IU looks beyond 52-point loss to Old Oaken Bucket game

The 55-3 loss to Michigan State on Saturday cemented the fact IU would not take home the Old Brass Spittoon.

The players, such as junior defensive tackle Larry Black, Jr., turned their attention to the next prospective trophy: the Old Oaken Bucket.

“You’ve just got to forget it and keep moving on,” Black said. “It’s already out of my head. I’m ready to head back home and get the Old Oaken Bucket.”

The Old Oaken Bucket is given annually to the winner of the IU-Purdue game. The Hoosiers (1-10, 0-7), who won the Bucket game last season, now look to bounce back from a game in which they allowed 470 yards of offense and 174 rushing yards to Michigan State, ranked last in the Big Ten in rushing.

True freshman quarterback Tre Roberson, who started his fourth consecutive game, completed 10 of his 23 passes, throwing two interceptions. Though he was replaced in the second half, he said he expects both himself and the team to recover against the Boilermakers.

“We’ll all bounce back pretty well,” Roberson said. “We’re all excited about the Bucket game. I’m excited about playing my first Bucket game, so I think we’ll all bounce back and get back focused and go ahead and try and get Purdue.”

Like Roberson, IU Coach Kevin Wilson will participate in his first game against Purdue. This won’t be his first experience with a rivalry game, but he said for the team to find success against its rival, it must start with itself.

“We just have to use it to figure out who we are as a team,” Wilson said. “The rivalry is part of it. The biggest rival I ever played was my high school rival.

“Everyone’s got that big rivalry, and we are just lucky to have that big game every year and have a true great rivalry. We have to play better, though. The game is mostly about us improving as a team.”

Among the positives from Saturday’s loss to the Spartans was senior wide receiver Dre Muhammad, who grabbed nine receptions, a career high.

Muhammad spent his freshman year at Purdue, developing a friendship with a few of the Boilermakers, such as current Colts and former Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter. Despite his history, Muhammad said the game will have the same importance for all seniors on the team.

“It’s the same for all our seniors, even though I was there my freshman year,” Muhammad said. “I got a lot of friends on the team. I would say it’s like any other game, but it’s not. It’s the Bucket Game, so obviously, it’s a big game for me and the rest of the seniors.”

Moments after losing by 52 points, players stressed how important it was to immediately put the loss behind them and focus on the Boilermakers (5-6, 3-4) and the defense of the Old Oaken Bucket.

“I’m ready to go back out there now, but we have to watch the film, get over it, make up our mistakes and get ready for Purdue because they’re a good football team, too,” Black said. “We need to keep the Bucket back at home.”