Hoosiers prepare to avenge 2011 loss

Nov. 19, 2011, is a day many Hoosiers may like to forget.

In what tied for IU’s largest margin of defeat in a 1-11 season, the Hoosier football team traveled to East Lansing, Mich., and was defeated by Michigan State 55-3. The Hoosiers produced fewer points and fewer yards in that game than in any other all year.

Less than 11 months after that game, IU will face the Spartans again — this time on Indiana turf — as the Hoosiers will look to create offensive momentum against a defense they have not been able to defeat in the past, IU Coach Kevin Wilson said.

“They play tremendous defense,” he said. “They’re talented at every position, and they’re very aggressive in what they do. They’re one of the better defenses, not only in the Big Ten, but in college ball.”

The numbers IU’s offense put up against Michigan State last season included 12 first downs, 236 total offensive yards and a 20 percent third-down conversion rate.

Going into Saturday afternoon, the team will try to erase that memory. They said they want the result to change.

“They present a lot of challenges, but we showed that to our kids, and they’re ready for it and excited about it,” said Kevin Johns, assistant offensive coordinator and quarterbacks and wide receivers coach. “It will be up to us to go execute our game plan and be successful with it.”

One aspect of the Michigan State defense the Hoosiers must adjust to is the Spartan blitz. The Spartans lead the Big Ten in opponent pass completion percentage with 49.7 and rushing yards allowed per attempt at 3.14 yards.

“We have to have a lot of blitz answers,” junior wide receiver Kofi Hughes said. “We’re going to not have as much time on a normal play as we do when we’re blitzed, so we have to speed everything up. I think by Saturday, we’re going to have a really good plan for them.”