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(02/03/09 5:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>ESPN commentator Dick Vitale said Monday he believes former IU men’s basketball coach Bob Knight is interested in coaching at Georgia, while former Hoosier basketball coach Dan Dakich said Knight would be good for any program.No one at Georgia is saying if the school has interest in Knight. But after Georgia fired head coach Dennis Felton on Thursday and named assistant coach Pete Herrmann the interim coach for the remainder of the season, rumors began to surface that Knight could make a comeback.Vitale said Georgia should make Knight, his longtime friend, an offer “in a heartbeat.”“I don’t even know if he would take a job, but I know Georgia has a lot of positives going for it in the scenario there and I think he’d be interested, I really do; but I can’t speak for Bob Knight,” Vitale, who works with Knight as an television basketball analyst, said in a telephone interview to The Associated Press.“To me it’s no contest, if Bobby Knight is interested in Georgia basketball, it’s no contest,” Vitale said. “He’s so good I’d come with him as an assistant. I’d be his chauffeur.”Knight won 661 games in 29 years at IU, including 21 20-plus win seasons, 11 Big Ten Championships and three national championships. Also while with the University, Knight led the 1984 U.S. basketball team to a gold medal in the Olympics.A former player and assistant coach under Knight, Dakich said he wishes his old coach would return to the hardcourt, though he did not comment on Georgia’s situation.“I hope he does,” Dakich told the Indiana Daily Student on Monday night in a telephone interview. “I think it’d be good for basketball. I think it’d be good for whoever he gets to coach.”Dakich said he has not contacted Knight since reports of him being interested in Georgia surfaced recently, but said he thinks Knight would be great for any program. “He’s won wherever he’s been,” he said. “I think he’d bring good people into the mix, whether it was his coaches or his players.”Dakich, who now hosts a sports talk radio show in Indianapolis, went on to say he believes Knight would not go to a school where basketball isn’t important.“He’s not going to go to a place where he can’t win and he can’t have interest,” he said. “I think that was part of him leaving Texas Tech. He was kind of tired of being at a place where there’s no interest.”Knight, the all-time winningest men’s major college coach with 902 victories, began working as a studio analyst with ESPN after he resigned as Texas Tech’s coach on Feb. 4, 2008. He has expanded his duties with ESPN this season.In a comment on ESPN on Monday, Knight said, “I have never said that I wouldn’t coach again. I’ve simply said in the past, if the right situation came along, I would be interested.”Vitale said Georgia could be the right situation. He said the job would “excite” Knight, if he were offered it.“If you want to win, you want to graduate players, you want to stay within the NCAA rules, you want integrity, you want your players to get degrees, he fills all those areas,” Vitale said. “Plus he brings instant, incredible credibility, notoriety, publicity to your program, and knowing Bob as well as I do, he has at least 10 years left in him. This guy is in incredible shape and he loves to teach the game.”Georgia Athletics Director Damon Evans, returning from the Super Bowl on Monday, could not be reached for immediate comment. Evans said Thursday he would use a search firm to help assemble a pool of candidates.Georgia President Michael Adams had no comment on Knight. Adams is leaving Evans in charge of the search “until they get to the finalists,” said Tom Jackson, the university vice president for public affairs.-The Associated Press contributed reporting from Atlanta.
(12/01/08 5:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Up 1-0 in the 73rd minute, IU keeper Chay Cain threw his body parallel to the pitch and stoned away a point blank, game-tying attempt from a Michigan attacker.The save keyed up the crowd at Bill Armstrong Stadium, but it didn’t mean the Hoosiers were out of trouble just yet.Two minutes later, another Wolverine shot flew at Cain. The ball was out of the senior keeper’s reach, and if it had been a few inches lower, the NCAA round of 16 match would have been tied. SLIDESHOW: IU vs. MichiganLuckily for Cain and IU, it wasn’t, and the crossbar notched its first save of the game.With the Wolverines pouncing, the Hoosiers opened up their counter-attack with two goals to put Michigan away 3-0. The defeat advances IU to the NCAA Tournament’s quarterfinals.After a Michigan corner in the 77th minute, sophomore Andy Adlard, who had the game’s first goal, played a cross deep into the UM box to senior Brad Ring. Ring met the ball and struck it to the top right corner of the UM net.“I think at that point you look at it like a cushion,” Cain said. “Because when you are up one goal and the game starts getting tight, you don’t want to be the guy to make that mistake. You try to do everything perfect. And I think that sometimes that makes it harder.”Cain said the second goal took the pressure off his team and led to the third and final goal.Down 2-0, the Wolverines brought more attackers close to the IU third.The aggressiveness led to another IU counter, this one off of a corner kick.Cain and IU coach Mike Freitag attributed part of the team’s success on the counter-attack to its mentality toward corners.“Every corner kick Andy yells out, ‘C’mon guys survive it,’ and I yell, ‘Be committed,’” Cain said after the game. “And we realize that as a team we can survive it. ... And we are able to make those little plays that make the difference.”His coach added, “We have made a conscious effort late in the season to get better on restarts. We have competitions (in practice) almost every day.”The UM corner landed at the feet of Hoosier senior Brian Ackley, who stabbed a through pass past the thin Michigan defense to a sprinting senior John Mellencamp. Mellencamp took the ball and easily beat the Wolverine goalkeeper one-on-one.With the win, IU, the Tournament’s No. 6 seed, heads to New York to take on the Red Storm of St. John’s, the No. 3 seed.The Red Storm advanced to the quarterfinal after defeating UC Irvine 3-2 on Saturday.After the game, Michigan coach Steve Burns said how he thought the Hoosiers would fare, adding he wanted to see them win because he was rooting for the Big Ten conference.“St. John’s is tough. It’s going to be a good game,” he said. “It’s tough to pick a winner. Indiana is going to have to do the same thing they did to us. And that is be very disciplined, sit in, get St. John’s, who has a very good change of possession, to play in front of them and give them nothing in behind (IU’s defense).”
(11/30/08 7:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men's soccer team advanced to the round of eight after knocking off in-conference foe Michigan on Saturday night.IU will now take on St. John's in the NCAA Quarterfinals at 5 p.m. Saturday.Much of the Hoosiers' success was due to midfielder Andy Adlard who contributed to his team's effort with a goal and an assist.The sophomore scored the first goal of the night when a redirection inside the Michigan box fell to his feet. Adlard took the ball and launched a rocket of a shot into the lower left corner of the goal.The 1-0 lead stood through halftime.In the 72nd minute, IU keeper Chay Cain had to rely on quick reflexes and his sprawled-out body to swat away a point-blank strike by a Michigan attacker.A minute later, the Wolverine attack was followed with another strong strike which was only stopped by the IU crossbar.But with the Wolverine's pouncing, IU countered.After a Michigan corner in the 77th minute, Adlard played in a cross deep into the opposing team's box to Brad Ring, who met the ball and struck it to the top right corner of the UM net.Down 2-0, the Wolverines brought more attackers upfield, closer to the IU third.But Michigan's aggressiveness lead its further disappointment as it allowed IU to launch a counter attack off of a corner kick.The UM corner landed at the feet of Hoosier Brian Ackley who stabbed a through pass past the thin Michigan defense and to a sprinting John Mellencamp. Mellencamp took the ball and easily beat the Wolverine goalkeeper one on one.The 3-0 decision ends Michigan's efforts at an NCAA crown, while sending the Hoosiers on to face St. John's in the Tournament's round of eight.
(11/24/08 4:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>WEST LAFAYETTE – On fourth down and two, Purdue running back Dan Dierking was tripped up just short of a first down by IU defenders. The clock stopped its descent at 9.7 seconds left – in the fourth quarter – and the Hoosiers had their first defensive stop of the day.Before and after those final nine seconds ticked away, the Hoosiers were made to suffer through a demoralizing 62-10 loss to Purdue. It was IU’s worst loss to its northern rival since 1893.The Hoosiers stumbled from the gate. BLOG: Under the RockPurdue received the ball to open the game. Two minutes and eight plays later, the Boilermakers had their first seven points. After an IU punt, Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter connected with receiver Aaron Valentin for a 79-yard touchdown strike. Purdue then recovered their ensuing kickoff, setting a trend for the day’s events.“You can look at those particular plays, but I think the bigger picture is we didn’t slow them down and didn’t move the ball,” IU coach Bill Lynch said after the game. “In the course of 60 minutes, those plays would have seemed nearly as large if we had done a better job of slowing them down throughout the afternoon.”The bigger picture for the Hoosiers involved managing just 214 total yards on offense, as their defense let up 596. Painter had a banner day throwing against the Hoosier secondary, as the fifth-year senior completed 38 of his 54 passing attempts for 448 yards and five touchdowns.On the ground, senior running back Kory Sheets carried the ball 15 times and scored three touchdowns.The Hoosiers’ lone touchdown of the game came at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Kellen Lewis connected with wide receiver Ray Fisher for a 16-yard pass.Senior kicker Austin Starr said the defeat was disappointing and a difficult way to end his career.Lynch agreed with his kicker, and gave Purdue it’s due, saying for all of IU’s mistakes, a large part of Saturday’s game was because of what Purdue was able to do on both sides of the ball.“But I have got to give (Purdue) credit,” he said. “I think they played a great football game – they certainly executed on offense and did what they do well.”
(11/21/08 4:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This year’s 84th annual battle for the Old Oaken Bucket won’t feature any bowl-bound teams. Instead, pride will be the only thing at stake for IU (3-8, 1-6), something that is just fine with IU coach Bill Lynch.“Any time you have a rivalry game like this the last week of the season, no matter what has gone on before it, it’s a big football game,” the second-year coach said during his weekly press conference.Lynch added that the meeting at noon Saturday will cap off the careers of 17 seniors, athletes Lynch said he admired, “particularly the fifth-year senior guys who have been through so much.” IU could potentially bring nine fifth-year seniors to its sideline.The nine came to Bloomington under the tutelage of then-IU coach Gerry DiNardo.In their first year, DiNardo’s last, the nine watched IU slump through a 3-8 season and saw the then-seniors’ careers end with a 63-24 pummeling at the hands of the Boilermakers.Starting the clock on their eligibility the following season, the group was part of the many that became enthralled and energized by that year’s new coach, Terry Hoeppner.In two years under Coach Hep, the Hoosiers went 9-14 and lost both Bucket Games to their rivals. But fans say Hep’s influence on the program isn’t tangible in records or statistics.It’s something self-professed Hoosier super-fan Brad Snyder, a 1987 IU alumnus, said was “magic.”“He just goaded you into unbiased enthusiasm,” Snyder said.With Hoeppner came resurgence in fan support and the creation of a passion and excitement around the program.But just as the tide of IU football seemed to be turning, the nine were part of Hoeppner’s funeral procession in what was one of the darkest days in program history, after the coach lost his battle with cancer.Hoeppner’s death brought a sense of duty to honor him with a bowl-berth, and a leader in Lynch who would take them there.And it was all the more fitting that one of the nine, who had now been through so much, sealed that berth last season with a game-winning kick in the Old Oaken Bucket game.“This season, this game, is for Coach Hep,” said then-junior Austin Starr after his 49-yard field goal beat the Boilermakers and sent IU to its first bowl game in 14 years.“I don’t know where the party’s at,” he added on that cool November night. “It’s probably all over campus, but I’m probably not going to sleep tonight.”A sleepless night and a year later, the nine will square off with their rivals one last time. This year’s game carries no post-season implications, just the final punctuation on a turbulent ride.“They’ve been through three head football coaches, different guys on the staff, certainly what they went through with Coach Hoeppner,” Lynch said Tuesday. “But they’re also part of a football team that went to the first bowl game in 14 years. Obviously, this year hasn’t gone the way they had hoped, but we have a chance to do something about that on Saturday.”
(11/17/08 5:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>STATE COLLEGE, Penn. – It was a new week for the IU football team, but the same story as usual for a team now 3-8 in this lost season.In their penultimate game of the year, the Hoosiers lost to Penn State 34-7.With a minute left in the first half, the Hoosiers had the ball and were tied at seven with the Big Ten-leading Nittany Lions.Their drive started deep in IU territory, as many other drives had during the game, and after a few runs and a Kellen Lewis injury, IU was forced to punt. The kick was blocked, giving the Nittany Lions good field position, leading to a field goal and giving Penn State the 10-7 halftime advantage.After the intermission, Lewis returned, but for naught, as Penn State just kept adding to its lead while IU was unable to dent its half of the board.By the end of the game, the No. 7 Nittany Lions had put up 27 unanswered points to reach the game’s final tally.Struggling through the second half after competing in the first is not new for this year’s Hoosiers. Heading into the game, IU had been outscored 174-33 in each second half since the second week of the season.Since that second week, Lynch has said his team’s struggles were due to inconsistency and, more recently, the rash of injuries that befell his team. But after Saturday’s game in State College, Penn., Lynch had a different reason.“Honestly,” Lynch said, “I think it was Penn State. They are a really good football team. But we do have to do more than we did.”IU junior defensive end Jammie Kirlew didn’t know what was to blame for the team’s poor showings after halftime this season.“If I did, I would definitely say something so we could fix it,” Kirlew said. “We always come out ready to take over and sometimes, things just don’t go our way.”By game’s end, Lewis and the IU offense managed only 57 yards through the air and 123 on the ground.On defense, the Hoosiers let up 184 yards on the ground, 258 through the air and four touchdowns, and they forced only three punts.IU’s only score of the day came on a Marcus Thigpen run up the middle. The back found no space where he originally planned to go, so he bounced to the outside and outran everyone for the score. IU’s next game will be at Purdue on Saturday, as two struggling teams square off for the Old Oaken Bucket. This will be only the second time this decade IU will come into the regular-season finale with possession of the trophy.
(11/14/08 5:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last week, both the IU and Penn State football teams had dreams dashed.IU lost its seventh game of the season, making it impossible for them to go to a bowl, while Penn State had its undefeated season busted, likely knocking the team out of contention for the national championship.The two will meet at noon Saturday in Happy Valley.“We are not going to go to a bowl game; that’s not part of the equation,” IU coach Bill Lynch said at his press conference Tuesday. “But the opportunity to play at Penn State, play in that environment against this football team, I think our guys are going to be excited for that opportunity.”Lynch went on to say none of the players in his program had ever made the trip to State College, Penn., adding that he thinks that will add to their excitement.Lynch and his team will have more to overcome than his players’ unfamiliarity with the area, his opponent being ranked No. 7 in the country or even Penn State coach Joe Paterno’s 11-0 record against the Hoosiers. IU will have to battle through injuries that have plagued the team all season.Helping that effort will be the progression health wise of quarterbacks Ben Chappell and Kellen Lewis.“Ben was much better (on Monday), so we feel pretty good about that,” Lynch said. “Kellen is feeling better ... you know, that ankle comes and goes, and he had got it tweaked pretty good the week before at Central Michigan, but I think he’s doing better.”Chappell led the Hoosiers in a tight first half last weekend against Wisconsin before being knocked from the game with a head injury.Lewis stepped in after the half, but Lynch said it quickly became apparent he wasn’t fully healthy.By the end of the game, the Hoosiers had used four quarterbacks in a 55-20 loss.But the signal-caller position hasn’t been the only bruised up slot in the depth chart for IU this season. The Hoosiers moved through three different centers from the warm-ups to game’s end against the Badgers.“(Offensive lineman) Rodger Saffold practiced (Monday),” Lynch said Tuesday. “That’s good news for us.”Lynch added Saffold’s progression through this week would have to be closely monitored before he would be cleared to take the field against the Nittany Lions.The secondary has taken a beating as well, as three of IU’s four starting back four all missed the Wisconsin game. With senior cornerback Chris Phillips and junior safety Austin Thomas both done for the year, two rather unfamiliar faces for Hoosier fans will be getting playing time in IU’s secondary.Lynch said junior safety Collin Taylor and freshman safety Andre LaGrone will both contribute plenty.“Here is what we are looking for,” Lynch said of Taylor. “We are looking for a good athlete who is really committed to Indiana football – Collin is one of those guys. He goes at it in the weight room and practice.”Lynch went on to say Taylor, who is also listed as a wide receiver on the team’s roster, is a gifted athlete who can do whatever is asked of him to get on the field.Joining Taylor will be LaGrone, who can work for IU as either a safety or corner.
(11/10/08 5:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU coach Bill Lynch appeared angered when asked about his team’s morale after losing its seventh game, ending any hope of going to a bowl.“We’re going to keep battling, that’s what that morale is,” Lynch said forcibly.Others who were upset after Saturday’s 55-20 loss to Wisconsin were some of the Hoosiers’ most loyal fans.One of those fans is Brad Snyder, who went to Saturday’s game. A 1987 graduate with multiple degrees, Snyder said he has been following the Hoosiers for about 30 years. Snyder disagreed with Lynch’s belief that the team has been battling.“They were saying all spring, all preseason they were saying, ‘We’re going to compete,’” Snyder said in the tailgating fields, where he and his friends gather nearly every game. “We’re not competing. We don’t compete with MAC teams, we don’t compete with Big Ten teams.”Saturday’s loss puts the Hoosiers’ record at 3-7, making it impossible for them to finish .500 and qualify for a bowl, a preseason goal.The blowout was not the first Snyder and other fans have witnessed this season. The 35-point margin of defeat ranks as the third-worst of their season. “Well, I am disappointed because of all of the build-up,” Snyder said. “Going into the season they were saying, ‘Our team speed is better, our depth is better, our talent is better; this is a Big Ten team.’ I haven’t seen it.”Gregg Snyder, Brad Snyder’s brother and a ’91 IU graduate, said the team not hanging with its opponents is what was the most frustrating factor for him.“Them being 3-7 is obviously disappointing, but it’s disheartening and not competing,” Gregg Snyder said. “Three-and-seven and losing close games, that I don’t mind. I mean I hate losing, I’m a competitor, but 3-7 and getting humiliated is just what I don’t like.”As Lynch left the field with his team Saturday, he was subject to jeers from upset fans. But the put-downs weren’t the first shots at Lynch of the day.With the Badgers extending their lead in the second half, a group of students wearing paper bags over their heads held up a full-sized bed sheet displaying the words, “Fire Bill Lynch.”Gregg and Brad Snyder, along with other friends, huddled around a heater in the tailgating fields, said they saw the gesture and didn’t like it.“Now that’s not right,” said Joel Blakely, who, like Gregg Snyder, graduated in 1991.But the conversation of the sign did quickly turn toward something Brad Snyder said was missing under Lynch.He said the current Hoosier team doesn’t have former coach Terry Hoeppner’s ability to motivate and draw excitement from fans.“He just goaded you into unbiased enthusiasm,” Brad Snyder said. “I mean, you just wanted to believe you were going to win, because he had magic about him.”In his post-game press conference Saturday, Lynch might not have had a magic about him, but he was firm in his belief that he and his team are not done playing hard this season.“We’re going to keep playing, and we’re going to keep battling,” he said emphatically. “I keep using that word, and that is exactly what we are going to do.”The Hoosiers have two more games, both away from Memorial Stadium, before the season ends. Blakely and Brad Snyder said their group picks out one road game a season to follow their Hoosiers. They beamed with pride while recalling charging the field at Camp Randall Stadium to high-five Hoosier players after they upset Wisconsin under Antwaan Randle El’s leadership in 2001.Such excitement is absent this year. “This is the first time in 30 years,” Brad Snyder said, “we won’t follow them on the road.”
(11/03/08 2:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Completely outmatched through the air, the IU football team could not stop Central Michigan’s backup quarterback Brian Brunner in a 37-34 loss to the visiting Chippewas. Brunner threw for 485 yards and four touchdowns in the non-conference victory on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The loss was IU’s sixth of the season, dropping its record to 3-6.“We don’t feel very good,” sophomore quarterback Ben Chappell said of his team’s emotion following the game. “They played good, but we just didn’t play well enough to win.” Brunner’s 485 yards are the third-most IU has let up all time.“He did a tremendous job,” IU coach Bill Lynch said in his post-game press conference. “He is a fifth-year senior and has been in a program that has won a lot of football games. They certainly play with a lot of confidence.”To counteract Brunner’s success, the Hoosiers amped up their pass rush at the beginning of the second half.And it worked. Brunner was sacked five of his seven total times in the final half. But Brunner and the Chippewas also adjusted and found receivers left one-on-one in man coverage as Hoosier linebackers blitzed.“We were playing 75 percent of great football,” junior defensive end Jammie Kirlew said after the game. “And 25 percent of the time, they knew we were bringing pressure. They adjusted to it, and sometimes there was a mental breakdown, and they made a big play.”Still, late in the third, the Hoosiers held momentum.After big runs from backs Bryan Payton and Zach Davis-Walker, respectively, Chappell connected with tight end Max Dedmond for a 12-yard completion to the Central Michigan 3-yard line. On the next play, junior running back Demetrius McCray scored to give IU the 34-28 lead. Senior kicker Austin Starr had his extra point blocked following McCray’s run. Starr had also just sent a 30-yard field goal attempt wide the drive before.The Chippewas started their next drive off with a boom, when Brunner connected with Ontario Sneed for a 44-yard bomb on the drive’s second play.Faced with third-and-34 following a penalty, an incompletion and a sack, Brunner dropped back, was flushed out of the pocket and ran for 16 yards, allowing kicker Andrew Aguila to bring them within three of IU at 34-31.When a Chappell interception put the ball in Central Michigan’s hands, wide receiver Antonio Brown broke a big run, and Brunner connected on two more passes, brought the ball down to the IU goal line and gave his team the lead by punching the ball in on a sneak.A missed point-after brought the game to its final tally of 37-34.“We didn’t make enough plays offensively in the fourth quarter to keep the ball away from them,” Lynch said. “And a couple of plays in the kicking game certainly came back to hurt us. But I’ll give them credit; they came in here and played a good football game.”
(10/31/08 2:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last week, the IU football players seemed to have figured out what was plaguing them during the previous five weeks.The 21-19 win against Northwestern on Homecoming was the Hoosiers’ (3-5, 1-4) first since September. Now IU looks to win back-to-back games for the second time this season as it welcomes Central Michigan (6-2, 5-0 MAC) to Memorial Stadium on Saturday.“We had a good win against Northwestern,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “It was a game that we needed to get back on track, and I really liked the way our guys played. They played with a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, and really, we did the things we had to. We had to win the turnover margin.”Lynch has said all season losing the turnover battle handicapped the Hoosiers in their losses. Winning that battle against the Chippewas has proven to be nearly impossible for everyone else, however. Central Michigan is currently tied with UNLV and Florida for the fewest turnovers in the nation at six.So far this season, the Hoosiers have turned the ball more than 14 times.Last weekend against Northwestern, however, the Hoosiers didn’t turn the ball over once while taking it away five times.“We went into last week’s game when Northwestern had been on the plus side of the turnover margin, and it had been a reason for their success,” Lynch said. “We talk about that all the time with our football team, and not only do we have to take care of it, but we’ve got to knock it loose. We did a much better job last week, and we’re going to have to do the same thing this week.”Not only do the Chippewas take care of the football, but they move the ball around the field at nearly a 400-yard average per game. Leading their offense is Dan LeFevour, who last season threw for more than 3,000 yards while running for more than 1,000, the only player not named Vince Young to do so in FBS history.“I think when you have a great quarterback who takes care of the ball, that goes a long way toward winning football games,” Lynch said in his weekly press conference Tuesday. “He’s a big, physical guy, and he’s played a lot now, so you know he doesn’t throw interceptions, and he takes care of it, and he runs the ball a lot.”LeFevour has thrown three interceptions against 11 touchdowns. He also ranks No. 19 in the country in total offense individually, due in large part to spreading the ball to many different Chippewa players. In all, 13 different receivers have receptions for Central Michigan.But for as many yards and points as LeFevour and the Chippewas earn, they give up the same defensively.On the season, Central Michigan has been out-scored and out-gained by its opponents, a trend the Hoosiers hope to continue.
(10/29/08 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Watching him talk to players and occasionally suggest to referees he might not agree with a call at IU football games, it’s safe to call outgoing IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan a football guy.So players and coaches might be concerned whether Greenspan’s replacement, Fred Glass, will bring the same passion to a program going through transition.“Tell them I am a football fan,” Glass said after the press conference announcing his appointment.During his tenure at IU, Greenspan hired former coach Terry Hoeppner, who the University’s athletics department credits with rejuvenating “an IU fan base that contributed to a 39 percent increase in per game attendance, a 46 percent increase in overall season ticket sales and a 110 percent increase in student season-ticket sales,” according to Greenspan’s biography on IUHoosiers.com.Greenspan also approved a multi-million dollar sports facilities renovation, which included the North End Zone Project at Memorial Stadium. The facility upgrade aims to offer more seats at the stadium and provide a 24,000-square-foot strength-and-conditioning center for the team and other IU student-athletes.“We had great growth under Rick, and when every day we go out there and see that new stadium, you see it,” IU football coach Bill Lynch said at the press conference. “But I look forward to working with Fred as we move forward and continue with the goals we have set.”Lynch served as an assistant coach under Hoeppner, and Greenspan named him head coach upon Hoeppner’s passing. In Lynch’s first full season at the helm, the Hoosiers reached their first bowl game since 1993.“I really just want to support Coach Lynch and what he needs to be successful,” Glass said. “I have a great deal of respect for him. I don’t look to usurp his role on X’s and O’s, or dealing with the team. I just want to be helpful to give him the tools he needs to succeed.”Glass, a two-degree alumnus of IU, doesn’t have any experience as an athletics director, or any direct experience governing a football program. But Glass does have a wealth of knowledge related to facilities management, an issue relevant to the program as the North End Zone Project progresses.For a number of years, Glass was president of the Marion County Capital Improvement Board of Managers. As president, he was responsible for the operation of the Indiana Convention Center, RCA Dome, Conseco Fieldhouse and Victory Field. He also was instrumental in the effort to build Lucas Oil Stadium.Also in Glass’ background is a relationship with Lynch through common friends, as both have spent significant portions of their lives in Indianapolis, Glass said. The two met briefly Tuesday morning before the press conference, enough time for Lynch to get a sense of his new boss.“I’m really impressed with not only his background but also his passion for IU,” Lynch said. “And I think that’s really important. I think he has great experience in leadership and management, and you can tell he is excited to be here.”
(10/27/08 3:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>From the stands at Memorial Stadium earlier this season, sophomore quarterback Ben Chappell might not have appeared to be the leader the IU football team needed.But in the huddle, in the locker room and on the turf at the Rock on Saturday, Chappell blossomed before fans’ eyes.Forced into the starting role after Kellen Lewis suffered an ankle injury against Iowa two weeks ago, Chappell struggled in his first start at Illinois. In a 55-13 thrashing at the hands of the Fighting Illini, the sophomore was sacked four times, had no touchdowns and completed only 12 of 29 pass attempts.But in the Hoosiers’ 21-19 victory against Northwestern this past weekend, Chappell embraced newfound his leadership role, which wasn’t unexpected from his teammates.“I can always see it,” said sophomore wideout Mitchell Evans. “In the huddle he’s always really vocal.”What was unexpected, however, was Chappell’s speech to his offensive unit before it took the field Saturday.“Ben came up to us and let us know that he trusted each and every one of us,” Evans said. “You have to respect the man more and want to play for him more.”“He just got us ready to play.”IU coach Bill Lynch said he didn’t know his quarterback was going to make the address.“I wish I was there, I would have taken notes and used them myself sometime,” Lynch said in his post-game press conference.Once on the field, Chappell began leading by example.The Bloomington native completed 21-of-34 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown, while also punching in a score on the ground. “I just think that Ben is taking on leadership,” Lynch said. “He played last week, and he knew that it was unlikely that Kellen was going to be able to play, and he knew that was his role and he stepped up and did it. I thought he played very, very well.”In his 21 completions, Chappell spread the ball to six different targets, including a combined 14 to freshmen Tandon Doss and Damarlo Belcher.“He is able to lead the team, control the clock, work the best option possible,” Evans said.When the question was asked shortly after the game, Lynch dodged the notion of a possible quarterback position battle when Lewis returns to action.“We have two good quarterbacks,” Lynch said.Freshman wide outs rack up yards, scoresFreshmen wide receivers Tandon Doss and Damarlo Belcher combined for 14 catches, 189 yards and two touchdowns against Northwestern, as they emerged as legitimate weapons in the Hoosiers’ offense.Belcher had the tandem’s first touchdown reception, a 43-yard bomb down the middle of the field from IU quarterback Ben Chappell, on IU’s second drive.“We worked on this play all week,” Belcher said of the play-action pass that led to his score. “Coach said it never failed when we executed it right, and we got the touchdown.” Doss’ touchdown grab put the Hoosiers up for good. It came on a reverse to Mitchell Evans, who threw a 28-yard pass to Doss. The score was the first of Doss’ young career, as he has been sidelined by various setbacks, playing in only half of IU’s eight games. Doss said he felt this game was his coming out party.“I really haven’t been doing anything,” Doss said. “I’ve made a few catches here and there, but basically been sitting out the entire season.“I thought this would come a lot sooner, but injuries and setbacks kept me out.”
(10/24/08 3:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU football team has been having a rough go at stopping opposing offenses lately.The Hoosiers (2-5, 0-4) have let up an even 100 points in their last two games, and an average of 40 points per game on their current five-game skid.“I think we got banged up a little bit mentally,” junior safety Nick Polk said. “But the guys have come together, and we have said we are going to stick together and pull through this.”Slowing the landslide of points won’t get any easier this Homecoming weekend, when the Hoosiers welcome to Bloomington the Northwestern Wildcats, a team with two dynamic facets to its offensive attack.The first head on the Wildcats’ offensive front is tailback Tyrell Sutton.Sutton comes into Saturday’s contest averaging just shy of 100 yards on the ground per game. But Sutton also comes out of the backfield to make big catches for NU. The Akron, Ohio, native has 28 grabs for 262 yards so far this season, with two touchdowns.Sutton is a smaller back – at 5-foot-9, 205 pounds – than the last two backs to run over the Hoosiers: Shonn Greene of Iowa and Jason Ford of Illinois. Greene had 115 yards and a score in Bloomington on Oct. 11, and Ford had 172 yards and three scores last weekend against IU.But senior safety Austin Thomas warned Sutton is bigger in person than what paper shows.“Wait till you see this guy’s legs,” Thomas said. “He’s a thick guy. He is a little quicker in space than Shonn Greene and Ford, who we played the other night. But he’s quick; he’s a good back.”Sutton helps to distract defenses from quarterback C.J. Bachér, who is equally formidable. After Bachér lit up opposing teams for 3,656 yards, seventh-most in Big Ten history, Sporting News named the California native the Big Ten’s “Best Player Under Pressure.”In seven games, Bachér has tallied solid offensive numbers, including a 112.6 passing efficiency, 1,545 yards through the air with 10 touchdowns. Bachér can also run – he has two rushing scores and 180 net yards.“(Bachér) has played well,” IU coach Bill Lynch said in his weekly press conference Tuesday. “He operates the offense, get’s the ball where he is supposed to and is an accurate thrower.”Taking in the individual skills of Bachér and Sutton, where Northwestern might really hurt the Hoosier ‘D’ is with the play-action pass, a weakness as of late with IU.“(The corners against Illinois) didn’t execute their techniques.” Lynch said. “They had their eyes on the backfield instead of on the receiver. That’s fundamentals, technique and concentration. That all adds up to that inconsistency we have been talking about.”But even with the threats Northwestern’s bus carries into town, Polk said he is assured in his defense’s ability, citing a strong week of practice.“I definitely feel a lot more confident coming into this week,” he said. “We have had guys flying around like it was the beginning of the season. ... I think we are ready to play.”
(10/20/08 4:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The IU football team was outplayed in seemingly every facet possible Saturday, on the way to dropping its fifth consecutive contest.“We just haven’t played well enough to win,” said sophomore quarterback Ben Chappell. “I think that’s probably the bottom line. ... And I don’t think there’s one thing, I think there is a whole host of things.”This latest defeat – a 55-13 whooping – came at the hands of border-rival Illinois (4-3, 2-2). The Hoosiers (2-5, 0-4) were outgained 563 total yards to 313. SLIDESHOW: IU at IllinoisThe Hoosiers’ lone touchdown came from junior running back Bryan Payton, who rumbled over an Illini defender and was uncatchable in a 25-yard scamper to the end zone.“We have to improve, ‘cause we didn’t get stops throughout the night.” said IU coach Bill Lynch. “And same thing on offense – we put together drives but didn’t finish anything.”Lynch pointed out that a recurring weakness his Hoosiers have shown is their inability to win the third-down conversion battle.“We were down 25 percent again,” he said. “With an explosive football team like that, we have got to keep the ball away from them.”The second-year coach also noted Illinois’ ability to make the big play.The Hoosiers let up three scoring plays of more than 20 yards and a kickoff return for a touchdown of 96 yards. They also allowed a 60-yard pass on Illinois’ first play from scrimmage, which led to a touchdown one play later.It is the fourth time on their current five-game skid that the Hoosiers have allowed more than 40 points, while they have scored only 29 total in the last three games.The Hoosiers were without starting quarterback Kellen Lewis, who suffered a high-ankle sprain against Iowa last weekend – Chappell replaced him.In his first collegiate start, Chappell was 12-of-29 for 172 yards and no scores. Illinois’ defensive pressure was unrelenting, as the Bloomington, Ind., native was sacked 4 times.“We knew there was going to be some pressure,” Lynch said. “But he didn’t throw any interceptions and threw some in there. A lot of his incompletions were on throwaways.”The Hoosiers return to action next Saturday when they welcome Northwestern (6-1, 2-1) to Memorial Stadium for Homecoming.The Wildcats will be coming off a 48-26 victory against Purdue.“You know, we have five games left,” Chappell said. “We have to just put this behind us and move on.”Lynch agreed with his quarterback, saying there isn’t a magical equation to turning the team around.“Part of it is playing against good people, part of it is getting guys healthy,” he said. “We were thin in some areas, and you can’t make excuses. We just got to go back to work Monday. We have to play better on both sides of the ball.”
(10/17/08 5:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Halting the negative momentum a four-game losing streak carries will not be easy for the IU football team (2-4). Making the task more difficult will be the possible absence of the Hoosiers’ offensive catalyst, Kellen Lewis.During practices this week, Lewis wore a protective gray immobilizing boot around his right ankle, nursing what IU coach Bill Lynch called a high-ankle sprain.“(We) went through halftime, got it re-taped and all that, and we thought that it would loosen up and we’d get him going in the second half, and it never loosened up," Lynch said of Lewis' injury sustained against Iowa. “Some athletes bounce back pretty quickly. He really hasn’t been hurt much, so we haven’t really been through this in terms of how quickly he can bounce back. Certainly, we’re hopeful that a guy like that can bounce back quicker than our 300-pound guys, just because of his body type.”With or without their second-team All-Big Ten quarterback, things were a bit more intense for the Hoosiers at practice this week, with coaches adopting a more hard-nosed approach to discipline for mistakes. Though Lewis wasn’t in pads during the week, he did partake in team’s punishments. The up-downs and push-ups given out by Lynch were, according to wide receiver Andrew Means, physical reminders for the Hoosiers to stay mentally sharp.“It’s tough out here, man,” he said. Lynch said in his weekly press conference to the media that the team’s lack of execution on both sides of the ball has played a big part in IU’s recent downfall, something Means agreed with.“The playmakers on the team, whether it be an offensive lineman, the quarterback, a running back, on defense or whatever,” Means said. “We just got to step up and make the play when we are called on to make the play. Whether it’s getting that interception, making that catch, blocking that guy so we can throw that deep pass – everyone just needs to step up and do their job.”The Hoosiers have scored a total of 16 points in their last two games, while they have allowed over 40 points in three of their last four. Much of their defensive troubles have stemmed from a recent inability to stop the run.Against Iowa last week, the Hoosiers allowed 227 net rushing yards and four scores on the ground.“We have got to keep our proverbial cap in the gap you are supposed to be in to stop the running game,” Lynch said. “If one guy gets out of his gap, then there is a dent. And when there is a dent against an Iowa, there’s five yards. If you keep your hat in the gap, then it’s two yards and you get them in third-and-six, and you have a chance.”Keeping on assignments will be all the more crucial this weekend when the Hoosiers’ stare across the line of scrimmage at Illini signal-caller Juice Williams.Williams, like Lewis, is an effective mobile quarterback who has led Illinois to an average of 33 points per game.Williams has 445 rushing yards and 1,677 passing yards, a total that slots him in the top five nationally, a total only 271 yards shy of IU’s total offense.Means said it will take a full team effort to put down Williams and the Illini, something the receiver said IU has not had yet this year.“We have never really had a game where every position has clicked and been together all on the same page,” Means said. “We just need to go out there and all be on the same page.”
(10/15/08 4:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>More than 55 percent of the IU football team’s offensive production was in a protective boot Tuesday.IU coach Bill Lynch said junior quarterback Kellen Lewis sustained a high ankle sprain during last Saturday’s 45-9 loss to Iowa, the team’s fourth consecutive loss, and is listed as questionable for this weekend’s contest at Illinois. Lynch said through the team’s spokesman, Jeff Keag, that no pictures of injured players, position or formation changes could be taken at the open practice, though he told reporters earlier Tuesday that if they “come out to practice today, he is going to be in a boot.”“We went through halftime and got him re-taped and all of that,” Lynch said in his weekly address to the media, “and thought maybe it would loosen up and we could get him going in the second half, and it just never really did.”A high ankle sprain occurs when a contortion is made causing ligaments that connect the foot, ankle and leg to stretch or tear, according to WebMD.com.“Some athletes bounce back pretty quick – he really hasn’t been hurt much so we really haven’t been through this in terms of how quickly he can bounce back,” Lynch said. “We are certainly hopeful that a guy like that can bounce back, certainly quicker than our 300-pound guys.”But he reiterated Lewis was wearing a boot, “so it is clear he has a way to go.” So far this season Lewis has racked up 1,329 yards throwing, rushing and receiving combined.Replacing Lewis, if he were to miss Saturday’s game, would be backup quarterback, sophomore Ben Chappell. Chappell would step in to a no-huddle offense originally implemented in the spring, while Lewis was suspended for an unspecified reason. He has also played in five of the team’s six games, completing 28-of-54 passes with a touchdown and two interceptions.The possible loss of Lewis might prove a drastic handicap for the team’s already struggling offense. For the past two weeks the Hoosiers have failed to break into the double digits in scoring.Lewis is currently the team leader in rushing and has the ability to make plays on the ground.Lynch said in his press conference before practice his team’s recent lack of execution is going to be a focus in this week’s workouts.“The points of emphasis in practice this week is if we don’t do those things, we are going to address them immediately,” the second-year coach said. “So you may see whole units doing push-ups or up-downs as reminders that those are plays we have to make.”And Lynch delivered on his warning. During practice Tuesday, individuals and units were told to drop to the ground and throw themselves up again, in what junior wide receiver Andrew Means said was an effort to sharpen the players mentally, saying it gives the team the mind-set that if it messes up, it will be punished.Just because Lewis was unable to participate in practice did not mean he didn’t partake in the punishments given to his team – he did his pushups while making sure to hold up the gray boot weighing down his right leg.- IDS sports editor Zachary Osterman contributed to this report.
(10/13/08 4:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following a 45-9 loss to Iowa in Bloomington, IU coach Bill Lynch played it straight.“You have to do something in the kicking game. Go get a turnover, do something offensively” he said. “They beat us just about every way.”It would be hard to disagree.On offense, IU capped off only two drives in a dozen with scores, and the Hoosiers were only in Hawkeye territory five times.“We just didn’t make the plays when they were there,” sophomore quarterback Ben Chappell said after the game. Before the match-up, junior wide receiver Ray Fisher said IU was going to attack the Hawkeyes in the flats, saying their defense was weakest there. The tactic didn’t appear to work, evidenced by seven Hoosiers tallying receptions, but none averaging more than 14 yards per catch.The running game didn’t fare any better. The Hoosiers’ leading rushers were quarterbacks Chappell and Kellen Lewis.Three different running backs carried the ball a combined 13 times for only 21 of IU’s 95 total rushing yards. Senior Marcus Thigpen had a net gain of minus-two yards.IU went into the half down by just eight points after Lewis connected with Fisher for a 17-yard strike. After the break, however, the Hoosier attack was held scoreless.“I think it was somewhat even at halftime,” Lynch said. “I thought we had a little bit of juice going in after scoring late, but the second half, they just absolutely dominated us in every phase.”As the offense failed to break double digits in the scoring column for the second straight week, the defense let up more than 40 points for the third time in the last four games.Iowa’s offense had its way on the ground, rushing for four touchdowns. The brunt of the Hawkeyes’ ground attack came from a duo of runners, Shonn Greene and Jewel Hampton, who accounted for the four scores and 229 yards. Greene and Hampton – who attended powerhouse Warren Central High School in Indianapolis – averaged 5.0 and 5.2 yards per carry, respectively.“We didn’t do a good job of coming up and stopping the run,” junior safety Nick Polk said. Long drives by Iowa and quick three-and-outs led to the Hawkeyes maintaining possession of the ball for over 16 minutes more than the Hoosiers.IU returns to action Saturday, when they head to Illinois to take on a team that earned a Rose Bowl bid last year. And Illinois will be the beginning of what will be a difficult second half of the season for the Hoosiers.Of its next six opponents, IU will take on five teams that earned bowl bids last season and Northwestern, a team that is 5-1 and receiving votes in The Associated Press Top 25 poll.
(10/10/08 3:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When asked Wednesday what was the secret behind the IU football team’s recent dominance against Iowa, coach Bill Lynch didn’t even have to pause.“James Hardy,” he said grinning.Hardy’s 114 yards and touchdown led the Hoosiers to a 38-20 road win against Iowa last year. In the campaign before, Hardy’s three touchdowns helped IU edge the Hawkeyes 31-28.“He really played well against Iowa,” Lynch said of his former wideout.Unfortunately for the stumbling Hoosiers, who are on a three-game skid, Hardy now suits up in the NFL, and lately IU’s offense has been lethargic.Led by their duo of quarterbacks at Minnesota last week, the Hoosiers struggled to create any sort of threat, tallying more punts than points in a 16-7 loss.In total, IU was 1-for-10 on third downs and held the ball more than 15 minutes less than the Golden Gophers.“Offensively, we did not play well enough,” Lynch said to the media Tuesday. “I think that was really from start to finish. And I think possession downs were a big factor there, and I think we were 10 percent.”Junior quarterback Kellen Lewis said the team’s mentality of late accounts for its offensive inefficiency.“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.”The Hoosiers might need an excess of swagger as they welcome a tough Iowa defense that has allowed an average of just 11.2 points per game so far this season.“That to me is a trademark of Iowa football – they play great defense,” Lynch said. “They always are very, very good in scoring defense and rush defense. They’ve got a great scheme and very good players and they play hard. “But things that I think are staples of Iowa defense, they don’t give up big plays, they’re very tough to run on and, as a result of not giving up big plays, they don’t give up a lot of points. They force a lot of field goal attempts. This team is very much the same.”Iowa not giving up big plays might be concerning for a Hoosier team whose last three touchdowns, spread over two games, have come on plays over 75 yards – all to Marcus Thigpen. One can never knock long scores, but Austin Starr not having a field goal attempt in the last two games is evidence of apparent offensive inconsistency, which Lynch addressed.“We have got to get better, but I’m certainly not down on this football team,” he said. “And I think we have done some things well. We are just not sitting with a record that we had hoped to have at this point.”
(10/06/08 3:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>MINNEAPOLIS – Converting on only one of 10 third downs and recording just a single score, the IU football team’s offense sputtered to a 16-7 defeat on the road at Minnesota.The loss shoots IU’s record below .500 at 2-3, and marks the team’s second straight Big Ten loss to open conference play at 0-2.Marcus Thigpen was the lone star for the Hoosiers as he recorded his second straight game with a touchdown of more than 77 yards after a 78-yard run and a 79-yard catch, both for scores, against Michigan State last weekend.Saturday’s touchdown came courtesy of a Ben Chappell loft, which found Thigpen wide open with just more than two minutes remaining in the second quarter.Thigpen finished the day with 88 receiving yards. Those receiving yards put the Detroit native over the 1,000-yard mark for his career, making him the first player in IU history to have more than 1,000 yards receiving, rushing and returning.With turnovers, numerous offensive penalties and dropped balls serving as flat tires, the Hoosiers struggled to get deep into Minnesota territory.In all, the offense would record 293 yards, was sacked four times and turned the ball over three times.“It seemed like we would sustain a drive but then we would end up killing ourselves with a penalty or a sack,” Thigpen said of IU’s offense. “It was tough with all of our three-and-outs and mental mistakes to keep something going.”On the other side of the ball, IU’s defense was bendable, letting up 274 yards through the air, but weren’t breakable. “I thought our defense played hard and played well against a good offensive team,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “They gave us a chance, they just didn’t do enough on the offensive side.“We didn’t keep ourselves on the field, and as a result there was a huge disparity in the number of plays we had, and in the time of possession.”Despite being on the field for nearly two-thirds of the game, the Hoosiers kept the score within a touchdown up until Minnesota’s final field goal in the game’s closing minutes.“They had a pretty good defense,” Minnesota wide receiver Eric Decker said. “They played well. They put a lot of pressure on (Gopher quarterback Adam Weber) and he did a good job of getting out of the pocket and making plays downfield. We left a lot of yards on the field, but give Indiana’s defense credit.”Decker was the Gopher’s only real offensive threat. He set personal bests in receptions and receiving yards at 13 and 190, respectively.The Hoosiers return to action Saturday, as they welcome the Iowa Hawkeyes to Memorial Stadium.
(10/03/08 3:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The last time the IU football team knocked off the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis, the price of a gallon of gas was about $1.08.Now at .500 through four games, IU faces Minnesota, who “is a good football team and a much-improved football team from a year ago,” said IU coach Bill Lynch.IU pummeled Minnesota 40-20 at Memorial Stadium last season, but this weekend, the team plays in Minneapolis, a place where the Hoosiers haven’t won in 15 years.This time around, there could be some fresh faces taking the field for the Cream and Crimson.“We’re going to have a lot of guys up there playing meaningful minutes that weren’t there the last time,” Lynch said.One of those young players getting “meaningful minutes” that did not bear witness to IU’s 63-26 beating at the hands of the Gophers two years ago is freshman wideout Demarlo Belcher.“I’m excited,” said Belcher, who was 5 years old when the Hoosiers last won in Minneapolis. “This is an opportunity I have been waiting on, so I need to take advantage.”Belcher is currently fourth on the team with eight catches for 115 and is one of only three Hoosiers with a touchdown grab.The Fort Wayne native and the rest of the Hoosier offense will face a tough task Saturday when they battle a defense that currently leads the Big Ten in turnover margin at plus-nine.“They play with both four-down and three-down (defensive linemen), so that makes you work on different things,” Lynch said. “But I think overall, there’s some good athleticism in the back end of (their defense), where they run and they make plays and they create turnovers, and the turnovers that they created made a big difference in quite a few of the games. It always makes a difference but really got them going in those games.”An offensive threat IU hopes will crack the Gopher defense is the pairing of quarterbacks Kellen Lewis and Ben Chappell. IU unveiled the new offensive formation last week against Michigan State, where Lewis plays wide receiver, both in the slot and along the sidelines. “When they’re both out there, I think it certainly creates something for the defense, gives another way to get the ball in Kellen’s hands and we have a lot of confidence in Ben being the quarterback,” Lynch said. “So I think in that sense, it’s different.”Like the new offense, Lynch hopes the Hoosiers’ play in the Metrodome is different from years past.“I was there in 1993 when we won, and I was there in 2006 when we got hammered,” Lynch said. “So, I know both sides of it. I don’t know if there is anything to it.“It’s a loud environment, it’s indoors, it’s a tough place to play, but that’s part of playing in the Big Ten. But you have to overcome all of that and have (your players) prepared for this week, and we’ve got to go up and be focused on what we do and not be worried about that.”