SB Nation - Austin Thomas

Keeping the Bucket where it belongs

BoilerTMill — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:13:12 -0000

62-10

That is all we keep hearing all week. Indiana is attempting to use it as a rallying cry. Crimson Quarry called it the worst loss in the history of Indiana's football program. Mike Carmin talks about how Indiana players remember it by putting it up in their lockers. I find it interesting that they remember a game they were not at, as Indiana certainly did not show up last year. There would have been more honor in a forfeit.

Really, that is what it boils down to. Indiana should be embarrassed by last year's "effort." They didn't even try to defend the Bucket, and we took it back by force. They now get another shot to play for only pride against us. I agree that this Hoosier team is much better than last year's edition, but 62-10 still looms from the last time we saw these teams play.

It is still our Bucket. Come and get it.

A common sight

2008 Record: 3-9, 1-7 Big Ten

2009 Record: 4-7, 1-6 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

Indiana offense:

Indiana wanted to establish a downhill running game with its new pistol offense, but instead has developed a pretty good passing attack. Our pass defense has been hit or miss at times this year, the same as our run defense. Let's hope we don't see a repeat of our last visit to Bloomington where the Hoosiers had a terrible running game, but we let Marcus Thigpen run draw after draw like we had never seen the play before.

The offense centers around quarterback Ben Chappell. He has completed 635 of his passes for 2,675 yards and 15 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. He really should have 16 touchdowns after that horrible call in the Iowa game, but we won't get into that. Chappell has also rushed for two scores, but he has not been the runner that Joey Elliott has been with -23 yards rushing. Indiana's offense prides itself on taking care of the ball, but interceptions have been a problem of late with 6 in the last three games.

Chappell does a good job of spreading the ball around to some talented receivers. Tandon Doss is deserving of some all Big Ten recognition with 73 catches for 911 yards and five scores. Doss is only a sophomore, and he does have 92 yards rushing and another score. This is from the Wildcat formation I believe, which I still don't understand why it is so hard to stop when you're basically screaming the guy won't pass. Damarlo Belcher (57-706-4) is another quality receiver we will face. Tarrance Turner (42-413-1), Mitchell Evans (23-254-2), and Max Dedmond (17-132-1) will also likely get in on the action. Indiana is at its best when they can spread the field and get everyone involved.

The running game is not very strong, but has the potential for a big day if we let them. Darius Willis has rushed for just 465 yards and six scores, but he is a big play threat. He had 153 yards and two scores at Michigan and also cracked the century mark against Northwestern. He left the Wisconsin game with an injury, however, and did not play at Penn State last week. Demetrius McCray (290-1) is second on the team in rushing, but he has done little since a 134 yard day against Western Michigan in game 2. Indiana went primarily with Bryan Payton (148-1) last week against Penn State, but their running game should be severely lacking if Willis does not play.

Indiana's offensive line has been strong all year in pass protection, giving up just 13 sacks. Part of that is the design of the offense, which prefers quick passes much like Toledo used in the opener. Coach Terry Hoeppner made recruiting solid linemen a priority in his short time in Bloomington. It is paying off. Rodger Saffold and Pete Saxon are the senior anchors of the line at tackle and guard respectively. James Brewer is a big junior tackle at 6'8" 331lbs. Center Will matte may be the weak link. He is the smallest player on the line at 6'2" 285 lbs. He is also only a redshirt freshman. Expect Mike Neal and Kawann Short to try and take advantage of this up the middle. Saxon and sophomore guard Justin Pagan will be there to help out.

Indiana defense:

I am not worried about moving the ball on Indiana's defense. I am worried about keeping it against a defense that has produced 29 turnover in 11 games. Ball security has not been our strong suit all year. We cannot afford to hand over defensive touchdowns like we did against Oregon and Michigan State.

Linebacker Matt Mayberry leads that turnover parade with a team high 99 tackles, three interceptions, and a fumble recovery. He is a well-rounded linebacker with 3.5 sacks as well. The 5^th year senior will definitely want to have a huge impact in his final collegiate game, as he will very likely be playing on Sundays next year. Will Patterson and Tyler Replogle are second and third in tackles with 63 and 75, respectively. This is a veteran linebacking group that has done very well all year long.

Senior safety Austin Thomas leads the Hoosiers with four interceptions and is fourth on the team with 62 tackles. We must be aware of his presence over the middle, as he has 115 return yards on picks. He is joined in the secondary by safety Nick Polk, as well as corners Donnell Jones and Adrian Burks. Indiana has been hurt with some injuries in its secondary. The highly touted Jeremy Finch has been limited all year long. Projected starter Chris Adkins has missed five games. Wide receiver turned corner Ray Fisher has also been out recently.

There should be room to run on Indiana because the defensive line is great at getting to the quarterback, but struggles to stop the run. Indiana gives up 162 yards rushing per game, so Ralph Bolden should have room to run. Edns Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton are dangerous pass rushers that we must contain on the edge. Middleton has not played to his All-American form of 2007, but the dude was still an All-American at one time. Kirlew leads the team with 5.5 sacks. While Middleton and Kirlew are experienced seniors, Larry Black Jr. and Adam Replogle (Tyler's brother) are freshmen defensive tackles. We simply must attack them.

Indiana Special Teams:

If there is a great equalizer in this game it is our crappy special teams coverage against their excellent returners. Coverage killed us last week. It may not get better as Doss is a speedy returner with Fisher averages 37 yards per kick return with two scores. McCray is also very capable of returning kicks. Doss and Fisher are also very good at returning punts, while Indiana's coverage units are a little shoddy themselves. The Hoosiers have given up a punt return for a score.

Nick Freeland is a bit of a liability at kicker, making just 14 of 23 attempts on the season with a long of only 38. it will be a difference from last week, when Michigan State made two very big 52-yard field goals. Chris Hagerup is an excellent punter averaging almost 41 yards per kick.

Intangibles:

Again, 62-10.

Indiana can use that for as much motivation as they want, but Purdue has players that remember it too. Purdue has to be confident that its defense did what it wanted to, when it wanted to against Indiana last year. Three of the ten points only came about from a big Marcus Thigpen return. The rest was against the second string long after the game was decided. Offensively our weapons have changed, but aside from the turnover issues I think we are a better offensive team this year. We have more balance in the running game and the pass. We have to be confident that this Indiana team is not drastically different from the one we thrashed last season.

That said, the Hoosiers are much better than last year, and honestly are in the same position we are. They have only four wins, but they have to be thinking that at least three more got away. Both teams have only themselves to blame for this game not meaning more, with Indiana having a valid beef against Big Ten officials for losses at Iowa and Michigan.

Even though we have dominated the rivalry over the past decade the games in Bloomington have been much closer affairs. Both of Indiana's wins have come there, while the 1999 and 2003 games were close ones. Indiana has expanded its student section for this game, and they have been drawing better crowds this season. This won't be your typical apathetic crowd in Bloomington, but it won't be the raucous atmosphere of two years ago.

As I said yesterday, the winner of this game will likely be the 2010 "Big Ten team that will surprise" when the next season's predictions come out. For Purdue, a 4-4 Big Ten record after the disastrous start would be huge. We also want to prove that even though we are rebuilding, we are still decidedly better than Indiana. For Indiana, getting the Bucket would be a huge confidence boost for a program always in need of one. If they get it, something may be brewing in Bloomington for the future.

I will be heading down to Bloomington for this one. It will make my 10^th straight Bucket game attended. I am concerned that we will lose if "bad Purdue" shows up, but I am still buoyed by the confidence of 62-10. I hope are players are as well.

Keys to the Game for Purdue:

Play infinitely better against the run than the 2007 game
Avoid turnovers
Establish Ralph Bolden and Jaycen Taylor early
Remember that you are Purdue and you dominate this rivalry
Weather the early Indiana storm as they always start well
Dare Indiana to run the football

Monday Film Session: The wide receiver "pick" play

Adam Hoge — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:21:38 -0000

More photos » by Tom Strattman - AP

Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland (44) graded out well after UW's 31-28 win over Indiana. How did the rest of his team do? (AP Photo/Tom Strattman)

Browse more photos »

Don't look now, but after the UW offense failed to score a touchdown in two straight losses against Ohio State and Iowa, the Badgers have responded well with a total of 68 points in two straight wins over Purdue and Indiana.

Still, while the points and yards continue to pile up on that side of the ball, there have been a few red flags. For instance, Saturday against Indiana, the only ones who could stop the UW offense was the UW offense itself.

After going back and reviewing the film from Saturday, two sequences of events in the first half stood out as Wisconsin left at least 7 points on the board in the first 30 minutes of play.

The first came when Wisconsin had a 10-7 lead at the start of the second quarter and a first and 10 at the IU 1-yard line. Like we have oddly seen before this season, Paul Chryst called a passing play on first down and the intended pass for Garrett Graham fell incomplete after being tipped at the line of scrimmage. On second down, Scott Tolzien fell down after his feet got tangled with center Peter Konz and on third down Issac Anderson was flagged for offensive pass interference (more on this in a minute), which wiped out a touchdown pass to Lance Kendricks. Wisconsin settled for a field goal, leaving four points off the scoreboard.

On UW's last drive of the half, Tolzien rolled out to his right and hit a wide open Garrett Graham down the field at the 25 yard line. The only problem? Graham started running before he secured the football and he dropped it for an incomplete pass. The completion would have at least put UW in field goal range, but it's very possible Graham could have scored on the play. He was that open.

All in all, UW left at least 7 points (maybe 10) off the scoreboard in the first half. To make matters worse, after Graham's drop, Anderson dropped one on third down that would have kept the drive going. Instead, IU went 80 yards and scored a touchdown. Now, to their credit, the Badgers managed to come back with a touchdown of their own before the half was over, but they could have been up as much as 34-14 at the half, instead of only 24-14.

Now, let's go back to the questionable pass interference call on Anderson on the first missed opportunity. This was very simply just a bad call. And I'll show you why.

If you look at the tape, Issac Anderson picks his own guy. The whole definition of the illegal "pick" play, is that while running a crossing route, you make contact with the defender covering your teammate, creating space for your teammate to catch the pass. Let's take a look at the tape:

Anderson is lined up at the top of your screen and is covered by cornerback Adrian Burks. Strong safety Austin Thomas is covering Kendricks.

Here's how the play unfolds:

Anderson simply runs forward and jams with the corner covering him. In no way is he "picking" the guy who is covering Kendricks. Now you can argue that IU was in a zone and Burks was going to go out to cover Kendricks, but at this point he has made no attempt to move towards the sideline and Thomas appears to be trying to go behind Burks the entire play. This is a mix up in coverage, not offensive pass interference.

Understandably, Anderson and Bielema weren't too happy about the call. After looking at the rest of the game film, they probably weren't too happy that Indiana got away with an actual pick play later in the game on their first touchdown of the second half.

Here's how the illegal pick play is actually run (and when offensive pass interference should be called):

Belcher is the wide receiver lined up to the outside, while Terrance Turner is in the slot. Belcher is going to run inside and pick free safety Chris Maragos who is covering Turner. Turner then runs an out-route underneath. Here's how the play unfolds:

As you can see, Belcher clearly runs into Maragos as Turner begins his cut to the sideline where he is wide open for the touchdown.

If the officials are going to be "picky" and call the pass inteference on UW when they shouldn't have, then they could at least be consistent with the call. Of course, it wasn't same official on that side of the field.

After watching the rest of the film, here's how I grade out the Badgers after their 31-28 win over Indiana:

Quarterback: B+
Scott Tolzien's numbers weren't fantastic (11-of-20 for 194 yards and one touchdown), but Graham and Anderson each dropped wide open passes and I thought he did a great job of managing the game. He didn't turn the ball over and he made great decisions all day long, specifically on his touchdown pass when he passed on a wide open Garrett Graham who was open right in front of him and went to Anderson instead, who was open in the end zone for the score.

Running backs: A+
267 yards, three touchdowns and no fumbles. It can't get much better than that. John Clay continued to dominate the Big Ten with 134 yards and a touchdown on only 15 carries before a head injury put Montee Ball in the rest of the way. All Ball did was pick up 115 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries and take over the final drive of the game to run out the clock and secure the win.

Wide receivers: B
Nick Toon was outstanding with five catches for 123 yards. Four of those catches came on crucial third downs, including a 17-yard gain on 3rd and 8 with 2:28 remaining in the game. Anderson had a good game with three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown, but his drop on third down late in the second quarter killed UW's momentum and put the ball in the hands of Ben Chappell who marched down the field in only three plays to keep IU in the game before halftime.

Tight ends: D
The blocking was fine, but Graham was virtually invisible in the passing game and dropped a pass on what could have been a 50-yard touchdown play in the second quarter. Kendricks caught one pass for seven yards and had a touchdown wiped out on the "pick play".

Offensive line: A
The run blocking was beautiful all day long, exemplified on John Moffitt's key block in the first quarter that sprung John Clay on a 47-yard run into IU territory. The line didn't allow a sack and Jake Bscherer actually made the line better when he came in for Josh Oglesby after the right tackle went down with an apparent left knee injury with 8:18 left in the second quarter. You have to feel for Oglesby because you could hear him scream on television when the injury happened, but he was struggling against Jamie Kirlew and Bscherer shut the talented defensive end down the rest of the game.

Defensive line: C
The run defense was stout, only allowing 2.4 yards per carry, but the line didn't put much pressure on Chappell who was able to pick apart the secondary for 323 yards and three touchdowns while completing 25-of-35 passes. O'Brien Schofield still managed two TFLs and he forced an interception when he hit Chappell on a throw in the third quarter. He didn't get much help from his fellow linemates, however.

Linebackers: B+
Chris Borland gets an A as the true freshman continues to play like a veteran out there. He led the team with nine tackles, added an interception and a TFL, while his blitzes wreaked havoc all day. Blake Sorensen got a good amount of reps at middle linebacker and he played well with five tackles, although he gave up a big pass play in the second half when he went for the ball instead of playing the man.

Cornerbacks: C-
Niles Brinkley continued to struggle, most notably on Indiana's touchdown late in the second quarter when he gave up a 33-yard pass to Terrance Turner and then two plays later gave up a 46-yard touchdown to Tandon Doss. Devin Smith played very well although he gave up a few tough plays on IU's final scoring drive. Antonio Fenelus was the nickel corner and looked average at best. Aaron Henry was nowhere to be seen and practiced at free safety during the week.

Safeties: C
Chris Maragos made a nice interception on underneath coverage, but both he and Valai looked confused at times in zone coverage. Both of them were having communication problems with the cornerbacks, specifically Valai and Brinkley who were caught covering the same guy a few times while the other receiver was busy catching the pass.

Special teams: D
Bret Bielema's unit continues to underachieve. The head coach's stubborness with David Gilreath cost the Badgers a touchdown in the first quarter when No. 85 muffed the punt at the 12 yard line. Gilreath should have lost his return job weeks ago, but Bielema still had him in there later in the game. Ironically, Borland had the best return of the day, a 32-yarder late in the second quarter that set Wisconsin up for a touchdown before halftime.

Hey Hoosiers, How's That Queso Smell? Northwestern Claws Out a Win Against Indiana, 29-28

hmlee — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:54:32 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

Browse more photos »

Well, if anything confirmed that Indiana is going to be enjoying the Queso Bowl during December, today was probably it. Leading 28-3 in the 2nd quarter, the Indiana Hoosiers somehow managed to let the Northwestern Wildcats wake up and steal this game right out from under them. Indiana currently sits at four wins and with games against Iowa, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Purdue finishing out their schedule, six wins and bowl eligibility is going to be very hard to come by.

Northwestern, of course, isn't in much better shape. They need one more win from the group of Penn State, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Given Illinois' horrid play this season, and the stellar play of those other three teams, it's easy to say why today's victory against Indiana was so crucial for Northwestern. If Northwestern can beat Illinois (or, shockingly, upset one of the stronger teams) they can get their six wins and won't be staying home this December.

Of course, a trip to Detroit isn't exactly what I had in mind at the start of this season. 2009 has been quite the dismal and disappointing year for this Wildcat fan. I've been taking a break from my Northwestern writing recently, having focused on Wisconsin and the general Big 10. This was partly due to the fact that I was actually in the Dairy State for the past few Saturdays (and, as such, couldn't see the Wildcats), but the mediocre play of Northwestern also had something to do with it. It gets hard writing about losses, after all.

Indeed, during the first quarter and a half of this game I was attempting to come up with a way to write about another heartbreaking loss at Ryan Field without sounding completely fatalistic. But, thank goodness, that will not be necessary as today I get to write about a vintage Cardiac Cats come from behind win - and I am happy!

This game really did not start out well for Northwestern. A few days ago, we linked to an article on ESPN about the team that got away from the Big 10 - the former founding member - The University of Chicago. Today, it really looked as though my undergrad alma mater Maroons had decided to come up north and take the field in place of the Wildcats. For those who don't know, The University of Chicago is a Division III team.

Yeah, that's how bad it was...

The Rivalry has been featured on CBS Sports! Check out our CBS articles on the Big 10 conference and OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor...

Graham takes a look at the top 11 plays of this season in the Big 10...

A quick summation of the hell that was the start of this game, and my thoughts:

- First play from scrimmage, Indiana has the ball:

Darius Willus rush for 70 yards for a touchdown.

Uh-oh... well... okay, I mean, maybe the Wildcats just had a long night.

- 7-0 Indiana, Northwestern's first series of the day:

Mike Kafka pass incomplete, Kafka pass complete to Arby Fields, Kafka pass incomplete, Stefan Demos punt.

So maybe both the offense AND defense had late nights. It's okay. Just a 3 and out. No need to worry yet...

- Halfway through the 1st quarter:

Ray Fisher punt return for 35 yards to Northwestern 28, rush for no gain, Ben Chappell complete pass to Troy Wagner for 13 yards, Northwestern 5 yard penalty, Mitchell Evans 3 yard rush, Tandon Doss 5 yard rush, Mitchell Evans 1 yard rush, Ben Chappell rush for 1 yard for a touchdown.

Okay, can somebody, anybody, PLEASE MAKE A TACKLE? IS IT THAT HARD? REALLY? HOW MUCH TEQUILA DID YOU GUYS DRINK LAST NIGHT?

- Start of 2nd Quarter, 14-0 Indiana, Indiana at the NU 37:

Chappell pass complete to Tandon Doss for 6 yards, Chappell pass complete to Damarlo Belcher for 19 yards, Chappell pass complete to Wagner for 10 yards, Darius Willis rush for 3 yards for a touchdown.

Sigh... I just... yeah... sigh...

- Demos kicks a 28 yard field goal, 21-3 Indiana...:

Stefan Demos kickoff for 63 yards returned by Ray Fisher 93 yards for a touchdown

Oh good god. Why did I get up today? Why?

At this point, Indiana was up 28-3 and it was looking like it might be a good day to go do some laundry during the 2nd half. I held on, however, partly because of irrational hope and partly because I really did not want to start working on my Crim Law outline.

Somehow, though, in the end of the second quarter, Kafka and the combined forces of Andrew Brewer, Zeke Markshausen, Sidney Stewart, and Drake Dunsmore managed to remember how to play football and scored two touchdowns to make it to halftime, trailing by only 11 points.

So, you might ask, if this was a win, when do I get to the part about the winning? Patience. I'll get there. We just have to slog through the rest of this nightmare first.

Very little happened in the third quarter, with the exception of an interception by Mike Kafka, a blocked Indiana punt which turned into a Northwestern safety, and another Kafka interception.

The second interception thrown by Kafka came at midfield and resulted in Indiana having the ball at the Northwestern 23, leading at this point 28-17. Most of the momentum up until this interception had been in Northwestern's favor, but I felt completely deflated after watching Indiana's Austin Thomas haul in the Kafka pass that looked as though it had almost been thrown right to him. Fortunately, I soon regained a certain measure of confidence.

This is because Indiana is bad. Hilariously bad. I mean it. Really, really bad.

Somehow Indiana managed to screw up a 1st and goal at the Northwestern 7. They rushed the ball to the 2 yard line, before getting pushed back by the defense to the 5 yard line. At 3rd and goal on the five, they completed a pass just short of the end zone, leaving them with 4th and goal at the 1 yard line.

Okay, pop-quiz time. You're Bill Lynch, head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers, and it's 4th and goal. You're leading by 11 points and your team is at the one yard line. What DO you do?

A.) Send the field goal unit out onto the field and take the three easy points for a two touchdown lead.

B.) Aggressively go for the touchdown by pounding the ball up the middle with your biggest back.

C.) Put the ball in the hands of your quarterback Ben Chappell (who had three TDs against Illinois) and trust him to complete a pass.

D.) Line up your team in the Wildcat formation with Mitchell Evans under center and attempt to sneakify the ball into the end zone.

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Those of you who guessed D, congrats, you understand the bizarre psychology of the Indiana coach. The rest of you, see me after class.

Seriously, though, what on earth was Bill Lynch thinking? You're one yard away from a TD that would put you up by 18 points and instead of just conventionally attempting to get into the end zone, you run a Wildcat play for a two yard loss?? My god. Look, I know some other Big 10 coaches have had touchdown success with trick plays this year (Brett Bielema, I'm looking at you) but usually a trick play only works if the defense doesn't see it coming. Not, you know, if they see you're lining up in the Wildcat formation which you've already used at least twice in the game before and know exactly who the ball is going to and when.

The 4th quarter of this game did not end the insanity. The Wildcats were still deep in their own territory after getting the ball on downs from Indiana's failed TD attempt. After marching to midfield, Kafka managed to complete a long pass to Andrew Brewer who chugged his way with an Indiana defender hanging off his helmet for a total of 51 yards and a TD. It was almost as though Brewer felt that if he didn't get that ball into the end zone right then and there, Kafka was likely to deposit it back into an Indiana defender's hands, keeping Northwestern off the board yet again. That touchdown put the Wildcats within two points, down 28-26.

So this must be the point where the drama stops and the winning starts, right? Right?

Well... no, not really.

The defense managed to step up and hold Indiana in their own territory to force a punt. Kafka and the offense back and then he, after only one play, threw yet another interception. Whoops. There goes that comeback drive.

Fortunately the defense didn't seem to resent being hauled back onto the field quicker than they could down a cup of Gatorade and was able to, once again, keep Indiana off the board, despite allowing Indiana to make it all the way to the Northwestern 33 yard line. This was aided by yet another Bizarre Bill decision to throw the ball on 4th and 3 instead of running it or going for the long field goal, thus turning the ball over on downs again when the pass fell incomplete.

At this point, it seemed that the Northwestern coaching staff wised up and realized that they could not trust Kafka to abstain from being intercepted during a crucial drive. So, they put the ball in the hands of Scott Concannon who somehow managed to carve up the stout until then run defense of Indiana. Concannon has missed much of this season due to a concussion, so it was nice to see him get into this game and make an impact on the ground. When the coaches did let Kafka have the ball, they forced him to throw only very short passes or keep it to himself and scramble for downs. Probably a good idea, at this point.

Northwestern made it all the way to the Indiana 2 yard line before failing to score a TD. Stefan Demos kicked a 19 yard field goal to put the 'Cats up by 1 point with under 30 seconds left. I can't lie, at this point I was very, very nervous. I really had hoped for the TD to give the 'Cats some breathing room and I was not at all confident that the defense could keep Indiana out of field goal range.

Luckily, Northwestern was aided by the fact that Indiana was out of timeouts. Yes, that's right, Bill Lynch had somehow managed to use all of Indiana's second half timeouts before the 4th quarter was even halfway over. I don't think I've ever seen poorer clock management on the part of a Big 10 coach, except for maybe Brett Bielema's MSU shenanigans from seasons past.

This turned out to be a difference maker because Indiana simply lacked enough time to run all but one pass play. They were forced to attempt a 59 yard field goal on 2nd down which, while kicked quite far, fell short of the goal posts and ran out the final seconds on the clock, preserving the Northwestern one point lead.

This game really reminded me of the game against Purdue, and it's not just because both teams are from Indiana. Northwestern won today as much because of their own play as because of mistakes and poor play on the part of the opposing team. Against Purdue, it was a large number of turnovers that made the difference, and today it was poor clock management and play calling decisions that doomed Indiana. Now I don't mean to disparage the excellent second half play of this team - the defense really stepped up and players Nate Williams, Ben Johnson, Quentin Davie, and Brian Peters showed what this defense is capable of. But... the reality is that you can't depend on the other team to make mistakes and give you the game on a silver platter. Letting yourself get into a 28-3 hole and then expecting to win is crazy. Lord help us if we actually do make it to a bowl and play like this.

Despite all the disappointments this season has held, I am happy for the win today and am looking forward to the last few games. Perhaps six wins and a bowl await, and then, while I will be considerably let down, I will at least know that we are better than Illinois, which is what really matters, right?

So, until next week...

Go U! NU!

Cupcake Wars: Indiana Defeats Illinois 27-14, Plus Discussion of Trent Green's Jaw and Primitive Radio Gods

grahamfiller10 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:57:04 -0000

Thinking about the eternal "if a tree falls in the woods does it make a sound" question, I ask: Is there an outcome of Saturday night's pillowfight that would make you care about this game?

Probably not, I assume. But I still had numerous questions for this game: Would Juice Williams and Illinois show any wrinkles to their staid offensive system? Could the hyped up Hoosier linemen (Kirlew, Middleton, probable Freshman All-American Larry Black) have a field day against the Big Tens worst offense? Would my new favorite Big Ten coach Bill Lynch continue the creative playcalling that has allowed Indiana to pick up tons of yards? Would God strike down the creator of those horrendous Hampton Inn commercials featuring the broadcasting couple? Does an Indiana win give them a fighting chance to get to a bowl game?

PILLOWFIGHT TIME LADIES

When a mediocre team plays a horrible team, certain expectations exist. There should be drive killing penalties, unexplainable fumbles, non-spiraling throws, etc. This game certainly didn't disappoint, although most of those aforementioned foibles were carried out by the Fighting Illini.

The Big Ten Network started out the broadcast by showing it's two announcers talking...with thousands of empty seats in the background. Whoops. Those fans who did attend seemed pretty damn spirited though.

Trent Green, former IU quarterback and 30303 year NFL veteran, visited the booth during his Homecoming trip to Bloomington. His jaw is a square. He's almost Jake Ryan-esque...RIP John Hughes and Sixteen Candles.

Microsoft Paint: It's what happens when inconsequential cellar dwellers play.

NOTES ON JUICE AND THE FIGHTING ILLINI

After awhile, I guess I just don't feel like "Fighting" should be associated with this team. How about the Middling Illini?

Juice, who was 22-37 for 258 yards and two touchdowns in maybe his best start of the year, showed he can occasionally make two types of throws, the sideline deep ball and the occasional sideline out route. Here is a list of throws he cannot make:

Most sit down routes. He sailed about 5 passes over wide open receivers.
Slant routes, deep or short. Not even close with most of them.
Anything on the run should probably be taken out of the playbook.
Dump downs. REALLY. I know you didn't watch this game, but he missed a couple dump downs. Trust me.

The two Juice fumbles that iced the game for Indiana were semi-inexcusable, but it's not like he was getting help from everyone else. A great second quarter drive ended in a momentum killing missed field goal, Jeff Cumberland dropped a ball that hit him in the numbers, and the Illini secondary missed tackles all night.

NOTES ON INDIANA AND THE FIGHTING BILL LYNCH'S

The first possession for the Hoosiers featured: the Single Wing (with Mitchell Evans), a Diamond formation, and Ben Chappell lining up as a wide receiver. Bill Lynch will NOT be phoning it in this year, thank you.

The Pistol really does offer a lot of options for Chappell. His fluid movement and misdirection fakes in the backfield show a certain level of comfort that makes this offense go. Is it odd that one of the Big Ten's best slant throwers resides in Bloomington? Also, major props to the cohesive nature of the Indiana passing game. It's a domino effect - Chappell sat in the pocket comfortably because he trusted his O-Line, the wide receivers ran some great routes and laid out for balls because they trust Chappell to deliver the ball, etc. It's the circle of life...and it moves us all.

After Tandon Doss caught a deep touchdown pass late in the game, he successfully executed a Big Ten record seven separate "Celebrating Wide Receiver Jumping Body Bumps." I like this way to celebrate - it's more complex than just patting and hugging, there's lots of movement and excitement, and sometimes overweight assistant coaches knock over their own players while in the act. Bravo.

Jammie Kirlew - All Big Ten Defensive End, second team. Done andddd done. He essentially ended the game by spinning past an OL and stripping the ball from Juice. And for those who were wondering, the first team DE's are some combination of O'Brien Schofield, Adrian Clayborn and Brandon Graham.

The Single Wing that Indiana has run effectively against most of their opponents is called the "Wild Mitch", referring to speedy backup QB Mitchell Evans (84 yards on the ground versus the Illini). This leads to another reoccurring theme - Many teams have the Single Wing now, but they all call it something specific and not so clever. Like the NYJets last Monday night, running the "Wild Jets" or something. If I coached a team, I would call my Single Wing formation "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand." It's got a nice, "man all alone" feeling to it.

I love Austin Thomas. That man will put his hat on anyone.

Larry Black Jr, the 300 lb freshman DT, looks hungry (hahaha) and has some active feet. Since he's from Cinci, I'm going to wager that he attended St. Xavier High School...Let me check...Nope, Wyoming High School. That was a bad miss.

Indiana's main wide receivers (Tandon Doss, Damarlo Belcher, Terrance Turner) are an average size of 6' 4'' 207 lbs. Not only is that huge, but they give Chappell an excellent target to throw to. And even though no one will see/remember/acknowledge it, Doss made the second best catch in the Big Ten this year, a diving scoop for 15 yards while flying out of bounds. Second only to Deckers' "White Receiver What Now B****" touchdown against Cali when blood started dripping down his face post-catch.

Various Queries With Crimson Quarry

SCM — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:15:09 -0000

Want to know more about our opponent heading into Saturday? Ask and you shall receive. John over at The Crimson Quarry was kind enough to exchange and answer a few questions about the Indiana football team, look for my responses over at his site as well, enjoy:

MNB: In general, how do you feel about having Bill Lynch as the head coach (signed through 2012)? It sure seemed as though they could've pursued a young up-and-comer who might have been able to continue on the success that Hoeppner had built in terms of re-energizing the program and stoking the fires of enthusiasm about football in Bloomington...

TCQ: There is no doubt that in a conventional coaching search, Bill Lynch would not have been considered for the job. His losing record and 21-game losing streak at Ball State and his low-key personality probably would not have made him an ideal candidate. Still, IU was in a close-to-impossible situation after the 2007 season. IU had just completed its most successful season in 14 years, was headed to its first warm-weather bowl game in 16 years, and many of the most highly respected voices concerning IU football, including Bill Mallory, were clamoring for his retention. It would have been a strange spectacle for IU to be conducting a coaching search as a lame duck staff prepared for IU's first bowl appearance since the early 1990s. IU has failed under retreads and failed under up-and-comers. Maybe an up-and-comer would have been the next Urban Meyer; maybe he would have been the next Cam Cameron. While re-energizing the program was part of Hoeppner's legacy, the guy was a damn good coach, and his sideline demeanor was more intense than that of any current Big Ten coach. For all of the happy-go-lucky stuff in press conferences, Hep was a taskmaster who desperately wanted to win. He was no Lee Corso-style huckster.

But, back to Lynch. I'm ambivalent about it. I do have doubts about him as a program leader and a gameday coach. On the other hand, he has modestly improved recruiting (Michigan would scoff, but our classes have gone from "a bunch of two stars with a smattering of three stars" to "a bunch of three stars with occasional two stars and four stars"). Thanks to the north endzone addition, Lynch has better facilities to sell than has any IU coach in decades. The conventional wisdom is that 2009 is Lynch's make-or-break season, and while we know little about AD Fred Glass's personnel style, I think it's a fair assumption. If he wins 6 or 7 games this year, I think he's secure. Will he ever turn in a Bill Mallory-type run of respectability? I don't know.

MNB: It's probably fair to say that your defense has saved two out of the first three games thus far. You guys have an embarrassment of riches with Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton, and after watching Tate momentarily go down last Saturday those two are concerns 1 and 1a for yours truly. Who else on the Hoosier defense should Michigan fans be cognizant of this Saturday? What should we expect in terms of a gameplan?

TCQ: You are correct that Kirlew and Middleton are the main concerns. Two other players to watch are the safeties, Nick Polk and Austin Thomas. Both guys have been starters for their entire careers, although both blew ACLs last year. Thomas had two interceptions in the Akron game. It's no secret, given IU's strength and playing against a freshman quarterback, that the Hoosiers will try to get to Tate Forcier. While Kirlew and Middleton justifiably get the press, their presence has allowed IU to spread things around in terms of the pass rush. Seven Hoosiers have recorded sacks this season. As to the "how," I'll leave that to someone with a better grasp of x's and o's. But I'm sure that taking Forcier out of his rhythm will be a priority.

MNB: Pistol offense... OK numbers against pretty "meh" competition thus far, yay or nay with a QB like Chappell? Is this thing just a fad or do you think it will be a system that positions IU to bring in some recruits they may not have had a shot at before?

TCQ: Well, the offense obviously is not a replica of the Nevada pistol, which is more of an option offense with an excellent running quarterback. IU has used WR Mitchell Evans as a mobile QB in the formation, but for the most part, it's more helpful to think of the Pistol as a formation rather than an offense. The IU staff's stated hope has been that it would allow the running backs to hit the holes hard and create more of a downhill running game, and after a heartburn-inducing performance against Eastern Kentucky, it seems to be working (albeit against sub-Big Ten competition). As for Chappell, he seems suited for the offense in the way IU is running it. Despite his nice numbers, I have some concerns about his accuracy and decision-making that I think may be currently masked by the quality of the competition and some nice plays by his receivers. Still, hopefully he will continue to improve and will keep his numbers where they are.

Will it help with recruits? Maybe. IU has a true freshman named Edward Wright-Baker who has a strong arm and excellent running skills. He nominally is IU's second-string quarterback, although they seem to be trying to save him as a redshirt. One has to wonder if the implementation of this offense is with Wright-Baker in mind. I'm a big fan of dual-threat quarterbacks as a field leveler for programs like IU, so that would make me happy.

MNB: Michigan's defense has shown that it can let teams drive the football at times already this season (and now may be missing starting safety Mike Williams), do you foresee any special twists or change-ups on offense from what we've seen the first three weeks?

TCQ: I don't know. IU already has introduced the Mitchell Evans-at-QB wrinkle. Whether they will further mix things up with personnel or formation or trick plays is hard to say. IU is 3-0 and a 21 point underdog. Hopefully Lynch has something up his sleeve.

MNB: I've long believed that Purdue's "count to four" first down cheer is the single dumbest crowd cheer in sports. That said I have to ask, what do you really think about Indiana's First Down March? Also, bonus question, why doesn't IU just build a bigger drum?

TCQ: I'm just impressed that so many Boilers can count to four. I like IU's First Down March. One of the major problems facing IU's football program over the years has been an absence of tradition and enthusiasm. The First Down March is a little goofy, but it's fun for the students and fans, it's original, and it's organic (I believe it was begun by some ardent student fans known as the Helmet Heads back in the Cam Cameron era). That fact that you, a Michigan fan, even know that IU has a First Down March tells me that I'm glad we do it. As for the drum, only a university without a music school could think that out-of-tune piece of junk is a good idea. Have you ever heard it? [Ed note - I have heard it, it's rather underwhelming, and I have another question, why do the big drum guys have to wear shiny helmets?] You should go to Purdue's senior day some time, when the senior band members all get to hit it.

MNB: Quick plug: for those that haven't been to Bloomington, just go, it's a great campus. Your favorite local establishment/watering hole? (Hard to beat Nick's from my experience)

TCQ: Nick's is Bloomington's most iconic establishment, and anyone who visits IU should stop in and play a game of "sink the Bismark." My favorite spot as an IU student was Yogi's, a sports bar that is a bit more low key than the places on Kirkwood Avenue and has excellent bar food. Other popular spots are the original Kilroy's on Kirkwood Avenue (a block from the main entrance to the IU campus), and Kilroy's Sports Bar a few blocks away, known simply as "Sports" in IU parlance. There are many more that I remember fondly, and I'm sure some others have arisen in the (gulp) nearly 14 years since I graduated.

So there you go! Many thanks to John for his time and knowledge, much appreciated!

Indiana 38, Akron 21: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:28:55 -0000

Here's the official box score. Despite the relatively high scoring game, this win had more to do with the defense than the offense.

The good:

The rush defense was good again. While Akron's overall numbers border on respectable (30/106), Akron gained 36 yards on the ground on 5 carries in the final garbage-time drive, meaning the Zips had gained only 70 yards on 25 carries before then.
Four interceptions, of course. Austin Thomas had two (and a combined 77 return yards) and Tyler Replogle and Andre LeGrone added one each.
Pressuring the quarterback. Matt Rodgers, forced to start the game after Akron coach JD Brookhart suspended starter Chris Jacquemain, was sacked 3 times for a loss of 17 yards. Rodgers gained 44 yards on the ground, but lost 26 for a net of 18.
The backup running backs, if there are such things on this year's team, played well. Demetrius McCray was the star of the WMU game, but freshman Darius Willis, in his first meaningful action, gained 69 yards on 15 carries and scored his first career touchdown. Trea Burgess ran for 59 yards on 13 carries and also scored.
Ray Fisher returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown.
Only four penalties. Two were personal fouls, one was a kickoff out of bounds, and the other was a delay of game against Ray Fisher, when the officials determined that Fisher disregarded his own fair catch signal. I never saw a good replay of it, but Fisher and the IU bench believed he was waving his hands below his waist to keep his teammates away from the ball. Still, no procedure penalties, no holding penalties, no illegal motion. That's progress.

The bad:

IU continued to give up big plays. Deryn Bowser broke a 49 yard touchdown reception, mostly on yards after the catch, and the Zips scored a touchdown on a block of a Chris Hagerup punt.
About that punt: I know next to nothing about scheme and such, and while I'm sure the rugby style kick has its merits, running it on every play seems likely to lead to exactly what it led to. At least we got it out of the way during a win.
While Chappell's overall numbers were good, his long drought, and interception make me wonder if his decision-making will cut it when we play Big Ten competition.

The ugly:

Did I mention the blocked punt?

I don't know what the Big Ten season holds, but IU is 3-0 and has improved in every game. As I said last week, that's better than any alternative.

2009 Indiana football preview: the secondary.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:12:41 -0000

After I preview the secondary and the special teams, I will switch into game week mode. It is an abbreviated game week, of course.

IU's secondary was a major liability last season. IU lost corners Leslie Majors and Tracy Porter after 2007, and the Hoosiers dealt with loads of inexperience and injuries in 2008. Of the eight players listed on the two deep to begin the 2008 season, only one, Chris Adkins, was in the same position for the final game of the season.

THE CORNERS

The starters: Ray Fisher, 5-9 senior. Fisher played well as a receiver for his first three years on campus and led IU in receiving yards last season. Still, the staff decided to gamble, moving Fisher to DB and placing the receiving jobs in the hands of younger players. Writers covering other teams have found it fashionable to ridicule this move, but I found it encouraging: it shows that the staff realizes that incremental improvement isn't good enough. It will be interesting to see how Fisher responds. Donnell Jones, 5-10 sophomore. Jones received an increasing amount of playing time as the season progressed, and he started the final two games. He had an interception, 3 pass breakups, and 20 tackles on the season.

The reserves: Richard Council, 6-1 junior. Council saw his first game action in the 2008 season and recorded 45 tackles and 7 pass breakups. He started 7 games after beginning the season on the second string. Adrian Burks, 6-0 junior. Burks played sparingly in four games last season.

SAFETIES

The starters: Austin Thomas, 6-2 senior. In only 6 games, Thomas recorded 41 tackles and 2 interceptions. He missed 6 games because of various injuries, including a season-ending ACL injury. He was honorable mention all-Big Ten as a sophomore. Nick Polk, 6-0 senior. Polk had 52 tackles and returned a fumble for a touchdown, but like Thomas, his season ended early because of an ACL injury. It is either encouraging or frightening that both ACL patients are listed as starters.

The reserves: Jerimy Finch, 6-1 junior. Finch is an enigma. A elite recruit from Indianapolis, he originally committed to Michigan but then changed his mind and committed to IU. On signing day eve, he changed his mind again and signed with Florida. Finch saw substantial game action as a freshman, and intercepted a pass against Tennessee but left that game with a season-ending leg injury. After that season, he transferred to IU, and because of family issues that generated the transfer, he was eligible in 2008. Few expected him to be a reserve as a junior, to say the least. In 2008, Finch saw action in 5 games, mostly on special teams, and blocked two punts. Hopefully he will be on the field quite a bit in 2009. Chris Adkins, 6-1 sophomore. Adkins was pressed into starting duty at cornerback as a redshirt freshman and recorded 54 tackles, 4 pass breakups, and a fumble recovery.

The secondary was one of many liabilities in 2008. The Hoosiers once again have two new starters at corner, but those starters have jumped ahead of the returning starters. The safety position could be a strength for IU if Thomas and Polk are both truly recovered from their knee injuries.

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

Indiana Hoosiers 2008 season in review: Ball State and Central Michigan.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:48:48 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Ball State's Nate Davis, now with the San Francisco 49ers, looked like a pro prospect against the 2008 Hoosiers.

Browse more photos »

The Ball State and Central Michigan games were not played consecutively: IU played Ball State in September, when the Hoosiers were 2-0 after two easy wins over overmatched programs. The CMU game, on November 1, was IU's sixth loss of the season and all but guaranteed that the Hoosiers would not return to postseason play. Still, the games remain linked because before 2008, IU had not lost to a MAC school since 1977. In 2008, the Hoosiers dropped two to the MAC, both at gome.

The Ball State game was reasonably hyped as far as September games between IU and a MAC school go. Jason Whitlock had tossed his journalistic objectivity out the window and was shamelessly shilling for his alma mater. Here is my very angry wrapup of a game that IU lost 42-20. Unfortunately, this game foreshadowed the rest of the season, particularly with the surprising struggles of the offense. In 2007, IU averaged over 10 yards per offensive play against Ball State. In 2008, the IU offense largely consisted of ad-libbed Kellen Lewis scrambles. Here's the box score.

Really, the game had everything that would plague the Hoosiers for the rest of the season:

Poor run defense: Miquale Lewis manhandled IU, running for 166 yards on 29 carries (5.7 YPC) and scored four touchdowns.
Poor pass defense: the prolific Nate Davis didn't put up the amazing numbers that he did against other teams, but because of Lewis, he did not have to do so. Still, he was 16-25 for 239 yards and a TD and no interceptions, despite losing his best receiver, Dante Love, to a horrific spine injury that ended Love's career.
Ineffectual pass offense: Kellen Lewis made his career debut at Ball State in 2006. He entered the game as the third string QB, but ultimately led IU back from a 23-7 halftime deficit to win. In 2007, IU averaged nearly 10 yards per offensive play against Ball State's hapless defense. In 2008, Lewis was stuck resorting to scrambles, completing 11 of 25 passes and throwing two intereceptions.
Injuries: Chris Phillips, one of IU's starting quarters, suffered a season-ending knee injury on a non-contact play. Nick Polk and Austin Thomas also were injured in the game.

It's still not clear to me how good Ball State was in 2008. The Cardinals cruised through the MAC, but IU was the toughest non-conference opponent the Cardinals played, and they gacked up the MAC title game against Buffalo and lost their bowl game. Still, it's undisputable that they were much, much better than IU, and most IU fans realized that a repeat of 2007 was unlikely.

Malaise had set in by the time IU played Central Michigan on November 1, but IU had briefly revived hope of improvement by upsetting Northwestern on October 25. Still, the CMU game was a new low, and here is why:

The loss in itself, while disappointing, isn't the embarrassing part. Upsets happen, and Central Michigan is one of the best teams in the MAC this year. Better Big Ten teams have lost to worse [MAC] teams. The embarrassing part is that CMU won without even giving its best shot. The Chippewas' star quarterback, Dan LeFevour, was apparently available, if hobbled by ankle injuries. CMU elected to hold him back and started backup Brian Brunner, who promptly passed for a school record 485 yards. Four hundred eighty five yards to a backup MAC quarterback. Pathetic. Here are the stats. The overall numbers are fairly even: CMU out-gained IU 522-485. Still, IU's offense bogged down when it counted. IU gained only 27 yards in the fourth quarter.

As I noted, it was a fairly even game statistically, and IU missed on some chances to make it a two possession game in the fourth quarter. It didn't happen, and IU lost.

I will have one more "season in review" post that will cover the games against MSU and Minnesota, neither of which is on IU's 2009 schedule. I'll handle all other 2008 wrap-ups in the season previews, which will continue in earnest soon.

Hoosier Headlines for August 12, 2009: coaching hot seat and more.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:42:59 -0000

Back with more football coverage later in the day. Meanwhile:

Better Know an Embattled Coach: Bill Lynch (Dr. Saturday): Doug Gillett, better known as the writer behind Georgia blog Hey Jenny Slater and now a contributor to Yahoo's Dr. Saturday blog, has a piece on Bill Lynch with some input from me.
IU's ex-wideouts embrace switch to defensive back (Courier Journal/Indianapolis Star): Terry Hutchens discusses the moves of Ray Fisher and Colin Taylor from WR to DB. Also, redshirt freshman Kyle Dietrick is making the move.
IU hopes sophomores help offense catch fire (The Journal Gazette): LaMond Pope, who has been covering IU comprehensively for the J-G, talks about the guys that may be the key to this team: sophomore WRs DaMarlo Belcher and Tandon Doss. Here's more from Pope on safeties Nick Polk and Austin Thomas.
Checking in with ... Indiana's Bill Lynch (ESPN): Rittenberg interviews Lynch.
Irving will visit Indiana (The Hoosier Scoop): Kryie Irving,the top 5 recruit from New Jersey, confirms that IU will get one of his official visits.
Bawa arrives in Bloomington (The Hoosier Scoop): Bawa Muniru, incoming basketball recruit, is in town but not yet cleared. There seems to be quite a bit of optimism that both Muniru and Maurice Creek will be cleared, but I think the NCAA focuses its resources on football and other fall sports at this time of year.
This isn't an IU story, but one of the best sports blogs around, Every Day Should be Saturday (EDSBS) is joining SB Nation. EDSBS has a Florida focus, but provides hilarious coverage of college football at large. If you weren't reading it already, start now.