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(12/30/13 5:47pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>CINCINNATI, Ohio—A small boy — likely the brother of one of the IU women’s basketball players — donning Indiana’s iconic candy-striped pants and a Hoosier basketball jersey waited outside of the IU locker room. After several minutes of pacing back and forth in the hallway, he decided that he couldn’t wait any longer. He opened the door, allowing a muffled rendition of “Happy Birthday” to escape the confines of the Hoosier locker room and echo throughout the bowels of Xavier University’s Cintas Center. The team was wishing Assistant Coach Kevin Eckert a happy birthday.Then, one by one, the players and team personnel filed out of the locker room and toward the team bus.IU Assistant Coach Brandi Poole expressed her excitement for the Potbelly sandwiches that awaited the team on the bus for the ride back to Bloomington. IU Coach Curt Miller remarked that his foot ached and he was quick to mention that he didn’t stomp his foot once in frustration at an official during the game.To an outside observer, the team’s post-game demeanor following its 62-55 victory against Xavier on Sunday wouldn’t appear out of the ordinary.However, this year's IU women's basketball team is far from ordinary. The road win completed IU’s perfect run through the gauntlet of its non-conference schedule.Thirteen games, thirteen victories.For those with a superstitious disposition, there’s not a more unlucky number than 13, but the number represents an unprecedented milestone for the Hoosiers. In the 42-year history of the Hoosier women’s basketball program, IU has never won 13 games in a row, let alone had that many consecutive victories to start a season.“Certainly not a lot of people outside our locker room gave us any kind of chance to do that,” Miller said. “We got a long way to go in this building process, years still to (be) where we ultimately want to be but (I’m) really proud of them.” Miller cracked a smile as he began to list the team’s achievements through the first two months of the season.“Six true road wins, 13-0, best start,” he said. “(I’m) really proud of those accomplishments.”Miller’s squad successfully navigated the only three-game road trip scheduled for a Big Ten team this season and the Hoosiers finished the calendar year by defeating a Xavier team that has a 164-50 home record since the Cintas Center opened.Miller’s faith in his bench and IU’s ability to dominate the paint proved to be the difference as the Hoosiers held off Xavier’s second half scoring run.Seven Hoosiers contributed off the bench but no one was more valuable than senior center Simone Deloach, who recorded her second career double-double with season highs in points and rebounds. The Round Rock, Tex. native scored 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds, blocked one shot and logged one steal.Led by its senior-laden frontcourt, IU outscored Xavier 38-16 in the paint and the Hoosiers outrebounded their opponent for the ninth time this season.Senior forward Tabitha Gerardot, who led the Hoosiers with 19 points, said the team’s depth has been one of its strengths all season.“Coach (Miller) is masterful at knowing who to put in,” Gerardot said. “Sometimes you go ‘Woah, I wasn’t expecting that’ and then that player shines out there and does something really good. I think it’s hard to guard a team that has so many players coming in.”IU’s starters, along with Deloach, built up an early lead in the first 14 minutes and the cushion paid dividends for the rest of the game. After missing its first four shots and falling behind 5-2, IU went on an 11-0 run that was fueled by four Xavier turnovers. Freshman Taylor Agler was able to maneuver through the Musketeers’ weak transition defense three separate times for layups in that span.“We did the best job running…early in the game,” Miller said. “(It’s) always great (when) you get some transition points. We had points in the paint in the first ten minutes of the game. Right off the bat we were in double figures in points in the paint.”With IU leading 15-9 in the first half, Xavier Coach Brian Neal adjusted to a full-court press. The coaching decision backfired in the short run as the Hoosiers exploited the Musketeers’ new defensive look and they went on a 12-2 run that lasted nearly seven minutes.IU was in the driver’s seat with a 27-11 lead but the Hoosiers were unable to deliver the knockout blow to Xavier.“We just couldn’t seem to make a few shots to put the dagger in,” Miller said. “We got a little big stagnant offensively, they dictated where they wanted us to go and we didn’t make some shots. We weren’t getting on the boards as we got tired.”In the final 6:04 of the first half, IU shot 1-of-8 from the floor, turned the ball over six times and committed four fouls.On the sideline, Miller was visibly upset with his team’s sudden implosion and he called two timeouts in the waning minutes of the first half to try to regroup his young backcourt.“We had some turnover issues in stretches, we had some freshman mistakes,” he said. “I thought we played fatigued at times and didn’t play through our fatigue. We succumbed to it and made some mental mistakes.”Miller said his message to his players at halftime was that Xavier wasn’t going to go away despite IU’s 12-point lead. “They’ve won a lot of games in this building and they have a senior backcourt so we needed to fight,” he said. “We know we had twenty minutes to do what we called ‘something special,’ 13-0, and they fought all the way to the finish line.”Shatyra Hawkes, Xavier’s senior point guard, nearly single-handedly willed the Musketeers to within striking distance of the Hoosiers. Hawkes finished with a game-high 23 points and she was 5-of-6 from the field in the second half.When asked what made the 5-foot-3 guard so difficult to defend, Miller said that as a senior, Hawkes has been “through the wars.”“She’s a very good one-on-one player and hard to match with at times,” he said. “We knew that coming in. She’s their leading scorer, she takes the most shots. We weren’t going to shut her totally down but if we could contain her from a monster game, we felt good.”Excluding Hawkes, Xavier struggled to get in a rhythm offensively. Her teammates were 12-of-41 from the field and 3-of-21 from three-point range, making a comeback virtually impossible. The Musketeers never drew closer than seven points of the Hoosiers in the second half.Gerardot said the players have 24 hours to be excited about the latest notch in their belt before the team has to reset for the beginning of conference play.“Obviously it means a lot,” she said. “Everybody is really excited and pumped about what we’ve been able to accomplish this far."Gerardot said the team's little goals and big goals have come together, making it fun start to the season for a program coming off of three consecutive losing seasons. However, the Hoosiers' season is far from over. IU's game against Iowa on Jan. 2 marks the start of conference play, a much more rigorous stretch of games than the 13-game test the team just aced. Miller is giving his team a day off before it puts its nose back to the grindstone. On paper, the first week of 2014 is as challenging for the Hoosiers as any other five-day stretch in the regular season.The team's reward for starting 13-0 is getting the opportunity to play back-to-back ranked teams in Iowa and Purdue at the start of Big Ten play. "January is awaiting for us and it’s not going to be easy,” he said. “We’re young but this freshman class is fearless and we’ve got an energized senior group that’s having the best year of their careers. It’s going to be fun.” “It’s always fun to be the underdog and you get to go lay it on the line and see what happens.” It remains to be seen how good the Hoosiers can be in the Big Ten.“We’ve exceeded so many expectations, we’re far past what people thought so I don’t even want to set a limit,” Gerardot said. “I don’t know, we’ll see. I’m really excited though, it’s definitely the most fun college year I’ve had and I think everybody is enjoying the ride.”Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter at @AndyWittry.
(12/02/13 3:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Coming off of its two worst defeats of the season and having its bowl hopes terminated in the process, IU rebounded with a 56-36 victory on senior day against Purdue on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. With the victory, IU brought the Old Oaken Bucket back to Bloomington for the first time since 2010.“This is the best moment of my life,” said IU redshirt senior kicker Mitch Ewald while celebrating with his teammates in the locker room.“To beat these guys and have it be our last game here at home with this senior class is unbelievable,” Ewald said.IU’s (5-7, 3-5) matchup against Purdue (1-11, 0-8) was the send-off game for 21 Hoosier seniors.Ewald, who kicked the game-tying and game-winning field goals in West Lafayette in IU’s last Bucket game victory in 2010, said this season’s win against Purdue feels a little bit better.“It’s a memory that we’ll never forget, to go out this way and for Coach (Kevin) Wilson,” he said. “I keep going back to this senior class, just the friends, the relationships we’ve established, and that will last forever.”Wilson said he told the seniors they had to have a mindset that allowed them to finish the way they wanted.“My thought was, ‘You have a long time to reminisce and remember, but you have one last chance to play this week,’” he said. “As we always say, we want to get one day better. We made a big deal about this being our best week. Our emphasis was for this week to have our best preparation, our best meetings and to go out there and play our best.”Despite Purdue scoring more points against IU than it had against any other opponent all season, the Hoosiers recorded a school-record 692 total yards of offense and rewrote the school’s record book in the process.Redshirt sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson made his first start since Nov. 2 and produced 427 yards of total offense, including a team-high 154 rushing yards on 21 carries. Roberson’s six touchdown passes tied Bob Hoernschemeyer’s 70-year-old single-game record for IU quarterbacks.“Six touchdowns — y’all know how good that is,” junior wide receiver Shane Wynn said. Wilson said all of IU’s quarterbacks are capable of playing well, but he thought the Hoosiers needed to take advantage of Roberson’s ability to play in space against Purdue.“I think tomorrow he is going to be very sore,” Wilson said. “Over the long run right now, I don’t think Roberson’s body can hold up if he plays that kind of game every week.”Despite starting running back Tevin Coleman being sidelined for the third consecutive game, IU had three players rush for at least 100 yards for the first time in program history. Senior Stephen Houston rushed 17 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns.Junior D’Angelo Roberts had 113 yards on 14 carries.“It feels good. Two years in a row we lost when I felt that we should have won,” Houston said. “(It was an) unfortunate turn of events, but we won and brought it back.”
(11/24/13 2:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>COLUMBUS, Ohio — IU’s 42-14 loss to No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday marked the second consecutive game in which the Hoosiers’ running backs were held to fewer than 100 yards. In the past two weeks, No. 22 Wisconsin and Ohio State jumped out to early leads against IU and the Hoosiers were held scoreless in the first halves of both matchups. What caused the Hoosiers’ slow starts on offense? “Three-and-outs, maybe not coming out to play,” junior running back D’Angelo Roberts said. Wisconsin and Ohio State both took four-touchdown leads into halftime against IU. “For two weeks in a row, we kind of started off slow,” Roberts said. “You can’t really establish a running game when you have to play catch up. As an offense, we need to come out and score and not have to be put in this position every week.” Roberts and senior Stephen Houston have taken the reigns of IU’s backfield after the team’s starting running back, sophomore Tevin Coleman, suffered a right ankle sprain against Minnesota. IU Coach Kevin Wilson said despite Coleman’s absence the past two weeks, the Hoosiers do not have a void at running back. “Stephen’s played well,” Wilson said. “D’Angelo has been solid.” However, IU’s offense lacks a home run potential out of the backfield without Coleman. The Tinley Park, Ill., native led the country in runs of at least 40 yards through the first 11 weeks of the season. “He’s just a little bit better as far as suddenness, explosiveness,” Wilson said. “(He’s) a little more decisive, taking three and getting you five, taking five and running through a crack and getting you 15, 20. The other guys are pretty good but sometimes you get a little more what you block. “A really good back sometimes will, when there’s a nickel, he’ll get you a dime and a quarter and a little bit more money for the blocking.” Wilson said IU and Ohio State’s offensive statistics looked similar on paper. However, the scoreboard — the only statistic that truly matters in determining wins and losses — heavily favored the home team. “The real difference (was) their ability to run the ball and our inability to run the ball,” he said. In Wilson’s eyes, a good offensive team can run the ball “when zones get tight and the weather gets bad.” “The games we’ve played well, we ran it and played pretty good run defense,” he said. “The games that we’ve struggled, we haven’t had the run game. Bottom line, that’s a format there that’s going to be tough to win games.” In IU’s wins this season, the Hoosiers have run for an average of 275 yards per game and they held their opponents to less than 163 rushing yards in each victory. On average in the team’s losses, IU ran for 132 yards while allowing more than 331 yards per game. “It wasn’t there today,” Wilson said. “Credit to Ohio State (for) getting off blocks and having proper leverage and tackling us.” The Hoosiers doubled the Buckeyes in passing yards, 320 to 160, but Wilson credited Ohio State’s play at the line of scrimmage and in the backfield as the difference in the game. “There’s a lot of teams that do what we do in the spread,” he said. “Actually throw it very, very well. The teams that are really good are still running for two-, two-fifty, three-hundred (yards).” Ohio State ran for 311 yards, led by junior quarterback Braxton Miller’s 144 yards on the ground. “We haven’t been able to do that against good teams,” Wilson said. “That’s a credit to their defense and shows where our weaknesses are as we’re still trying to grow and get where we need to be.”Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(11/22/13 4:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With eight home games this fall, the Hoosiers had hoped earning bowl eligibility would be in their rearview mirror at this point in the season. Instead, in order to secure a spot in a bowl game, IU (4-6, 2-4) will have to win consecutive games against Big Ten opponents — a feat the program has accomplished only once since its last appearance in a bowl game in 2007.The Hoosiers will face No. 3 Ohio State (10-0, 6-0) in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday.IU Coach Kevin Wilson said IU has to slightly modify its preparation due to the combination of fatigue, injuries and a sense of urgency. “The urgency is we’ve got to keep getting better more than we’ve got to get this win to be a bowl team,” he said.Coming off of the team’s worst defeat of the season, a 51-3 drubbing at the hands of Wisconsin, Wilson said IU worked to “flush the funk out of that performance” in preparation for the Buckeyes.“Do you want to rehash that play and be negative, negative, negative?” he asked. “It’s not right. Some things need to be coached and corrected, and sometimes it needs to be flushed and moved on.”Wilson said with a bowl opportunity on the line for the next two weeks, the Hoosiers’ goal is always constant improvement. “I need their best two weeks,” he said. “We need to finish these two weeks the best we can, get better offense from a week ago. Got a great challenge this week, and we have to bring every phase of our defense along.”IU’s defense will try to slow down the nation’s fourth highest scoring offense on Saturday.Led by junior quarterback Braxton Miller, the Buckeyes average almost 50 points per game. Miller has thrown for 1,466 yards and 17 touchdowns this season while also rushing for 594 yards and three scores. “I think Braxton is a tremendous runner for a quarterback,” Wilson said. “Now a lot of guys say the guy can’t throw. I mean, his passing percentage is 68 percent, which is a better passing percentage than us.”When comparing IU and Ohio State’s offenses, Wilson said the Buckeyes have a physical presence and run a threat that the Hoosiers lack. After being suspended for the first three games of the season, Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, has 120 carries for 947 yards and 11 touchdowns in seven games. Ohio State’s depth at skill possessions sticks out to IU Defensive Coordinator Doug Mallory.“I don’t think they necessarily feature one guy in the passing game or one guy in the running game,” he said. “They’ve got a stable four receivers, a talented group of receivers, a talented group of running backs.”As the Hoosiers prepare for an Ohio State team that hasn’t lost since Jan. 2, 2012, Wilson said IU is going to continue building as a team and as a program, keeping this year’s seniors in mind. “These guys have a lot of respect for how far some of these seniors and what they’ve gone through and where we’re at,” he said. “It’s the best week. Go play as hard as we can, as best we can, and see if we can be competitive this week and get us on the right side.”Follow football reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(11/22/13 4:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following IU’s 52-49 loss to No. 8 Ohio State last October, an Ohio State fan tweeted about scoring a goal in lacrosse against then-redshirt junior tight end Ted Bolser in high school. The fan used a broken version of the transitive property to say that he could play Bolser’s position for the Hoosiers.Bolser responded by saying how he could have played lacrosse at the University of Maryland on scholarship.Ranked the 34th best tight end prospect in the country by ESPN for the 2009 recruiting class, Bolser chose to pursue a football career at IU instead of lacrosse.The 6-foot-6 inch, 252-pound tight end laughed, reflecting on the Twitter exchange, and said he had no idea where his lacrosse career could have gone.“I did love the sport,” Bolser said. “But I’m happy I chose football, to say the least.”Bolser will have one final chance to upset the Buckeyes when IU faces No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday in what will arguably be the most important game of his career. It’s a must-win matchup for the Hoosiers to earn bowl eligibility, it’s the final road game of his IU career and he will return to his home state to face a team that hasn’t lost since Jan. 2, 2012.However, Bolser is treating it like any other game on IU’s schedule.“We want to beat every Big Ten team,” he said. “It’s a Big Ten team that happens to be No. 3 in the nation at this time, but still, I don’t really look at that and if I did, you’re just mentally beat already.”The Bolser family, who doesn’t miss any of Ted’s games, will be in attendance at Ohio Stadium. Bolser said between 10 and 15 of his high school friends go to Ohio State.“I’m excited to play there in the fact that all my friends who went to Ohio State are finally seeing me,” he said.Plus, the ABC-ESPN reverse mirror broadcast means that a bigger spotlight will be on Touchdown Ted on Saturday.“I know everybody is going to be watching, so it’s exciting to show my abilities when we play against one of the best teams in the nation,” he said.* * *Bolser was a three-sport star at Indian Hill High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to being an All-Ohio football player, he was the captain of the Braves’ lacrosse team and led the city in rebounds and steals as a sophomore for Indian Hill’s varsity basketball team.Bolser’s former high school football coach, Kevin Siple, said the tight end was always motivated to play the game.“He is so competitive, and hated to lose more than anyone I have ever coached,” Siple said.Indian Hill, which went undefeated in the Cincinnati Hills League during Bolser’s three seasons on varsity, ran a spread, no-huddle offense. The team never lined up with a traditional tight end on offense. Bolser played split end, filling in on defense at linebacker in big games or key situations as needed. Siple said Bolser was a leader by example and it started from his upbringing. “His parents had very high behavior expectations of Ted and his brothers to do the right thing all the time,” Siple said.Ted’s father, Tom Bolser, is a teacher, so Siple said Bolser always took care of his business in the classroom.“Since he was such a competitive person, his teammates always respected his will to win and followed his lead,” Siple said.Siple said the characteristic that stood out to him was Bolser’s constant desire to improve. “Even though Ted was always the biggest and best athlete on the field, he always worked to get better,” Siple said. “He could have just ‘coasted’ in high school and still dominated, but he worked hard to get better. That’s the kind of player Ted was.”***IU Coach Kevin Wilson said Bolser has played with a sense of urgency this season because it’s his final year in Bloomington and he wants to play in the NFL.Despite Bolser’s size and career résumé, Wilson said it’s going to be tough for the tight end to make it to the next level.“He’s not a true body that fits some of their things in special teams and fits some of those things in their blocking mode and what they need to do at that league,” Wilson said. Siple had similar concerns about Bolser when the tight end was making the jump from playing on Friday nights in high school to competing on Saturdays in the Big Ten. “The thing that stood out to me was his development as a blocking tight end,” he said. “Ted has the best hands of any player I have ever coached, plus he has the physical size to compete at a high level, so I knew the receiving part of the position would not be a problem.”For Siple, his biggest question about Bolser’s transition to higher ranks of organized football was if the tight end could be an effective blocker for the Hoosiers. “Since he was always a split end growing up, I thought putting his hand on the ground and blocking in the Big Ten was going to be the challenge,” Siple said. “To Ted’s credit, and his coaches at IU, he has shown so much improvement week to week in that area.”Bolser said that a big part of blocking is having the mentality. “Mentally I’ve been great this past summer all the way through now, and if you ask Coach Wilson, it’s definitely mentality,” Bolser said. “I think I’ve definitely improved in that aspect.”Since IU games were always televised in Cincinnati, Siple had the opportunity to watch his former player compete almost every week in the fall. Seeing Bolser’s growth at tight end over the course of five seasons in Bloomington convinced Siple that Bolser’s NFL dreams could come to fruition in 2014. “I think that’s what really convinced me that he could have the chance to play on Sundays,” he said.***While Bolser may lack some of the physical tools necessary to play professionally, he tries to make up the difference in his effort. “He knows he’s got to play at a high level of energy and effort,” Wilson said. Bolser is multifaceted. He not only contributes to the Hoosiers’ offense as a receiver and blocker but he is a starter on IU’s special teams unit. “He can make some plays in the pass game, but he’s been awesome in kick coverage,” Wilson said. “He’s been awesome in punt coverage.”Even though Bolser has doubled up on his starting roles as both a tight end and on special teams coverage, his effort has not suffered.“You watch Bolser, he’s the first guy down covering a kick after you score a touchdown,” Wilson said. “That’s what you want. That’s great to see.”In IU’s first six games, Bolser was named Offensive Player of the Week twice and Special Teams Player of the Week three times. “I really enjoy it,” Bolser said. “I like to show my separation from other guys, and I like to be the best at whatever I do. If that involves special teams, I’m going to try to do my best.”The SPEA Management major became the 20th receiver in program history with at least 100 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in his career. Bolser is IU’s all-time leader in receiving yards (1,313) and touchdowns (14) by a tight end. With 112 catches as a Hoosier, he trails only Bob Stephenson in career receptions by a tight end, and he needs just four more to break the record.While he acknowledges how special it is for him to leave his name in IU’s record books, Bolser isn’t caught up in the numbers.“I literally had no idea how many catches I had to get for breaking Bob Stephenson’s tight end catching record,” he said. “It means a lot, but I’m still focused on the season and rolling out with these guys.”Bolser caught the attention of the national media in his redshirt freshman season when he had 27 receptions, 407 yards and five touchdowns. Five media outlets, including ESPN.com and Rivals.com, selected him for their All-Freshman teams.He was the lone freshman included in the 22-player John Mackey Award Midseason Watch List, which is awarded annually to college football’s most outstanding tight end.Bolser is book-ending his collegiate career in similar fashion to how it began. On Monday, he was among the eight tight ends who were named semifinalists for the 2013 John Mackey Award.When asked what it would mean to him if he won the award, Bolser was lost for words.“I’d be speechless,” he said. “It’s a great award and to win it ... I’ve never even fathomed that.”***Wilson said Bolser benefits from finally having stability in his final year of eligibility.“I actually coached him the first year,” Wilson said. “He went from a coach then to me and then on.”Bolser said the Hoosiers were pretty much a running team in Wilson’s first season in Bloomington. “He didn’t know what I was capable of doing, and he was figuring out everybody’s strengths and weaknesses,” he said. “I ended up blocking a lot. It’s been a real roller coaster.”Bolser’s receiving statistics took a nosedive in the first year of the new regime. After posting numbers that earned him All-Big Ten honorable mention honors as a redshirt freshman, Bolser was limited to 14 receptions for 165 yards and one touchdown in 2011.His receptions and receiving yards nearly tripled from his redshirt sophomore to redshirt junior season. Wilson said the coaching staff underwent restructuring after the 2011 season and Offensive Coordinator Seth Littrell, who came to IU from the University of Arizona in 2012, took over the role as Tight Ends Coach.However, the roller coaster ride was far from over.“This year we’ve had some people get hurt here and there, so I had to block a little bit more,” Bolser said. “I was catching the ball a lot more at the beginning of the season.”The tight end caught 11 passes for 134 yards and four touchdowns in IU’s first two games.“I think having Coach Littrell for two years in a row ... (helped him in) having some continuity as far as what he’s hearing every day, kind of relating to him,” Wilson said. As IU’s rushing attack gained momentum throughout the season — Tevin Coleman and Stephen Houston became the first Hoosier running back duo in school history to both rush for at least 100 yards in consecutive games — the offense has had to rely less on the arms of its quarterbacks, meaning fewer touches for Bolser. “I’ve enjoyed it all,” he said. “I think everything has worked out in my favor.”Bolser said he and Littrell have connected well in their two seasons together.“He said he’s exactly like me,” Bolser said. “Just a hard-headed kid, didn’t care about much but just tried to get the job done. We joke around, but when he gets serious and I get serious, we know not to mess around with each other and we get the job done.”The Hoosiers have unfinished business in order to accomplish the goals they set before the season. With a 4-6 record and two weeks remaining in the season, their backs are against the wall. IU controls its own destiny regarding postseason eligibility, and that mission starts at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, where the Hoosiers will face a No. 3 Buckeyes squad that has won 22 consecutive games.How does Bolser want to bookend his career?“Beat Ohio State and Purdue,” he said. “That’s about it.”***With the final regular season games of his college career taking place in November and college graduation in December, Bolser is focused on making the most of his final months of college.“I just want to try to have fun with everybody,” he said. “I don’t have much time here. This is the closest our group has ever been, so (I) just (want to) go out there and have fun and enjoy every second.”Bolser is pleased with the four and a half years he has spent donning cream and crimson. “I think I found my niche, especially at the tight end position, and I’ve had a lot of great years here,” he said. “I think I’ve done pretty well here, and I’m happy with it.”The Cincinnati native hasn’t given much thought to his NFL prospects.“I’ve thought about it here and there, but I rarely talk about it with my coaches,” he said.Whether or not Bolser has thought about a future as a tight end at the next level, he is on the NFL’s radar. ESPN Insider ranks Bolser as the 17th best tight end prospect for the 2014 NFL draft.In the past five drafts, an average of 15.4 tight ends were selected per year, putting Bolser on the cusp of having his name called at Radio City Music Hall in May.Bolser would be the fourth tight end who played under Wilson to be drafted. As Oklahoma University’s Offensive Coordinator, as well as being the Sooners’ Tight Ends and Fullbacks Coach, Wilson coached former First-Team All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham. Gresham had 111 receptions, 1,629 yards and 26 receiving touchdowns in his three-year collegiate career. The Cincinnati Bengals chose Gresham with the 21st selection in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.Wilson has also coached tight ends James Hanna, a sixth round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, and Brody Eldridge, a fifth round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. As Bolser’s tight end coach in 2011, Wilson would occasionally talk about his previous tight ends, but Bolser said Wilson has since given that up.“He used to when he first got here, but ever since that I kind of found my own identity,” Bolser said.Follow football reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(11/18/13 4:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>MADISON, Wis. — Early turnovers plagued IU at Camp Randall Stadium as No. 22 Wisconsin rolled the Hoosiers 51-3 to keep the Badgers’ Big Ten Championship hopes alive.IU sophomore quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw an interception on the game’s opening drive. On Wisconsin’s first play from scrimmage, senior running back James White ran for a 93-yard touchdown, the longest in program history.The Badgers never looked back.Senior running back Stephen Houston, who was starting in the Hoosiers’ backfield in place of injured sophomore running back Tevin Coleman, fumbled a handoff on IU’s ensuing possession, and the Badgers recovered the ball.With a short field to work with on offense, Wisconsin redshirt sophomore running back Melvin Gordon punched the ball in the end zone from the 1-yard line, giving the Badgers a 14-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game.IU’s defense settled down after its shaky start as the Hoosiers (4-6, 2-4) held Wisconsin (8-2, 5-1) to 13 points in the remaining 27 minutes of the half.Freshman linebacker Clyde Newton, who made his second career start Saturday, said IU would have had more momentum if the team had a better start to the game.“It was only us 70 out there and a few of our IU fans,” he said. “We knew we had to create our own juice. Starting off like that kind of put a hole in us.”Wisconsin accumulated 198 total yards of offense in the first quarter and scored on each of its first four possessions to take an early 20-0 lead.The Badgers finished with 554 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 50 carries.Wisconsin’s offensive performance drew comparisons during ESPN’s broadcast to former Heisman Trophy-winning running back Bo Jackson’s character in the arcade video game “Techmo Bowl” because of the Badgers’ prolific ground attack.Wisconsin’s rushing statistics were reminiscent of the team’s 2012 triumph in Bloomington, when the Badgers ran the ball 64 times for a school-record 564 yards and seven touchdowns.Wisconsin had three 100-yard rushers, led by White’s 208 yards on the ground.It was a completely different story for the Hoosiers, who failed to find a steady rhythm on offense in adverse weather conditions and without Coleman.Sudfeld and redshirt sophomore Tre Roberson alternated at quarterback throughout the game. They were a combined 12-of-30 for 122 yards.“It was real frustrating because, as an offense, we’re not used to that,” Roberson said. “We worked during the week and the offseason so that we can come out and score a multitude of points.”Houston and junior running back D’Angelo Roberts managed to rush for 97 yards on 22 carries, but IU’s running attack missed Coleman’s explosiveness. The sophomore led the country in runs of at least 40 yards through the first 11 weeks of the season.All but one of IU’s drives ended in a turnover, a punt or the Hoosiers running out the clock in the half.“It’s sad,” junior wide receiver Cody Latimer said. “It’s devastating. (We need to) learn from our mistakes and make sure we don’t do it next week against Ohio State.”Follow football reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(11/15/13 3:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In advance of the IU football team’s Saturday game against Wisconsin, the IDS spoke with the Badger Herald’s Sean Zak.IDS Has there been a culture change in Wisconsin’s football program in Gary Andersen’s first season as head coach, or has he kept the same winning formula of a strong defense and power rushing attack that has worked for the Badgers in the past?Zak While the Badgers may look the same in running the football and controlling the clock, Gary Andersen and his staff have definitely instilled a different mindset within the team. The playbook that offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig has brought in is designed to utilize Wisconsin’s best playmakers — Melvin Gordon, James White, Jared Abbrederis and even Corey Clement. While the formula might seem very much the same, this team looks for the big play much more than in the past.IDS How has quarterback Joel Stave handled taking control of Wisconsin’s offense this year after splitting time with two other quarterbacks as a redshirt freshman last season?Zak Stave was again facing a quarterback competition in fall camp and during the season has done exactly what has been expected of him by handing the ball off to UW’s running backs and not taking UW out of football games with turnovers. While he has averaged about one interception per game, he has been good enough in each game to keep people from widely calling for his job. Nonetheless, his play has consistently left fans asking for more.IDS IU Coach Kevin Wilson said Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland might be the best player in the Big Ten. What does Borland do that makes him so effective on defense?Zak He very well might be. Borland really does it all for UW’s defense, seen by his 13 tackles and two sacks last weekend against BYU. He’s quick enough to spot running backs and tight ends in pass coverage, but his biggest asset is in the run game. Borland just naturally finds his way to the football and is Wisconsin’s best run-stuffing linebacker. Of the top five best hits from Wisconsin’s defense, Borland’s might just claim all five. IDS What kind of problems can Wisconsin’s defensive line and linebackers create for an IU offense that has sustained several injuries to starters on its offensive line and at running back?Zak Considering IU’s second back, Stephen Houston, isn’t a slouch or seemingly much of a drop off, the biggest battle for Indiana might be in the trenches. Wisconsin’s front seven is incredibly experienced, starting six seniors and one junior. Defensive coordinator Dave Aranda flirts around with aggressive and passive looks from the 3-4 scheme all game, but the three linemen, centered by all-Big Ten nose tackle Beau Allen, consistently open lanes for linebackers like Borland and roving strong safety Michael Caputo. If Aranda sees inexperience or a weakness on the Indiana line, expect plenty of blitzing Saturday afternoon.IDS Wisconsin has a recent history of defeating IU by large margins (the Badgers have outscored the Hoosiers 204-41 in the past three seasons). Do you see that trend continuing on Saturday, or will IU make it a competitive matchup?Zak While Wisconsin has certainly had no problem scoring on the Hoosiers in the past, they likely haven’t faced an Indiana offense as successful as this one. Wisconsin’s defense is successful at times, but have coughed up points to other explosive offenses like Ohio State, Arizona State and Illinois. As a 21-point favorite, Wisconsin is expected to win big, but with an opposing offense that can put points on the board as well, don’t expect a super wide margin like the 83-20 finish we saw a few years ago.Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(11/15/13 3:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One-hundred-and-twenty-one to 21. That’s how much No. 22 Wisconsin has outscored IU in the two meetings between the schools since IU Coach Kevin Wilson took over the Hoosier football program. The Badgers rushed 64 times for a school-record 564 yards and seven touchdowns en route to a 48-point victory in Bloomington last season. “This is a team that has an overwhelming running game,” Wilson said.Despite losing running back Montee Ball, who is second in career rushing yards at Wisconsin and a second round selection in the 2013 NFL draft, the Badgers returned Melvin Gordon and James White this year. The duo averaged nearly 12 yards per carry against the Hoosiers in 2012.“They’ve been putting running backs after running backs after running backs for 15, 20 years,” Wilson said. “Nothing’s falling off ... it looks like a Wisconsin football team.”The Badgers have a three-headed rushing attack that lacks a decline in production from one running back to the next. Gordon and White have a combined total of 2,111 yards and 22 touchdowns on 293 carries. Freshman Corey Clement, Wisconsin’s third option out of the backfield, has had 407 yards and five touchdowns in six games this season. Wilson said IU has to get defensive stops against the Badgers in order to have a chance to win. “You’re not going to go up playing Wisconsin on your heels, hoping they have a bad game, hoping to get a call, hoping they get a turnover,” Wilson said.Wilson said Wisconsin’s running attack is even more deadly because it sets up the play action pass. “They’ve always had big linemen, great running game,” Wilson said. “Complement that with play action pass, tight end, fullback guys are outstanding players.”Wilson said Wisconsin senior wide receiver Jared Abbrederis is as good as anyone at getting open. “Their line is so good and their running game’s so good, then that helps him and makes him so good because he gets out there one on one,” Wilson said.Abbrederis leads the Badgers with 54 receptions. Wisconsin’s second-leading wide receiver only has six catches this season. “You have to have an idea of where he’s at on every snap,” IU Defensive Coordinator Doug Mallory said.Wilson said IU’s defense will have to balance being patient and aggressive. “If you sit there and play base and line it up, you got big guys and good tight ends and backs that are really patient and fast and experienced and well coached,” Wilson said. “They work on a schedule.”However, if the Hoosiers are too aggressive, then they leave Wisconsin’s receivers with one-on-one matchups. “I don’t know if you can win one-on-one all day without pressuring the quarterback’s face and think that you’re gonna be able to hold up on the perimeter every play,” Mallory said. “You got to find ways to be able to adjust some of your coverages to give your corners some help.”Wilson said the best way for IU to win is to put together a great plan and attack on Saturday. “I’m looking forward to seeing where the team is,” Wilson said. “This is an opportunity to show we’re ready to make the next stride.”Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(11/11/13 4:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite Illinois’ accumulation of more than one-third of a mile of total offense, IU’s defense came through in the clutch to give the Hoosiers a 52-35 victory at home Saturday. The Fighting Illini (3-6, 0-5) recorded a season-high 612 total yards against the Hoosiers (4-5, 2-3), but they were held scoreless for the final 12 minutes and 41 seconds of the game. “As long as the offense is scoring and putting up points, as long as we come out with Ws, the yards are something that we don’t worry about as much,” redshirt senior safety Greg Heban said. Heban said in recent weeks the Hoosiers have emphasized playing well at the end of games.“That’s something that we didn’t do as well last year, finishing the games, finishing up the season,” he said.On Saturday night the Hoosiers stonewalled Illinois’ offense when it mattered the most — in the fourth quarter.IU’s defense ended the game with two stops on fourth-and-10 and an interception in the end zone.Each of the Hoosiers’ scoring drives in the fourth quarter was followed by a stop on defense.“We just kept feeding off each other’s energy,” freshman defensive tackle Darius Latham said. “Offense would score, we know we gotta try to put the game up.”IU Coach Kevin Wilson said the defense and the offense need to feed off each other more often instead of there being “one side hot and one side cold,” something that took the Hoosiers three quarters to accomplish.“We had a few busted coverages and some missed tackles that led to easy Illinois scores,” Wilson said. “We just haven’t been consistent in our execution or fundamentals to play really good all the time.”The Hoosiers’ defense allowed 206 yards in the first quarter. Illinois redshirt senior Steve Hull, a former safety who made the switch to wide receiver this season, had nine receptions for 224 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns, all of which were career highs. Part of IU’s defensive struggles was a result of the Hoosiers’ sideline doubling as an infirmary on Saturday. Junior Forisse “Flo” Hardin, starting weakside linebacker, was out for the game with a rib injury.At one point three of IU’s starters in its secondary — Heban, junior cornerback Tim Bennett and junior safety Mark Murphy — were sidelined due to injuries.Freshman Clyde Newton made his first career start in place of the injured Hardin, and he recorded a game-high 11 tackles. “He’s been improving a lot throughout the year, and it was just good to see him come out and play the way he played,” Heban said. “We have a lot of faith in him, and he stepped up in Flo’s spot.”Freshman safety Antonio Allen suffered a season-ending knee injury in his first career start against Michigan, which meant redshirt juniors Brandon Grubbe, an IU walk-on who played running back for Butler in 2011, and Jake Zupancic, had to fill in for the Hoosiers at both safety positions.“They just came in and did a really good job,” Heban said. “It was just a great team win. It shows that even our backups are coming together, and it’s a good sign of a good team.”Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(11/08/13 5:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU football team’s dreams of bowl eligibility ride on defeating a team that hasn’t won a Big Ten game in more than two years. But the last conference opponent they defeated was IU.With four games remaining on their schedule, the Hoosiers (3-5, 1-3) need to win three of their final matchups to earn bowl eligibility. This journey begins at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at home against Illinois (3-5, 0-4). While the Hoosiers seek to advance to a bowl game for the first time since 2007, IU Coach Kevin Wilson said the impact of victories goes well beyond a single season record. “It just solidifies what you’re doing and keeping the energy of your fan base and recruiting,” Wilson said.Wilson acknowledged many people have written off IU’s year with one-third of the regular season remaining.“Prognosticators would say everything’s over,” he said. “But in our world, there is a lot of football to play, lot of things we can accomplish. Best thing to do, our constant goal is consistent improvement, constant improvement.”When Wilson looked ahead to Illinois, he drew a comparison between the Fighting Illini and the Hoosiers.“I expect Illinois to come much like us, hungry teams,” he said, referencing Illinois’ three wins and its pursuit of its first conference win of the season.The Fighting Illini haven’t defeated a Big Ten opponent since Oct. 8, 2011, when they topped IU 41-20 in Bloomington. On offense, senior quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase leads the Illinois offense. In his final year of eligibility, Scheelhaase is on track to have the best passing statistics — yards, completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdowns and quarterback rating — of his career.Despite having only one more pass attempt than carries this season, the majority of Illinois’ yards come through the air. Redshirt sophomore running back Josh Ferguson leads the Fighting Illini in rushing and receiving. The Naperville, Ill., native has 829 total yards of offense and seven touchdowns in his first season as a full-time starter. IU Defensive Coordinator Doug Mallory said Illinois’ skill players on offense impress him. He said the Fighting Illini play with greater tempo under first-year Offensive Coordinator Bill Cubit.“They’ve got two quality running backs, they’ve got three or four tight ends who are going to play and I think they’ve got good skill on the perimeter,” he said. Illinois’ offensive weapons will provide a challenge for IU’s defense, which ranks 116th in the country in points allowed per game. “We’ve got to keep building on that,” Wilson said. “We’ve got to keep fighting and playing in there.”Wilson said IU has been close to victory against good teams in its past two games, but the Hoosiers have been unable to get over the hump. “We’re at that part of the race where you can keep pushing or stop, and we’ve come too far to stop pushing,” Wilson said.Follow football reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(11/05/13 5:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When he was a kid growing up in Indianapolis near Butler University, he would climb out of his window to the roof of his house and watch fireworks shows sponsored by the university. That’s how Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass developed his love for pyrotechnics. “That was always a lot of fun and even as an adult, I enjoy watching the fireworks up near our lake cottage,” Glass said.Though he acknowledges fireworks are something he has enjoyed since he was a “wee lad,” Glass is quick to mention he had help with the implementation of the pyrotechnics at home games. Glass and IU Athletics asked Pat Kraft, formerly a Senior Assistant Athletic Director at IU and currently a Deputy Athletic Director at Temple University, for consulting advice to improve the Hoosiers’ gameday experience. Glass said Kraft really pushed the fireworks option for Memorial Stadium. On any given home game, there could be up to six instances of fireworks at Memorial Stadium.IU contracts two companies, Ramsey Pyrotechnics and Thomas James Productions, to assist with the fireworks. Ramsey is in charge of the fireworks launched into the air. Thomas James Productions specializes in the smoke and run-on fireworks.About 20 minutes before kickoff, the first barrage is set off to let the tailgaters know the game is almost underway. The next set is timed to coincide with the singing of the national anthem. “I really enjoy that they go off when we’re singing about the rocket’s red glare,” Glass said.The football team’s entrance onto the field is complete with clouds of smoke and the third round of fireworks. Glass said IU Athletics is now also setting off fireworks before the halftime show ends to let fans know when to return to their seats so they don’t miss the start of the second half. “A lot of our fans enjoy the pass-out policy,” Glass said. “They can go out and hang out at halftime and hopefully come back in.” Glass recalled one gameday when he was at an IU tailgate and fireworks went off during halftime.“These people were standing around going, ‘What the hell is he doing now shooting these fireworks off randomly?’” he said. “They’re not random because it’s going to be kickoff in 10 minutes.”Though those fireworks serve a purpose, they’re not the show Glass loves seeing the most.Glass’ second-favorite fireworks spectacle is the symphony of the IU Marching Hundred playing during the William Tell Overture timeout as fireworks are set off in the background.“It’s the greatest timeout in college basketball at Assembly Hall,” he said. “I think it’s really translated well there at the end of the third quarter, the ‘Lone Ranger’ theme song. At the end of that, we shoot off the fireworks and show them up on the Jumbotron, which is cool.”Nothing can top his love for the sights and sounds that come with IU’s victory fireworks and the Hoosier football team singing the school’s fight song with the student section, which Glass said is really what gives him the most pride. Glass acknowledges though fireworks are fun, they’re just one piece to the puzzle.“I don’t think there’s any one silver bullet that makes the games great, so we’re doing a lot of different things,” he said. Memorial Stadium’s Knothole Park, Jumbotron and the run-ons held before the game are several of the other gameday enhancements IU Athletics has implemented to increase the appeal of Hoosier football Saturdays in Bloomington.IU Athletics tries to use the fireworks strategically. “I think it just makes it fun, makes it an event,” Glass said.While he admits he occasionally worries about the impact of the fireworks when he sees small children closing their eyes and covering their ears, he said kids generally love them. “They kind of get the blood flowing, they get your attention,” he said. “We’re just doing everything we can to create excitement in and around the stadium to support the excitement on the field.”Though the fireworks can improve the gameday experience for IU fans at Memorial Stadium, Glass said the Hoosiers’ performance on the field is what really determines attendance and fan support. “Of course, the most important thing is the play on the field and with the way our offense is playing, they’re kind of shooting fireworks of their own,” Glass said. “I’m glad they’re competing with our fireworks for being the most explosive portion of Saturdays at Memorial Stadium.”Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(11/04/13 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Down by three points with 25 seconds left in the game, IU was on Minnesota’s 9-yard line with second down-and-goal. IU sophomore quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw a swing pass to sophomore running back Tevin Coleman to try to exploit a matchup against Minnesota’s man defense. Sudfeld’s pass was behind the line of scrimmage, making it a lateral. “We just kind of got caught in the wrong look, and I thought maybe I put the ball a little behind Tevin,” Sudfeld said.Coleman bobbled the throw and gave up on the ball after it dropped to the ground.“It was behind me, but I just tried to make a play out of it,” Coleman said. “It didn’t happen.” Thinking the play would be ruled an incomplete pass, Coleman abandoned the play. Since the ball was lateralled, the ball was still live in play.Sudfeld realized the play wasn’t over, so he took off running to try to recover the fumble.“I was hoping the defense didn’t notice, but they picked it up,” he said.Minnesota linebacker Aaron Hill picked up the loose ball and ran 21 yards down the sideline before Coleman tackled him.“After I’d seen the guy pick it up and start running, I tried to make him fumble,” Coleman said.When Minnesota took over on offense near midfield, the Golden Gophers only had to hand the ball off twice to running back David Cobb in order to run out the clock and leave Bloomington with a 42-39 victory. Sudfeld said there are a lot of things he wants to take back.“(It was) just an unfortunate play and kind of really bad timing,” he said. “I should have just thrown it away.”IU Coach Kevin Wilson said on a swing play, there’s always a chance for a lateral.“It just didn’t get executed right,” he said.Wilson said the offensive players around the fumble didn’t jump on the loose ball like they should have. He said in a close game, the fundamentals of grabbing the loose ball and giving it to the referee are very important.“Don’t just assume anything,” Wilson said. “It was poor execution and really not an ideal call at that time in the game, and because of it, we lost the game.”The fumble came after IU turned a 22-point deficit into a four-point lead thanks to 26 unanswered points in the second half. Minnesota quickly regained the lead with three minutes left in the game, setting up IU’s potential game-winning drive.IU junior wide receiver Cody Latimer said it was “just jaw-dropping” because the Hoosiers were so close to victory.“We should’ve had it, we need it, and it just slipped right out of our hands (with) a couple seconds left to go on the goal line,” he said.Wilson said IU didn’t play well early, but the players battled and hung in the game.“We had a lot of chances, but I made a poor call, and we did not execute the play at the end,” he said. “As coaches, we have to help them out at the end and make the right plays, and that last one was not the right call.”Coleman said the loss was a really tough one to swallow.“I’m not happy at all, not cheerful at all,” he said, barely above a whisper. “(We) just have to keep on going.”Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(11/04/13 3:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In its Homecoming matchup against Minnesota, IU lost 42-39 to fall to 3-5 (1-3 Big Ten). With a chance to improve its record to 0.500, match its highest single season win total in the IU Coach Kevin Wilson era and pull within two wins of bowl eligibility, the Hoosiers turned the ball over inside the red zone in the waning seconds.On second-and-goal from the 8-yard line, sophomore quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw a swing pass behind the line of scrimmage to sophomore running back Tevin Coleman. Coleman couldn’t handle the throw and, thinking the play would be ruled an incomplete pass, he gave up on the play. But the ball was still live, and Minnesota linebacker Aaron Hill picked up the fumble. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson started for the first time since the Hoosiers matchup against Navy on Sept. 7. Roberson was 8-of-18 for 80 yards and one touchdown in the first half. Wilson said with the way Minnesota’s defense was set up, IU’s coaching staff thought the Hoosiers needed to run the ball against man coverage.“Our backs did well today, and we thought Tre would take part in that,” he said.Minnesota completed a 40-yard completion on a flea flicker pass on the first play from scrimmage, which fueled a seven-play scoring drive that ended in a touchdown reception by Derrick Engel.The Hoosiers reached the red zone three times in the first quarter but had to settle for field goals inside the Minnesota 20-yard line on two of those possessions.“We left three scoring opportunities empty,” Wilson said.IU’s defense also missed opportunities in the first half. With Minnesota leading 14-13, Golden Gophers freshman quarterback Mitch Leidner fumbled twice and nearly threw an interception, which was dropped by IU cornerback Michael Hunter. Minnesota went on to score a touchdown on that possession as part of a 28-0 scoring run in the second and third quarters.Down 28-13 at halftime, IU’s coaching staff decided to play Sudfeld at quarterback in the second half. “Tre was just a little bit off in the first half, as was the rest of the offense,” Wilson said.IU trailed 35-13 midway through the third quarter, and the student section was nearly empty. IU then scored 26 unanswered points. “There was a stretch at the end where we were really playing well together and had a lot of momentum,” Wilson said.The Hoosiers’ offense started to click with Sudfeld at quarterback. He was 13-of-20 for 189 yards and two touchdowns. IU’s running game had new life in the second half. Sophomore running back Tevin Coleman and senior running back Stephen Houston combined for 151 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries in the second half. For the game, IU’s running back duo compiled 219 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. “We changed it up a little and went out of pistol, and that worked a lot for the O-line to get their blocks right and for us to see the holes better,” Coleman said.The Hoosiers failed a pair of two-point conversions in the fourth quarter after their final touchdowns of the game.Wilson said the coaching staff talked about the different scenarios and whether to go for two. “Maybe we were being a little bit over-aggressive in hindsight,” he said.IU briefly reclaimed the lead late in the fourth quarter after a 30-yard touchdown strike from Sudfeld to junior wide receiver Cody Latimer, but Minnesota quickly countered.“Our guys fought back, and we had a lot of good fight, but we’re gonna need to figure out ways to win in the end,” Sudfeld said.Golden Gophers sophomore quarterback Philip Nelson threw what proved to be the winning touchdown pass to red shirt freshman tight end Maxx Williams with just more than three minutes remaining. “I thought we had the best chance to win that game, and I’m really disappointed for our players,” Wilson said.Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS
(11/02/13 4:11pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In advance of Saturday's game against Minnesota, the IDS asked Minnesota Daily football beat writer Nate Gotlieb about the Minnesota offense and Coach Jerry Kill.IDS Philip Nelson and Mitch Leidner have both played at quarterback throughout the season. How does Minnesota use both quarterbacks on offense?Minnesota uses both quarterbacks the same way. Both facilitate a run-first offense and occasionally pass. The problem was that both struggled in the Gophers' first two Big Ten games. Nelson appeared to be the unquestioned starter going into the season but but struggled against Iowa on Sept. 28. Leidner started against Michigan the following week, but the Gophers still lost by more than four touchdowns. Leidner has started the past two games but Nelson has relieved him in the second quarter in both. It's a baffling system, but almost everyone in Minnesota has just come to accept it now that the Gophers are winning. Both are equally good runners, but Nelson is arguably a better passer. Coaches say they want to get both reps during the game but then decide on one -- the "hot hand," so to speak. That's been Nelson the past two weeks. IDS Minnesota's quarterbacks have combined for more than 600 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. Are their runs typically designed rushes or are they simply efficient at scrambling from the pocket when a play breaks down?The 11 rushing touchdowns are by design, but the 600 rushing yards are not. The Gophers often run quarterback sneaks near the goal line. Nelson scored on two one-yard runs last week. Leidner scored four rushing touchdowns in his first start and all were 10 yards or less. Minnesota loves to let its big quarterbacks sneak behind its big offensive line. But the 600 rushing yards are a different story. Those are about half designed and half improvised and most came earlier in the year when the Gophers were playing lower-tier opponents. Nelson and Leidner still run anywhere from 10-20 times a game but they haven't needed to run as much because Minnesota's running backs have been effective. IDS What is the latest update on the health and involvement of Minnesota Coach Jerry Kill, who has suffered from seizures this season?Kill addressed the media Tuesday and said he is playing more of a behind-the-scenes role. Kill did not give any specifics on his condition but said he will be driving by February. He currently cannot drive because of his epilepsy. Kill said he was at practice everyday last week in an observational role. He said he has done a lot of recruiting in these past few weeks. Kill will attend the Indiana game and will sit in the coaches' box but he did not say Tuesday what role he'll play in managing the game. IDS What is the mindset of the players and/or the fan base after Minnesota rebounded from two tough losses with two big wins, then having four challenging games remaining on the schedule?Minnesota's fan base is cautiously excited and the players seem to believe anything is possible at this point. Players appear to know sustaining their success will be a challenge but they also appear to be embracing that challenge. Minnesota's students are fair-weather football fans, though they have become more supportive of the team since Jerry Kill arrived. The student section was full when the Gophers played Iowa after a 4-0 start but it was only half-full last Saturday (Technically it was full. But the upper desk was clouded in Nebraska red). A win against Indiana on Saturday and TCF Bank Stadium should be full when Minnesota plays Penn State on Nov. 9. A loss and the buzz is dampened.
(11/02/13 3:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Minnesota sophomore Philip Nelson and freshman Mitch Leidner have split time as quarterback this season.Nelson has had more pass attempts, but Leidner has completed a higher percentage of his throws and for more yards per attempt. Both quarterbacks have more rushes than completions this season.Each quarterback has started four games. Minnesota has called Leidner’s number first in each of the past three games. “Both those quarterbacks can run if they want to,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “They’re not flashy, but they’re big enough quarterbacks that they will run them 15, 18, 20 times, almost like a second runner.”Wilson said Leidner isn’t a tailback, but he runs like a bigger tailback. “He’s a rumbling, stumbling guy, and all of the sudden he might be 15, 20 for a big one,” Wilson said.Wilson said Minnesota’s attitude on offense is similar to that of Navy. Both schools want to pound the ball on the ground.“It’s a different style, but it’s like Navy, and to execute with a run, run, run,” he said. The Golden Gophers run the ball on almost 73 percent of their plays. Along with Minnesota’s quarterbacks, running backs David Cobb and Rodrick Williams Jr. power the nation’s 23rd best team in rushing yards per game.Wilson said Minnesota’s run-heavy offense can set up the pass when the Golden Gophers decide to air it out.“They had one at Nebraska and missed a guy on a play action,” he said. “(Minnesota) had a tight end on the corner, and he probably scores or gets close if he gets it.”Wilson drew a parallel from Nelson to the sixth man on a basketball team. “He comes in and brings new life to the team,” Wilson said.No matter which quarterback is on the field for the Golden Gophers, Wilson said he has respect for both.“They can get on the perimeter, run boot, play action game,” he said.Wilson said Minnesota’s passing numbers — a combined 55 percent completion percentage, 983 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions — are not more impressive due to weekly missed opportunities by the Golden Gophers’ offense.Forcing stops on third downs will be critical for IU’s defense.“Look at the number of third downs that we got that we let them off the field. Michigan State made 8, 9, 10 in a row,” Wilson said. “They made their touchdowns on third downs.“So you want to change the scheme, we got a guy there to make the tackle, shoot your guy is there to make the play and get him on the ground.”Wilson said IU has to force Minnesota off schedule by forcing third-and-long scenarios.He said the Golden Gophers’ offense doesn’t score a lot unless their opponents give them easy scoring chances.“If we play on our heels, they’ll stay on schedule,” he said.In the bye week, the Hoosiers focused on third-down conversions, how to keep the ball, creating turnovers and the fundamentals of tackling. IU Defensive Coordinator Doug Mallory said IU worked on tackling, technique and fundamentals every day during the bye week, in part because of the new players and coaches on the roster. “These are short things that we want to concentrate on to see if we can be stronger down the stretch,” Wilson said.“We’re going to be in close games. We have a chance to be in exciting games if we play well and how to find a way to make that play or two to get over the hump.”Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(10/21/13 3:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>ANN ARBOR, Mich. — For the first time since Sept. 1, 2012, redshirt sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson led the Hoosiers in passing yards. On Saturday at Michigan, he replaced sophomore Nate Sudfeld, who has started the past five games for IU, after the Wolverines took an early lead. Roberson threw for a career-high 288 yards in a losing effort as the Wolverines escaped the Hoosiers’ second half push to win 63-47. With heavy rain pouring down on Ann Arbor for most of the day, IU Coach Kevin Wilson said the weather may have hindered Sudfeld’s effectiveness against Michigan. Sudfeld played the entire first quarter, completing five of nine passes for 85 yards.IU scored first when Sudfeld found junior wide receiver Cody Latimer for a 59-yard touchdown. “These last couple games, it’s just kind of been if we need a shot in the arm,” Wilson said about Roberson replacing Sudfeld this season. Sudfeld said the ball may have slipped a few times, but he said he felt IU’s offense was doing all right with him in the game. However, Sudfeld and Wilson said the weather presented a better opportunity for Roberson, who has more of a running threat, to be successful.Roberson played almost the entire second and third quarters. Sudfeld’s only two plays in the third quarter were when Roberson’s helmet was knocked off by a Michigan defender and, by rule, Roberson was forced to go to the sideline for at least one play. In the middle two quarters, Roberson was 12 of 18 for 232 yards and three touchdowns. Trailing 49-47 with eight minutes 34 seconds remaining in the game, IU got a stop on its own goal line when Wolverines quarterback Devin Gardner fumbled a snap and IU linebacker David Cooper pounced on the loose ball. When IU took over after the turnover, Roberson was injured on the Hoosiers’ first play on the ensuing drive.Roberson said his hand will occasionally cramp, and before second down, he felt his hand was “stuck.” “I couldn’t open it up, so I had to go out,” he said. Wilson said the coaching staff initially thought Roberson broke his hand on the play. “His thumb was pointed cockeyed,” Wilson said. Sudfeld, who hadn’t played since IU’s first drive of the second half, replaced Roberson but threw an interception on his first pass attempt. “We’re always taught to stay ready,” Roberson said. “He was ready, so he gave it a good shot, and they just made a good play on the ball.”On first-and-10 from IU’s 14-yard line, Sudfeld saw that Latimer had a few steps on the cornerback defending him and threw a 20-yard pass down the sideline.Michigan safety Thomas Gordon was providing defensive support over top and leaped in front of Latimer for the interception. “I mean, that one stinks because you want to come in and lead the drive,” Sudfeld said. “(I was) just trying to do too much, but I got to be ready at all times. That’s my fault ... just a bad mistake on my part.”Roberson had a trainer rub his hand while he was on the sideline, and he returned to the field for the Hoosiers’ next possession.He engineered a nine-play, 45-yard drive, but was picked off at Michigan’s 6-yard line after a miscommunication with junior wide receiver Nick Stoner. “It was a bad decision by me,” Roberson said. “I thought he was doing something different, and I threw the pass, which I really shouldn’t have, and it was all on me.”Roberson finished 16-23 on pass attempts for 288 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.He also added 50 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. The quarterback tandem combined for 24 of 42 passes for 410 yards and four touchdowns. Despite the Hoosiers’ air attack, IU’s pair of interceptions ended critical fourth quarter drives, and the turnovers thwarted potential comeback attempts. Senior wide receiver Kofi Hughes said the offense’s first priority is to take care of the ball.“Our defense created turnovers today,” he said, “but when we turn the ball over it’s like it never happened, so, as an offense, we can’t turn the ball over.”Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(10/17/13 4:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the second time in two weeks, IU will travel to the Great Lake State for a conference matchup.IU will go to Ann Arbor, Mich., to face Michigan as the Wolverines look to recover from a 43-40 loss in quadruple overtime at Penn State last week. The Hoosiers (3-3, 1-1) haven’t faced Michigan (5-1, 1-1) since 2010, and none of the players currently on IU’s roster have played at Michigan Stadium. Michigan has historically been a challenging opponent for IU on paper.IU is 9-52 all-time against the Wolverines, and the team’s last win came almost 26 years ago to the day of Saturday’s matchup. IU Coach Kevin Wilson said the Michigan football program is as good as any in the country. “It is a quality program, tradition, team, talent, facilities, coaching,” he said. “It’s a great challenge, great opportunity, and look forward to this week for our kids working with it.”Similar to Wilson, Michigan Coach Brady Hoke began his Big Ten coaching career in 2011.The Wolverines are 24-8 under Hoke, and Michigan has not lost at home since his arrival. “To play on the road and to win on the road is difficult,” Wilson said. Dealing with the road atmosphere won’t be the only challenge the Hoosiers will face at the Big House.Michigan junior quarterback Devin Gardner is a dual-threat player under center who has averaged almost 300 all-purpose yards per game this season. “He’s not truly a running quarterback,” Wilson said. “He’s a guy that would just pick his spots. They do some designed quarterback run but not a lot.”The Wolverines are a run-first offense, rushing the ball on almost 63 percent of their snaps. Mallory said allowing explosive plays is holding the Hoosiers back from playing good defense.Michigan State rushed for a combined 103 yards on three separate carries last Saturday. Wilson said Michigan looks to run the ball 35 to 50 times per game and complement its rushing attack with 25 to 30 pass attempts.“Two good players with receiver Jeremy Gallon and their tight end Funchess, a really good mismatch and a very good receiving tight end,” Wilson said.He said when defenses cover Gallon and Funchess, they don’t cover Gardner. “He has a nice knack of going through progression one and two and scrambling out and getting five and six and eight yards, extending plays,” Wilson said.Gardner’s ability to escape the pocket could be problematic for an IU defense that allowed Michigan State to convert a first down on 10 of its 14 third down plays last weekend. “If you cannot get off the field on third down with as many opportunities as we had, you don’t have a chance to be successful,” Mallory said. “Those are the things we’re trying to get corrected.”Wilson said facing Michigan’s offense will be a challenge and an opportunity that the Hoosiers anticipate.“It’s obvious from last game we’ve got to keep making defensive strides, consistency,” Wilson said.
(10/11/13 4:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the first time this season, the Hoosiers (3-2, 1-0 Big Ten) will play on the road this weekend. IU will face Michigan State (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) at 12 p.m. Saturday at Spartan Stadium in a battle for the Old Brass Spittoon. The Hoosiers haven’t defeated the Spartans since 2006, and IU’s last victory in East Lansing, Mich., was in 2001 when Antwaan Randle El led the team to a 37-28 win. While the Hoosiers no longer have the former Heisman Trophy finalist Randle El at quarterback, IU has a two-headed threat under center that leads the nation’s ninth-best offense in terms of yards per game. Sophomore quarterback Nate Sudfeld is 21st in the country in quarterback rating. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson played only seven snaps against Penn State but scored 14 points. The Hoosiers’ offense will face its toughest task of the season when it faces the Spartans’ defense. Michigan State leads the FBS in total yards allowed, pass efficiency defense and rushing defense. In four of the Spartans’ five games this season, they have limited their opponents to two touchdowns or fewer. IU Coach Kevin Wilson said Michigan State’s defensive personnel and schemes are very good, which allows them to stop the run. “They structurally know where to lineup,” he said. “They know where they’re supposed to be. They know where their eyes are.” Wilson said Michigan State’s Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi is one of the best in the country. “They’re really strong in their blitz package of when they blitz and how they blitz,” he said.Not only have the Spartans held their opponents to an average of 203 yards per game, but MSU’s defense has also put points on the board as well. Michigan State’s defense has allowed eight touchdowns this season but it has also scored four touchdowns. IU Offensive Coordinator Seth Littrell said Michigan State’s defense is experienced in its scheme. “You watch on film, they’re well-trained with their eyes,where their eyes are supposed to be, what their keys are, and it doesn’t take them long once they see that key to get downhill on it,” he said.Littrell said the Spartans’ defensive line is big and long up front. “Their D-End (sophomore Shilique) Calhoun’s very active. He’s done a nice job on the edge for them this year,” he said. “ I guess as a team you’re going to see more length and size than some of the other ones you would see.”IU’s offense will have to overcome its second loss of a starting lineman this season. The Hoosiers lost sophomore Dan Feeney in fall camp, and redshirt sophomore right guard David Kaminski is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL against Penn State. “It’s always a little easier when you got a group that you feel extremely comfortable with and your calls become a lot easier,” Littrell said. “You don’t worry about ‘em as much but obviously we’ve had some nicks and we’ve had some injuries. That’s part of the game.”IU will adjust its offensive line with a “next man up” mentality. “I promise you this, we’ll line up with five guys and we’re gonna go out there, and when it’s all said and done, at the end of the day go out there and compete,” Littrell said.Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(10/07/13 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Leading by 11 with 14 minutes and 10 seconds remaining in Saturday’s game against Penn State, IU was about to break the game open.After sophomore running back Tevin Coleman was tackled for a loss on first down, the Hoosiers looked to pass on second down.IU Coach Kevin Wilson said the Hoosiers were trying to take some shots downfield and make high percentage throws. “It was supposed to be a quick pass to the left, but the linebacker got in the way of the throw,” sophomore quarterback Nate Sudfeld said.Sensing the pressure from Penn State’s defensive line, Sudfeld scrambled to his right. “The O-line had a great pocket,” he said. “I had all day to throw.”Senior wide receiver Kofi Hughes said he ran a slant route on the play, but after the play fell apart, he had to improvise. Hughes looked in the backfield and waved at the scrambling Sudfeld, then sprinted downfield. “If he’s looking at me, he’s booking it,” Sudfeld said. “That’s what we say. ‘If he’s looking, he’s booking.’ He just took off to the end zone.”Penn State’s single coverage allowed Hughes to run a step ahead of Penn State safety Trevor Williams, and he made a sliding catch under Williams’ arm in the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown. “In my head, everything was kind of slow motion,” Hughes said. “Just because I was thinking I ‘got to have light hands, light hands,’ so I just waited until the last minute so the DB wouldn’t turn around.”He said his sliding catch is something he had never practiced.“I’ve never done that before. It’s just instinct, man,” Hughes said. “It’s like you kind of just black out. You don’t know what you’re doing. You just see the ball in the air and just do whatever.” Sudfeld said he and Hughes have a good feel for each other.“Kofi and I just have a thing,” Sudfeld said. “He just took off to the back of the end zone, and I just gave it up to him. He went out and made a great play.”Junior wide receiver Cody Latimer said any catch Hughes makes is great.“He’s a great player, and he goes and attacks the ball,” he said.After IU senior kicker Mitch Ewald added the extra point, the Hoosiers had a 35-17 lead. They would go on to win 44-24.On Ewald’s ensuing kickoff, Penn State fumbled, and IU recovered. The Hoosiers would add another touchdown on their next play to make it 42-24.“To get to that point took a lot of stress off,” Wilson said of IU’s large fourth quarter lead.Coleman said it was Hughes’ 36-yard touchdown reception that was the big play.“It gave us a little boost and a lot of tempo to just go out there and play hard and play physical, and we knew that we could beat them,” he said. Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.
(10/04/13 6:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the first time in school history, IU has four 1,000-yard receivers on its roster at the same time. Seniors Kofi Hughes and Ted Bolser, along with juniors Shane Wynn and Cody Latimer, have more than 5,000 combined career receiving yards and 42 receiving touchdowns. Despite the collective and individual achievements of IU’s receiving core, the most accomplished receiver on the field Saturday, in terms of statistics, will not be donning cream and crimson. Penn State wide receiver Allen Robinson has had 106 receptions, 1,495 yards and 14 touchdowns in his career. Despite being suspended for the first half of the Nittany Lions’ season opener and having a bye last week, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior has 448 receiving yards, which ranks 17th in the country.IU Coach Kevin Wilson said Robinson has a good skill set that Wilson said might make him the best wide receiver in the Big Ten. Wilson said some of Robinson’s talent as a football player stems from his past as a basketball player.Robinson was the captain of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (Michigan) basketball team his senior year. He averaged 23.7 points per game in the 2010-11 season and was an honorable mention all-state player in Class A.“I think (he) was a very talented basketball player in high school,” Wilson said. “He does have some substance, so he can make competitive plays.”Lining up across from Penn State’s top wide receiver will be the nation’s leader in pass breakups, IU junior cornerback Tim Bennett.Bennett has 10 breakups, including one touchdown-saving deflection this season. The Columbus, Ga. native is tied for 11th in the Big Ten with seven tackles per game.IU Defensive Coordinator Doug Mallory said Bennett has been one of IU’s best defenders through the Hoosiers’ first four games.Bennett saw action in 11 games last season after transferring from Ellsworth (Iowa) Community College, and he started three times. He made the full-time transition from safety to cornerback, where he has become a staple defender for the Hoosiers.The junior earned defensive player of the week honors after the Navy game, following a career-high 12 tackles and a touchdown-saving pass breakup.Bennett will have his work cut out for him as he looks to shut down Robinson, who has five receptions of at least 40 yards this season. “He’s got great leaps and great speed and very dynamic, his ability to adjust on the ball and make plays in space and all that,” Wilson said of Robinson. “He’s a quality complete football player receiver.“There might be faster guys, there might be bigger guys, but when he puts it all together, he’s one of the better receivers in the country.”Follow reporter Andy Wittry on Twitter @AndyWittryIDS.