Spartan offense outguns Hoosiers

Marcus Thigpen was the Hoosiers’ revolver in their shootout against Michigan State on Saturday.

Unfortunately for IU, the Spartans brought two guns to the duel and outshot the Hoosiers 42-29.

With three scores, including a 79-yard reception and a 78-yard run, Thigpen arguably outshined State’s Javon Ringer.

Thigpen ended the day with 207 total yards and three touchdowns, while Ringer carried the ball 44 times for 198 yards and a touchdown.

But while Thigpen countered one facet of State’s attack, IU had no answer for its other big gain, quarterback Brian Hoyer.

The Michigan State signal-caller calmly threw for 261 yards and two scores. And while quarterbacks Kellen Lewis and Ben Chappell split time and threw for more yards together than Hoyer, turnovers and penalties severely handicapped their efforts.

“They are a very good offensive football team,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “It’s very well designed, and you have to spend so much time with the run game that you are going to get exposed on the outside some.”

Chappell made IU’s first two mistakes of the game.

With Lewis on the sidelines after coming up limp on a play, Chappell threw an interception on IU’s side of the field.

Compounding the gaffe, Chappell earned himself a personal foul after laying out the Spartan defender, Ross Weaver, after he was out of bounds.

The penalty and a Ringer run set up a one-yard sneak by Hoyer and forced the Hoosiers to try to catch the Spartans for the remainder of the game.

With 1:39 left in the third quarter and the Hoosiers down by five, the game’s final blow was dealt. But it wasn’t a Ringer run or Hoyer pass that did in IU.

Standing in his own end zone, Chappell connected with sophomore wideout Terrance Turner for a 97-yard touchdown strike that gave the Hoosiers the lead.

The play made both the Michigan State and Hoosier crowds stand up and cheer, one happy because of the touchdown, the other because there was a flag thrown 108 yards behind Turner’s touchdown celebration.

The call was holding, and the penalty occurred in the end zone, resulting in a safety and an expanded lead IU would never breach.

After a couple more Spartan field goals and numerous carries by Ringer, IU had lost its conference opener.

Despite the blunders, Lynch said he was pleased with his team’s effort.

“I was proud of the way they fought and played,” Lynch said. “The mistakes that we made, we can get those corrected.”