Much has changed since the last time I was in Memorial Stadium. And all of it has changed for the better.\nHere's a recap of the last time: Penn State's Larry Johnson ran for over 300 yards in a blowout victory. Penn State's players added insult to injury by noting that the field was in such poor condition that it was like playing on a beach. The press box was so cold that I had to wear a hat and gloves. And the bathroom stalls were made out of plywood.\nThis time, the Hoosiers were on the right side of a blowout for the first time since 2000. In spite of my reservations about artificial turf, the field looks better than it ever has. The press box bathrooms now have metal stalls. Even the locker room is vastly improved; with wooden lockers replacing the dumpy old metal ones thanks to a donation from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and former IU player Trent Green.
"What the heck was that?" Moment: \nMany fans may have been baffled by the pregame introductions. Why were the Hoosiers running into an "intimidating" cloud of yellow smoke? Were they trying to steal a page from the book of the Miami Hurricanes? Why did this cloud look like a chemical spill? And most importantly, why yellow? Turns out, this was the smoke screen needed for the parachuters to land properly in the stadium.\nI admit that I did like the guys parachuting into the stadium, though I was convinced that one of them would either crash into a player, member of the band or the scoreboard.\nThe funniest part of the whole scene was the fact that many players didn't know what to make of it, hurdling over the canister that released the smoke as they reached midfield.
Play of the Game:\nEarly in the second quarter, Indiana State was trailing 16-3 but was knocking on the door, having moved the ball down to the IU 20-yard line. On a safety blitz, freshman Will Meyers plastered ISU quarterback Jake Schiff, causing a fumble that was recovered by sophomore linebacker Kyle Killion.
What should have been play of game: \nWith less than a minute left in the first half, junior quarterback Matt LoVecchio hit junior wideout Courtney Roby around the ISU 40-yard line. Roby broke multiple tackles, spun around to avoid others and ran into the end zone for the score in what was the best-looking play for a Hoosier since Antwaan Randle El's graduation. Alas, it was not to be, as IU was flagged for having an ineligible man downfield.\n"I strive to make more than one person take me down," Roby said. "It hurt my feelings when they called it off."\nIU MVP:\nIt's hard to overlook what Meyers has done as a freshman. The energy that he brings to the defense fills in the void left by the transfer of linebacker John Kerr after last season.\n"If we can feed off each other, it makes us a lot better," Meyers said of the energy factor.\nOn the offensive side of the ball, the best player was another freshman, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who had two touchdowns and 107 yards on 20 carries.
