Running back returns to mix

Saturday, Levron Williams wanted to make a statement. The Hoosiers' junior running back was returning from nagging injuries that limited his play in the previous two games. In the third quarter of the Hoosiers' 51-43 win against then-No. 22 Minnesota, Williams got his chance.\nWith his team trailing 29-24 toward the end of the third quarter, Williams took a pitch from junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El and scampered 36 yards down the sideline for his second touchdown of the game.\nAs he entered the end zone, Williams could have pulled up and began the celebration. Instead, Williams lowered his shoulder and leveled a Golden Gopher defender, much to the delight of his teammates.\n"(Williams) hitting him in the end zone was key," Randle El said. "That kind of sparked everything else. He doesn't do that a lot because he usually makes people miss, but to see him run people over is great."\nThe 6-foot-4, 221-pound Williams finished the afternoon with 134 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. He knew he was going to have a big game, especially after coach Cam Cameron told him he was going to get the ball.\n"(Cameron) let me know personally to go run hard," Williams said. "(He) told me before the game I have to come running. He said we're going to run on these guys."\nFreshman Brian Lewis played in the majority of the losses at Northwestern and Michigan. Lewis is not as big as Williams and limited the running game to the outside with the option.\nWilliams has both the speed to run outside and the power to take the ball up the middle and break tackles. Against Minnesota, the Hoosiers attacked the middle of the field with isolation plays that opened holes for Williams and others.\n"We worked on it in practice the past week," Williams said. "I think if we can attack up the middle, we can isolate them a little. We now have a threat inside or outside."\nAs much as Williams has taken advantage of running on the outside with option pitches from Randle El, he likes to punish tacklers in the hole just as much.\n"I want to get better at that," Williams said. "(Running backs coach Anthony Thompson) tells us all the time to run people over ... to let them know you\'re out there running hard."\nCameron said this week he wants to continue to use Williams up the middle to give Randle El a break.\n"We need a play or two where Antwaan doesn't have to run down the line with the ball," Cameron said. "It's nice to know we can go back and hand the ball off to somebody to let him catch his breath."\nWilliams said he doesn't mind taking over.\n"I don't mind running it," Williams said. "I'm trying to get better at that. Running off tackle is one of my weak spots, and I'm going to run off tackle a little more the next couple of weeks."\n As a team, IU rushed for 348 yards on 54 carries. Cameron credited his offensive line for doing their job.\n "I thought our guys did alright," Cameron said. "We missed some blocks but it wasn't due to a lack of effort. Those guys in there are coming off the football and doing everything they can do to block people."\n Although the running plays up the middle were working well against Minnesota, so was the option. Randle El made a number of impressive pitches that surprised the defense, but not Williams.\n"I'm around it at practice, so whatever type of pitch he throws, I'm ready for it," Williams said.\nBeyond just helping the running game on the outside, the inside work of Williams and the offensive line also opens up more holes in the secondary for Randle El to throw to. Randle El threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns against the Gophers Saturday.\nSenior wide receiver Versie Gaddis said the duo of Williams and Randle El makes the offense much harder for defenses to figure out.\n"It makes the whole offense run better when you got the running game and the passing game going," Gaddis said. "Whenever you try to stop the run, the pass is open and when the pass is open it goes right back to (the run)."\nThis week against Penn State in Indianapolis, Williams hopes to continue his play from last week. \n"It was a pretty good day, but not a great day," Williams said. "I'm feeling pretty good. (I'm going to) just go out and work hard in practice"