Hoosiers seek to shut down Massachusetts running game

The Hoosiers started the 2012 season against a Football Championship Subdivision All-American running back, Shakir Bell, who put up 192 rushing yards.

“We gave up four long runs for a total of 117 yards,” Co-Defensive Coordinator Doug Mallory said. “If you take that away, then you feel like you kept a pretty good running back fairly well intact. A good back exposed us.”

The IU rush defense is going to try to contain the run this weekend against Massachusetts so it doesn’t get “exposed” for a second week in a row, Mallory said.

Massachusetts will try to attack the Hoosier defense with two running backs with previous Football Bowl Subdivision school experience.

Senior Chris Burns recently transferred from Pittsburgh, while graduate student Michael Cox graduated from Michigan and will play out his last year with the Minutemen.

Both were highly-touted running backs coming out of high school.

According to rivals.com, Burns was a four-star recruit ranked as one of the top 15 running backs in the 2008 class. He was recruited by Cincinnati and Illinois, as well.

According to scout.com, Cox was also a four-star recruit, receiving offers from Boston College, Connecticut, Duke and Maryland.

“They’ve got two good quality backs,” Mallory said. “We’ve got to get after them and force them to be one-dimensional.”

For the Minutemen’s first FBS game earlier this season, they only recorded a total of three rushing yards.

Burns provided 17 yards on 11 rush attempts in a 37-0 loss, but five other Massachusetts players combined for 13 rushes for negative 14 yards.

One of the main reasons for the lack of rush yards was due to the UConn defense, IU Coach Kevin Wilson said.

“Didn’t let the running game get going, got them going one-dimensional, got them third and long,” he said. “Just kind of rattled them.”

First-year Massachusetts Coach Charley Molnar didn’t get the passing game going against Connecticut, either.

Freshman quarterback Mike Wegzyn completed 9-of-22 passes for a total of 56 yards.

“It’s a first-year head coach at UMass, and they are working out the kinks, and I’m sure we are going to get their best shot,” Co-Defensive Coordinator Mike Ekeler said.
Mallory repeated how important the rush defense will be to this game.

“We’ve got to be able to take away the run,” he said. “Our defensive line needs to continue to control the line of scrimmage.”