Column: With foundation set, IU football to build future

Success in any facet of life begins with a clear and concise vision of one’s goals. First, the foundation must be laid before the building process begins.
Such is the case with IU football.

In IU Coach Kevin Wilson’s second season at the helm, the expectations will be at their highest since the Hoosiers earned a bid to the Insight Bowl against Oklahoma State following the 2007 regular season.

Riding the excitement of the team’s first bowl bid since the 1993 Independence Bowl, Hoosier fans were clamoring for another bowl in 2008, only to be disappointed by a 3-9 showing in former IU Coach Bill Lynch’s second season.

Are Hoosier fans in store for a similar letdown in Wilson’s second season?

The answer is no.

Wilson coordinated an Oklahoma offense that hit its peak during the Sooners’ run to the 2008 BCS National Championship Game against the Florida Gators. That Oklahoma team set the NCAA record for most points scored in a single 14-game season with 716.

Sure, Wilson does not have the same level of talent on his depth chart.
But with the returning players, there’s reason to believe IU could make a serious run at winning six games and earning a bowl bid.

It all starts on the offensive side of the ball for Wilson’s squad, led by returning starting quarterback Tre Roberson.

Roberson, a sophomore, gives the Hoosiers a true dual threat, as witnessed by his 426 rushing yards last season in addition to his 937 passing yards, yet the freshman suffered from a 57 percent completion percentage.

Yet, with a season of experience, we can expect to see Roberson become a more accurate passer.

Roberson will be complemented by junior running back Stephen Houston, who’s coming off a 2011 season where he compiled 802 rushing yards on 151 carries in addition to his 164 receiving yards from 17 receptions.

However, the offense will be hindered by a group of receivers that Wilson said is the worst offensive position group in fall camp. The good news is the level of talent available, with returning starters Kofi Hughes and Shane Wynn.

The Hoosiers take on Indiana State on Sept. 1 at Memorial Stadium, and only then will IU fans will see whether or not the returning starters have gelled to the point of being a threat to win six games and qualify for a bowl game.

The vision of the program is clear and the foundation has been laid. All that is left to do is start building.

­— ckillore@indiana.edu