Hoosiers to play 1st away game

The last time IU won its conference road opener, the Hoosiers went to a bowl game. Indiana defeated Iowa 38-20 on Sept. 29, 2007 en route to a 7-5 record.

In their five conference road openers since then, the Hoosiers are 0-5.

“It’ll definitely be a test for our team because it will be a pretty hostile environment,” sophomore cornerback Michael Hunter said. “Adjusting to the loudness, that’s the offense. The defense won’t have as big as an adjustment.”

For the first time this season, IU (3-2, 1-0) will play a game on the road. The Hoosiers play at Michigan State (4-1, 1,0) Saturday at noon, and the game will be broadcasted on ESPN2.

All time in East Lansing, IU is 6-22-1 against the Spartans with its last win coming more than a decade ago, in 2001.

IU had a unique schedule to open up the football season, with five straight home games to open up the slate. Going on the road, the team has to do a bit of adjusting, junior wide receiver Nick Stoner said.

“You’ve got to create your own energy, that’s a big thing,” he said. “We’re used to that, we’ve been doing that for a while.”

Spartan Stadium can hold up to 75,000 people. The biggest crowd IU has played in front of this year was just over 49,000 against Missouri.

“Just create your own energy because you won’t have the home crowd out there to get the momentum going,” Stoner said. “You’ve got to create it yourself.”

The last time IU traveled to East Lansing, the team lost 55-3 during the 2011 season. The game was the most lopsided result in the series since 1957, when Michigan State defeated IU 54-0.

Hunter, who redshirted last year, played in that game two years ago as a freshman. The one thing he said he remembers is, “Freshman year was freezing cold.”

On Saturday, the high is projected to be 73 degrees and partly cloudy.

Hunter said Spartan Stadium was one of the four or five most hostile venues he’s played in during his career.

“We’ve got a great opponent this week going on the road,” IU Coach Kevin
Wilson said. “Our first road test, playing very, very well, close to being a top-25 team.”
During Wilson’s tenure, IU is 1-7 on the road against Big Ten opponents.

The team’s one win came against Iowa last year. The victory marked IU’s first win against an FBS opponent outside the state of Indiana since 2009, when IU defeated Akron.

One major difference on the field is that Michigan State features a true grass field. Memorial Stadium has had a FieldTurf surface since 2008.

Despite not playing on turf, players aren’t worried about their speed guys being slowed down, Stoner said.

“The guys on the opposite side are playing on the same surface,” he said. “If it slows us down at all, it’s slowing them down too.”

Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.