Hoosiers aim to win 13

The vivid memories of a fan-flooded Memorial Stadium field after IU beat rival Purdue to clinch its first bowl berth since 1993 might seem like they just happened.

But already, Saturday marks the start of a new year for the IU football team. Riding their momentum from the end of last year, the Hoosiers open the 2008 campaign against Western Kentucky at noon in Memorial Stadium.

Since IU’s 49-33 Insight Bowl loss to Oklahoma State last season, the team has been yearning to start the new season.

“The last time you play, you have a nasty taste in your mouth and the only thing you’ve been doing since spring is hitting each other,” junior quarterback Kellen Lewis said. “You almost rather play middle school football, anything but yourself – you’re tired of playing yourself.”

Though IU coach Bill Lynch guided his team to fulfilling the late Terry Hoeppner’s wish of “playing 13,” the Hoosiers are in no way satisfied with last year’s bowl-game loss.

And now they will take the next step – a bowl title.

In their opener, the Hoosiers take the Hilltoppers, a program more known for basketball. But during the past couple of years, Western Kentucky increased its strength of schedule and could challenge the Hoosiers.

Even though the Hilltoppers are new to the Football Bowl Subdivision – this will be their second year in the Division I’s top level – the Hoosiers aren’t about to allow anyone to surprise them, team members said.

For years, the Hilltoppers dominated what used to be Division 1-AA and have racked up 12 straight winning seasons. They will join the Sun Belt Conference next year. And where IU struggles, Western Kentucky excels.

The Hilltoppers have a methodical running game. They ran the ball twice as often as they passed. IU’s run defense last year was less than impressive.

“I think it’s well documented that when we didn’t play the run real well last year is when we had trouble,” Lynch said.

In the Hoosiers’ six losses last year, opponents averaged 245 yards on the ground for an average of 4.85 yards per carry.

Vying for a second straight bowl game, that type of run defense isn’t going to fly, Lynch said.

To offset Western Kentucky’s ground attack, the Hoosiers’ game plan is to take control of the tempo from the start. Using their newly implemented no-huddle offense, the Hilltoppers will be the first opponent to see the fresh look in a game that Lynch said will be used almost the entire game.

Even though the Hilltoppers aren’t a major program, Lynch said IU can’t afford to take that into consideration.

He added that not too long ago, the Hoosiers were considered the low class of the Big Ten and struggled with teams comparable to Western Kentucky.

“(We were) very fortunate to beat Nicholls State a few years ago, and we didn’t beat Southern Illinois (in 2006),” Lynch said. “Those guys in the locker room remember those games. We don’t have to talk to them about Appalachian State and Michigan.
“We’ve lived it.”