Hoosiers say goodbye to seniors

With his surgically-repaired left hand bound in a thick cast, senior linebacker John Pannozzo put on his No. 34 Hoosier uniform and pads for the very last time Saturday. Pannozzo and the other IU seniors hoped that by the end of the day they would raise the Old Oaken Bucket high for more than 50,000 fans in Memorial Stadium to see.\nInstead, they held their heads high after a season finale loss.\nSaturday's 41-14 defeat marked the end of the Hoosiers' regular season, as well as the careers of several IU seniors, including Pannozzo, who was not expected to play, but entered the game on special teams.\n"It meant a lot for me and my teammates (to be able to play)," Pannozzo said. "We did not plan on that, it was a decision that happened during pregame after I felt the atmosphere of the game. I thought to myself that I had to get out there somehow. Everyone knew about it and everyone was getting fired up, so it meant a lot."\nIU coach Terry Hoeppner fought back tears during his post-game press conference and said he was disappointed that he could not give his seniors a win in their last game.\n"This is a senior class that I fell in love with," Hoeppner said. "I still think we can build off of what our seniors did for us this year. I just can't say enough about our seniors."\nThough the Hoosiers yielded 41 points and 423 total yards, the top three tacklers in the game were all seniors -- defensive back Damien Jones led the team with 13 tackles, while linebacker Kyle Killion and defensive back Victor Adeyanju contributed 12 apiece.\nAdeyanju said injuries to seniors such as Pannozzo and defensive lineman Russ Richardson took their toll during the season and hindered the team's abilities late in the year.\n"Guys get hurt and banged up," Adeyanju said. "We started off really well and we just couldn't capitalize in the games we had in the second part of the season, which really hurt us. It just hurts me to go out like this."\nWhile former IU coach Gerry DiNardo, recruited many of the seniors, Adeyanju said he and his teammates maintained a unique relationship with Hoeppner during the season. \n"It was special for him to take us in like we were his own," Adeyanju said. "Even though Hoeppner was only here for a short period of time, it feels like I have gotten to know him so well. He could have easily pushed us aside and given the younger players the attention."\nPannozzo said he was disappointed with Saturday's loss, but remains optimistic about the team's future.\n"It is the last game for all the seniors, and it is tough," Pannozzo said. "I am just trying to keep positive for the underclassmen and make sure they stay strong and work hard during the offseason."\nBesides the loss of several defensive starters, the Hoosier offense will have several voids with three starting offensive lineman, two receivers and two running backs all graduating. Sophomore quarterback Blake Powers will return to the team next fall, but he said he and the rest of the Hoosiers will have a difficult time dealing with the loss of the seniors.\n"It is really emotional in the locker room, especially for the seniors," Powers said. "When you know that you could not give the seniors what they wanted in playing in a bowl game, it's just frustrating. It is really tough knowing this is the last time you are going to see those guys"