Hoosier defense tames Wilcats in weekend win

With one minute left in the third quarter of IU's win over Kentucky Saturday, Hoosier sophomore cornerback Tracy Porter slipped and fell, inadvertently allowing Kentucky's Scott Mitchell to catch a 79-yard touchdown pass.\nArguably, it was the only mistake the defense made all day. \nOne week after Nicholls State, a Division I-AA team, pounded the Hoosiers for more than 400 rushing yards, Porter and the IU defense rebounded with an inspired performance, holding Kentucky to 217 total yards in the Hoosiers' 38-14 victory. \n"Our guys were fired up," IU head coach Terry Hoeppner said. "The defense had a great week of practice, and they came to play."\nFrom the very first Kentucky possession, the defensive unit dominated Kentucky's efforts. IU's defense didn't allow a single third- or fourth-down conversion and only surrendered 15 total yards in the first quarter.\nSenior defensive end Victor Adeyanju said the turnaround was indicative of the team's more intense, focused approach. \n"All week we were very energetic and tough in practice," he said. "The key to this performance was being high energy all the time and executing."\nBy the end of the first half, Kentucky had still only amassed 67 total yards. IU's defense had the greatest ease stifling the Kentucky passing game, yielding 7 yards on three completions by halftime.\nBy the end of the game, IU had owned the ball for more than 41 minutes. Kentucky had only possessed it for 18. The Wildcats gained 217 total yards on offense, including Porter's slip. Without that play, Kentucky would have totaled merely 138 yards of offensive progress. \nThe effort provided a stark contrast from the defense's performance versus Nicholls State. The Colonels utilized a triple-option attack, which kept the Hoosiers constantly searching for the ball in the backfield. Perpetually on his heels, IU outside linebacker Kyle Killion longed for a more conventional offensive scheme. \n"Playing that type of system, you're not used to it," he said after the Hoosiers' win over Nicholls State last Saturday. "I'm definitely looking forward to playing a more normal offense."\nAdeyanju agreed with his teammate following the big win over Kentucky.\n"Nicholls State's system was tough to handle," he said. "This week, we came in knowing our goals, and we executed those goals."\nHoeppner verbally supported his defense after the Nicholls State game, saying they still had the potential to be "a strength of this team." His unit backed him up on Saturday.\n"I have been high on our defense since spring practice," Hoeppner said. "They came to play. This was a total team win"