IU seniors key in Oaken Bucket return

Antwaan Randle El deserved better.\nHe deserved bowl games, Heisman consideration and a trip to Pasadena, Calif. Instead, he'll leave Bloomington as the school's most prolific quarterback never to have a winning season.\nBut he'll still be leaving Bloomington happy.\nHe and the team's other seniors beat Purdue.\nThat one win doesn't erase another season of "What could have been?", but it sure does help.\nSaturday's 13-7 rain-soaked victory against Purdue, brought the Oaken Bucket back to Bloomington for the first time since 1996. It's a shabby-looking wooden barrel with some metal hanging off, but for Hoosier players its a coveted trophy. For Hoosier fans, it's the manifestation of some much-needed bragging rights.\n "It's fun to watch the guys get the bucket," coach Cam Cameron said. "I know this senior class, and there wasn't anything that was going to keep them from going across the field and getting that bucket back. When you get in victory formation and you got it down to two or three seconds, there's nothing better than giving your players the opportunity to celebrate."\nLike Randle El, senior running back Levron Williams deserved better too. The back running circles around Big Ten opponents this season was called a "pretty boy" by a Purdue senior in an article last week.\nPurdue defender Matt Mitrione told reporters that Williams would be scared of the Boilermaker defense and that the Hoosier rush offense would be stymied by Purdue.\nOne couldn't help but think Williams was chuckling as he scampered 52 yards for a touchdown on IU's opening possession. \nWilliams should smile. We beat Purdue.\nFor a team that will end its season this week, last Saturday was their bowl game. This was their Rose Bowl. And they stepped up, squashed Joe Tiller's high-powered offense, and walked off the field champions.\nMitrone was left to eat his words.\n"(Mitrione) was talking about how our offense was soft and we couldn't run up the middle," senior Kemp Rasmussen said. "Well, I think (Saturday), we proved their offense was pretty soft. They had negative eight yards rushing, and they just gave up. They had fourth and an inch on the goal line and they can't bring it. If they're going to talk like that, they got to back it up."\nAnd for once, Purdue couldn't. \nGlory to Old IU.\n