Both QBs available to play Saturday against Chippewas

After one and a half years of coaching IU football, Bill Lynch will have to make what could be one of his biggest decisions Saturday: sophomore Ben Chappell or junior Kellen Lewis?

With both quarterbacks healthy and able to play against Central Michigan, Lynch will make a game-time decision as to who will start. Coming to that decision won’t be easy.

“It’s a good situation, because they have both played,” Lynch said. “They both run the offense, and I think the offense is very comfortable with both of them. We’ll wait until we make the right decision.”

For the past 10 quarters, Lewis has sat on the sidelines nursing a high-ankle sprain. The injury has healed, but the incumbent starter faces strong competition from his back-up.

Last week, Chappell’s play fueled an IU offense that stayed dormant through three straight games, scoring 13 points or fewer in each one. Mired in a five-game losing streak, the Hoosiers found brief salvation in Chappell, who completed 21 of 34 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown.

Rarely did he make a mistake, if any at all.

As far back as the Cream and Crimson game in April, Lynch has done nothing but praise Chappell and the way he leads the offense. Prior to the win against Northwestern, Chappell officially won his team over with an inspirational speech.

Now the question is: Does Lynch give Lewis back his starting job?

Lewis was suspended in March for breaking team rules but won the starting position over Chappell in August. During Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s practices, which were open to the media, Lewis was a full participant and seemed to run without much trouble.

“He looked good,” Chappell said of Lewis. “He had a good run-through yesterday and practiced well today.”

Before the Hoosiers sidelined Lewis due to the injury, Lynch had already begun to implement a dual-quarterback system. On certain plays, Chappell came in as the quarterback, while Lewis lined up as a slot wide receiver or a second running back.

Using Lewis as a decoy worked at first against Michigan State, but soon Lewis was injured, and the Hoosiers had to shelve those plays for the last few weeks.

“Obviously, that’s part of our package,” Lynch said. “How much we do it, I don’t know. You put the game plan in, and you see where they’re at.”

Against a strong Mid-American Conference team like Central Michigan, a few wrinkles in the offense might help the Hoosiers.

“They’re a great team,” Chappell said. “If they’re not the best team in the MAC, they’re right up there. We’re going to have to play a good game to win it.”

Lynch has no worries about the readiness of either quarterback, but a conceivable problem with their success is how the offensive line handles the situation, because Lewis is a mobile quarterback and Chappell is a pocket passer.

Asked whether not knowing who the quarterback is until Saturday changes any preparation, junior offensive lineman Pete Saxon shrugged it off and said the line will be ready.

“They’re both our starting quarterbacks,” Saxon said. “Nothing’s different in this game. We can run every play with either of them in.”