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(07/14/14 10:01pm)
Sunday is usually thought of as a day of rest, a tradition that stems from earlier times when almost everyone woke up, attended church, sat down for a family meal and relaxed for the remainder of the day.
(05/01/09 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After two long years, two short years, happy times and sad ones, Jane Hoeppner is the self-described “poster child for doing everything I never thought I would be doing or have to do or want to do.”Only two years after her husband Terry Hoeppner accepted the IU football coaching job, Jane Hoeppner’s relatively peaceful life took a tumultuous turn when he succumbed to brain cancer in June 2007.Even though the Hoeppners spent almost 20 years at Miami University (Ohio), she remained in Bloomington after her husband’s death. Leaving, she said, never crossed her mind.“Quite honestly, I’m here for the long haul because my name is on that tombstone out in Valhalla as well as his,” said Jane, 61. “It’s a done deal.”Finding footballBorn and raised in Indianapolis, Jane Hoeppner had absolutely no idea what she was getting into when she saw a young Terry Hoeppner drawing up X’s and O’s in their French class at Franklin College. Never an adamant follower of football, Jane Hoeppner was taken aback by his passion for the game.“I could remember seeing him writing up plays and thinking to myself, ‘What is this person doing?’” Jane Hoeppner said. “And I found out I was looking at those diagrams for the rest of my life.”Those initial diagrams and an incredible passion for the game led Terry Hoeppner in his quest to become a college football coach. Jane Hoeppner followed him to Franklin for six years, after which he accepted a position as an assistant at Miami.The Hoeppners built a home in Oxford, Ohio, helped establish a program and taught more than just football to the team’s players.The couple created a family environment and scheduled meetings so coaches could spend time at home. While Terry Hoeppner coached the RedHawks, Jane Hoeppner taught third grade for 15 years, all the while taking care of their three children.Eventually, Miami named Terry Hoeppner the coach after Randy Walker accepted the head coaching job at Northwestern. Since Jane knew there was only one job for which Terry Hoeppner would leave Miami, she became resigned to the fact that Oxford was where she would stay.In six years at Miami, Terry Hoeppner turned the RedHawks into a bowl contender and produced NFL big men, most notably Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. But as soon as his dream job opened up, the Hoeppners moved to Bloomington.Jane Hoeppner said it was the importance of both athletics and academics that drew the family here. As soon as he got on campus, Terry Hoeppner opened a blitzkrieg advertising campaign on the student population of IU. Asking students to enlist as IU football fans, “Coach Hoeppner Wants You” posters smothered the campus, and the program experienced a jump start.For the first time in years, excitement surrounded IU football, and the Hoeppners were at its epicenter. Falling one game short of qualifying for a bowl game in 2006, they both believed that they came to a program that was a small step away from “Playing 13.” Fighting through the painTwo years later, Jane Hoeppner is still emotional.Tears swell in her eyes as she remembers her husband’s bout with cancer. She readily admits most people will associate her family with Terry Hoeppner’s illness though she really wants it to be associated with the North End Zone Project.“Had it not been for our faith, I’m not sure if we would have been able to go through it the way that we did,” Jane Hoeppner said. “And by that, I mean that 2006 was the best year of our married life.”Following the 2005 season, Terry Hoeppner was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He underwent surgery in the off-season, but another tumor reemerged at the start of the 2006 campaign, causing him to miss two games.Only a few months earlier, Walker, still a close friend of the Hoeppner family, had suddenly died from a heart attack, and now Jane Hoeppner found herself reaching out to his widow, Tammy Walker. A short while later, it was the other way around.“As weird as it is, we went through the same thing with our husbands,” Tammy Walker said. “We’ve stayed very close through that. ... It’s a unique situation. It’s easier for us to relate to each other than other widows because of our husbands’ positions and careers.”Even though her husband fought his way through 2006 and into the beginning of 2007, the cancer won, taking Jane Hoeppner’s partner of 39 years.Having lived in Bloomington for only two years, conventional wisdom suggested she move back to Oxford or return to teaching.She did neither.“The thought never entered my mind,” she said. “I think people that ask about that didn’t realize the welcome that we got when we came here and what it was like when we got here, because these people really get it.” BlissAt the 2007 season opener, a significant Memorial Stadium crowd paid its respects to the Hoeppner family and applauded Jane Hoeppner prior to kickoff. From then on, that team played almost exclusively on emotion, and she made it a habit to always stay close.“She’s part of our football family and always will be,” said IU coach Bill Lynch, who at the time was the interim coach. “Coach Hep and Jane are a big reason why we’re all here.”While Jane Hoeppner watched from the press box most of the year, Lynch guided the team to a 5-1 start that culminated with a dramatic 27-24 win against Purdue the last week of the season to guarantee a bowl game.For Jane, the realization of her late husband’s dream makes her emotional to this day.“When you look back on all that happened that year, it was just the perfect ending to a storybook time in some ways,” Jane Hoeppner said. “Incredibly sad, but incredibly satisfying. Those kids reached down deep.” Giving backShortly after Terry Hoeppner passed away, Rick Schilling, a local physician who lost a family member to cancer, approached Jane Hoeppner with the intent on starting an organization to raise money for cancer. Together they started the Coach Hep Cancer Challenge.Jane Hoeppner oversaw the project while Schilling acted as the vice president. Consisting of a 2k walk, 5k run and three bike rides, the Cancer Challenge drew 600 to 700 people and raised about $60,000 in its inaugural year last summer, Schilling said.“It’s a time of healing for a lot of folks,” Schilling said. “(It helps) those who are cancer survivors or have a loved one who is battling cancer, and of course, somebody who may have passed away from cancer. Everyone’s touched that way.”The Cancer Challenge donates its proceeds to the IU Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis and the Olcott Center for Cancer Education in Bloomington. This year, Jane Hoeppner and Schilling hope for 2,000 people to attend the event on May 16.Aside from philanthropy, Jane Hoeppner still believes in working for the community that supported her so much. While at a fundraiser, she became involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana. The organization, which helps arrange mentoring relationships for kids, was a perfect fit for her.“What impressed me with Big Brothers and Big Sisters was the commitment wasn’t over the top, but as a teacher, I knew what a consistent little bit would do to help,” Jane Hoeppner said.Already close with the current juniors and seniors on the IU football team (her husband’s two main recruiting classes), Jane Hoeppner coaxed Kirlew into joining the organization – an experience he already highly values.“Everybody always needs that extra role model in life to help them through with things,” Kirlew said. Life after footballTammy Walker understands why Jane Hoeppner is still in Bloomington. Both communities embraced the two widows graciously, and that is not quickly forgotten, she said.This is Jane Hoeppner’s home. She has established a life here. And when she sees the North End Zone Project – scheduled for completion in July – she can’t help but smile.Shortly after her husband passed away, she received a letter from a father who wrote that his son was sobbing after learning of Terry Hoeppner’s death. The father did not know what to tell his son and wrote Jane Hoeppner asking for advice.“So I thought about that legacy,” she said. “When I sat down to write him down, what do I say? But I told him, ‘When you remember Coach, I want you to remember what a difference only one person can make when you believe in something strongly. There may be a time in your life when you may be the only one standing up for what you know is the right thing to do, and it’s a lonely place sometimes. But I want you to remember that Coach, all of what he accomplished, started off being the only one that really believed it.’“It’s a good way to be remembered.”
(02/05/09 5:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Finally, Assembly Hall had something to celebrate.Led by the unconscious shooting touch from junior guard Devan Dumes and a stingy defense, the Hoosiers (6-15, 1-8) brought a well-deserved win back to Bloomington.“This will be the toughest win that they ever get, and I’m really proud of them,” IU coach Tom Crean said. “I think we were trying to get rid of that 50- to 75-pound weight on everybody’s back and, thankfully, now that’s gone.”Dumes made all but one of his nine shots and dropped a season-high 27 points en route to IU’s 68-60 win over Iowa – the Hoosiers’ first victory since Dec. 10. Later saying he wished he could have shaken the hand of every fan who witnessed the team’s first Big Ten win, Crean took center stage to address the crowd.“This is your win,” Crean said into a microphone. “And there’s no way we could do it without the best fans in America.”Unlike earlier efforts in the year, the Hoosiers defended a large lead and refused to cave during Iowa’s furious comeback in the final minutes – cutting a 20-point lead down to three with 1:30 remaining.“We didn’t panic,” Dumes said. “We stuck with our defensive presence and we didn’t give up.”Yet Dumes, seemingly the man who could do no wrong, drilled a 3-pointer off a screen with 1:11 remaining and lifted the building tension after the Hoosiers’ lead nearly dwindled to nothing.Later, Dumes picked off an Iowa pass with 23 seconds left, effectively sealing the game.“I just knew it was going in,” said freshman guard Nick Williams of Dumes’ shot. “Like Devan always, he hit the big shot and I couldn’t even move. I was mesmerized.”The last time IU clashed with Iowa, the Hoosiers had just begun their losing streak and nearly pulled off the win – just like they continued to do so many times throughout the past two months against other opponents. This time around, though, the intensity and all the hard work paid off.“For them to continue to persevere and keep believing,” Iowa coach Todd Lickliter said, “I think it’s a real credit to what they’re doing.”The first half presented a battle of lead changes and tough defense. From the opening minutes, the Hoosiers struggled to find their shot and the Hawkeyes forced six early turnovers.At the same time, though, Iowa was having its own struggles. In the first half, no player scored more than five points and the IU defense held the Hawkeyes to shooting 36.4 percent from the field, and to the Hoosiers’ advantage, Iowa – a 3-point-happy team – made only one triple.All the while, the Hoosiers frequently took the ball to the hoop, drawing numerous fouls along the way, and cashed in most of their free throws.Still, for most of the first half, the score remained tight with eight lead changes in the first 13 minutes. It was not until the final two minutes of the half that the Hoosiers opened their lead.Dumes – who went 4-of-4 from the field in the opening 20 minutes – nailed a deep 3-pointer to ignite an 8-0 run to close the half, while Iowa committed two costly turnovers and several fouls to put the Hoosiers on the line.Once the Hoosiers stomped their foot on the gas pedal in the first half, the intensity led to what could play out to be their last win of the season – the satisfaction of which might carry over a bit longer. “There’s no question, it wears on everybody,” Crean said. “And tomorrow will be a little bit different feeling going in to work.“Everybody’s going to be a little lighter.”
(11/24/08 4:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>WEST LAFAYETTE – No player, no game plan, not even a little prayer to the football gods could reverse the 180-degree turn IU football has taken in the past 12 months. At Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday, that sentiment was as evident as any of the other low points this season.Long faces, few positives and a 62-10 drubbing left IU humiliated. Leaving nothing in the tank, Joe Tiller’s team emptied all of its emotion on the Hoosiers and handed the program its worst loss in the rivalry game in 115 years.“It’s pretty disappointing,” said senior kicker Austin Starr. “You can’t really sugarcoat it. Words can’t really describe it.” SLIDESHOW: IU at PurdueFour months ago, this Hoosier team was supposed to put IU football back on the map. Led by returning stars and one of the better recruiting classes the program had seen in years, the Hoosiers weren’t only expected to go back to their second straight bowl game – they wanted to take the next step and win one.But as brightly as last season shone on the program, things changed for the worse quickly this year.Injuries mounted, the fan base became discouraged and losses took their toll. Players who were expected to perform well – such as juniors defensive end Greg Middleton and quarterback Kellen Lewis – did just the opposite week to week. On Saturday, Middleton did not even register on the stat sheet and saw a drop-off of 12 sacks from last year. Lewis, whose statistics make him one of the more prolific passers in IU history, completed 13-of-25 passes against the Boilermakers for 92 yards, two interceptions and one touchdown, capping an underwhelming junior year.Both had hoped to follow up on all-conference first- and second-team performances from a year ago, respectively, indicative of IU’s season as a whole. And a year after finishing 7-5 in the regular season and nabbing an Insight Bowl bid, the program essentially has nowhere to look but up.“There’s so many unfortunate things, things you can’t control,” said junior defensive end Jammie Kirlew. “From injuries to just everything going on. It gives me something to look forward to. ... I know we’re going to work so hard over this off-season.”During their post-game interviews, seniors, such as running back Marcus Thigpen and kicker Austin Starr, said they are leaving the program in better shape than when they began their careers. But so often this Big Ten season, this team was abused and humiliated time and again.IU averaged a woeful 20.5 points per game this year, compared to putting up just shy of 32 points each game a year ago. The defense allowed 423 points this year, and IU’s opponents scored at least 40 points six times. Last year, that happened twice.It will be a tough off-season for Bill Lynch and Co., as the coach lost support from much of the fan base throughout the year. Now he will get only a short time off before he goes back to work again to rebuild a program that once again seems to be lacking direction.“It’s a disappointing year, it’s a disappointing game,” Lynch said. “But we’re going back to work once we get to Bloomington. ... Nobody’s going to hang their head, and we’re going to get our guys going.”
(11/21/08 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One year ago, senior Austin Starr was Bloomington’s hero.Back then, Hoosiers everywhere rejoiced when the then-junior sent a 49-yard field goal through the uprights in the season’s penultimate moment. His celebrated kick sent the Hoosiers to their first bowl berth since 1993 and seemingly revitalized the program.But now, in a downtrodden year marked by disappointment, Starr and his team have sunk back to the bottom of the Big Ten.But they’ll get one last shot at redemption Saturday.“It is kind of surreal, but it hasn’t gone too fast,” Starr said, reflecting on his upcoming final game. “I’ve been taking it in.”Injuries and inconsistencies have plagued the 2008 Hoosiers, and Starr is no exception. A nagging hip injury prohibited him from putting up the same performance throughout his senior campaign that he displayed as a junior. A year ago, Starr kicked 21-of-23 field goals, hit all 48 extra points and, at one point, nailed 15 field goals in a row.This year, he hasn’t been so automatic. Through his first 11 games, Starr made 9-of-16 field goals and missed two extra points.While the injury – which he says is fine now – made kicking that much harder, the misses mounted and began to affect his psyche. After regrouping, he settled himself down and realized it wasn’t about his statistics – it was about helping his team, which he vowed to do better.“People don’t really care if you’re hurt or not,” Starr said. “If you’re in the game and you miss, it’s not like you get a point for just attempting a field goal.”Starr is one of 17 Hoosiers who will don the IU uniform one last time on Saturday. Regardless of IU’s bowl eligibility – or lack thereof – the Old Oaken Bucket game has special meaning for this group of seniors. Not only is this Purdue coach Joe Tiller’s last game before he retires, but IU has not captured the Bucket in consecutive years since 1990-91.What happens after this game for Starr is anybody’s guess. Prior to the beginning of the season, Starr was dubbed a Lou Groza Award candidate and had a legitimate chance of playing in the NFL.When he first came to IU, Starr was not on anybody’s radar. For the past four years, though, co-special teams coordinator George Ricumstrict has watched Starr grow into one of the nation’s top place-kickers.“He’s had some struggles this year,” Ricumstrict said. “That happens at times. But I think he’s done a good job at continuing to work hard and try to work himself through his struggles that he’s had.”But with Starr’s struggles this year, the thought of going to dental school keeps nagging at his dream of playing on Sundays.“I’m not really worrying about the NFL right now,” Starr said. “I’m trying to enjoy this, thrive in it and get better. ... Dental school is something that is concrete – it’s predictable. The NFL, it’s unpredictable.”Regardless of his future, Starr will always have Nov. 17, 2007 – a day that seemed to change the direction of IU football.An emotional player, Starr did a little bit more than just tear up when his field goal beat Purdue. Following his post-game interviews, one person went up to Starr to thank him, causing the kicker’s eyes to well up as he held off an outburst of tears.To have that opportunity once more to beat Purdue on the strength of his leg is something Starr is not just ready for – he yearns for it.“That would be everything I could want,” Starr said. “Two years in a row to kick the game-winner – a game winner is what kickers dream of.”
(11/17/08 5:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>STATE COLLEGE, Penn. – After hours of rain, the sun finally peeked out at Beaver Stadium, even though it had set on IU’s season long ago.Already eliminated from bowl eligibility, the Hoosiers set their sights on upsetting No. 8 Penn State, even though the program had never beat the Nittany Lions. What began as a tight game ended in yet another rout following a lethargic second-half outing.Entering the game, opponents had outscored the Hoosiers 163-68 in the second half this season. After Saturday, Penn State added 24 more second-half points, while holding the Hoosiers scoreless – it was the fifth time IU failed to score in the final two quarters of a game this year.“I don’t know why,” said junior defensive end Jammie Kirlew. “I thought we had a great first half. There’s just something in the third quarter where we didn’t capitalize. ... I really don’t know.”For the second straight week, right before the half, the Hoosiers took a blow that seemed to end any and all momentum. Junior quarterback Kellen Lewis aggravated his high ankle sprain, once again, and a blocked punt allowed the Nittany Lions to get a field goal before the break.Down 10-7, IU was still competing and still within reach of a possible upset against the team leading the Big Ten. Though they did not dominate on either side of the ball in the first two quarters, they managed to hang with Penn State.Then the third quarter began. For whatever reason, the Hoosiers came out flat after halftime and looked like a completely different team.“That’s the question,” said senior running back Marcus Thigpen. “I don’t know what it is about the second half. We still have the same drive. We’ve just been undisciplined this year.”The Nittany Lions scored 24 points in their first five possessions to open the second half, while the Hoosiers punted five times and turned the ball over on downs twice over the same stretch.Whatever limited offense IU produced in the first half vanished at the half, once again. Penn State held IU to one first down, 14 yards rushing, 22 yards through the air and the Hoosiers held the ball for only 11:22 after halftime.Over the weeks of a disappointing season, the second-half woes have become a common theme even though IU has trailed by more than eight points only once at halftime in 2008.“We just haven’t had the continuity week by week, practice by practice, to progress offensively the way we had hoped,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “When you play a great defensive team like that, I think it catches up with you, and I think that’s what happened today.”Lynch credited the Penn State defense, which is ranked the No. 6 total defense in the country, for stopping IU.As for why the Hoosiers cannot compete beyond the second quarter, it certainly is not whether IU has lost its fire, Kirlew said. Still, he had a hard time conjuring up a solution to his team’s struggles.“If I did, I’d definitely say something, so we can fix it,” Kirlew said. “We always come out ready to take over and sometimes, things just don’t go our way.”
(11/14/08 5:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Emblazoned on a white banner, black letters proclaimed something a growing chunk of Bloomington felt.“Fire Bill Lynch.”The words rang loudly Saturday, and while the Hoosiers endured yet another loss in a forgettable season, the players on the sideline who could see the sign pocketed their feelings and let it all out as soon as they had the chance.“Honestly, I wanted to go across the field and go into the stands and rip it away from them,” senior kicker Austin Starr said this week. “It just made me so upset. I went to the state police and asked them if there is any way that they could make those guys leave.“I just think it’s incredibly disrespectful. They don’t know what goes on in our team. They may not even know Coach Lynch. But I just can’t believe that we have fans like that that are that harsh and that, I mean, I could call them any kind of name.”Still, Lynch said “it’s all part of the territory” and tried to brush off the sign as nothing out of the ordinary.“You’re so wrapped up watching the football game that I don’t notice those kinds of things,” Lynch said. “If you’re a football coach and you’re paying attention to that stuff, you’re not doing your job.”As recently as a year ago, it seemed as if Lynch had the full backing of not just the student body, the athletics department or football alumni, but arguably most of Hoosier nation.Following the death of coach Terry Hoeppner earlier that summer, Lynch took the reigns of a team that played with limitless emotion for 13 games, including the program’s first bowl game since 1993.The Hoosiers finished 7-6. Back-to-back bowl games became a legitimate possibility. IU had a football program once again.But this September, the season began to unravel. Beginning with a 42-20 loss to Ball State at home, IU fell in four more games, picked up an upset win against Northwestern and then subsequently lost the following two weeks.Last Saturday, the Hoosiers hit rock bottom after Wisconsin blew up the scoreboard in the second half and won by 35 points.“Coach Lynch is not doing anything wrong, and he’s taking a lot of the heat – people are saying he shouldn’t be here,” said junior linebacker Matt Mayberry. “But I mean, really, it’s the players. We’ve got to pick it up, and we’ve got to learn how to execute better.”In articles and blogs and on message boards, many fans continue to voice their displeasure with the outcome of the season, blaming the woeful play on the coaching staff.So with a visibly upset fan base and a team riddled with injuries – three-fourths of the secondary is out for the year – Lynch heads to Happy Valley to play a talented Penn State team.All the while, his players stick with him. Starr exuded confidence in the coaching staff – specifically Lynch.“There are no doubters on this team about our coaching staff,” Starr said. “You can’t doubt them because we come in every single day and their passion for the game – I mean, it speaks for itself and how they coach us.”The players have their coach’s back even if they know a sizeable portion of their fans feel otherwise.But to know the Hoosiers support Lynch is a good feeling, he said.“We’ve had a tough year, and we’ve had a lot of things happen to us,” Lynch said. “But we’re sticking together, and we’re going to fight. We’re still fighting, and those of us on the inside that are there every day understand all of the things that have gone on. We’re all disappointed, but we’re still battling.”
(11/10/08 5:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ben Chappell saw daylight and sprinted toward the end zone. Preparing to slide at the Wisconsin 4-yard line, he hoped to put IU in position to take a 27-21 halftime lead.For a brief moment, it seemed as if the collective fan base thought maybe, just maybe, this Hoosier team could pull out a win and keep its bowl hopes alive. Only Wisconsin defensive back Jay Valai popped Chappell near the neck, sending the sophomore quarterback out of the game, the ball tumbling into the Badgers’ possession and effectively starting the rout that resulted in a 55-20 Wisconsin win.“We lost our players,” said IU coach Bill Lynch. “I think the turning point of the game was it’s 21-20, we recover a fumble and our quarterback, who’s playing awfully well, runs the ball, gets hit and loses the ball. We lost our quarterback, we lost the ball.”After the medical staff took Chappell to the locker room, Lynch called on junior quarterback Kellen Lewis to take the snaps. But Lewis was still hurt from a high-ankle sprain that has plagued him most of the season. Lewis only threw five passes, completing none, and ran once for four yards.With his first two quarterbacks out, Lynch turned to IU’s everything man – sophomore quarterback/wide receiver/safety Mitchell Evans.Evans, who injured his sciatic nerve last week, had not prepared to play a snap against Wisconsin. But Lynch needed a quarterback, and Evans was best suited for the job.“For him to go out and do what he did, shoot, it’s unbelievable,” Lynch said. “We’ve got guys up and down that offensive line – we lost two more today. Shoot, I know what the score is, but I know the guys in the locker room and I know what they’ve gone through.”While Evans was ill-prepared and hobbled under center, the Badgers shortened IU’s possessions and kept pounding the defense with a superior running game.Three Badgers rushed for more than 100 yards – David Gilreath (168), P.J. Hill (126) and John Clay (112) – and six touchdowns. Wisconsin averaged 7.2 yards per carry.“The reality is you’re probably not going to get it from a lot of guys,” said senior defensive end Jammie Kirlew. “Especially with the season we’ve had. We needed confidence throughout the game.” At the start of the second half, on Wisconsin’s first play from scrimmage, Gilreath took a reverse 90 yards for his second touchdown.It was the straw that broke the Hoosiers’ back, as their next six possessions resulted in three-and-outs, while the Badgers kept adding to their scoreboard – in all, 34 straight points – meaning no more dreams of a bowl game in 2008 for Bloomington.“It’s tough, because that was definitely another one of our team goals,” Evans said. “We can’t look at that now, we just have to try and finish up the year with two good performances by us. Hopefully we can get some more ‘W’s,’ because the losing is getting pretty hard.”
(11/07/08 4:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The window of opportunity in 2008 is nearly shut.Saturday, the IU football team plays the first of its final three games this year. To become bowl eligible, they must win all three. The Hoosiers start with their final home game against a struggling Wisconsin team.The Hoosiers (3-6, 1-5) and the Badgers (4-5, 1-5) have both underperformed in the Big Ten. Both teams had aspirations of playing in a bowl game and both are on the fringe of closing the book on their seasons in November rather than December. BLOG: Under the RockIf history proves consistent, though, Wisconsin should have the edge over IU. The last three meetings between the two teams have gone to the Badgers, including the Hoosiers’ 33-3 loss at Camp Randall Stadium last year.“The last four years, they have really gotten after us, and we’re going to try and make it a good game,” sophomore wide receiver Mitchell Evans said.Last week, the Hoosiers lost 37-34 against Central Michigan primarily because of backup quarterback Brian Brunner’s 485 passing yards. On Saturday, they expect a different type of attack from Wisconsin.Powerful running back P.J. Hill – who is in pursuit of a third straight 1,000 yard rushing season – comes to Bloomington after rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown last week against the Spartans.Last year, the Hoosiers only saw Hill for the first quarter because of a leg injury, but he still notched 57 yards and a touchdown in his time on the field.“You’ve got to game tackle him – you have to get to him,” said IU coach Bill Lynch. “They do a lot of different things with the running game that stress you.”In determining Hill’s effectiveness, considerable pressure falls on the defensive front seven, most notably the linebacking corps. Juniors Matt Mayberry and Will Patterson, who lead the team in total tackles with 57 and 54, respectively, will have to plug the holes and keep Hill at bay. Still, Lynch said it doesn’t stop there. “Your safeties have to be involved in the running game, too,” Lynch said. “That’s why a great power running team stresses you so much because you have to get the safeties involved to stop the run and worry about the play-action pass over the top. ... It’s a balancing act.”The more success Hill has, the more susceptible the IU secondary will be to the play-action fake – the same secondary that nearly gave up 500 yards in the air last weekend.And IU’s secondary has continually been beaten up by injuries in the past few weeks. Against Northwestern, the Hoosiers lost junior safety Austin Thomas for the season, while junior safety Nick Polk suffered an undisclosed injury during practice, though Lynch seemed optimistic about his status for Saturday.As for the skill position players, junior quarterback Kellen Lewis practiced with the starting offense and seems ready to play, and Lynch said he is just as confident that senior running back Marcus Thigpen will be back as well.The addition of both players provides Lynch with more offensive options. Throughout the year, the team has shown flashes of success, but for the most part has played sporadically.“We really don’t know,” said junior wide receiver Andrew Means when asked why the Hoosiers have played inconsistently this year. “We’re asking ourselves the same thing, too.
(11/03/08 3:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following a 37-34 loss to Central Michigan on Saturday, the Hoosiers are approaching the breaking point of their 2008 season.Junior linebacker Will Patterson was so perturbed by his team’s performance he somewhat called out them out following the game.“We’ve got certain guys that go out and play like warriors every Saturday,” Patterson said. “Then you’ve got the few guys that just kind of do their own thing. It showed today and we’ll get it fixed.”Three games left leaves the outside chance at IU becoming bowl eligible, but the road to .500 is going to be anything but easy.In their remaining three weeks, the Hoosiers entertain a struggling Wisconsin team, travel to No. 3 Penn State and finish up at Purdue in Joe Tiller’s last game. Even if they win out to finish 6-6, IU with have to beat out many other Big Ten eligible will make it very difficult for the Hoosiers to play in the postseason. “Our goal is still out there,” Patterson said. “All we need is six wins, and we still have three games left. To some, it might seem impossible but we’re going to come out and play our best.”Following last year’s dream season that culminated with Austin Starr’s 49-yard field goal sending the Hoosiers to the Insight Bowl, everything has unraveled in 2008. Untimely injuries, a suspect defense and even the senior kicker’s struggles (7-of-14 and with two missed extra points) have plagued the Hoosiers throughout the year.No, there is not a whole lot of magic to be found. Not when IU gives up 485 passing yards to a backup quarterback – third most against IU in its history. Or allowing Central Michigan to convert on 11-of-19 third downs. Not when the Hoosiers lose two games in a season against Mid-American Conference opponents for the first time in the program’s history.“We played great football 75 percent of the time, and we played really bad football 25 percent of the time,” said junior defensive end Jammie Kirlew. “They took advantage of that 25 percent.”The Hoosiers did have their bright spots on Saturday. The team recorded seven sacks on backup quarterback Brian Brunner - junior linebacker Matt Mayberry had four of them – and IU even gained 213 yards on the ground. The Hoosiers even limited Central Michigan to 37 yards rushing.“We did a good job all day stopping the run,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “You’d like to make a team one-dimensional and we stopped the run but we just never did stop the pass.”Not aiding the Hoosiers efforts late in the game were running backs senior Marcus Thigpen and junior Bryan Payton who both fell to undetermined injuries.“I don’t know right now,” Lynch said to the extent of their injuries. “Obviously they were serious enough that they were taken out of the game.”Even though the Hoosiers are floundering three games under .500, Lynch is not ready to admit this team has taken a step back from last year.“At this point, I’m not concerned with that,” Lynch said. “I’m concerned with getting it right and getting it on with Wisconsin, at this point. ... We’ve got to get our team corrected and get it going in the right direction.”Nor is Kirlew ready to give up on this year.“I know we have a lot of talent on this team,” he said. “Though we have a few key guys out, we still should be able to go out and compete.”
(10/31/08 2:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After one and a half years of coaching IU football, Bill Lynch will have to make what could be one of his biggest decisions Saturday: sophomore Ben Chappell or junior Kellen Lewis? With both quarterbacks healthy and able to play against Central Michigan, Lynch will make a game-time decision as to who will start. Coming to that decision won’t be easy.“It’s a good situation, because they have both played,” Lynch said. “They both run the offense, and I think the offense is very comfortable with both of them. We’ll wait until we make the right decision.”For the past 10 quarters, Lewis has sat on the sidelines nursing a high-ankle sprain. The injury has healed, but the incumbent starter faces strong competition from his back-up.Last week, Chappell’s play fueled an IU offense that stayed dormant through three straight games, scoring 13 points or fewer in each one. Mired in a five-game losing streak, the Hoosiers found brief salvation in Chappell, who completed 21 of 34 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown.Rarely did he make a mistake, if any at all.As far back as the Cream and Crimson game in April, Lynch has done nothing but praise Chappell and the way he leads the offense. Prior to the win against Northwestern, Chappell officially won his team over with an inspirational speech.Now the question is: Does Lynch give Lewis back his starting job?Lewis was suspended in March for breaking team rules but won the starting position over Chappell in August. During Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s practices, which were open to the media, Lewis was a full participant and seemed to run without much trouble.“He looked good,” Chappell said of Lewis. “He had a good run-through yesterday and practiced well today.”Before the Hoosiers sidelined Lewis due to the injury, Lynch had already begun to implement a dual-quarterback system. On certain plays, Chappell came in as the quarterback, while Lewis lined up as a slot wide receiver or a second running back.Using Lewis as a decoy worked at first against Michigan State, but soon Lewis was injured, and the Hoosiers had to shelve those plays for the last few weeks.“Obviously, that’s part of our package,” Lynch said. “How much we do it, I don’t know. You put the game plan in, and you see where they’re at.”Against a strong Mid-American Conference team like Central Michigan, a few wrinkles in the offense might help the Hoosiers.“They’re a great team,” Chappell said. “If they’re not the best team in the MAC, they’re right up there. We’re going to have to play a good game to win it.”Lynch has no worries about the readiness of either quarterback, but a conceivable problem with their success is how the offensive line handles the situation, because Lewis is a mobile quarterback and Chappell is a pocket passer.Asked whether not knowing who the quarterback is until Saturday changes any preparation, junior offensive lineman Pete Saxon shrugged it off and said the line will be ready.“They’re both our starting quarterbacks,” Saxon said. “Nothing’s different in this game. We can run every play with either of them in.”
(10/27/08 3:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Defensive end Jammie Kirlew had more than just a spark in his eye – he had his swagger back. And the junior, along with his teammates, had good reason.For the first time in six weeks, the IU football team could celebrate a victory – a 21-19 win over Northwestern. To Kirlew, this was the Hoosier team he fully expected to show up throughout the year. “We were looking to have the spark earlier in the season, but the fact is we have it now,” Kirlew said. “And we’re going to try and take advantage of it as much as we can.” SLIDESHOW: IU beats NorthwesternIU (3-5, 1-4) dominated defensively, forcing five turnovers, while the offense methodically churned out points and limited mistakes against a fundamentally sound Northwestern defense.And they finally played four quarters.Inconsistency plagued the Hoosiers through a five-game losing streak when the team lost sight of its abilities, but IU was able to put it all together Saturday and break out of that miserable slump.“We lost the attitude,” Kirlew said. “The games we played in the past couple of weeks, that wasn’t us.”But the first win since Sept. 6 did not come without its casualties. The Hoosiers lost three members of their offensive line, junior Rodger Saffold, junior Mike Reiter and sophomore James Brewer, and junior safety Austin Thomas, to injury.Even sophomore quarterback Ben Chappell – who was 21-of-34 for 219 yards and two total touchdowns – was so banged up at the end of the game that he was receiving treatment and unavailable to the media. BLOG: Under the Rock“He’s pretty beat up right now,” said IU coach Bill Lynch. “Nothing was told to me other than he’s pretty beat up. He took some shots out there.”Already entering the game without junior quarterback Kellen Lewis, Chappell began his second career start sluggishly. But things began to click for Chappell and the Hoosiers when they held Northwestern to a field goal on its 20-play, game-opening drive that ended on IU’s 7-yard line.When the Hoosiers’ second drive stalled, Lynch called upon freshman Chris Hagerup to punt. A bad snap coaxed Hagerup into an improbable 17-yard run up the middle, extending the possession. On the next play, Chappell executed a perfect play-action fake and threw a 43-yard strike to freshman Damarlo Belcher for a touchdown.Bad penalties cost the Hoosiers and allowed Northwestern to take a 9-7 lead after Tyrell Sutton ran into the end zone from a yard out.Approaching halftime, Sutton fumbled at the Northwestern 37-yard line, resulting in the Hoosiers taking a 14-9 lead, when Chappell scored on a 3-yard rush.Playing with a little more fun, IU kept going for the big play and accomplished just that toward the end of the third quarter. Sophomore wide receiver Mitchell Evans took the ball on a reverse, stopped to plant his feet and launched the ball down the field to a wide-open Tandon Doss for another IU touchdown.Northwestern would score one more touchdown to bring the game to 21-19, but Thomas’ second interception and a forced fumble from junior defensive lineman Greg Middleton with 1:34 remaining squelched the Wildcat comeback and prompted the Hoosiers to run to the student section to celebrate something they had not done in a long time.“I don’t think anybody expected us to win this game – except for everybody in that locker room,” Evans said. “All week, we were talking about how this was a huge game for us – we’ve got to have this and this is a must win. “We needed to get our season started again.”
(10/24/08 4:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The hope Hoosier fans had for IU football in 2008 has slowly subsided over the team’s last five games, all losses.Now with five games remaining and seemingly no shot at going to a second-straight bowl game, IU will attempt to break out of its skid against Northwestern on Saturday.“Sure, you’re disappointed when you go through stretches like this,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “But it’s how you bounce back. When you have a little adversity, you have to bounce back. ... That’s kind of how they’ve practiced the last (few) days.”A mere five games remain on the Hoosiers’ schedule. At 2-5, 0-4 in the Big Ten, IU has to win at least four of five games on its remaining schedule in order to become bowl-eligible. Even if they do that, having so many bowl contenders in the Big Ten severely hurts the likelihood of a 6-6 IU team playing in the postseason.What the Hoosiers most likely have to do is run the table on Northwestern, Central Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State and Purdue. Only two teams – Wisconsin and Purdue – are under .500, and these final two games of the year are on the road. IU has won only two Big Ten road games since 2002.But for now the Hoosiers will focus squarely on this weekend’s opponent. The Wildcats (6-1, 2-1) are already bowl eligible and are fundamentally sound in nearly every aspect of the game. Rarely a team that makes mistakes, Northwestern is plus-two in turnover margin and averages less than six penalties a game.And they sport two of the more dynamic players in the Big Ten.Quarterback C.J. Bachér and running back Tyrell Sutton lead the Wildcats’ offensive attack, and both torched the Hoosiers in Evanston, Ill., last year. Sutton rushed for 141 yards, and Bachér threw for 276 more, albeit with three interceptions in Northwestern’s 31-28 win.“Wait till you see this guy’s legs, man,” junior safety Austin Thomas said of Sutton. “He’s a thick guy. He’s quick, and he’s a good back.”As always, Lynch remained positive on the season’s outlook and was impressed by a strong week of practice.Inconsistencies have plagued the Hoosiers through the past five weeks. Lately and more prominently, the offense has shut down. Other times, struggles have set in because the defense has let up, the kicking game has been off or a combination of all of the above.“There’s no part of our offense that has played consistently enough,” offensive coordinator Matt Canada said. “Every aspect needs to be better, and we’re certainly trying to do that. We’re all counting on each other to pull the thumb, look in the mirror and play better.”And then there has been the issue of injuries. No team, the Hoosiers included, will use fallen players as excuses, but IU will enter Saturday with a lot of questions regarding who will play and who will sit.Junior quarterback Kellen Lewis remains questionable and might sit for the second straight week. Sophomore quarterback Ben Chappell stepped in for him against Illinois and was hassled mercilessly in a 55-13 drubbing. The Hoosiers might also play without sophomore defensive lineman Deonte Mack, and Lynch said junior wide receiver Andrew Means will likely be out. But freshman wide receiver Tandon Doss, who played well early in the season, will return from injury and provide the Hoosiers with a possible deep threat.“You hate to lose a guy like Andrew,” Lynch said. “But you get another quality guy (Doss) that hadn’t played a lot, but when he did play, he played pretty well.”
(10/23/08 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Every day for the past week and a half, junior quarterback Kellen Lewis’ high-ankle sprain has listed him as questionable. Improvement in the injury has given the Hoosiers a case of optimism, but for now, they stick to the alternative: Ben Chappell.The sophomore and Bloomington South product started against Illinois last week and has filled in occasionally for the oft-injured Lewis. For most teams, the loss of a dynamic player and leader like Lewis can be irreparable. But having Chappell at the reigns is not new to this team.Chappell filled in for Lewis as the starting quarterback while the latter served a suspension which lasted from spring ball to fall camp. Since then, Chappell has had the opportunity to set aside the clipboard and step in to make a case for himself as an efficient quarterback.“We think Ben’s very capable,” said offensive coordinator Matt Canada. “He played well, but it’s what we expect.”Chappell has played in six of IU’s seven games and lost his only start. Having been thrust into the position – several times in the middle of the game – Chappell has struggled. He is only completing 48.2 percent of his passes, with one touchdown against two picks and is gaining 83.3 yards per game.Against the Illini on Saturday, Chappell was sacked four times and was knocked down an additional seven. Perhaps it’s inexperience, but Chappell recognizes he needs to get rid of the ball faster.“I have to get rid of the ball faster,” Chappell admitted. “There were some guys open on Saturday that I probably could have gotten the ball off quicker. But it’s one of those things where the whole offense has to do better.”Though he might play a little green, Chappell does have some powerful tools in his favor. He has a strong right arm with the ability to throw the football down the field – something he has not shied away from.And while he might not have Lewis’ playmaking ability or speed, Canada has given Chappell the go-ahead for several quarterback draws.During the last two weeks, though, with Chappell at the offense’s helm, the Hoosiers have only been able to put up 13 points. The lack of scoring has to change this weekend when IU entertains Northwestern (6-1, 2-1), a team that can put up points quickly.And he will have to do just that against an improved Wildcat defense.“They’re so disciplined and so smart,” Chappell said. “Their safeties really hold the coverage really well and they’ve got some horses up front. They’re just a good defense.”
(10/20/08 4:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — This was supposed to be a vaunted offense – an offense that intimidates its opponents.Scoring points, creating yards and a talented wide receiving corps were supposed to be IU’s staple points this year. Factor in an improved running game and the implementation of the no-huddle offense, and everything looked up for IU in August.But all of that has been traded in for a faint whisper – Saturday’s 55-13 loss to Illinois being the latest of disappointing offensive outputs.“We put together little drives,” said IU coach Bill Lynch, “but we couldn’t finish anything.”Instead of lighting up the scoreboard, the IU offense has hemorrhaged profusely throughout a miserable five-game losing streak. A team that was built to score points has done just the opposite, all the while dissipating as the calendar turns.The Hoosiers have averaged 15 points per game throughout their losing streak and only two points in the second half.“One of the things is third down conversions,” said Lynch – the Hoosiers were 3-of-16 in that category. “We’ve got to do a little better to stay on the field and give ourselves a chance to score.”Sophomore Ben Chappell, subbing for injured junior quarterback Kellen Lewis, struggled as orange shirts continued to hassle him all night long. The Illini sacked Chappell – who went 12-of-29 for 172 yards – and pressured the backup in his first career start.“I didn’t think we struggled that bad on offense today,” Chappell said. “I think we moved the ball decently well. We didn’t finish our drives – that was a huge problem.”Even the kicking game was off – yet again. Senior Austin Starr, who at the start of the season was in consideration for the prestigious Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, missed two field goals against the Illini before making two chip shots.Slightly conservative play calling has seemed to hurt the Hoosiers more than help them of late in addition to the statistical woes. Down 34-7 at the 8:58 mark in the third quarter, Lynch opted to kick a field goal on fourth-and-goal rather than try for a touchdown as precious time waned away.“I felt like we needed to at least get some points,” Lynch said. “I didn’t want us to come up empty like we did on the other two field goals.”Injuries in nearly every offensive position certainly have not helped. Lewis, considered by many to be one of the more dynamic players in the conference, sat on the bench with a high ankle sprain. The offensive line has resembled a patchwork quilt rather than a unified front, while skilled position players have battled injuries as well.The Hoosiers entered the game ranked 41st in the country in total offense, but those numbers are slightly inflated due to the first two games of the year when IU ganged up on two weak opponents.“We haven’t played well enough to win,” Chappell said. “I think that’s the bottom line.”
(10/17/08 5:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A missed block, a missed assignment or pouncing for the ball at the wrong time. That’s how the option can kill you.IU was on the losing end of that formula when the Hoosiers (2-4, 0-3) played Illinois (3-3, 1-2) a year ago at the Bloomington version of Memorial Stadium. Rashard Mendenhall, quarterback Juice Williams and wide receiver Arrelious Benn thoroughly exposed the IU defense, running for 288 yards.This time around, expect more of the same.“They challenge you with the running game,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “They got to us last year because they used some different blocking schemes on the outside that really gave us trouble. They force you to prepare for a lot, and that’s why they’re pretty good.”The combination of Williams, Mendenhall and Benn proved deadly last year in a 27-14 defeat. Mendenhall now plays on Sundays for the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Williams and Benn still receive national attention for their work with the Illini.However, at first glance, the Mendenhall-deficient Illini seem to be easier to defend when they run the option. The Illini are averaging 190 yards per game on the ground – a far cry from their 257 yards per game and No. 5 national ranking in 2007 – but are still as talented as they were a year ago, said senior defensive lineman Greg Brown.“I think they’re just as good,” Brown said. “Obviously, losing Mendenhall, that’s a big loss. As far as everything else, they’re still a good team. They read their keys well, and they do things even better than last year.”Limiting the option takes precision from all 11 players’ defense. With several possibilities for the quarterback – pitch the ball, throw it or keep it and run – it becomes especially important for the IU front seven not to over-pursue.Each defensive player has a specific assignment – a player to cover. One lapse in positioning, overcommitment or wrong decision, and the whole defense can fall apart.“The option is all about assignment football,” Brown said. “If you mess up on one assignment, they’re going to beat you, because this is all about having your keys.”What hurts the Hoosiers, though, is the development of Williams, who is now an accomplished passer in addition to his dual ability as a runner. Williams has already thrown for as many touchdowns as he did last year (13) and has an improved completion percentage (58.5 percent).“He’s throwing the ball very accurately, making big plays and making good decisions,” Lynch said. “He’s just evolving into a very good quarterback and seems to get better all the time.”But as touted as the Illini’s playmakers may be, junior defensive lineman Jammie Kirlew, who leads the Hoosiers with six sacks, is looking forward to playing a team that he feels is not as lethal as a year ago.“To be honest, I don’t think they’re as great as when they had Mendenhall there,” Kirlew said. “When they had Juice, Mendenhall and Arrelious Benn, it’s like dang, you know, who are you going to stop? But they still do a good job running it.”
(10/15/08 3:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was barely into the third quarter during Saturday’s game against Iowa when the “boos” started coming down. Eventually losing 45-9, the IU football team felt its fans show their displeasure simply by leaving, making the student section as empty as the North End Zone Project. For IU student junior Rich Lesser, the 2008 football season has shown the Hoosiers are once again comfortable at the bottom of the Big Ten.“It’s what I expected,” Lesser said. “I didn’t think we’d be as good as last year, but I thought we may have a chance to be as good as last year. As of now, it doesn’t look too good.”With a lack of support in the student section throughout their current four game losing streak, IU coach Bill Lynch urged the fan base during his weekly press conference Tuesday to continue to give the Hoosiers support regardless of the team’s 2-4 record.“The energy in a football stadium can be electric and if that energy is focused on your football team, it goes a long way toward the energy of which you can play,” Lynch said. “We are not giving up on this thing, I certainly hope they don’t give up on it, and come back.”Throughout the game and earlier in the week, IU fans voiced their displeasure with the performance of their team. Last November, the Hoosiers gained considerable interest from their fan base when senior kicker Austin Starr nailed a 49-yard field goal to send the Hoosiers to their first bowl game since 1993.With a 7-5 regular-season performance – the program’s best since winning percentage in 14 years – Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan signed IU coach Bill Lynch through 2012. Since then, there has been disagreement among the fan base as to whether the extension was the right decision.“I would have liked to see them bring in a new coach,” said junior Mark Molter. “I think with the talent level they have, to lose to Minnesota, that would fall on Lynch.”In an Indiana Daily Student column that ran on Oct. 9, several students interviewed were dissatisfied with Lynch and the direction he is taking the program.However, other fans more recently said they remain supportive of his efforts, which took the Hoosiers to the 2007 Insight Bowl.“I know everyone is quick to jump on Coach Lynch, but he’s also the coach last year that held the team together and actually got them to a bowl game,” said Bloomington resident Gary Meyer. “I don’t really think you can make a sound judgment on one individual.”Lynch is in his 16th year as a head coach. Prior to IU, he coached at Butler, Ball State and most recently, DePauw. At Ball State, Lynch went 37-53 and took the Cardinals to the Las Vegas Bowl in 1996.Freshman Julian Bellamy added that the fan base should not harp solely on Lynch, because he said the players are just as much to blame for the lackluster start to the year. Additionally, he said, IU needs continuity at head coach.“I went to a high school where we changed head coaches all the time, and you can’t do that,” Bellamy said. “You can’t build a program if you change head coaches a lot.”Starting with Cam Cameron in 1997, IU has had four head coaches, including the late Terry Hoeppner.“I think last year, we were riding a lot on remembering coach Hep, just riding that vibe,” said senior Chris Crohan. “This may sound old-school, but you know the players are trying their best, and you know the coaches are trying their best. It’s just a matter of simple execution.”With a lack of support in the student section throughout the four game losing streak, IU coach Bill Lynch urged the fan base during his weekly press conference Tuesday to continue to give the Hoosiers support regardless of the team’s 2-4 record.“The energy in a football stadium can be electric and if that energy is focused on your football team, it goes a long way toward the energy of which you can play,” Lynch said. “We are not giving up on this thing, I certainly hope they don’t give up on it, and come back.”Throughout the game and earlier in the week, IU fans voiced their displeasure with the performance of their team. Last November, the Hoosiers gained considerable interest from their fan base when senior kicker Austin Starr nailed a 49-yard field goal to send the Hoosiers to their first bowl game since 1993.With a 7-5 regular-season performance – the program’s best since winning percentage in 14 years – Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan signed IU coach Bill Lynch through 2012. Since then, there has been disagreement among the fan base as to whether the extension was the right decision.“I would have liked to see them bring in a new coach,” said junior Mark Molter. “I think with the talent level they have, to lose to Minnesota, that would fall on Lynch.”In an Indiana Daily Student column that ran on Oct. 9, several students interviewed were dissatisfied with Lynch and the direction he is taking the program.However, other fans more recently said they remain supportive of his efforts, which took the Hoosiers to the 2007 Insight Bowl.“I know everyone is quick to jump on Coach Lynch, but he’s also the coach last year that held the team together and actually got them to a bowl game,” said Bloomington resident Gary Meyer. “I don’t really think you can make a sound judgment on one individual.”Lynch is in his 16th year as a head coach. Prior to IU, he coached at Butler, Ball State and most recently, DePauw. At Ball State, Lynch went 37-53 and took the Cardinals to the Las Vegas Bowl in 1996.Freshman Julian Bellamy added that the fan base should not harp solely on Lynch, because he said the players are just as much to blame for the lackluster start to the year. Additionally, he said, IU needs continuity at head coach.“I went to a high school where we changed head coaches all the time, and you can’t do that,” Bellamy said. “You can’t build a program if you change head coaches a lot.”Starting with Cam Cameron in 1997, IU has had four head coaches, including the late Terry Hoeppner.“I think last year, we were riding a lot on remembering coach Hep, just riding that vibe,” said senior Chris Crohan. “This may sound old-school, but you know the players are trying their best, and you know the coaches are trying their best. It’s just a matter of simple execution.”
(10/13/08 4:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bill Lynch sat at the podium as he began to search for a way to grasp the loss his team just suffered. He didn’t find anything.Last year, playing a team like Iowa was business as usual. But as evidenced by the half-empty Memorial Stadium in the third quarter, the deflated IU sideline and the 45-9 loss on Saturday, the promise the program displayed in 2007 continues to quickly fade away.“We have to play better,” Lynch said. “That’s what we’ll go back to working on.”“You have to do something to turn it. You have to do something in the kicking game, go get a turnover, do something offensively. ... They beat us just about every way.”Click here for a photo slideshow from Saturday's gameThe boos started to come out as early as the first quarter, and halfway through the third, the fans had had enough. As the game got out of hand, the student section dissipated as quickly as Iowa running backs Shonn Greene and Jewel Hampton hit the gaping holes in the IU defensive line.Greene and Hampton provided the force – the duo ran for 229 yards and four touchdowns – while quarterback Ricky Stanzi picked apart the IU secondary. Stanzi threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns while the Hoosiers displayed a penchant for giving up the big play.“We just didn’t make the plays, and they were,” sophomore quarterback Ben Chappell said. “That’s really all it came down to.”Junior linebacker Will Patterson attributed the defensive miscues to over-pursuing the Iowa players and missed assignments. “We’re a fast defense,” Patterson said. “And when we try to get to the ball, a lot of guys are playing over the top instead of playing back.”Iowa scored touchdowns of 12, 34, 20 and 10 yards – along with two one-yard scores – held the ball for 38:07 and converted nearly half of its third-down conversions. IU, on the other hand, managed two successful scoring drives on its five trips across midfield.“I think our biggest problem is we just never got them off the field,” Lynch said. “They stayed in such down-and-distance situations. I mean, they hit a few third- and-longs but most of the time, they were first and second and not even in third down.”Iowa dominated the first 20 minutes, taking a 17-3 lead before junior quarterback Kellen Lewis found junior wide receiver Ray Fisher in the corner of the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown. That was about it for the IU success as the Hawkeyes went on to score 28 straight points while the Hoosiers, who played without an injured Lewis, couldn’t sustain a drive longer than three minutes in the second half.For the third time in the last four games, IU failed to score after halftime and has only scored 16 points in its past 10 quarters.A year ago, the Hoosiers spoiled the Hawkeyes’ homecoming as IU rolled to a 38-20 win in Iowa City, Iowa. Fast-forward to 2008 and now it is an IU team dealing with a stunning loss.The magic from last year’s run seems to be long gone.“Not a happy (locker room),” Patterson said. “We’ve got a little soul-searching to do.”
(10/10/08 3:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bill Lynch stood in front of his team after practice Wednesday ready to address them in one of his final pep talks before Saturday. But the man in the faded gray sweatshirt did something he rarely ever does.He began to emphatically scream.Attempting to convey to his players the importance of their game against Iowa this weekend, Lynch broke out of his reserved demeanor because the disappointment about the past three weeks needs to end.“We’ve got to get it to the fourth quarter, and we’ve got to make plays in the fourth quarter,” Lynch said. “That’s something we haven’t been good at the past three weeks.”Opponents have out-scored the Hoosiers 23-0 in the final 15 minutes of IU’s three losses, and Lynch cited “a little bit of everything” as areas of improvement.In August, this was a team with aspirations of becoming the first back-to-back IU bowl contender since the 1990-91 seasons. Instead, the Hoosiers stand with a lackluster 2-3 record, winless in the Big Ten and familiarly starting in their conference’s cellar.“It’s done talking about potential with this team,” said wide receiver Andrew Means. “We’ve got to start performing like we can and show people we can play.”For a team that won seven games last year and went to its first bowl since 1993, most of the Hoosiers do not have a reason why they have entered hibernation mode. They feel the offense has the talent, the defense has the toughness and that football is back in a big way in Bloomington.However, quarterback Kellen Lewis offered a different explanation – one his teammates opted to disagree with.“I think right now we have a lack of confidence,” he said. “It’s something we had a lot more last year. We have to come in with that same hunger from last year.”Lewis’ struggles as a passer, which he acknowledged, have contributed to the team’s slump but is not the sole reason. The defense allowed 42 points to Ball State and Michigan State each, while other miscues such as penalties, dropped passes and turnovers have plagued the Hoosiers.If IU can draw productivity from both sides of the football at the same time, on paper, they appear to be better than Iowa. The Hawkeyes are averaging just under 17 points during the last four weeks. But what their offense does have is a hard north-to-south runner in Shonn Greene. IU has already faced a high-caliber running back in Javon Ringer, which junior linebacker Geno Johnson said should adequately prepare them for Saturday.“We’re going to take things from that game and how we limited Javon Ringer in gaining yards,” he said. “We’re going to take that same aspect of motivation that we had toward the Michigan State game into the Iowa game because it’s going to be another physical game.”While the defense will make its living by clogging the holes up front, the Hoosiers need Lewis to transform back into the standout player who has a propensity to create something out of a broken-down play. Lewis does lead the team in rushing but has thrown for four touchdowns against four interceptions.The last two times IU has played Iowa, Lewis relied heavily on James Hardy. Hardy torched the Hawkeyes in his career, catching five touchdowns and accumulating 420 yards in three games.But Hardy is no longer a Hoosier and IU needs to find a new way to beat a physical Iowa team for the third straight year.For Lynch, that means a continuation of the style of play the Hoosiers have tried to be successful at this year.“I certainly think it’s important that we stay the course and don’t panic,” Lynch said. “Because what we do has been proven, and we can play well in games.”
(09/29/08 3:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Before the IU football team was handed a 42-29 loss to Michigan State on Saturday, IU fans were able to enjoy a little extra popularity in Bloomington when the Big Ten Network came to visit.The station broadcast its show, “Friday Night Tailgate,” live from the Sample Gates between 8:30 and 10 p.m. Rather than dissect the Hoosiers’ chances against the Spartans, the premise of the show is to have a little bit more fun with the school it visits.“It’s not your football x’s and o’s show,” said Big Ten Network anchor Mike Hall. “It’s a chance to highlight everything that makes a football weekend great from outside the football field.”During the week, on-site correspondents toured Bloomington and taped several segments that aired Friday night. The show visited the IU nightlife, went over the city in hot air balloons and hosted a cup-stacking tournament.The idea of the show is to promote a contest between all of the schools in the Big Ten. Following the end of the football season, the Big Ten Network will designate one school as having the best atmosphere. Last year, Illinois won the inaugural Tailgate Championship Trophy.“We had a little ceremony with a representative of the University,” Hall said. “We gave them an award like it was the BCS title, but it was the TCS title, so it was pretty good.”Though the show was taped live and in a popular area of town, few people turned out to be a part of the program.For those who did turn out, what they saw was comedic performances involving the on-site correspondents and the IU cheerleaders.“We’re ready to come here and cheer our hearts out and go back and watch it,” freshman Holtzman Cartwright said. “I would have liked to have had some more moral support from the IU fans, but I’m totally fine with just me and my friends being here.”Cartwright and his friends also came out to support one of their friends who is an IU cheerleader as well, said sophomore Duke Biber.“We’ve been waiting for this for about a week,” Biber said. “It was real exciting.”Biber said the lack of a crowd does not reflect the quality of the Big Ten Network. He and most of his friends said they enjoy watching the channel and are glad that it is now available on most major cable providers. “I think they’re doing definitely a better job than they did last year,” Biber said. “Getting all of the sports on there and having the equal broadcasting – I think they’re doing a great job. It’s so good that I can finally get the channel. It’s awesome.”While Cartwright and Biber planned to come out to watch the live taping, Highland, Mich., resident Ron Shell happened upon the show accidentally.For Shell, Bloomington was the latest stop on a tour of Big Ten stadiums he has gone on during the past few years. As a Michigan State fan, all of the games he has gone to are when the Spartans play away.But seeing the show helped make the trip that much more fun.“It’s not quite ESPN,” Shell said. “But I think that’s a nice idea that they come to various Big Ten schools and hang out for a week.”