Luck of the Hoosiers

Some things in life we take for granted.\nThere will be a quiz the one day that you miss class. The drivers from the state bordering yours will always be worse. Someone less competent than you will be promoted. The person you are currently dating will soon dump you. And the Hoosiers will lose on the road.\nSaturday's 31-3 loss at Michigan State was nothing short of abysmal. It was a game that made Gerry DiNardo say, "I think we took a step backwards."\nYet as badly as IU played, it could have kept it close with a few lucky breaks. But not in this game, which was played well within the boundaries of Murphy's Law. Everything that could go wrong did.\nIn the second quarter, MSU quarterback Jeff Smoker hit wide receiver Matt Trannon with a ball that bounced straight into the air as three Hoosier defenders converged around Trannon. The ball came straight down into Trannon's hands. One play later, the Spartans were in the end zone.\nIU kicked off to open the second half. The return was fumbled, but Michigan State managed to fall on the ball even though there were three Hoosiers in the vicinity. Michigan State also got a penalty tacked onto its return, which meant its second half started at its own 6-yard line.\nThe proceeding drive made one seriously wonder if IU had traded Babe Ruth back in the day. MSU got another lucky break when tight end Eric Knott fumbled a catch and saw it recovered by his teammate, running back Jaren Hayes.\nLater in the drive, Smoker had the ball stripped by Herana-Daze Jones. Somehow, Smoker managed to fall on his fumble, setting up a 49-yard field goal on the next play. \nOn the next possession, IU drove the ball with ease and made it to the MSU 30-yard line. Running back Chris Taylor fumbled. Michigan State recovered. \nThe Spartans next drive likely made uncle Gerry wish he had slept in. Or wonder if some Michigan State fan had an IU voodoo doll. A Smoker pass that hit leaping IU cornerback Leonard Bryant in the chest deflected straight into the hands of Michigan State receiver Kyle Brown, who managed to put one foot down before falling out of bounds. \nWhen the Hoosiers appeared to catch their first break of the game -- a fumble recovery that was returned for a touchdown -- it was not to be. MSU running back Hayes was called down because of forward progress.\nA few plays later, Michigan State did fumble the ball. And recover. On the very next play, the Spartans fumbled again. And recovered again. \nDo I have to mention that the drive ended in a Michigan State touchdown?\nStrange Tradition\nMichiganders have a strange tradition when it comes to field goals and extra points. When a field goal or extra point from the opposing team comes into the stands, both Michigan and Michigan State fans proceed to pass the ball to the higher rows of the stadium until someone in the final row tosses the ball out of the stadium. I'm guessing this makes them the bane of equipment managers everywhere.\nOf course, it would be a pretty easy tradition to start at Memorial Stadium, since the first person to catch the ball would probably be in the last row of the stands already.\nIU MVP\nYes, someone was actually worthy of accolades Saturday. That person is wide receiver Glenn Johnson, who made several nice grabs and finished the game with six catches for 70 yards. Freshman running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis also impressed, with 24 carries for 90 yards against a defense that came into the game ranked second in the country against the run. Despite these solid performances, the Hoosiers still could not put the ball in the end zone.