SB Nation - Greg Middleton

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

Not enough hate?

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:01:05 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Get your hands off our bucket, farm boys.

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Boiled Sports, pointing to the "hate week" content on some other sites, laments the absence of that sort of intensity on IU and Purdue sites as the Bucket game approaches. I haven’t had much to say about it. The main reason is that there’s not much to say in response to "62-10." The Tiller era was a good era for Purdue and a bad one for IU, both overall and in the Bucket game, and I think the rivalry suffered. From the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, the tables were turned. IU was going to bowl games nearly every year and Purdue was languishing in a 12-year bowl drought. Still, the Bucket game was reasonably competitive and IU’s only two losing seasons in that period, 1989 and 1992, happened because the Hoosiers lost the Bucket game to horrid Purdue teams. In other words, even when their teams were horrible, the Boilers held up their end of the rivalry. IU didn’t do so during the Tiller era. I think it is to Tiller’s credit that he was able to motivate his team for the Bucket game even when Purdue had bigger fish to fry.

Boiled Sports usually is a bit more invective-filled than this site or Hammer and Rails (among BS’s greatest hits is the suggestion that Mike Davis was fired because he’s black–of course, Purdue has never fired a black coach because Purdue has never hired a black coach in a major sport–yes, I know about Carolyn Peck. I said major sport). The comment thread on BS runs the gamut from hate to indifference to pity when it comes to IU football, but shows unambiguous hate for IU’s basketball program and for the football programs at Michigan and Notre Dame.

I think this showcases Purdue fans’ complicated relationship with history. On one hand, the dismissal of IU’s football program is based (quite legitimately) on history. While Purdue is far from a top shelf program historically, Purdue’s overall record is far better than IU’s, and Purdue has won 64 percent of the football games between the two schools, nearly a two-to-one advantage. So in some circumstances, such as when comparing the football programs at IU and Purdue, or when talking about the Cradle of Quarterbacks, history matters. This changes quickly, of course, when the shoe is on the other foot. If a Notre Dame fan points out that the Fighting Irish have won more than 66 percent of the games between Purdue, or if a Michigan fan points out that U-M has won over 75 percent against Purdue, or if a fan of one of those schools points to their numerous championships, Heismans, or anything else, then those fans are snobs, delusional, living in the past, and so on. The same goes for IU basketball. Purdue fans care about history when it comes to the Boilers’ substantial lead in the head-to-head series with IU, even though the entirety of Purdue’s lead was accumulated in the pre-NCAA Tournament era, long before IU won even the dustiest of its banners. Hell, they even made T-shirts when Bob Knight was fired with a losing record against Gene Keady. History matters when it’s time for the current Purdue team to pose with the Boilers’ 1980 Final Four trophy (they give out trophies for just making the Final Four? I had no idea). But don’t you dare mention those dusty old banners than no one cares about! Living in the past! Living in the past! I think Purdue’s problem is that while the school has a solid tradition in both sports, there isn’t a major sport in which Purdue is one of the historical elite. IU fans seem to have less of an issue with Notre Dame and Michigan and Ohio State fans’ high regard for their football programs because we feel the same way about our basketball program, which is (everywhere except West Lafayette) considered one of college basketball’s five or six best programs of all time. Purdue fans don’t know what that’s like, so they lash out at any program with such a tradition.

As for the hate, well, I generally reserve my hate for the Boilermakers rather than for Purdue University. I think IU has a much nicer campus, and IU was a much better academic fit for me. Still, I consider the schools roughly equal academically with different areas of emphasis. IU’s SAT scores are modestly higher this year. Purdue’s SAT scores were modestly higher for a few years before that. As much as I enjoy yanking chains about animal husbandry and such, I don't put much stock in argument from either side that one of the schools is obviously academically superior. Really, I think it shows some proper perspective that despite an intense athletic rivalry, the two schools share campuses in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. Both universities are assets for the state.

Still, I hate the drum. I hate "Boiler up!" I really hate "1-2-3-4-first down!" I think the train whistle is obnoxious. Even Lee Greenwood would think "I! Am! An American!" is goofy and over the top, however well-intentioned. The way Tiller treated some of his players (and some of the players who jilted him, such as Greg Middleton) was pathetic. Certainly, there are some Purdue players I don’t mind. I never had a problem with Mike Alstott, even though he scored about 15 touchdowns against us in 1995. Drew Brees, I didn’t mind [Mole! Mole! Moley moley moley moley moley moley...Mole!] even though he was very good against IU. On the other hand, Brian Cardinal, Brad Miller, and Glenn Robinson can go to hell and they can save a seat for Chris Kramer. It probably is more of a basketball rivalry than anything else.

So, is the hate there? Yes. I want IU to win this game very badly, partly because it would be good for the program, and partly because of how offensive it is to watch Purdue win in our stadium. It’s a game that matters to both schools, if not from exactly the same perspective, no matter what the record of either team is. That’s a rivalry.

Hoosier Headlines for November 10, 2009: St. Joseph's coverage and more.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:23:13 -0000

Indiana overpowers St. Joseph's (The News-Sentinel - Fort Wayne IN)
"So what did Indiana’s 2-0 exhibition run showcase? For one thing, junior guard Jeremiah Rivers will set the Hoosiers’ tone. For another, guard Maurice Creek can challenge forward Christian Watford for top team freshman honors. Finally, speed rules."
Creek active for IU (South Bend Tribune)
"Maurice Creek would be the first to tell you that his exhibition opener last week against Grace College left a lot to be desired. With that in mind, he was determined to play a more active role Monday night against St. Joseph’s. He didn’t disappoint. Creek led Indiana in scoring with 16 points and pulled down seven rebounds to help lead the Hoosiers to a 96-67 victory over St. Joseph’s before an announced crowd of 15,289 in IU’s exhibition finale at Assembly Hall."
IU finishes preseason easily (The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.)
IU cruises in final exhibition game 95-67 (Indiana Daily Student)
Creek scores 16 points in IU's exhibition win (The Courier-Journal)
Crean's take on setting the pace (The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.)
"Indiana had 20 fast-break points in the 95-67 win against Saint Joseph's College. Four players reached double figures, led by Maurice Creek's 16."

Improvement obvious as Hoosiers cruise (Evansville Courier & Press)Buying into the upside (Indiana Daily Student)

Thoughts on Second Exhibition Game with St. Joseph's (Hoosiers Insider | The Indianapolis Star)
"But what Indiana basketball did show Monday night is that this is a completely different team than it was a year ago. There's some talent on this team and different players stepped up that didn't play nearly as well in the first game. The one feeling I had in this game was that you could see it in Tom Crean's demeanor that when things weren't going well and he needed to make substitutions he could look down his bench and he had options to go to."

Hoosiers cruise past St. Joe’s in final tune-up, 95-67 (Inside the Hall)

Hoosiers outrun St. Joseph’s (The Hoosier Scoop)

Buying into the upside (Indiana Daily Student)

IU senior tailback ready for any chance to play (The News-Sentinel - Fort Wayne IN)
"Don't tell Bryan Payton he's a backup, an afterthought, a bit player in a football season of near misses. Indiana's fifth-year senior tailback faces the end of his college career finding reward in whatever opportunities come his way. Ask him to spend most of the games on the sidelines and he deals with it. Ask him about his future and he sees no limits. Ask him to handle special- team duties and he commits body and soul to it."

Indiana Hoosiers have found ways to "gift wrap" victories (The Sports Blog - PennLive.com)
"However - and this is a big however - Indiana simply hasn't learned the difference between competing hard and winning games. The bar hasn't been raised to the point where the Hoosiers believe they can win tight games. Moral victories are apparently still good enough."

Penn State Hot List for Indiana (PennLive.com)
"The Indiana defense has yet to grasp the concept of pass coverage. Despite the presence of two terrific rush ends in Jammie Kirlew (13.5 tackles for loss) and Greg Middleton (7.5), the Hoosiers are ranked last in the Big Ten in pass defense, allowing an average of 250 yards per contest. They also have surrendered 16 touchdown passes. Derek Moye, you listenin?"

Who wants to be millionaire coach? (Detroit Free Press)
Info on all Big Ten coaches, although for the bottom half, only salary has been disclosed in this article.

College basketball preview: Year of the blueblood (Mike DeCourcy - Sporting News)
"With Roy Williams, Bill Self, John Calipari, Ben Howland, Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Crean in charge of the blueblood programs, this will be the first time since 1995-96 — and only the second time in history — all six will begin the season under coaches with Final Four experience."

Eli Holman finds happiness at Detroit Mercy (Inside Bay Area)

Iowa 42, Indiana 24: a closer look.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:14:55 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

about 1 month ago: Indiana's Damarlo Belcher, right, catches a pass in front of Iowa's Shaun Prater during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009, in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa won 42-24. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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Here are the stats. In a game like this, where one team dominated a portion of a game and the other team dominated the other part, it's often hard to draw much information from overall stats. Still, in the end, Iowa dominated as thoroughly in total offense (480 to 306) as in the final score. Of course, a big part of that yardage advantage is based on empty possessions that ended in Iowa turnovers, but the two long touchdown passes in the second half played a role as well. Iowa average 7.6 yards per offensive play compared to 4.5 for IU. Both quarterbacks were atrocious, of course. There were eight interceptions in this game: five by Ricky Stanzi and three by Ben Chappell.

Statistically, the story of this game was the story of the season: lack of offensive production in the second half. IU gained only 121 yards in the second half and only 20 yards in the fourth quarter. IU now has scored 145 points in the first half of games this season and only 68 points in the second half. IU has scored 52 points in the last two weeks, and only three have come in the second half. This is a problem that really manifested itself in 2008 and has continued to be a huge issue in 2009. To succeed at IU, Bill Lynch and his staff must find a way to produce points in the second half.

Individuals:

Darius Willis averaged only 2.6 yards per carry and netted 54 yards.
For once, Tandon Doss was overshadowed. Damarlo Belcher caught 6 balls for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Collin Taylor intercepted two passes, made seven tackles, and forced a fumble.
Adam Replogle recorded 1.5 sacks. IU had three sacks on the day but none by Greg Middleton or Jammie Kirlew.

I don't have much else to say about this one. IU had chances, faced poor officiating, but ultimately, the story of this one is the story of the last two seasons. Now, IU has to beat either Wisconsin or Penn State to keep bowl hopes alive heading in to the Bucket game. Neither seems likely, but IU has been able to compete with apparently more talented teams, and needs to find a way to compete all day at some point.

Defensive Discussions, Week 9 In The Big Ten

grahamfiller10 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:53:49 -0000

How will Indiana attack the relatively vanilla attack of Iowa? Indiana runs a basic 4-3 and they are most effective when an explosive front four gets pressure and clogs running holes. Jammie Kirlew, Greg Middleton, and Larry Black Jr. will try to push the Iowa offensive tackles upfield, forcing that patented Iowa off-tackle run back into the middle of the defense or making TFL's.

How does Fitzy gameplan against Clark and Royster? Northwestern's base 4-3 features an underperforming defensive line that stepped up big against Indiana in the 2nd half of last weeks game. Pressuring Chappell and stuffing any semblance of a Hoosier run gave enough time for Kafka to lead a comeback. But PSU is a different beast, again featuring the Big Ten's best passing attack. What should Pat Fitzgerald be doing to slow PSU's well rounded attack? Play zone. The Wildcats feature one of the least talented linebacking corps in the Big 10 - they can't cover Quarless down the field in man. And we've seen what Graham Zug can do against the one on one coverage of Michigan. Drop into a zone and pray for some front four pressure, Iowa style.

Can Michigan stop giving up big plays for long enough to survive Illinois? It's actually a perfect storm for the Wolverines. Illinois's offense has generated fewer long gains than any offense in the Big Ten, while Michigan seems to give up long passes against any talented team they play. ND? Clausen throws for almost 400 yards with a couple of long tosses. Indiana? 85 yard run late in the fourth, long bomb to Doss. Iowa? 2 TD's, 35 and 42 yards, to a wide open tight end. Michigan is pressing on defense, trying to make big plays and leaving safety's on islands or in bad position. If any team won't be able to exploit this Wolverine D, it's Illinois. GregRob should leave his safeties deep, roll his corners up, and make Juice or Charest throw between defenders - something they haven't done successfully all year.

Will the Spartan 4-3 be tested at all versus Mini? This unit, headlined by All-Everything LB Greg Jones, is giving up only 103 yards per game rushing, third best in the Big Ten. Talented DT's who shoot gaps and an active, physical linebacking corp make the 4-3 an effective run defense. But the secondary is prone to penalties and breakdowns. Expect Narduzzi, the MSU defensive coordinator under fire for pulling out a prevent defense late versus Iowa, to stick to his vanilla 4-3 guns here with full confidence that his improved defense is more talented than the Gophers injury prone offense.

Did Purdue's D-Co learn anything from OSU about stopping Wisky? The Buck's executed a solid gameplan to slow John Clay and Co, slowing Clay early by jamming the middle and then dropping into a deeper zone and picking Tolzien three times. The Bucks could do this because of their outstanding talent, but Purdue is an improved team across the board defensively. Ryan Kerrigan will get the lions share of media attention, but the key will be the linebackers here. If Wisky cannot run early, Tolzien will be throwing those beautiful 20 yard out routes and seam routes into multiple defenders.

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.

Q&A with Lake the Posts.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:30:09 -0000

via www.sportslogos.net

Earlier today, I posted a link to Lake the Posts, where I answered some of LTP's questions in anticipation of tomorrow's game. LTP's answers to my questions are below:

1. Northwestern has typically been able to run the ball successfully, but> not this year. What's the problem? I expected Tyrell Sutton to be a big loss, but it must be bigger than that, right?

Much bigger. It has been a bizarro year to be understated. Essentially everything we thought would be a strength has been a weakness and vice versa, EXCEPT the ground game. We feared it was this potentially bad, however, our OL was solid last year albeit extremely green. The big assumption was they'd improve -many had our O-line picked as one of the better in the Big Ten - and thus, the ground game wouldn't be as bad as we thought. It's beyond bad. Our OL has been brutal and we have no one in the backfield with any degree of elusiveness which makes for a disastrous 1-2 combo. Kind of like Orange juice and toothpaste.

2. Given Mike Kafka's numbers, it's not surprising that the Wildcats have a number of receivers with impressive stats. Which Wildcat receivers should Hoosier fans worry about the most?

Andrew Brewer reawakened last week and can be a downfield threat. Zeke Markshausen is having a tremendous season and is coming off a 16 reception week vs MSU (not a misprint) and is our clutch receiver, although usually short yardage. We're loaded with great hands across the board including Sidney Stewart, but lack a true gamebreaker.

3. How about on defense? Which part of your defense presents the biggest problem for the Hoosier offense?

The secondary is our strength, but they're dinged badly. Preseason All-American Corey Wootton, our Greg Middleton (but better in '08) has not recovered well from the torn ACL and has yet to register a sack.It's been sad to watch him struggle so. Our DL has recently comealive, but Sherrick McManis, our CB is the clear difference maker on D. Both our senior starting safeties - Brendan Smith (out) and Brad Phillips (likely out) are huge losses. MSU exploited this once Phillips went out of the game after we pitched a 1st half shutout.

4. If there is any Big Ten fan base than can sympathize with Northwestern's
attendance woes, it's IU's. But over the last couple of years, despite
plenty of success and optimism, you guys have been making us look like Ohio
State. I know you have dedicated many posts to this topic, but what's the
problem in a nutshell?

NU is infamous for playing to the level of the opponent - both the very good and the very bad. For us to take the next step, we need to learn how to step on teams' throats when we get up. We almost emit a"nice guy" image and lack the OSU kick your ass instinct. This applies to IU. No offense, but we've actually had more talent most of this decade, but you always play us tough. We don't take IU lightly, although we did last year - as a fan base anyway. We both look at this as "W" every year the schedule comes out, but the confidence is clearly lacking in Wildcat Nation. I can't remember a more disappointing season since 2001 - our post Big Ten champion year when we returned most of our weapons.

5. And finally, what's your prediction for tomorrow?

Possibly wishful thinking but the revenge factor from 08 + homecoming+ must win for bowl hopes gives us the slightest of edge:NU 30 IU 27 (OT).

Thanks, LTP.

Northwestern vs. Indiana: Now with Bowl Implications!

Rodger Sherman — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:14:28 -0000

That should say "now with major bowl implications."

Actually, it should say "now with major implications for minor bowls."

Coming into the year, someone who knew nothing about college football saw this matchup and was probably like "man, that game's gonna suck, a bunch of cellar-dwellers," and somebody who paid way too much attention to college football probably saw this matchup and thought "hey, two Big Ten darkhorses, I like it."

Well, they were both a little bit right, but primarily wrong. What I mean is, both of these teams are pretty bad. NU seems to be missing a different facet of their game every week, and Indiana couldn't defend an armless toddler in a game of pickup basketball. But on the other hand, both these teams are 4-3, a win away from .500 in-conference, and would be teeter-tottering on the edge of bowldom if they won. So in short, both these teams are terrible, but this is a big game. Lezz preview it.

Oh, and check out The Crimson Quarry. Do it. Or else.

I'd take Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell in a arm-muscle vein-off against most people, except maybe Wolverine from the Wolverine movie.

When we got the ball: If there's been one constant in NU's season thus far, it's our lack of a run game. I'd even take the Hoosiers anemic run defense against our backfield. Don't run. Pass. Luckily, Pat Fitzgerald appears to be committed to this revolutionary gameplan. You know, I didn't even notice Jacob Schmidt was out last week? I mean, maybe I did, but it's just so irrelevant at this point who we have available at running back. We shouldn't be running.

So the onus, once again, is on Mike Kafka. We best be double-teaming Jammie Kirlew, because knowing this year's o-line, one guy ain't gonna cut it, and I'd like to see Kafka recognize when he's a few seconds away from getting sacked by that huge dude, tucking it away, and going at the soft weak area of that Indiana defense, which as noted, ain't too great outsidea that Kirlew fella. He's got the speed, and if he uses it correctly, I'd be down for a mini-Minnesota 08.

Oh, and DON'T FUMBLE. It's comical how different a game that big l last week is if not for two mental lapses.

When they got the ball: I'll be real, I like what I've seen from this defensive unit in the past few weeks. Even though we let MSU drop 24 last week, I'm not disappointed with the showing, and Indiana is a considerably worse team offensively, and hopefully we won't be giving them fumbles on our own 22 this week.

The key is covering Tandon Doss. I think we all trust Sherrick McManis right now, even after the Blair Whitestravaganza last week, so, let's see him get to it.

People I'm watching:

Offense: Neil Deiters: Deiters has officially moved on up into the starting lineup and is listed as "OR" in the starting spot at left tackle. If you're not gulping just because we're starting a redshirt freshman at what's probably the most important position on the line with a righty quarterback, you should be gulping because we're starting a redshirt freshman who hasn't looked great, accumulating two holding calls back-to-back last week, at what's probably the most important position on the line with a righty quarterback, against a team with the best DE in the conference and Greg Middleton, who isn't too bad, at the other end spot. Whoever is there is in trouble and will be one of the keys to this matchup, let's hope Deiters, after starting his first game last week, can come up big, block out Kirlew and buy Kafka that extra second he might need in a pass-happy offense.

Defense: Not to be obvious, but Jared Carpenter. Last week, we saw Brian Peters step in at a safety spot and replace Brendan Smith, all things told, quite well, and was one of the best players on the defense. Now, Brad Phillips is questionable, and I'm not going to hold Carpenter to Peters' standard, because even I wasn't expecting that. But most likely, Carpenter will get his first start this week, and they'll be passing, and he'll have to make big plays, even though essentially none of us know anything about him. Tell us something, Jared.

Pick in a mascot fight to the death: Toughie. The wildcat has claws and paws, but the hoosier is about four times his size. If the wildcat can dig in deep, prevent himself from getting kicked or punched too hard, and climb up his opponent for a potentially winning headshot, he should have an easy win. Game, Northwestern. (mascot death fight records: NU, 3-5, Indiana, 2-6.)

Prediction:

Despues del jump!

Northwestern, 34, Indiana, 27. Northwestern's not much better, but they're better. NU has had games in which they've been great offensively, games when they've been great defensively, but none with both, and it's not happening this week. But I don't see Mike Kafka not wreaking havoc on Indiana's defense, and we might have ourselves a shootout.

Anyway, disagree or agree in the comments, and, if you ain't at the game tomorrow, a) what's wrong with you, you sick bastard and b) stop by in the comments section. I won't be commenting along, probably, but do it to it anyway.

Hoosier Headlines for October 22, 2009: Northwestern game approaches.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:42:59 -0000

More photos » by TONY DING - AP

Browse more photos »

North Side product beginning to prosper (The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.)
"Belcher turned a short pass from quarterback Ben Chappell into a 29-yard touchdown, juking Hicks near the 15-yard line. Belcher shook one way and then went the other, causing Hicks to fall on his face."
Focusing on the present is key to Indiana's future (The News-Sentinel - Fort Wayne IN)
"The temptation is there for the Indiana Hoosiers. How could it not be? They have their bowl aspirations. They understand the stakes. Win at Northwestern (4-3) on Saturday and they’re one victory away from bowl eligibility, two from bowl certainty. Lose and, given the upcoming three-game swing of Iowa (7-0), Wisconsin (5-2) and Penn State (6-1), misery seems likely."
IU's evolving offense pays out (Indiana Daily Student )
"As the Hoosiers continue their march through the Big Ten season and toward a possible bowl game, the element of surprise has played a crushing role. In their near victory at Michigan, IU opened the rushing playbook, sending men in motion and confusing the defense on the way to a 197-yard, three-touchdown domination on the ground. And against Illinois on Saturday, the pistol formation – the basis of the team’s offense in the first half of the season – virtually vanished. "
IU defender Mayberry has big role, little fanfare as middle linebacker, team’s top tackler (The Courier-Journal)
"Mention the defense and someone will usually think of sack specialists Greg Middleton or Jammie Kirlew. Press a little further and you may hear Ray Fisher's name in the secondary. But Mayberry is the glue holding the defense together. "

Chappell uses smarts under center (South Bend Tribune)
"The steady junior quarterback almost seemed embarrassed this week to talk about being honored as the Big Ten’s co-offensive player of the week following his career-high 333-yard, three-touchdown performance last week against Illinois."

Pritchard bruises way to better play (The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.)
"The sophomore’s game is also developing thanks to more competition at practice. Last year, the 6-foot-9 Pritchard was one of three players – Tijon Jobe and Kyle Tabor the others – on the team listed at 6-8 or taller. The Hoosiers added four more to the roster with freshmen."

Dana O'Neil: Indiana's fresh faces offer hope (ESPN)
Yet knowing what he knew firsthand -- just how far Indiana had fallen and just how much work it would take to rebuild it -- Hulls didn't hesitate when it came time to choose a college. He asked for some candy-striped pants.

Second-half outlook: Indiana - Big Ten (ESPN)

Lynch: Northwestern’s efficiency a concern (The Hoosier Scoop)

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!

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