Fun with numbers

In its first five games of the 2005 season, IU hit the ground running with a 4-1 record. In their last three, the Hoosiers have run straight into a wall. \nI never liked mathematics. If an equation equals above 10, I need to use a calculator. I never achieved a grade above a C in high school math, and so I found my calling -- journalism.\nOf course, when you have driven six hours and stayed a night at the creepy Days Inn to attend a football game that is over from the opening kickoff, your mind starts to wander. \nSo with that thought, Sesame Street's Count von Count and I introduce to you, the reader, the number three.\nIU has three games left on its schedule. Michigan State coach John L. Smith is 3-0 against the Hoosiers. MSU only punted three times but was three for three in red zone chances against the Hoosiers. Sophomore quarterback Blake Powers threw three interceptions while MSU quarterback Drew Stanton had a combined three touchdowns. And yet, there was not one field goal recorded all game. Numbers, like the multitude of guys I saw wearing Quailman costumes Saturday night, can be weird. Let me show you how threes factored into Saturday's loss.\n42 -- Josiah Sears: The IU running back had 33 yards on two carries. No. 42 had a career-long 24-yard run in the fourth quarter. \n39 -- Jovan Ringer: Jovan was exactly that against IU -- a ringer. No. 39 averaged 9.9 yards on 11 carries with one touchdown and picked apart the IU defenders. \n36 -- Eric Smith: No. 36 was responsible for Powers' second interception on the first drive of the second half. Smith made an excellent grab with his back on the ground to give the Spartans the ball back. \n33 -- Yamar Washington: On the other hand, on 11 carries, No. 33 could only muster 43 yards, his longest attempt for only 10 yards. 30 -- Jehuu Caulcrick: No. 30 rushed for 59 yards and scored a touchdown after halftime that put the game officially out of reach for the Hoosiers. \n27 -- Sir Darean Adams: No. 27 caught Powers' first interception in the first quarter. It was a poorly thrown pass that started the Hoosiers on their downward slide.\n24 -- Number of first downs by IU: Unfortunately, the Hoosiers had 10 of those in the fourth quarter, when the score was 39-8. \n21 -- Otis Wiley: No. 21 caught Powers' third interception, a play-fake pass to tight end Matt O'Neal in the Spartans' end zone. The play epitomized how things went for the Hoosiers \nSaturday.\n18 -- Terry Love: No. 18 caught No. 3 of Stanton's touchdown passes. The 39-yard pass completed a two-play, 14-second drive by MSU to make the score 46-8. \n15 -- Number of points scored by IU: In the last two games, the offense has scored a combined 25 points, while opponents have scored a total of 87. \n12 -- Ashton Watson: No. 12 returned the blocked Joe Kleinsmith extra point to make IU's six-point touchdown into a four-pointer. It was the first time the Spartans have returned a blocked extra point since 1992. \n9 -- Demond Williams: No. 9 delivered the initial and most disheartening blow to the Hoosiers. He returned the opening kickoff 98 yards. Williams and the Spartans never looked back. \n6 -- Punts by Tyson Beattie: Beattie tied his career-high with six punts in the game. He averaged 41 yards per kick, while pinning two punts inside the 20-yard line. \nOne number that has nothing to do with three is .500. After Saturday's 46-15 loss to the Spartans, at 4-4, the Hoosiers have officially reached .500 on the season. While this would normally be cause for celebration in Bloomington, losing four of the last five, including three straight, gives cause for concern. \nI cannot help but wonder where the Hoosiers go from here. The truth is they have three games left. Three chances to win, three opportunities to secure eligibility for that elusive bowl and three ways to show some direction. \nAnd so it has been 12 seasons since the Hoosiers were last in a bowl game. Nine times since then the Hoosiers have recorded a loss to the Spartans. Six of those defeats were by a margin of more than 23 points. \nAnd three games left to make all of those embarrassing figures disappear.