Coach Wilson earns 1st career win

Nearly 300 days since their last win, the Hoosiers hardly remembered how to react.

“We almost forgot to sing the fight song to the fans, it’s been so long,” junior defensive tackle Mick Mentzer said.

After losses to Ball State and Virginia, IU Coach Kevin Wilson and the Hoosiers defeated Football Championship Subdivision opponent South Carolina State 38-21 Saturday. It was the first win of Wilson’s head coaching career, which helped lessen doubts he had about the coaching transition.

“You keep trying to go to the well and ask them to keep working hard and have a great attitude and coming to work,” Wilson said.

“When you have a couple hiccups and end on the wrong side of the ledger, you worry about that in the coaching transition, who are the true leaders.”

Wilson said the victory helped prove to the players and coaches that the team is moving in the correct direction.

Players such as senior wide receiver Dre Muhammad said they are excited about that direction after the win.

“It’s a great feeling,” Muhammad said. “You play the game to win, so just to get that first win is a great feeling to get the season rolling.”

The approach Wilson and his staff brought to the team characterized the first quarter of Saturday’s game as IU scored on its first two possessions. The two drives only took a combined 3:49, and IU ended the first quarter on top, 21-7.

Players such as senior strong safety Jarrell Drane came away from the game optimistic despite IU’s team-record 20 penalties.

“We did play with mistakes,” Drane said. “We had penalties on both sides of the ball, and we still came out with the win. What could we do if we played perfectly?”

Although practices had been going well, games hadn’t yielded the results they wanted until Saturday’s game, Wilson said.

“The kids have been doing a lot of things that we like as far as their practice habits or commitments,” Wilson said.

“To have some Saturday reward is something deeply needed, so hopefully that will
continue.”

Sophomore wide receiver Duwyce Wilson, who led the team in receiving yardage for the second straight week, echoed his coach’s sentiments. He said the win has only made the team hungrier for future victories.

North Texas is next for IU, and Drane, who paced the defense in tackles with 11, said he has high hopes going into not only that game, but the opening game of the Big Ten season against Penn State.

“Everybody was happy when we got that first win and got that snowball going,” Drane said. “We’re going to get rolling from now on. Go to North Texas, beat them and then come back (against) Penn State, beat them.”