Western Kentucky could pose a problem for Hoosiers

Indiana opens its 2008 campaign Saturday with Western Kentucky University, and trust me, the Hoosiers’ opener will be closer than you think.
WKU has shined bright on the hardwood stage, and for that reason, its football squad often gets overlooked.
The Hilltoppers are listed as an independent team as they make the transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision. WKU dropped all five of its FBS contests last season, and with 10 of those games scheduled this season, coach David Elson will have his club more prepared than ever for those bouts. Elson has 14 starters returning, all wanting to make a statement that they belong in the FBS mix.
The 2007 opener was just downright embarrassing for the Hilltoppers. The No. 3 Florida Gators feasted on WKU 49-3, their worst loss of the season. But Elson’s club showed their resiliency coming out the next week clobbering West Virginia Tech 87-0. I know West Virginia Tech is no Florida, but the Hilltoppers’ ability to bounce back week-to-week says a lot about their team. WKU is hungry for a win against a FBS opponent and IU is its first chance at revenge.
With IU defensive end Greg Middleton sidelined for disciplinary reasons, the Hoosiers’ defensive line is going to have a cumbersome day with Hilltoppers’ running back Tyrell Hayden. He’s a 5-foot-10, 190-pound junior from Lexington, Ky., who can spoil the Hoosiers’ opener with one burst up the middle. Last season, Hayden recorded 1,134 yards on the ground with 10 touchdowns. IU needs to halt Hayden’s durable speed, and that’s where linebacker and Hoosier captain Will Patterson comes into play.
Handling the snaps for the Hilltoppers is K.J. Black, a sophomore who split the job last season with senior David Wolke. Unfortunately for Wolke, he suffered an injury in the weight room and, as a result, missed all of spring practice. In Wolke’s absence, Black is the first quarterback on WKU’s depth chart. If defensive linemen Jammie Kirlew and Ryan Marando can compensate for Greg Middleton’s dominance at defensive end (16 sacks and 50 tackles last season), you won’t see Western Kentucky’s wideouts Quinterrance Cooper and Jake Gaebler prevail in Black’s passing game.
WKU will spoil the Hoosiers’ opener only if their offense carries the load. The Hilltoppers’ defense only recorded 24 sacks last season to the Hoosiers’ 42. There’s a lot of pressure riding on quarterback K.J. Black’s shoulders to make a plausible case for the future at his position.
The question on the Hoosiers’ sideline remains in the play of quarterback Kellen Lewis. We’ll see how much of an effect missing spring practice has on a player, especially when IU coach Bill Lynch is implementing a new, no-huddle offense. Lewis needs to find another wide-out who can fill the shoes of former IU stud wide receiver James Hardy. If Lewis can’t find wide receivers Andrew Means, Terrance Turner or Ray Fisher, his running game better be as good if not better than last season’s.
But after watching some practices, I have a good feeling freshman wide receiver Damarlo Belcher can make an impact in Lewis’ offense. Saturday might be an audition for Belcher as Lynch seems to have an interest in the Fort Wayne product. Belcher is listed at 6-foot-5 and is the tallest of IU’s wide receivers. Maybe he’s a Hardy in the making?
The Hilltoppers’ defense carries an odd-man front, a scheme the Hoosiers haven’t seen all that much in seasons past. However, that alignment shouldn’t pose a threat due to Western Kentucky’s inability to make plays on the defensive side of the ball. If Kellen Lewis shows no signs of missing time in the spring, the Hoosiers should come out with the non-conference victory.
It’s the first game, and both teams are bound to make an abundance of mistakes. The one who logs the fewest will prevail in the end.