Hoosiers seeking first bowl bid since 1993

With his team just one win away from clinching its first bowl game berth in 13 years, junior fullback Josiah Sears knows IU's focus has changed. \n"If it hasn't, I think there's something wrong with us," Sears said. "Because we have (a bowl game) within our grasp. We're going to have to screw up to not go now."\nIU has won three of its last four games after stumbling to a 2-3 start at the beginning of the season. The Hoosiers have positioned themselves to not only go to a bowl game, but to finish at .500 or better in the Big Ten for the first time since 2001, when they went 4-4. \nWith three games left on the schedule, the players are looking at this weekend's game against Minnesota as the Hoosiers' best opportunity to lock up the sixth win.\nMinnesota (3-6, 0-5 Big Ten) has struggled lately. In their last three games, the Golden Gophers were blown out by both No. 17 Wisconsin and No. 1 Ohio State with a 10-9 victory against I-AA North Dakota State University sandwiched in between.\n"They're very solid, fundamentally sound, well-coached, and they want to run the football," IU coach Terry Hoeppner said during his weekly press conference Tuesday. "Also, the home-field advantage for them becomes the obvious. I've coached up there, but this will be the first stadium all year that we've gone in on Friday."\nMinnesota plays its home games at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the first and only indoor stadium IU will play at this year. \nThe players and coaches will go to the field Friday for a walk-through to get used to the lighting. The training staff has also told the players to drink more water because the air is dryer inside the dome, Sears said. \nIU is averaging about 12 points per game more than Minnesota in conference play. The Golden Gophers have struggled with scoring against Big Ten opponents, averaging just over 14 points per game, while IU averages 26. \nHowever, the Hoosiers (5-4, 3-2 Big Ten) will face a historically potent rushing offense. In last year's game in Bloomington, Minnesota ran for 347 yards in its 42-21 victory.\nThis season, Minnesota's junior running back Amir Pinnix leads the team with 793 rushing yards and six touchdowns, averaging five yards per carry. Unlike Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton -- whom the Hoosiers faced last weekend -- Minnesota quarterback Bryan Cupito is not a running threat.\nIU hosted Minnesota in 2004 when it upset then-No. 23 Golden Gophers 30-21 for the Hoosiers' only Big Ten win.\nWith recent history on their side, the Hoosiers hope this weekend's game will be the one that helps them clinch their first bowl in more than a decade.\n"It's another must-win game," freshman safety Austin Thomas said. "It's a little different atmosphere playing in the dome, but we've got to have the win this weekend. To spend Christmas in the warm weather would be awesome"