Willis key to IU football success

Did you ever see the signs outside beach front restaurants and stores that read “No shirt, no shoes, no service”?

The IU football team should purchase one for the locker room that says “No Darius Willis, no chance.”

Ben Chappell could get one to display on the outside of his locker: “No Willis, no time in the pocket.”

What I am trying to say in more simple terms is: Keep Willis healthy and the Hoosiers will win football games. Lose him to the injury bug and all bets are off.

It’s that simple.

When he’s healthy, Willis is spectacular, easily one of the better offensive talents the Hoosiers have had in years. The running back led the team in rushing last year as a freshman with 607 yards, even though he missed three games due to injury and touched the ball a combined nine times in two other games.

Willis had three 100-yard rushing games, including a 16-carry, 152-yard outburst against Michigan. He gave Purdue a preview of what they’ll be dealing with for the next four years when he gained 142 yards on 19 touches.

If Willis stays healthy, the Hoosiers could win eight games. That’s not because he’ll rush for 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns and challenge Wisconsin’s John Clay and Penn State’s Evan Royster for a Big Ten rushing title.

There is a zero percent chance of that happening.

Willis can help the Hoosiers win games by opening things up for senior quarterback Chappell and the passing game.

The threat of Willis running 85 yards for a score will keep defenses honest. It will keep them from blitzing Chappell again and again. It will preserve the linemen so they have the energy to block for their quarterback on a critical play late in the fourth quarter.

“Whenever you have a balanced attack and you’re able to run the ball, it opens things up for the passing game,” senior wideout Terrance Turner said. “He’s definitely a key part of our offense and we need him out there. Whatever we have to do to keep him healthy, that’s what we have to do.”

Everybody knows this is a passing offense. It has to be. The Hoosiers’ offensive line isn’t nearly good enough to block for Willis 25 or 30 times a game.

But the tailback will get his opportunities. Because the Hoosiers have so many weapons out of the passing game — junior Tandon Doss, junior Damarlo Belcher and Turner all started last year — Willis should have some big lanes to run through, as he did a year ago.

If he is out for a significant amount of time, however, the entire offense will struggle. IU coach Bill Lynch would be forced to go the route of running back by committee, throwing guys such as senior Trea Burgess and redshirt freshman Nick Turner into the backfield. (Note: While Turner is a remarkable talent, he probably isn’t ready to carry the load as a freshman.)

With the threat of a running attack gone, defenses could drop extra guys in coverage (interception) or come after Chappell (sack).

There’s not much anybody can do to keep Willis from getting injured again, but that doesn’t mean Lynch can’t try. The fourth-year coach has kept Willis out of practice from time-to-time during the preseason in an effort to keep him fresh for the meat of the regular season.

“We were a better offensive team last year when he was in there and healthy,” Lynch said. “You have to be smart in camp with a running back because you don’t know how many hits he’s going to take during those 12 Saturdays.”

He and Lynch are doing anything and everything they can to protect the star running back.

Fans better hope it works because, without Willis, this season could go downhill in a hurry.


E-mail: jmalbers@indiana.edu