. Tonight or tomorrow, Eastern Kentucky discussion will begin in earnest.

PLACE KICKERS: For now, it appears that IU will be using redshirt freshman Nick Freeland as the placekicker. Before the season, most expected that true freshman Mitch Ewald, a top five recruit from Naperville, Illinois, but he has been injured during fall practice and so Freeland will get the nod, at least for week one. Senior Charlie Klingensmith, a walk-on (I think) who had never seen game action, is listed as the backup. In short, no matter what, IU's kicker this season will be someone who has never played a down of college football. Austin Starr, after an all-American 2007 season, struggled in 2008, but his departure makes place kicking a concern.

PUNTERS: Redshirt sophomore Chris Hagerup played so poorly last season against Western Kentucky that he was yanked from the game, but he quickly recovered, and he was an honorable mention all-Big Ten selection and freshman All-American. He finished third in the Big Ten and #22 nationally with a 42.5 yard average. Can he kick field goals? Klingensmith is listed as Hagerup's backup as well.

KICKOFF RETURNERS: Demetrius McCray and Ray Fisher are experienced returners. IU will miss Marcus Thigpen, but these guys are expierenced. McCray averaged 22.8 yards on 17 kickoff returns last season. Fisher did not return any kickoffs last year, but did return punts (see below).

PUNT RETURNERS: Tandon Doss and Ray Fisher are listed as punt returners in that order. Last year, Fisher average 9.6 yards on 11 returns last year. Want to know something scary? IU recorded only 16 punt returns last season. Doss did not return any kicks last season.

Well, there they are, the 2009 Indiana Hoosiers. Gameday is just three days away, and we will begin discussing Eastern Kentucky very soon.

2009 Indiana football preview: running backs and offensive line.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:00:14 -0000

RUNNING BACKS

The Hoosiers lose their top two rushers from last season: Marcus Thigpen is in the NFL, and Kellen Lewis is at Valdosta State. Still, IU returns two seniors with substantial experience, a redshirt freshman who was IU's highest-profile RB recruit in years, and several others.

The upperclassmen. Bryan Payton, 5-9 senior. Payton has been a key backup in his last two years, running for 381 yards and 4.2 yards per carry in 2008 and 339 yards and 4.3 yards per carry in 2007. His best game was against Minnesota in 2007, when he ran for 90 yards and 3 of his 6 career touchdowns. Demetrius McCray, 6-0 senior. McCray seems like he has been around forever. He played as a freshman, was hurt for most of 2007, and returned last year. His freshman year, in which he ran for 320 yards and 2 TDs, remains his best. Trea Burgess, 6-1 junior. Burgess has played sparingly in his career, running for only 131 yards in his first two seasons.

The freshman: Darius Willis, 6-0 freshman. Willis, a star at Franklin Central and one of the best players in his class from Indiana, is a recruit of whom big things have been expected, and he only added to the expectations by playing well in the spring game. He has struggled with injuries in recent weeks, but Rivals lists him at the top of the depth chart, and IU fans and coaches seem to share the hope that he can contribute immediately.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The seven blocks of limestone have not been the dominant force that Terry Hoeppner imagined when he coined the phrase. Those seven OL recruits were Pete Saxon, Roger Saffold, James Brewer, Alex Perry, Cody Faulkner, Jarrod Smith, and Mike Stark. They have fared reasonably well, but not overwhelming so. Injuries ended Mike Stark's career, and Jarrod Smith now is on the defensive line. Three of the seven, guard Saxon and tackles Brewer and Safford, are projected to start. Faulkner and Perry have been injured this summer, and their roles are unclear at this time, and they do not appear on the Rivals projected two-deep at this point. Rivals projects Will Matte, a redshirt freshman, as the starting center, and Justin Pagan, who played as a freshman last year, as the other starting guard. We will know more when the official depth chart is released in the next few days.

An early look at Penn State.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:44:05 -0000

More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP

Will I ever lose to Indiana? Probably not.

Browse more photos »

Penn State Nittany Lions
Last meeting: 11-15-2008 (Penn State 34, IU 7 in State College)
Last IU win: never
Series: Penn State leads 12-0
Coach: Joe Paterno (44th season, 383-127-3)

IU's long run of futility against the Big Ten's big three continued last year with a lopsided loss at Penn State. Of the 12 games between Indiana and Penn State, four (1993, 2000, 2004, and 2007) have been legitimately close, and I'll never quite get over IU's failure to score on first and goal from the 1 yard line in 2004. Still, IU has never broken through, and Penn State seems to have moved past is early century mediocrity, so it may be a while before IU can find a way to its first win in this series.

Last season, of course, Penn State represented the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl, and probably would have played for the national championship if they could have won at Iowa. IU seemed likely to become Penn State's punching bag in the week after the Iowa loss.

Surprisingly, however, IU stayed with the Lions for a half (box score). Neither team scored in the first quarter, and after the Lions scored a touchdown with 10 minutes left in the second quarter, IU immediately responded with a 57-yard Marcus Thigpen touchdown run. Penn State took the lead on a field goal at the end of the second quarter and scored on three of its first four possessions of the second half, and that was that. IU finished the game with only 180 yards of total offense.

Unsurprisingly, for a team that was on the cusp of playing in the BCS title game, Penn State excelled statistically on both sides of the ball, ranking #14 in total offense and #8 in total defense. The Lions averaged 8.3 yards per pass play and over 5 yards per rushing play. Leading the way by contributing in both categories was quarterback Daryll Clark, who completed 60 percent of his passes, averaged 200 yards per game, and threw 19 TDs to 6 INTs. Rushing, he averaged only 3.6 yards per carry but scored 10 touchdowns. Also returning is Evan Royster, who ran for 1265 yards and an amazing 6.5 yards per carry. The only bad news for Penn State's offense is that the Lions must replace most of the receiving corps. On defense, the Lions must replace nearly all of last season's D-line and secondary, but do return all-conference tackle Jared Odrick and most of the linebackers, including Sean Lee, who is back from injury.

As I said above, Penn State seems to be back. From 2000-2004, Penn State was 26-33, with four losing season in five years. From 2005 to present, Penn State is 40-11. IU may have missed its chance with close calls in 2000 and 2004.

Know thy Opponent 2009: Indiana Hoosiers

BoilerTMill — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:00:18 -0000

I have become an expert at NCAA Football '08. Sure, I could get the newer version, but I am a self-employed writer and the '08 version still has the actual Orange Bowl in it. The point of this rant is that I recently played the 2010 season and destroyed Indiana 84-40. My defense was terrible, but my offense generated the Lee Corso comment of , "Either lie down and lose by 50, or pick yourself up and start playing" When I jumped ahead early in the game.

That is what happened with last year's Bucket game. Both teams were terrible, making it like a mid-90's Bucket game again. Indiana chose to lie down and lose by 50 instead of playing with a little pride to keep the Bucket. Were we 52 points better than the Hoosiers last year? Probably not, but they still rolled over and died before 10 minutes were gone in last year's game. It was so bad even I was embarrassed by the lack of effort Indiana put forth. If you listen to the "experts" you can expect a similar atmosphere in this year's game in Bloomington in that the loser gets last place in the Big Ten. The optimistic fans on both sides see the Bucket game as a chance for a bowl, however, as long as each team reaches five wins before it.

2008 Record: 3-9 (1-7 Big Ten)

Bowl Result: none

Blog Representation: Crimson Quarry

Series with Purdue: Purdue leads 69-36-6 (Purdue leads Old Oaken Bucket portion 55-26-3)

Last Purdue win: 11/22/2008 at Purdue 62-10

Last Indiana win: 11/17/2007 at Indiana 27-24

A common sight and rare sight in the Bucket's history. You pick which is which.

So much for the momentum of a bowl game. Since Austin Starr sent his game-winning kick through the uprights in the 2007 game, Indiana has returned to its usual self on the football field. Season opening wins over provisional D-1A member Western Kentucky and Murray State gave way to a 3-9 finish in the year. Ball State and Central Michigan, two of the best teams in the MAC, rolled Indiana at home and the Hoosiers only managed an unexplained win over a ranked Northwestern team the rest of the way. I will give IU credit there. They have beaten multiple ranked teams since our last win over a ranked opponent. Things got so bad last year that John, the very good Crimson Quarry blogger, declared it Indiana's worst Big Ten season and our win the worst loss in Indiana football history. Injuries were a major factor, but "worst ever" is still stiff criticism for last year's team considering IU's football history.

CFN, in its effort to paint a rosy picture for every single team, gives a bowl game as the best case scenario of Indiana this year based on the experience returning. Other football publications have them as the only team behind us in the Big Ten with good reason. The defense was terrible last year even by Indiana standards. IU lost its one proven playmaker in Kellen Lewis. The non-conference schedule is stiff with only a home game against Eastern Kentucky as a guaranteed win. Western Michigan is a very good MAC team that can beat them, and road trips to Akron and Virginia aren't easy. The home schedule features few gimmes outside of Eastern Kentucky. Road dates in Big Ten play at Michigan, Northwestern, Iowa, and Penn State make it very hard to see an IU bowl game this year.

The audio was disabled for this, but it is still a quality video with respect for Hep as well.

Indiana offense:

This team is much worse off losing Kellen Lewis at quarterback. I have no doubt that Ben Chappell is a talented quarterback. He has more in-game experience than our own Joey Elliott and has the benefit of knowing he was going to be the starter since the ill-advised move of Lewis to wide receiver. Still, Chappell does not offer the same running element that Lewis does. Chappell saw significant action last year, yet didn't have an official rushing attempt. Lewis, meanwhile, ran for 500 yards and three scores in a down year for him. Teams like Indiana cannot beat other teams on talent alone with their current roster. They need that extra element a player like Lewis gives. If you don't have to worry about Chappell beating you with his feet it makes Indiana that much easier to defend. Chappell is a threat with his arm though. In limited action he threw for 1,001 yards and four scores. Indiana is moving to a pistol-style offense, so it will likely mean more running from Chappell.

In another strange move, coach Bill Lynch has said he wants Indiana to be more of a downhill running team. That's great, except that Indiana's top two rushers are no longer on campus. Brian Payton (350 yards, two scores) has the most experience running the football. Now that we have a defensive coordinator that recognizes a halfback draw is a legal play we are allowed to stop we might be able to play defense against Indiana. It was incredibly frustrating to see Marcus Thigpen gash us on simple draws two years ago, but he is gone. Darius Willis is a redshirt freshman who could make some noise after sitting out last season. Demetrius McCray also has experience at tailback with 224 yards and two scores.

A main reason that Indiana struggled last year was the departure of James Hardy. No one could replace his production, as Ray Fisher (42-373-5) was the best receiver. In another move I don't understand, he has moved to the defensive side of the ball at cornerback despite being the team's best receiver. Andrew Means (34-450-1) has decided to pursue a baseball career, so he is gone too. That leaves junior Terrance Turner (29-289-0) as the best returning receiver. Tandon Doss (14-186-1) showed some promise as a freshman last year, but did little outside of a 107 yard performance against Northwestern. Damario Belcher (25-337-2) at 6'5" provides and interesting size element we lack as an outside receiver.

If there was one unit that effected Indiana's season strongly last year it was injuries along the offensive line. The group gave up 28 sacks and struggled to generate a consistent running game other than having Lewis run for his life. Only Roger Saffold at left tackle with 10 starts was consistent. He returns to protect Chappell's blind side, but Pete Saxon at center may be the line's best player. Coach Hep made the offensive line a priority in his too short tenure in Bloomington. This is the year that it should bear fruit in terms of his recruiting efforts. Cody Faulkner at right guard, James Brewer at right tackle, and Justin Pagan at left guard were all Hoeppner recruits groomed for this specific season to start. I'll give coach Hep credit. He knew what he was doing in Bloomington. If this group of five can stay healthy Indiana can be much better on offense.

Indiana defense:

The best way to sum up Indiana's defense is "What defense" last year. Injuries and inconsistent play made this unit awful. All-American Greg Middleton had an incredibly disappointing year with just 14 tackles and 4 sacks. He is too good of a talent to have those low of numbers. He had 16 sacks in 2007 alone. Jammie Kirlew on the other end picked up the slack with 74 tackles and 10.5 sacks. It is rare that Indiana has multiple All-Americans, but that was the case last year with Middleton and Austin Starr. Kirlew and Middleton are probably the best two rush ends in the conference. If they can regularly get into the backfield Indiana's defense will be much better. Deonte Mack (21 tackles, 2 sacks) and Nick Sliger (redshirt freshman) must play better against the run at both tackle positions for Indiana to have marked improvement.

I think Indiana's history at linebacker can be summed up in one John Kerr. Kerr led Indiana in tackles in 2002 as a freshman, but immediately transferred to Ohio State. Once there, he hung around for a few season before going undrafted in the 2007 NFL draft. It is pretty bad that your leading player on the defense parlayed a great season into a transfer and scholarship offer at a better program only to be an also-ran there. Indiana does not have to worry about that anymore, as senior Matt Mayberry has put in his time and returns for his final year on campus after leading Indiana in tackles last year. He had 89 stops and five sacks last year, so he is a versatile linebacker that can play all over the field. Will Patterson and Tyler Replogle give Indiana experience at the linebacker position that we lack. Patterson, now a senior, has been around the IU program for years and had a 104 tackles season in 2007. This unit is very experienced and gives Indiana a solid base at the conference's most necessary defensive position.

Just as we should be afraid of relying on defensive backs to help our receiving corps, Indiana should be afraid in its secondary. A major reason IU went to a bowl game in 2007 was the fact it had two great cornerbacks. Now they must rely on Ray Fisher, a converted wideout, to evolve into a shutdown corner. He is quick, but at 5'9" He is going to be pushed around like Chris Clopton in the 2001 Rose Bowl. Chris Adkins started all 12 games last year at the other corner position and had 54 tackles but no interceptions.

At safety is the Jeremy Finch. An Indiana High School legend, Finch committed to Florida before transferring to his second choice, Indiana. Finch battled injuries last year, but the former 4-star recruit has to play up to his talent level this year in order for Indiana to achieve its full potential. The Hoosiers thought they were getting a steal with Finch last year, but he contributed just six tackles in five games after sitting out a season due to transfer rules. Still, he is IU's best option at safety. Nick Polk and Austin Thomas are solid backups, but Finch really needs to be the star of the show in the secondary.

Overall, Indiana's defense was nothing to fear last year. Even our popgun offense went off for 62 points against them. We were hardly the best offense they face either. The only drive we didn't score on in last year's game was because we didn't feel interested in scoring. That gives me a ton of confidence.

Indiana Special Teams:

Austin Starr was supposed to be the best kicker in the nation, but he struggled to hit 10 of 17 field goals. The kicking position is now up for grabs with junior Nick Ford and his one extra point experience giving him the lead for the position. Mitch Ewald is an unproven true freshman who could challenge for the job. Starr also struggled on kickoffs, as opponents averaged 24 yards per return.

The Hoosiers to have a solid punter in Chris Hagerup, whose brother we are recruiting heavily. Hagerup averaged better than 42 yards per kick last year and held teams to a 6 yard average per return. The return game will suffer with the departure of Marcus Thigpen. DeMetrius McCray is the most likely candidate to return kicks while Fisher will likely return punts.

Intangibles:

I am going to get cocky for a moment.

It's Indiana.

We know we are better than them at football. We had a terrible season last year, the worst in the 12 year history of that coach, and we still won 62-10. If we don't win we have no reason to go to a bowl. In my mind, it would take something drastic on our end for the Hoosiers to suddenly overcome a 52 point differential. We were virtually even coming to that game and the only reason the score wasn't worse is because we didn't want it to be. Many of the players on our teams are very used to kicking the living crap out of IU for the Bucket, and there are still plenty that remember the one time since 2001 IU won the Bucket.

Indiana does have a little bit more experience returning on offense though. They are playing at home too. I like the improvements to Memorial Stadium, but I don't know how much of a home field advantage it will add.

Game Outlook:

All we need to do is get to five wins before this game. I feel that if we have a chance at getting to a bowl game when we head to Bloomington we will finish the deal. There honestly is not one thing that scares me about Indiana except the duo of Middleton and Kirlew. Despite how close the records were, we still hold a decided advantage in my mind. Indiana has made a series of questionable moves to its offensive personnel, while we seemed to be adjusting well to the hand we are dealt. It will be interesting to see how well things play out as the season progresses.

Prediction:

Indiana probably is not as bad as I think they are, so it will likely be closer than expected. It is still our Bucket though. They aren't due to get it back until about 2013 or so. Purdue 38, Indiana 24

Evaluating the Mechanics of Big Ten Running Backs - Evan Royster

grahamfiller10 — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:00:21 -0000

Combine a unique running style with great leg drive and what do you get? The Big 10's best tailback in a conference fond of great running games. Evan Royster's solid presence was a tremendous boon to the Spread HD last year. Let's take a look at this talented, high IQ runner to see where his success comes from.

Evan Royster (Penn State)

Backfield Technique (A): Backfield technique is especially important in the Spread HD because of the subtle fakes and play actions required - Royster does them all admirably. He doesn't get to the handoff too quickly or rush his motion out of the pivot. Keeps his head up and doesn't force Clark to reach out too far to hand the ball off. Doesn't waste motion in the backfield either. Carries out fakes well, crouching his body to give the impression of a running play. Better blocker than Shonn Greene, comfortable hitting people on QB draws or cutting LB's on passing plays.
Hitting the Hole (A-): The second best attribute for Royster is his patience. On designed traps or misdirections, he refuses to run up the backs of his blockers or bounce around ala Barry Sanders. The touchdown against Michigan is a great example of what moving your feet constantly gets you. Has great shiftiness too (ah so cliched)...Will lean into a hole and then naturally shift out, ensuring a couple more yards as the defender recalibrates the angle of attack.
Taking on Tacklers (A+): Not a huge fan of running over tacklers. Gets hit and does an effective shiver that either 1) makes the tackler slide off him or 2) allows an avoidance of a big hit, instead diving forward for 2-3 extra yards. This shiver shows tremendous maturity - not only does he lessen the impact of constant hits, but he avoids negative yardage.
In the Open Field (B): You know, I spent the entire 2008 season thinking Royster was 5'9'' and 180 lbs....And now I've been alerted to the fact that he is actually 6'1''' and 215 lbs. My mistake was perpetuated by the bending and weaving he does when running, instead of a more straight up style ala Adrian Peterson. Royster is not an overly flashy runner, patiently waiting for blockers during screen passes and rarely slowing momentum to juke defensive backs. Does not try spectacular cuts in the open field or try to jump over DB's. Does not have breakaway speed, sprinter speed like Marcus Thigpen of Indiana from last year.

Overall: A

[Editors Note: I completed this evaluation using film from here and here and here...and here]

Big Ten Report Card

Dan Herron (A-)

Evan Royster (A)

Eagles sign undrafted free agents

JasonB — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:37:05 -0000

When the draft ends, all eligible players who weren't picked in the draft become fair game and teams scramble to snap up guys they may have interest in. The Eagles especially have done a great job with their undrafted free agent signings in the past with guys like Quintin Mikell, Joselio Hanson, & Jamal Jackson.

So far, these are the guys that have agreed to terms with the Eagles.

RB Marcus Thigpen, Indiana - Scouting report - Small, very fast running back. Good return man.

DE Josh Gaines, Penn State - Bio - Big run stopping defensive end.

WR Brandon Robinson, Boston College - Bio - Went from the Eagles to the Eagles!

S Reshard Langford, Vanderbilt - Langford is a strong safety. His coach had this to say Reshard will make a huge impression on the Philadelphia coaches with his talent, effort and desire to help anyway he can,” VU coach Bobby Johnson said. “He was tremendous here, both on and off the field. Reshard Langford is one of those guys you build winning teams around."

OL Dallas Reynolds, Brigham Young - Profile

RB Walter Mendenhall, Illinois State - A "big" back. 6'0 225. Brother of Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall, who was a 1st round pick last year.

FB Marcus Mailei, Weber State - 248 pound fullback that can catch.

K/P Sam Swank, Wake Forest - Scouting report - Primarily a kicker that has punted... Has 50+ range.

I'll update this when/if any more news comes in.

NFL draft begins tomorrow.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:44:11 -0000

It will be a surprise if any former Hoosiers are selected in this weekend's NFL Draft. In today's Indy Star, Jeff Rabjohns notes that it's likely to be a slow day for all of Indiana's Division I-A programs (note to new readers: I don't indulge in the confusing FBS/FCS stuff: it's I-A and I-AA). Andrew Means is the only Hoosier given much of a chance to be drafted. I had presumed that Means, who spent the summer of 2008 playing baseball in the Cincinnati Reds system, would be doing the same this year, but according to a blog covering the Reds' minor leagues, Means left spring training and is focusing on football. Means impressed NFL scouts with his 4.36 40 time at IU's pro day. With any luck, someday TV broadcasters will refer to Andrew as a Wayne Chrebet-style third down/possession receiver with deceptive speed.

I would expect that kicker Austin Starr, an all-American as a junior who then struggled as a senior, and Marcus Thigpen, a dangerous returner, would end up somewhere as free agents. ESPN's Tuesday Morning Quarterback mocks the mock drafts by projecting the seventh round instead of the first. His mock-mock draft has Thigpen going to the Chargers. To give you a flavor of what TMQ's style:

224. San Diego. Marcus Thigpen, running back, Indiana. At 5-8, viewed as big back to alternate with Darren Sproles.

Clearly, the whole exercise is tongue-in-cheek, but that's all we have this year. SB Nation is all over it, of course, and has a group blog called Mocking the Draft that is keeping up with the action. BigBlueShoe of excellent Colts blog Stampede Blue appears to be contributing heavily.

Grading The Defense Against the Indiana Hoosiers

BSD — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:06 -0000

The first rule of Project Mayhem is you do not ask questions.

After giving up 24 points and getting beat up on the final drive in Iowa, the defense was looking to regain some of that swagger before going into the Big Ten Championship game next week. Let's see how they graded out.

Defensive Line

If there is a single word to describe the play of Aaron Maybin, it's mayhem. In fact that should be his name. Aaron Mayhem. No...Project Mayhem. Indiana tried everything to contain him including double teams, but his speed was too much to handle. I watched one play where Indiana called a running play to go between the right guard and tackle. They had a tight end lined up next to the tackle across from Project Mayhem. They snapped the ball and Project Mayhem ran outside the tight end, so the tackle released to the second level thinking Project Mayhem had run himself out of the play, but Project Mayhem just ran around the tight end like his shoes were stuck in quick sand and tackled the running from behind just as he was hitting the hole. Mayhem was wreaking havoc like that all day long and even managed to get a sack on the elusive Lewis.

Jared Odrick and Ollie Ogbu dominated the middle of the line of scrimmage. Odrick in particular had an outstanding game disrupting everything Indiana was trying to do. Josh Gaines tried to go on his injured ankle but had to shut it down after the first series. Eric Latimore and Jack Crawford platooned during the game at his vacated spot. They each held their ground but weren't very spectacular.

Maurice Evans showed signs of returning to his 2007 form, but he was practically invisible outside of a play or two. I may be wrong, but it's an observation of mine that he doesn't seem very interested this year. There is no bounce in his step, and when someone makes a big play like Rubin's interception or Hull's sack he doesn't celebrate or congratulate his teammates. Maybe it's nothing, but his uninspired play is undeniable.

In all the defensive line played a great game getting two sacks and holding Indiana to 123 yards rushing on the day (with 57 of those coming on one play.)

Final Grade: A

Linebackers

Outside of one play they were very good. You can blame that one play on Bani Gbadyu who blew containment by running inside and then completely whiffing on the tackle. This is why Bani Gbadyu doesn't play much.

Every week we wonder if the good Josh Hull or bad Josh Hull is going to show up. Bad Josh Hull showed up in the first half. He blitzed up the middle and disappeared somewhere in the mush of 300 lb. men never to be seen until the next play. He was futily diving at the ankles of Kellen Lewis as he ran past him up the sideline. He was hitting Thigpen five yards down field, and then getting dragged another three yards. But the good Josh Hull showed up in the second half. The coaches sent him on some delayed blitzes with success. I think this is good for him because he can pick a hole and attack it rather than hitting a gap that isn't there and getting swallowed up. Hull still wasn't getting to Lewis, but he rushed a few throws and forced Lewis to throw the ball away on a few occassions. He did get there once for, believe it or not, his first career sack.

Bowman was his usual stellar self always around the ball. I watched one play where he blitzed around the right tackle, but the play was a designed sweep to the left. Bowman ran across the field and tackled Thigpen along the sideline for a short gain. He along with Project Mayhem give the defense two disruptive players unlike any I've seen since the LaVar Arrington/Courtney Brown days.

Final Grade: B

Defensive Backs

It's hard to argue with the stats. Indiana only completed nine passes on 23 attempts for 57 yards and one interception. But in fairness, Indiana is struggling with injuries and doesn't really have many weapons on offense.

Mark Rubin may be our best defensive back. How many people thought you would read that on this blog before the season started? Time and again this year he has come up with big plays on defense, and Saturday he stepped up again. He made a great read and jump on the intereception. And later in the game on a crucial third down play he made an outstanding open field tackle on Kellen Lewis. Honestly, he tackles better than most of our linebackers, which is awesome and sad at the same time.

Tony Davis also played an excellent game making a few crucial open field tackles. I didn't notice anyone else, which is usually a good thing when you are a defensive back.

Final Grade: A

Special Teams

If there is an unsung hero on this team it's Nate Stupar. He's a one-man special teams wrecking crew. He got another blocked punt this week. And at the end of every kickoff you saw #34 getting off the bottom of the pile along with #42 Mike Mauti. It's going to be a fun spring watching these two guys fight it out for the outside linebacker spot vacated by Ty Sales after this season.

Go for the ball? Protect the junk? Go for the ball? Protect the junk?
F&%k it. This is going to hurt.

Jeremy Boone averaged 51.5 yards on his two punts. Kelly missed a field goal but had a nice pooch punt down to the Indiana two-yard line. The kick return game was meh, but admittedly only got two attempts, and one of those went to Dan Lawlor.

Final Grade: B+

Defensive Coaching

There was a little feeling of "Oh crap, here we go again" in the early going, but they settled in nicely. Indiana only recorded nine pass completions and six first downs. The defensive line was very effective in their mush-rush to contain Lewis. Once he realized Indiana wasn't much of a passing threat, Bradley let the defensive backs play some man-to-man and cut the linebackers loose to blitz. Say it with me now, WHERE WAS THAT LAST WEEK? The stat sheet speaks for itself.

But there were still situations in third and long where they trotteed out the nickel back and backed the corners eight yards off the line of scrimmage. Like smoking in public and clubbing baby seals, this should be banned by the international community. But the end result was just seven points on a fluke play, and outside of that Indiana never really threatened to score. But considering the opponent, that isn't saying much.

Final Grade: B

What does all this mean for Michigan State?

Unfortunately not much. The Spartans are much more talented and physical than the Hoosiers. You can expect a steady diet of Javon Ringer left, Javon Ringer right, Javon Ringer up the middle next week. They're not quite one dimensional though. If Brian Hoyer is on his game you can call them one-and-a-half dimensional. If I had to compare them to a team we've played so far, it's Iowa. So, yeah.