SB Nation - Kellen Lewis

Hoosier Headlines for November 3, 2009.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:46:46 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Ray Fisher will miss the Wisconsin game.

Lynch: Fisher won’t play this week (The Hoosier Scoop)
Bad news for both the secondary and special teams.
IU contacts Big Ten concerning officiating (Hoosier Hype | Indiana Daily Student)
"IU coach Bill Lynch said during the weekly radio show that the team has contacted the Big Ten concerning the officiating during Saturday’s game against Iowa, specifically a controversial touchdown called back in the third quarter."
Big Ten thumbs up-thumbs down for Week 9 (ESPN)
"Replay is supposed to ensure that the officiating crews get it right in these games, but the folks in the booth had a rough Saturday. The term "indisputable video evidence" definitely seemed a bit hazy in the Indiana-Iowa and Michigan State-Minnesota games. "
Another lead squandered (The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.)

Big Ten power rankings: Week 10 (ESPN)
"Purdue is no longer the Big Ten's cursed team. That would be Indiana, which blew a fourth-quarter lead in a Big Ten stadium for the third time this season."

Scouting report: The book on Indiana (JSOnline)
"When head coach Bill Lynch decided last spring to dismiss quarterback-turned wide receiver Kellen Lewis from the program for another violation of team rules, there was no more doubt the offense was in the hands of Ben Chappell."

Tough times in Hoosierland (JSOnline)
"These are trying and turbulent times for the Indiana football program. Consider: On Oct. 24, the Hoosiers blew a 28-3 lead en route to a 29-28 Big Ten Conference loss at Northwestern. That dropped the Hoosiers' record to 1-3 in the Big Ten and 4-4 overall."

The Big Ten This Year Versus The Big Ten Last Year (The Rivalry, Esq.)
"True, we did go 1-6 in bowl games last year. Sure, Michigan is softer than a three-week old carved pumpkin. And yes, we haven't won in Pasadena since 2000. Still, I believe the Big Ten is headed in the right direction."

There's A Game On Saturday? Jonesin' for Indiana

Oops Pow Surprise — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:14:57 -0000

(If this guy beats us, we will give up on watching football. Or at least want to.)

Seems odd, but we've actually got a Big Ten home game this weekend. It's only Iowa's second in the last five games, which just screams conspiracy (hush that three of our last four are at home hush hush). You might think "home vs. mediocre opponent" = "big time win," but we should point out that Iowa's three biggest wins (ISU, PSU, Wisconsin) have come on the road. Okay, Arizona's tied for third; you get the point.

All of which is to say just because this is a game against a lightly-regarded team doesn't really seem to, well, matter to Iowa. All indications are that the Hawkeyes should roll--hell, a 17.5 spread for Iowa is like a 90-point spread for normal teams--but usually when Iowa's supposed to walk to victory, it ends up being a 60-minute nailbiter and we all end up feeling just dirty.

So let's see how dirty we'll feel tomorrow, shall we?

With Iowa on offense

This would be as good a proposition as any for Iowa this season--Indiana's defense is comprised of Jammie Kirlew, Greg Middleton, and the Chicago's starting nine from 1969. Ron Santo doesn't have any legs, so they put him at defensive tackle. They're bad.

Oh, but then Dace Richardson had to get struck by lightning once again, and Adam Robinson's ankle appears to have a javelin sticking out of it. And look, no offense to Brandon Wegher, but these last four games:

10/3 Arkansas State W 24-21 11 49 4.5 19 0 2 12 6.0 8 0 0 0

10/10 Michigan W 30-28 13 21 1.6 7 1 2 12 6.0 9 0 0 0

10/17 @Wisconsin W 20-10 11 1 0.1 5 0 2 19 9.5 16 0 0 0

10/24 @Michigan State W 15-13 6 30 5.0 11 0 1 23 23.0 23 0 0 0

...have not been particularly impressive or confidence-inspiring.

As we've mentioned before, though, Wegher has a curious knack for being tackled right as he touches the ball, something that almost no tailback would be able to overcome en route to a productive outcome. Meanwhile, if Wegher ever gets the ball in space (screen, draw, the rare well-blocked run), he's more than competent.

That makes us wonder one thing: is Iowa inadvertently tipping the run when Wegher's in the game? Whether it's a matter of a smaller playbook for Wegher or something in the way he lines up, whatever. It would take far more intensive tape study than we're about to do, of course, but we can't think of any other reason why Wegher would have a tackler waiting for him right at the handoff while Robinson faces the "normal" amount of heat from the defensive front. It's not that Wegher's a bad runner when he's in space or that he's making the wrong cut; he normally just doesn't have a prayer of even getting to that first cut.

The good news is that if Iowa can keep Middleton and Kirlew off Wegher 90% of the time, White Lightning has a good chance at a big day. He's a hell of a runner once he gets going, and you may see some flares to the flats just to get him in workable one-on-one situations with a cornerback or linebacker in space. Better than a handoff for a loss of two.

Alternatively, KOK can just say "the hell with it" and just start chucking it deep 50 times. After all, Indiana's down to about two healthy bodies at safety, and they seem to take a horseshoes-and-hand-grenades approach to pass coverage: if they're close to the target, that's probably as good as you can expect. Meanwhile, the Unholy Trinity of Trey Stross, DJK, and Marvin McNutt is looking as good as ever. No stupid passes, s'il vout plait, Monsieur Stanzi, but there's potential for serious productivity there.

Then again, last time we said that, Stanzi had 78 yards of passing with 90 seconds left in the game and a 13-9 deficit. So, yeah.

With Indiana on offense

Ben Chappell isn't bad, which is really weird to say, because Ben Chappell used to be bad. He's no Kellen Lewis, of course, and he's better than 2008 Ben Chappell - that guy got utterly bitchmade by Iowa in Bloomington last season. Bitchmade in Bloomington? Like a sequel to Sleepless in Seattle? Meg Ryan can play Chappell, of course.

They're going to have to get creative and force Iowa into exploitable matchups on the outside, though, because we're really at a loss trying to figure out how Indiana's going to put together a sufficient rushing attack to make the linebackers' lives uncomfortable. The Hoosiers aren't usually that bad on offense--they've got perhaps the most underrated line in the BXI--but too many of their points have come on the big play, which is a far less reliable engine of productivity than the good, old-fashioned 10-play drive.

The Hoosiers' weapon of choice on the ground is Darius Willis; whatever. He's averaging well over five yards a carry, but hold on there kids; we may have some outliers. Indeed, Willis has a 70-yard TD and 85-yard TD to his credit; take those away, and Willis has just 250 yards on 75 carries. 3.33 ypc, if you were curious. Yes, the big runs are part of his game too, but let's not pretend Willis is a clock-chewing big back giving the offense 2nd and medium all game long. He's a home run back, and one who hasn't rushed more than 16 points in a single game. He can be shut down with relative ease.

Prediction

Chappell and the passing offense should be mildly competent; any time you get an experienced quarterback with a decent line, the proverbial bitchmaking becomes less and less likely. So as nice as a shutout sounds, it's unlikely.

Still, this has the potential to be one of the Iowa defense's shining moments of the season. If Chapell doesn't throw at least two interceptions (one of which won't be his fault), we'll be surprised; we don't see the talent necessary for a big enough game through the air to seriously threaten Iowa.

That said, with Richardson and Robinson in the lineup, this would be an excellent opportunity for the Iowa offense to get back on track. They're not in the lineup, so we're back to dealing with backups and unknown quantities. More concisely: bet the under bet the under bet the under.

We're calling this 23-9 right now; we could probably see Iowa's score anywhere from about 16 to 40, depending on how effectively Stanzi can attack that secondary, and we could probably see Indiana scoring anywhere from 0 to 24. That 24 would likely come with some garbage points; we don't think Indiana gets into the end zone three times against an Iowa defense that's actually trying for all 60 minutes.

Look: this is a game that a real #4 team, tailback or no, wins by a substantial margin. They're at home, Indiana has holes on both sides of the ball, and the defense is absolutely humming right now.

Then again, we said Iowa rolls against MSU and A-State and loses to Wisconsin, so we clearly know nothing. Plan accordingly, and we'll see you Saturday morning. You're bringing the Bloody Marys, right? Dude, it's your turn. You do it.

Game 9: Indiana at Iowa preview.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:17:11 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

2 months ago: Iowa's Tony Moeaki (81) runs for a 34-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of this NCAA college football game against Michigan, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Browse more photos »

Iowa Hawkeyes

2009 record: 8-0 (4-0)

2008 record: 9-4 (5-3) (beat South Carolina in Outback Bowl)

2008 Sagarin: 22

2009 Sagarin: 4

Coach: Kirk Ferentz (11th season, 78-53)

Series: Iowa leads 39-27-4

TV: noon, ESPN

Blog: Black Heart Gold Pants

Tomorrow, IU plays its highest-ranked opponent of the season so far, the #7 Iowa Hawkeyes. While the post-Mallory era has been difficult for IU, the Hoosiers' performances against the Hawkeyes have been respectable. Since Cam Cameron became IU's coach in 1997, IU is 5-5 against Iowa. Iowa is the only team Big Ten team aghainst whom IU has a .500 or better record in that period. Since 1997, only Illinois (the Hoosiers are now 6-7 against Illinois since 1997) has lost more games to IU than Iowa has. Another fun fact for Iowa fans: Since Mallory was fired, IU has won only five Big Ten road games, and Iowa is the only multiple victim (1999, 2007).

Of course, three of those wins came when Iowa was transitioning from Hayden Fry, whose last season was 1998, to Kirk Ferentz. IU won three in a row from 1998 to 2000. The most recent two wins game in 2006, a memorable comeback upset of the then 15th-ranked Hawkeyes, and in 2007, a really strange game that IU won 38-21 and is most famous for an odd completed-pass-fumble recovery that culminated in Kellen Lewis's backflip into the endzone. To remember happier days, enjoy this video from IU's 2006 win over Iowa (couldn't find any 2007 footage):

Of course, the 2009 Hawkeyes seem likely to present a more significant challenge than either of the Iowa teams that IU has recently defeated. The Hawkeyes have played a bunch of close games, both against respectable opponents (Michigan, Michigan State) and not (Northern Iowa, Arkansas State). Still, the Hawkeyes overall resume is very good, thanks to a home win against better-than-usual Arizona, a road win against Penn State, and a win at Wisconsin. It's reasonable to wonder if Iowa is living on luck, but the Hawkeyes are undefeated against a top 15 schedule. No other team in the country can say that.

How are they doing it? Well, for one (here's the Hawkeyes' NCAA resume), with really freaking pedestrian offensive numbers. Iowa is only #87 in total offense, 91 in rushing offense, 60 in passing offense, and 69 in pass efficiency. The Hawkeye defense has been outstanding. Iowa is allowing only 296 yards per game, and only 14.75 points per game, both stats good enough for top 20 rankings. The Hawkeyes are #5 in pass efficiency defense and, perhaps most key to the team's success are a whopping 1.38 turnovers per game in the black for the season, good enough for #6 in the nation.

The Iowa offense is led by Ricky Stanzi, quickly becoming a cult hero in Iowa even though, as BHGP notes in its previews, his numbers look Ben Chappell look like a star. Stanzi completes only 57 percent of his passes and has 12TDs to 8 INTs. Still, he may well start in the BCS title game, so he's got that going for him. Iowa's leading rusher, Adam Robinson, is now out for the season with an injury, and true freshman Brandon Wegher will be the starter from this point forward. Wegher has been solid, but of course has never been placed in this position before. Iowa's receiving yards have been widely distributed this year, with Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Trey Stoss, Marvin McNutt, and Tony Moeaki all between 373 and 250 receiving yards. Of course, the Hawkeye defense has led the way.

In any event, while this is an uphill battle for IU, given Iowa's less than overwhelming offensive numbers, injury troubles, and defensive focus might make it a low-scoring game in which a key turnover or special teams play (hear that, Ray Fisher) might make a difference. On the other hand, the last time I thought that, Virginia scored 47 on us, and Iowa is much, much better than Virginia. This IU team is impossible to predict, so who knows what will happen?

2009 Big 10 Quarterback Rankings, First Edition

grahamfiller10 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:13:26 -0000

It's been 9 long months since I made my final edition of the 2008 Big Ten Quarterback Rankings. Since late 2008, the majority of teams in the Big Ten are starting a new quarterback and let me tell you folks, this is great, great news for the quarterback rankings. In 2008, quarterback play was horrible and inconsistent. Two main factors led to the horrid play - Injuries and disappointing veterans. Curtis Painter, Kellen Lewis, Brian Hoyer, Todd Boeckman, Allan Evridge, and Juice Williams were injury prone or ineffective in 2008, leading to backups getting significant playing time. By the end of the season, only a few QB's were healthy and putting up solid stats. This year, with a conference wide focus on passing and more teams opening their playbooks, the quarterback play is markedly improved from last year.

Not only does this improvement make the ranking a more interesting exercise, I don't have to spend the year explaining how in the world Juice Williams is the third best quarterback in the Big Ten, a spot he ended up in through default last year. Enjoy The Rivalry's 2009 Big Ten Quarterback Rankings First Edition, which I will update every three weeks.

Ed Note: After #4, the quarterbacks blend together, talent and number wise. I gave Tolzien and Kafka extra points because of their surprising success, but that can all be wiped away with early in-conf struggles. And I took away points for struggling in big games, which I believe is where a quarterback can best be judged.

	QB	Team	Comments
#1	Daryll Clark	PSU	Has looked comfortable in the pocket throwing to the newbie receivers. Clark's best attribute is that he trusts his O-Line - he will sit and slowly chop his feet, waiting for routes to open up. Game Avg: 22-32, 250 yards, 3 TDs.
#2	Kirk Cousins	MSU	His accuracy and poise in the pocket have resulted in the Big Ten's best passing efficiency rating. This devout Bapist can make every throw - swing passes, curl routes in traffic, out routes to the sideline. Don't let the wobbler at the end of the ND game fool you - He should be taking every snap at MSU. Game Avg: 15-23, 215 yards, 2 TDs.
#3	Tate Forcier	UM	Showed up in primetime against ND, putting on a performance for the ages. Throws an accurate ball and his shifty moves are perfect for the RichRod Spread. Not lightning fast like Pat White, but gets the 3-5 yards on the Zone Read QB run that Sheridan/Threet could never get. Game Avg: 14-22, 163 yards, 2 TD, 37 ypg rushing.
#4	Terrelle Pryor	OSU	Lebron In Cleats showed a fully evolved arm in the Spring Game, leading to an overly excited phone call from Law Buck. Unfortunately, the indecisive shot putting returned against USC. Would I take him over Forcier? Yes. Did he choke under pressure? Yes. Game Avg: 14-25, 204 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 59 yards rushing.
#5	Ricky Stanzi	IOWA	Holds himself like a veteran and has engineered victories while Iowa Hating God wipes out all his playmakers. No complaints about his throwing motion here, but the unexplainable interceptions flummox everyone. Game Avg: 20-33, 215 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
#6	Scott Tolzien	WISC	Tolzien has been the surprise of the non-conf games. Accurate and eager to spread the ball around, I guess we realize why Sherer's loopy delivery was dropped in favor of this supposed career backup. Throws an extremely catchable ball for a Wisky offense that isn't relying on the run so much anymore. Game Avg: 15-23, 214 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.
#7	Mike Kafka	NW	A tremendous game against Syracuse was tainted by an ugly pick late, but his numbers exceed what we expected by so much it's scary. He's showed a live arm and has refused to depend on his very solid scrambling abilities. Game Avg: 21-28, 247 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.
#8	Adam Weber	MINN	I watched him against California and two problems are obvious. He doesn't know how to throw the ball away and he doesn't get any blocking. When given time, Weber/Decker is a dangerous combo. I expect more from this frequently inaccurate veteran. Game Avg: 20-34, 231 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.
#9	Ben Chappell	IND	Crimson Quarry and others were calling for him to start last year, but injuries and Lewis's on-again, off-again playing schedule never allowed Chapell to become the unquestioned leader. Now fully in command, the Pistol offense and some athletic receivers have helped Chappell to look, as the British say, not half-bad. Game Avg: 21-31, 225 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.
#10	Joey Elliot	PU	We predicted doom and gloom in West Lafayette, but the Boilers and Elliot looked a tad more explosive than expected. His personality as a QB isn't fully evolved yet - Should be rolling out as much as in the NIU game? Should the quick slants of yesteryear be incorporated more? Game Avg: 20-33, 225 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs.
#11	Juice Williams	ILL	We all saw the Mizzou ugliness and the uninspired Illini. We all saw Juice do Juice things like throw wild, ineffective passes all over the place. We also saw no run game. So until he returns to good old rollercoaster Juice, Big Ten leader in Total Yards in 2008, I leave him here. Game Avg: 18-28, 179 yards, 1 INT.

Indiana Football: Respectability is the Goal

Law Buckeye — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:00:23 -0000

(Editor's Note: Never ones to welch, we present for your approval the musings of a real winner. Having soundly defeated us as our own predictions play this fan has earned the right to hijack The Rivalry, Esq. and recast the front page for his own purposes: in 500 words or less. Want to be our next guest contributor? Play Week 3 of the Obligatory Predictions Competition.)

Indiana Football: Respectability is the Goal

By HOOSIERDADDYNOW

Week 2 Obligatory Predictions Winner and Special Guest Contributor to The Rivalry, Esq.

I’d rather be lucky than good. That goes for my performance in last week’s prognostication. The same could be said the motto of Hoosier football over the years, but they’ve rarely been good and it’s been even more rare that they are lucky.

A better motto for Hoosier football over the years would be "Killing Time Until Basketball Season". It is a well-known and documented fact that IU football is not only the red-headed step child of the Big Ten, but of its own athletic department (although, kudos are in order for the recent facility upgrades). I am not sure which is the chicken and which is the egg: whether Hoosier fans are apathetic about the program because it’s never been very good, or if the program’s struggles are borne of the fans’ apathy. For the record: I do not think that the apathy is the result of the historical success of the basketball program.

I think that the apathy stems mostly from the historic state of the football program. I was an eyewitness to the Glory Years of Hoosier football.

A Photographic Essay on The Glory Years.

My family had season tickets to IU games from the end of the Corso era, through the (thankfully short) Sam Wyche era, and through most of the Bill Mallory era. When the team improved, people showed up. Crowds got larger, were passionate and the games were fun. Bonus: I contend to you that there is not a more beautiful place in all of God’s creation than Bloomington, Indiana on a sunny autumn afternoon. (Although a good argument could be made for Wrigley Field on said same afternoon.)

Mallory was the perfect fit for the program: steady, disciplined, hard-nosed, if not glorious or flashy football. Sadly, at the end, it was time for him to go, and the program arrived at a crossroads. In the same offseason, IU replaced Mallory with an up-and-coming NFL coordinator who was an alumnus, and Purdue replaced Jim Colletto with some yokel coach from Wyoming who ran the *giggle* spread offense. (*guffaw*). The tides had certainly turned in our favor.

Didn’t work out that way. The program is only now working its way out of the giant black hole that Cam Cameron left and from which Gerry DiNardo could not climb. Hoeppner’s death was a tragedy on many levels much more significant than football, but it was a blow to the program, too. He was the perfect fit: optimistic, charismatic, and not a young guy that was looking to bolt for greener pastures. In many ways, much like Bill Mallory.

I will give Bill Lynch credit. The circumstances of his ascension to this job were horrible, and he handled them with tremendous grace. He has worked hard and done well at reducing the talent gap and in just filling up the roster. The defense is better and Chappell appears to be a good quarterback with a strong, accurate arm. Also: he showed cojones when he dismissed Kellen Lewis, his best player for violation of "team rules" (take note, Steve Alford). Part of the problem with last year may have been Lewis. The program is in much, much better shape now than it was when Lynch started.

Still, I question whether he is the guy to lead the program to respectability. And, let’s be honest: respectability is the goal. Our expectations are for competitiveness and an occasional run at the top of the Big Ten, not national or even conference prominence. Purdue and Iowa should be our on-field models, not Penn State, Michigan or Ohio State.

What I see when I watch this team are, first of all, way too many penalties. The talent gap is narrowed, but is still significant enough that you cannot beat yourself. That’s a question of discipline, which starts with the coaching staff. Second, the coaching staff fails to make offensive adjustments during the game. It’s one thing to be Ohio State and commit to three yards and a cloud of field turf, because you are Ohio State. You cannot do that and succeed at IU. You have to adapt. The pistol formation, of which I am a fan, gives you the opportunity to adapt on the fly and keep the defense off guard. If one thing is not working, do something else. It seems like the opposition will make adjustments to what IU does and IU will not make a counter-adjustment. I do not know if that is directly related to Lynch or his coordinators, but the ultimate responsibility for that is the head coach.

I want Bill Lynch to succeed, and I don’t like the thought of a sixth head coaching change in the last 15 years. But it may be necessary. I hope that Lynch proves me wrong.

IU has never really been a destination job for a head coach, with the exception of Mallory and Hoeppner. That may have changed somewhat, given the upgrade in the facilities, which was very well done. This may be the time to find a new coach, particularly since the athletic department is presumably done paying DiNardo, Mike Davis and (*grrrrrrr*) Kelvin Sampson.

Lastly, a hat tip to John M. at Crimson Quarry. It is difficult for a Hoosier football fan to find a good source for commentary and analysis, and his efforts in gathering and compiling links and in providing his own analysis is much appreciated.

Indiana - EKU Recap: Hoosiers Survive the Amorphous Blob

grahamfiller10 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:56:57 -0000

Generic Recap You Can Get Anywhere: Indiana survived a final second Hail Mary pass to defeat the Eastern Kentucky Colonels 19-13 in Bloomington Thursday night. Quarterback Ben Chappell, the unquestioned point man for IU after Kellen Lewis's dismissal, went 27-36 for 326 yards with a TD and two picks. After Indiana went ahead 19-7 on a beautiful play action bomb to WR Demario Belcher, the Colonels began chipping away at the lead with two second half field goals and numerous defensive stops. After fumbling inside the Hoosiers 5 yard line early in the 4th quarter, Eastern Kentucky never threatened until a last gasp throw fell incomplete with 00 left on the clock.

Proof I Watched the Game: The amorphous blob Pistol Read Option is my nickname for that roving, meandering offense that EKU ran. I'm going to have to ask Smart Football for a name, but the Colonels ran a Pistol formation with a moving read option. I'll spell it out using bulletpoints:

-Quarterback lines up 3 yards behind center with a running back on one side.

-QB receives snap and starts shuffling sideways or toward the line of scrimmage. The running back tags along to block or receive a delayed handoff.

-Out of nowhere, QB snaps off a quick slant or deep bomb. Or runs right up the gut, Tebow style.

It was shockingly effective. The two-headed quarterback tandem put up almost 400 yards of total offense and effectively completed downfield throws into traffic. If not for the red zone failures, Eastern Kentucky would have won this game.

StarSearch: 6' 5'' Damarlo Belcher and 6' 3'' Tandon Doss looked like world beaters against the smaller Colonel secondary. The two combined for 14 catches, 222 yards receiving, one touchdown, and some of the best wide receiver blocking I've seen in awhile. On the quick outs to Doss, Belcher did all he could to push cornerbacks out of the play, holding a little bit (but never getting called on it) and shoving the CB's around. A Hat Tip to Belcher for his tremendous blocking, something that won't show up on highlight shows but will get you love on TRE.

Play of the Game: EKU quarterback Cody Watts leaned his body toward the goal line, stretching toward the end zone, when BAM! Indiana cornerback Ray Fisher came out of nowhere and smacked the ball loose. Jammie Kirlew recovered the fumble and the Hoosier fans (who almost filled that sharp looking newly modified stadium) breathed a sigh of relief.

Signs of Good Things in Bloomington! Chappell's 80% completion percentage is fantastic...the WR's looked aggressive and smart...the Hoosier offensive line got some nice pancake blocks, especially one by freshman OL Marc Damisch, who pushed a Colonel defensive end down and then just laid on him EXACTLY THE WAY THEY TEACH YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL ATTA BOY MARC...no sacks allowed...the defense got angry in the red zone, never allowing EKU to finish drives with touchdowns...

Signs of Bad Things in Bloomington? Chappell threw two unconscionable interceptions, so bad I might refer to them as Favre-like...there were no real holes to run through, leading to the inevitable cliche that it's hard to run between the tackles from the Pistol...a Big Ten team should probably smack an EKU-ish opponent, not survive them...

Previewin': Indiana

Beauford — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:00:11 -0000

via www.indiana.edu

Maize n' Brew mercilessly drifts through another preview. This week is going to be a bit preview heavy as we lead into the season. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Indiana Hoosiers.

Previously: Illinois, Northwestern, Penn State, Iowa, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota

Explanation and indemnifications found: here

As I rush to get these things posted before the season actually starts - woo procrastinating! - this Hoosiers preview may be a bit perfunctory. I suggest the very well run SBN Hoosier blog The Crimson Quarry for a more in depth look.

Indiana football has always been a Big Ten beating boy that sometimes puts it together enough to make a bowl game. When this happens, it's usually the result of having a tremendous athlete that was somehow overlooked by larger programs. Earlier this decade, that player was Antwan Randle-el. Then came James Hardy. This year, that player figured to be Kellen Lewis, who played QB/WR last year, and was moved to WR in a newly installed Pistol Offense. Then he got dismissed from the team for general ass-hattery, and with Lewis went any meager expectations for this team.

More Previewin' dead ahead

2009 Schedule

9/03	Eastern Kentucky	8:00 PM
9/12	Western Michigan	12:00 PM
9/19	@ Akron	3:30 PM
9/26	@ Michigan	12:00 PM
10/03	No. 6 Ohio State	7:00 PM
10/10	@ Virginia	TBA
10/17	Illinois	7:00 PM
10/24	@ Northwestern	12:00 PM
10/31	@ No. 22 Iowa	TBA
11/07	Wisconsin	TBA
11/14	@ No. 9 Penn State	TBA
11/21	Purdue	TBA

One thing the media will harp on that is off base

I hate to say it, but the dismissal of Kellen Lewis is pretty much what the media is going to harp on, and it's a pretty big deal. However, there is a new offense installed at IU this year, and it could actually level the playing field a bit. Coach Bill Lynch (former DePauw coach - woo) has installed the Pistol offense in an attempt to become a more dominant rushing team. Quarterback Ben Chappell is a competent game manager, and there is a lot of depth behind him at running back with seniors Bryan Payton and Demetrius McCray. Freshman(RS) Darius Willis will also push for playing time. It's clear that Lynch believes that this team's strength is going to be its running attack, and hopefully a dominant ground game will limit any potential problems at QB.

One thing the media will completely ignore that is integral to this team's success:

Lost in the shuffle of a new offense and Lewis' dismissal is a defense that returns 9 starters spread across each unit. The line returns 3, the LB's return 2, and the secondary returns all 4. The experience on defense might keep the Hoosiers in the game a little longer than their opponents would like.

via media.scout.com

Most important contributors on each side of the ball:

Offensively it's going to be the running game, and the combination of Payton, McCray and Willis. Payton is a power type, McCray is the elusive type, and Willis looks to be fairly balanced. The mix should keep opposing defenses on their heels, along with an offensive scheme that they will likely only see out of Indiana. Willis might have the most potential of the bunch, according to Bill Lynch.

Defensively, End Greg Middleton - a former All-American - needs to return to form. He's one of those guys that somehow go to Indiana despite the fact that he's probably good enough to start for any team in the Big Ten. If he starts getting the pressure he's capable of, then the experienced secondary might be able to get some game changing turnovers.

Area that scares you as Michigan Wolverines:

This is going to sound awful because both IU and UM won 3 games each last year, but there isn't a whole lot on this Indiana team to be terribly worried about. The Michigan defense can't allow the Pistol to get going on the ground and start chewing clock. If Indiana is allowed to go on 6-8 minute drives that end with TD's, they could win a 17-14 type game.

Area that makes you salivate as the Michigan Wolverines:

That being said, I don't think Indiana has the horses to do that to this Michigan defense. We're too big along the line and too athletic at linebacker.

Overall Record:

3-9

Final Big Ten Standing

10th

Bowl Destination

Not Applicable.

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.

2009 Indiana football preview: quarterbacks and the Pistol formation.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:04:12 -0000

The football season looms, with the opener against Eastern Kentucky scheduled for a week from Thursday. Now that I have reviewed the competition, it's time to dig in to the 2009 Hoosiers, and take a position-by-position look at the IU. Today, we start with the quarterbacks and a discussion of the Pistol offense/formation. At this time, I am relying upon the Rivals depth chart for IU.

QUARTERBACKS

The starter: Ben Chappell, 6-3 junior. Chappell, a Bloomington South product, is in his first season as the undisputed starter, but last season he played in 9 of 12 games and started 3 games, including IU's lone Big Ten victory against Northwestern. Chappell's season was a mixed bag. He completed only 52 percent of his passes, averaged only 6.5 yards per attempt, and threw 4 TDs to 3 INTs. His first start was a very rough game against Illinois, but the next week, he completed 21 of 34 passes for 219 yards and led IU to the upset of Northwestern. He was sacked 11 times. Clearly, the staff is high on Chappell, or they wouldn't have been willing to place the team in his hands even before Lewis was thrown off the team. Still, he will have to be much more efficient in 2009 for IU to have a chance at success. Finally, while Chappell isn't a great runner, he did have 50 rushing attempts for 72 yards and 3 TDs.

The backups: Adam Follett, 6-4 RS freshman. Follett currently is listed as the #2 quarterback by Rivals, although as far as I know there has been no official decision. While he has never seen game action, Follett reputedly is more of a dual threat than any of the other returning quarterbacks. Teddy Schell, 6-5 sophomore. Schell is the only quarterback other than Chappell who saw game action last season, but he seems to be moving down the depth chart.

The newcomers: Edward Wright-Baker, 6-1 freshman. My understanding was that the staff hopes to redshirt both of the true freshman quarterbacks, but the Hoosier Scoop's reporting from yesterday suggests that Wright-Baker may be climbing the depth chart. Wright-Baker is regarded as a strong-armed QB and a great runner who needs to work on the precision of his passing. Sound at all familiar? I've made clear before that I think a dual-threat quarterback is a great way for a program like IU to level the playing field, so it will be interesting to see how the staff handles Wright-Baker and whether the staff is willing to burn a year of eligibility. Kellen Lewis and Antwaan Randle El both redshirted and were ready to play from the beginning of their second years on campus. On the other hand, this coaching staff must realize that absent a strong 2009, there might not be a "next year." Dusty Kiel, 6-2 freshman. Kiel seems nearly certain to redshirt. He's from Columbus, Indiana and is the nephew of Blair Kiel, a four-year starter at quarterback for Notre Dame in the early 1980s.

The departed: Kellen Lewis, of course. It's a crying shame that IU's all-time leader in touchdown passes will finish his career at Valdosta State. I have nothing more to say about it.

THE PISTOL

It's been well-publicized that the IU staff traveled to Reno, Nevada in the offseason to get a first-hand look at the Nevada Wolfpack's potent "Pistol" offense. In some ways, it's a curious choice, given that Nevada employs a mobile quarterback in the offense, and it was clear some time before spring practice that IU would be starting Ben Chappell, not Kellen Lewis. Still, it's worth a look at how Nevada runs this offense. As those of you who have been around for a while, my mediocre (at best) flag football career and time in the Marching Hundred somehow did not endow me with a wealth of x's and o's football knowledge. I am relying heavily on an excellent post from Blue Gray Sky, a Notre Dame blog (ND hosts Nevada in week 1). As BGS notes, the basic characteristic of the Pistol is an atypical shotgun formation. In the typical shotgun formation, the quarterback shares the backfield with a running back, and the running back is slightly ahead of and to the side of the quarterback. In the pistol formation, the quarterback lines up at shotgun depth, but the running back is directly behind the QB. This means that as would be the case in an "I" formation, the running back is shielded from the defense's view. This creates some opportunities for misdirection.

As noted above, Nevada uses this offense with a mobile quarterback (Colin Kaepernick ran for 1130 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. He also threw 22 TD passes despite completing only 54 percent of his passes). Here is BGS's description of how nearly every Nevada play begins:

How does it work? Most Nevada plays start the same way: the quarterback (third-year starter Colin Kaepernick) takes the snap, does a half-pivot, and either: a) hands off to the halfback; b) fakes the handoff (either a full sell, or just a quick pivot) and runs; or c) fakes the handoff and passes. Like the spread option, the guessing game can cause havoc with defensive timing.

Obviously, with Ben Chappell running the offense, only a) and c) will be in heavy use. BGS also notes that Nevada uses the offense in this way:

Nevada's run-game bread and butter are zone runs, primarily an inside zone "slice" play and the outside zone, or stretch. They run the stretch to both the weak and strong sides, and typically run the slice -- aided by the strongside receiver, who "slices" in behind the weakside guard and tackle to pick up a linebacker or safety. Both are designed to play to the strengths (and/or minimize the weaknesses) of smaller, quicker offensive linemen, although Nevada's line is not tiny: their guards and tackles are lighter than ND's, but not significantly so.

Really, the more I read about Nevada's offense, the less I can conceive of what IU is going to do. Lynch has talked, since spring practice, of creating a "downhill running game." That doesn't sound like what Nevada is doing. And I don't think of the remaining "seven blocks of limestone" as undersized or particularly quick. I think the important thing to remember is that the Pistol, at its heart, is a formation, not an "offense," so to speak. Lynch seems to like the idea of having the running back set way back, presumably so that he can hit the holes with some wind behind his back, metaphorically. I didn't see the spring game and haven't seen any of the scrimmages, so this will be an issue to discuss after the Eastern Kentucky game. It will be interesting to watch that game on Thursday and then compare and contrast what Nevada does against Notre Dame on Saturday.

More on the rest of the offense later today or tomorrow.

An early look at the Iowa Hawkeyes.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:00:11 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Don't laugh too hard, guys. Remember 2006 and 2007.

Browse more photos »

Iowa Hawkeyes
Last meeting: 10/11/2008 (Iowa 45, IU 9 in Bloomington)
Last IU win: 9/29/2007 (IU 38, Iowa 20 in Iowa City)
Series: Iowa leads 39-27-4.
Coach: Kirk Ferentz (11th season, 70-53)

Indiana's 2006 and 2007 games against Iowa are among the highlights of recent years for IU. In 2006, IU upset then 15th-ranked Iowa in Bloomington, thanks to three touchdown passes from Kellen Lewis to James Hardy. That win allowed IU to stay in the bowl hunt until the end of the season, although IU ultimately finished 5-7. In 2007, IU traveled to Iowa City, jumped to a 21-0 lead, and held on to win 38-20. That win, a week after a disappointing home loss to Illinois, kept IU's postseason hopes alive. Really, the 2006 and 2008 games have been bookends of sorts for the Hawkeyes. In 2006, the Hawkeyes came to Bloomington 5-1, but including the IU game, Iowa finished 1-6, although they nearly upset Texas in the Alamo Bowl. In 2007, Iowa finished 6-6 and missed the postseason for the first time since 2000, thanks to a home loss to Western Michigan on the final day of the season (a game that saved IU from having to play in the Motor City Bowl, probably). Last year, Iowa entered the IU game with a 3-3 record, but the Hawkeyes had lost three in a row to the only decent teams they had played to date. Iowa won easily, 45-9, and finished the season by winning 6 of 7, including a 31-10 whipping of South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.

In other words, when we last saw Iowa, the Hawkeyes showed signs of returning to their early-decade dominance. Will that continue? The Hawkeyes enter the season ranked #21 in the coaches' poll. The Hawkeyes benefited in 2008 from the performance of two late-emerging starters, running back Shonn Greene and QB Ricky Stanzi. Greene is now in the NFL, but Stanzi returns. Greene was amazing, running for 1850 yards and 20 TDs, but his backup and the 2009 starter, Jewel Hampton, had a nice season as well (463 yards, 5.1 average, 7 TDs). Hampton has been plagued by a knee injury, but is expected to play. Thanks to Greene, Iowa didn't have to ask much of Stanzi, but he completed abotu 60 percent of his passes and averaged 150 yards a game (14 TD/9 INT). Iowa loses a couple of its top receivers, but the Hawkeyes weren't exactly a passing team. Finally, the Hawkeyes return nearly all of a highly regarded offensive line.The defense has some holes to fill, particularly at tackle, but the defensive ends, plus middle linebacker AJ Edds (from Greenwood, Indiana) are back.

Last year's defense was one of the best in the country. The Hawkeyes ranked #12 in total defense, #9 in rushing defense, #47 in pass defense, #4 in yards per passing play allowed, and #9 in yards per rushing play allowed. On offense, the passing game did not overwhelm, but the Hawkeyes ranked #25 nationally with 4.8 yards per rush, almost always a recipe for success.

The outlook for this game is not promising, but given IU's relative success against Iowa (IU's 4-4 record against Iowa since 1997 is IU's best post-Mallory record against any Big Ten team), I suppose it's okay to retain a bit of optimism.

As for the 2008 game? I almost forgot, and for good reason. The Hawkeyes never trailed, led 17-3 at halftime, and expanded their lead in the second half. I had nothing much to say about the game then, and certainly nothing good.

10/3	Arkansas State	W 24-21	11	49	4.5	19	0	2	12	6.0	8
10/10	Michigan	W 30-28	13	21	1.6	7	1	2	12	6.0	9
10/17	@Wisconsin	W 20-10	11	1	0.1	5	0	2	19	9.5	16
10/24	@Michigan State	W 15-13	6	30	5.0	11	0	1	23	23.0	23