Crimson wins error-filled spring game vs. Cream, 17-10

A record 5,325 fans traveled to Memorial Stadium for the annual Cream and Crimson Spring Game on Saturday. But if they were looking for mistake-free football, they went to the wrong place.

Seven total turnovers and nine punts highlighted Crimson’s 17-10 victory, something IU coach Bill Lynch attributed to the divided nature of a spring game.

“Any time you split the team like that, it’s going to be a little bit sloppy compared to the rest of the spring,” Lynch said.

Despite the mistakes, Lynch said the attitude on the sidelines was boisterous.

“They were having a great time with it, and they’re going to be having a great time in the locker room, so that’s really what it’s about,” he said. “You just know it’s not going to be as clean as the normal practices, because you’ve got guys playing next to each other that they haven’t throughout the spring.”

While Lynch and his staff tried their best to even the matchups, there were some discrepancies IU fans shouldn’t expect come fall.

Senior quarterback Ben Chappell led the Crimson offense, but his top target — junior wide receiver Tandon Doss — donned the Cream outfit. The expected starting defensive tackles, sophomores Adam Replogle and Larry Black, clogged the middle for Crimson, rushing freshmen backup quarterbacks Edward Wright-Baker and Dusty Kiel.

And the defense’s sheer knowledge of the offensive playbook made the job that much tougher for both teams.

“They’ve gone against us for 14 practices before this, so they know when we’re going to run power left, I think,” Chappell said.

That ability to quickly recognize a play was evident all night. Senior linebacker Jamie Lukaszewski led Cream with 11 tackles, while junior Fred Jones led the Crimson with three sacks.

Still, some offensive players were able to break through for big nights. Freshman wide receiver Duwyce Wilson hauled in 5 catches for 65 yards, second in the game to Doss’ 6 catches for 67 yards.

After redshirting last season, Wilson is ready to make an impact when it counts, Lynch said.

“Duwyce has really had a great spring,” he said. “You just notice him. He’s a playmaker. He’s got great speed, he’s got good ball skills and he’s picked up the offense really well. He and Doss made plays all spring ... I think going into the fall we’ve got four real quality wide receivers.”

Freshman running back Antonio Banks continued his impressive spring with 11 carries for a team-high 49 yards. Banks is one of two true freshmen competing in spring activities, and Lynch said he is sticking out.

“Every day in the spring, he’d do something, and you kind of went, ‘He’s really going to be a good player,’” Lynch said. “Antonio had that kind of spring, and he had flashes of it today too.”

Behind all the action, the record attendance made for a “tremendous” atmosphere, Lynch said.

“It was a big day for us. We had a number of recruits on campus and certainly spent a lot of time with them throughout the afternoon,” he said. “I didn’t get out in the parking lot like I wanted to, but I heard it was a great time out there and a big crowd.”

Chappell agreed with his coach, saying he loved having the Marching Hundred there to play the fight song and keep the fans buzzing.

“It was awesome,” Chappell said. “Having people come out, playing in front of a crowd, that’s always fun. I thought it was really neat, and hopefully it will continue in the future.”