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(09/09/02 5:30am)
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Friday classes are so rare at some Florida universities that many students and faculty enjoy a four-day workweek.\nOn campuses in Pensacola, Jacksonville, Tampa and Fort Myers, fewer than half the classrooms were in use Friday mornings, and more than three-quarters were empty by 3 p.m., according to state data from the past school year.\nAt the University of Central Florida, about half the classrooms bustled with students until around noon Fridays. But by 3 p.m. UCF, too, had only a handful of classes going.\nNow, several schools have declared the short week a problem. But the situation has evolved over decades, and no one expects to fill Friday schedules quickly.\nUCF Provost Gary Whitehouse said Saturday-morning classes were the norm when he was a student four decades ago.\n"Certainly the president (John Hitt) is conscious of ours and most everyone's lack of productivity on Fridays. Really, it has implications of the campus being too busy some days. If we can spread it out, it's much better.\n"I'd like to say there is a simple solution," he said, implying that there isn't. "We're working on it."\nThere is resistance. Professors often like to have the day open for research, travel, faculty meetings and office hours. Students see Friday classes as something they can and should avoid.\n"Usually, college students like their weekends to start on Thursday nights," UCF senior Amara Chaudhry, 24, of Orlando said.\nShe almost got through her entire college career without taking one Friday class. But this semester she got stuck with two. She tried to convince herself to enjoy the novelty, but that didn't last.\n"I kind of don't like it," Chaudhry said.\nFor many of her fellow students, Friday classes remain novel.\nAn Orlando Sentinel analysis of data on classroom use from last fall, reported by 10 universities to the state Division of Colleges and Universities, shows scheduling drop-offs everywhere, although it varies widely from school to school.\nAmong the findings:
From Monday through Thursday, 65 percent or more of classrooms on Florida's university campuses were in use from 9 a.m. through 7 p.m. But on Fridays, only half the classrooms were in use at 9 a.m. That dropped to 44 percent by noon, 25 percent by 3 p.m. and 9 percent by 6 p.m.
Weekends started especially early at the universities of South Florida, West Florida, North Florida and Florida Gulf Coast. USF never had more than a third of its classrooms in use on Fridays. By noon, 80 percent of the classrooms at USF and UNF were empty, and 90 percent were empty at UWF.
Florida's three oldest, most traditional universities -- Florida A&M, Florida State and Florida -- offered the fullest Friday schedules. More than half their classrooms were in use at least until 2 p.m. But sharp drop-offs occurred after that.
UCF, Florida Atlantic and Florida International were the middle of the state's pack. Between a quarter and half of their classrooms were in use at least until midafternoon Fridays.
By 5 p.m. Fridays, none of Florida's 10 public universities was using even a quarter of its classrooms. At Florida Atlantic, only three of 79 classrooms were used. At USF, only two of 159 were used. And at UNF none of 69 classrooms was in use.
Some schools, such as UWF, say their Friday schedules are fuller this year, although statewide data is not yet available.\n"We're beginning to shift," UWF Provost Parks Dimsdale said.\nUniversities with traditions as commuter schools, such as UWF, UCF and USF, long assumed that Friday classes were too tough for working students who juggle college and jobs.\n"The general impression has been that the students also find Friday afternoons rather inconvenient and would rather not take those classes," USF Arts and Sciences Dean Renu Khator said. Khator is leading a study there on filling out Fridays.\n"We realize, obviously, that space is a crunch, and that is something we simply cannot afford to do anymore."\nFor university lobbyists trying to convince the Legislature to build more classroom buildings, space crunches are hard to explain when campuses are vacant on Fridays.\nAlso, almost all of Florida's universities are trying to become more traditional residential colleges anyway.\nScheduling is complex. UCF must fit almost 3,000 classes into about 150 classrooms to serve 39,000 students.\nSchedulers can't put a 200-student class into a 30-seat room, or a 30-student class into a 200-seat auditorium. Certain classes must run back-to-back. Individual colleges at every university have their own demands. And most classes require two days a week.\nSo with Monday-Wednesday and Tuesday-Thursday combinations favored, Fridays often are the odd day out.\n"It's an intricate process to schedule classes," said UCF Associate Vice President Maribeth Ehasz, who oversees the process on campus.\nMany professors don't like Friday classes either. But they're not blowing the day off, UCF Faculty Senate President Michael Mullens said. Mullens is an industrial-engineering professor.\n"Most faculty are required to do significant research, and in order to maintain a research train of thought, it really helps to have some dedicated days you can focus on research," Mullens said. "Friday is a natural."\nOf course, Mondays could make good research days too, he said. Or Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, for many faculty.\nBut professors who volunteer for Friday classes often find them a waste of time. Students don't sign up. And many who sign up fail to show up.\n"We are in a consumer-oriented organization, and our consumers are students," Mullens said. "And they will certainly choose the non-Friday classes first. Yet, if we offer those classes and they have to take them, they'll come."\nPerhaps.\nRachael Weaver, 20, a junior from Orlando majoring in business management, said there are pluses and minuses to Friday classes. One plus: balancing a schedule so that no day is overloaded. \n"People like to go on vacation," Weaver said. "Friday is definitely the biggest blow-off day of the week"
(11/21/00 4:59am)
The drop finally ended at Purdue University.\nFrom talk of a bowl berth and the nation's most improved defense to a 3-8 season, a last-place finish in the Big Ten and the nation's second-worst defense, the Hoosiers' season set the record for the longest roller-coaster drop ever.\nAlmost anywhere else but IU, Cam Cameron would be concerned about his job security. Because this will be athletics director Clarence Doninger's final year, however, Doninger will not make many personnel decisions, especially for football. Also, the administration is more concerned with finding a new athletics director and beginning the search for a permanent basketball coach than the state of IU's football program.\nCameron's head could be called for by me or anyone, but he will have one more season no matter what.\nCameron has an overall record of 13-31 in four years, a Big Ten record of 8-24 and has beaten only one ranked team.\nThe rule of thumb is usually to give a coach five years to turn around a program, but does Cameron deserve another year? He continues to say his team has improved and is only a few plays from a winning season, but the truth is IU has taken a step backward. Last year, IU won four overall games and three conference games -- more than this year. The numbers don't lie. \nNext season, Cameron will emerge once again to say things have changed. The Hoosiers will be ready to turn the program around. \nHe will be the same old Cameron, but his job will not be so secure. He will be in a must-win situation with a new athletics director determining his fate. If he earns a bowl berth, he'll stay, but anything less should get him the boot.\nFour years ago, Cameron, Illinois' Ron Turner, Minnesota's Glen Mason and Purdue's Joe Tiller began their Big Ten coaching careers. Only Cameron has yet to earn a bowl bid. This season, Northwestern's Randy Walker, in only his second year, led the Wildcats to a piece of the Big Ten title.\nThe fact is this program should have been turned around by now. IU should be preparing to play in a bowl rather than talking about next year, but nothing has changed in four years.\nI've been asked if I was going to write a positive column before I'm done. The question I have is: Where is the positive? \nSure, Antwaan Randle El and a lot of the offense is returning, but the offense is not the problem. The defense will be more experienced next year, but that also doesn't guarantee anything. \nFrom now until next fall, there will only be talk. The Hoosiers cannot prove anything until next football season.\nAll they are left with is the cold, darkened winter night of thousands of Purdue fans rushing the field with roses with Drew Brees towels in their hands. The memory is one of many the Hoosiers will be haunted with until next year.
(11/17/00 4:59am)
Maybe Cam Cameron was not born to be a college head coach.\n Maybe his failure at IU was pre-destined by a higher power.\n Maybe it's time to chalk his IU days up as a loss and walk away.\n Maybe Cam should head back to where he belongs -- the NFL.\n There has been a rumor in Detroit that Cameron might be a candidate for the Lions' offensive coordinator position. Detroit head coach Gary Moeller, who was hired mid-season, and Cameron do have University of Michigan ties.\nFrom 1986-89, Moeller was the Wolverines' offensive coordinator and Cameron coached quarterbacks and wide receivers. In 1990, Moeller became Michigan's head coach and Cameron spent four years with Moeller as an offensive assistant before leaving to become the Washington Redskins quarterback coach.\nIf the rumor is true, Cameron should go for the job. \nCameron could stay and try one to bring IU's football program to respectability. But why deal with another year of aggravations?\nHis offense will surely be near the top of the nation again, but then there's the defense. The defense has been Cameron's Achilles heel for the last four years. He has some defensive talent, but there is no promise things will improve next year. \nCameron is an offensive man. He can close his eyes and put together plays that put points on the board all day. Cameron has called all the offensive plays this season and rarely has anyone disagreed.\nHe belongs in the NFL as an offensive coordinator. The position would give him job security and allow him to concentrate just on the offensive side of the ball. \nNow, he has to worry about winning games, recruiting, offense, defense, special teams, packing the stands and press conferences, among other things. \nNext season, Cameron will have more than me and a few disgruntled fans criticizing him if IU doen't win. A new athletic director would probably not blink at firing Cameron.\nIt will take a savior to turn IU's football program around and Cameron might not be that person. That person might not exist. The fate of Hoosier football might be just what it is now. \nSaturday's game should be Cameron's last, but there will be no "win for the Gipper" speech. Cameron has the mentality of no matter where IU's program goes, he's in it for the long haul. He's a competitor and enjoys coaching at IU, so he's going to continue doing it.\nI don't want Cameron to go because I dislike him or think it's in the best interest of IU, but rather it's in his best interest. \nHe was born to be an NFL offensive coordinator.
(11/14/00 5:31am)
Today signifies the end. \nOfficially, my words have lost all meaning. \nFrom here on out, IU football and my column will be tossed on the backburner. \nLet me be the first to sigh for relief and throw on a pair of candy cane striped pants because basketball has finally arrived.\nThe football season has been like watching a horrible movie. It just never seems to end. \nFor the last 10 weeks, IU has rewound "Speed 2" and "Mars Attack" and continually played them back for me. It has been the same old bad plot for the entire season.\nIU has been consistent in being inconsistent.\nIn Saturday's 43-22 loss to Wisconsin, the Hoosiers defense held the Badgers scoreless for the first 28 minutes and 45 seconds and forced a season high three turnovers.\nThen, IU's mask was removed, and Wisconsin realized it could exploit IU's inexperienced secondary as if the Badgers were the National Enquirer.\nBefore the Badgers' final first-half drive, Wisconsin completed four of seven passes for 25 yards. In all of 25 seconds, Badger freshman back-up quarterback Jim Sorgi completed four passes for 80 yards to give Wisconsin a 7-6 lead into halftime.\nFrom there on out, IU reverted to its old ways and allowed the Badgers to run away with the game. \nJust as every other game, the defense showed some progress, but then transformed into its split personality. The evil defense has prevailed and set IU's ship on a crash course with a 3-8 season. \nThe usually reliable offense was no help Saturday. For the third time this season, the offense scored under 25 points.\nJunior quarterback Antwaan Randle El once again was amazing on the run, as he picked up 156 yards on 24 carries. His passing game was not as outstanding.\nA number of 'Twaan's passing decisions were questionable, as he tied a career-high three interceptions and only completed 14-of-30 passes with no touchdowns. \nWhen IU is put into a situation where it is forced to throw, odds are against the Hoosiers.\nIn the Hoosiers' three victories this season, Randle El never once threw more than 22 passes. In the seven losses, he threw 25 times or more in five of the games.\nTo win Saturday, the Hoosiers' defense cannot allow Purdue's Drew Brees to clinch the Heisman Trophy with a monster passing day. IU cannot fall behind by much, so IU's offense can continue to run the option and not be forced to throw on nearly every down.\nThe repeated question asked at a recent IU football forum: Does a win against Purdue salvage the Hoosiers' season?\nMany of the Hoosier faithful have been brainwashed enough into the IU-Purdue rivalry to believe one win could compensate for IU's sixth consecutive losing season. A victory against Purdue in West Lafayette to prevent the Boilermakers from the Rose Bowl would be sweet, but fans need to be realistic.\nIs IU's inexperienced secondary any match for Brees? Even with a win, is 4-7 an improvement?\nThe answers are: probably not and nope. \nBut wait. Do you hear that?\nIt's in the background, but as the day becomes night, the sound will become noticeably clearer.\nSoon, the football season will be a distant memory as attention is turned to the beating sound of basketballs against hardwood and swishing nets.
(11/07/00 4:27am)
Antwaan Randle El terrorizes opponents with ankle-breaking moves. \nHe leaves crowds speechless and drooling for more. He makes scoring touchdowns look easy. He brings light to a program where the bulb burned out years ago.\nNo word or phrase can adequately describe the Hoosiers' answer to Superman. Simply put, he's Antwaan Randle El.\nAfter Saturday's game, Cameron flat out called junior Randle El the greatest quarterback he has ever coached, which includes NFL quarterbacks Jim Harbaugh, Gus Frerotte, Elvis Grbac and Trent Green. \nBut for all that 'Twaan does on the field for IU football, he does not win football games. In his three years starting for IU, the Hoosiers have an overall record of 11-20.\nIt's not just Randle El who does not win football games.\nCam Cameron does not win football games. Special teams do not win football games. Offense does not win football games.\n"We all know what ultimately wins football games," Cameron said Saturday. \nDefense wins football games.\nIt's a cliche that has been around since man invented sports. \nAvoiding tackles and scoring touchdowns, blasting 400-foot homeruns and slamming down windmill dunks make ESPN's highlight films. Offense receives all the glamour and glitter, but in the end defense wins ball games.\nOnce again this past weekend, the defense showed progress in areas, including stopping the run, but the big play continued to be the knife in the Hoosiers' back. \nIIllinois' second score of the game came on a 20-yard touchdown pass that was set up two plays earlier when IU was called for pass interference, which brought the Illini to IU's 23-yard line.\nOn Illinois' next drive, Kurt Kittner found Aaron Moorehead behind the secondary for a 51-yard pass play, which got Illinois to IU's one.\nIn the third quarter, Kittner completed a 10-yard pass to Carey Davis, who traveled out of bounds and was later hit by an IU defender. The 10-yard pass plus the 15-yard penalty put Illinois all the way to IU's 19-yard line. Kittner then found Moorehad open again for a 17-yard touchdown.\nDuring Illinois' next scoring drive, Kittner hit Greg Lewis on a 48-yard pass play, which set up a four-yard touchdown run. \nOn the Illini's final scoring drive, Hoosiers were again called for pass interference with less than a minute left in the game and Illinois was on IU's 28-yard line. Illinois was moved up to the 13-yard line and, shortly after, scored the game winning touchdown to give it the 42-35 victory.\nThe Hoosiers were without starting cornerback Sharrod Wallace because of injury and had a few players who were either too young or still learning to play defensive after being converted from another position. \nStill, the Hoosiers failed to be aware of the some of the most basic rules of elementary football. For example, IU's secondary let Illinois' receivers get behind them.\n"You cannot flat at any level -- junior high, high school, college -- let the ball go over your head. Period," Cameron said. "You don't give yourself a chance. We know that. We're getting it addressed."\nCameron has been addressing the same problems for the last four years. Saturday's loss guaranteed Cameron his fourth consecutive losing season as IU's head coach. \nCameron has baby-stepped IU's program along, but the fact remains the Hoosiers are still not winning football games. The team sits now with a 3-6 record, which has a great possibility of being 3-8 or 4-7 and not 5-6. \nIt's too bad that Randle El might walk out of IU next year with every Hoosier record ever created, a number of NCAA marks and the ability to play at the next level, but until the Hoosiers can produce a consistent defense he will never become a winner.
(11/03/00 9:31am)
No longer does IU have next week to fall back upon.\nAfter every loss, the Hoosiers have quickly turned their attention to the next week. \nBut this is it. There are no more weeks to look to if IU plans on a winning season or a bowl game bid.\nThe team's progress in the last few weeks has been a positive sign for the future, but the true evaluation of its success will be whether it has a winning record.\nIf IU wins this week, I can write the same column next week. I could actually do it for the next three weeks if IU can pull out the next two games, because the Hoosiers need to win their final three to finish 6-5. \nTwo and half hours away, Illini sinks in a similar boat.\nFollowing an eight-win season and a 63-21 win against Virginia in the Micron.com Bowl, the Fighting Illini's players, coaches and fans thought the program had been turned around. With most of the team returning, including 10 starters from a potent offense, expectations were set as high as a Rose Bowl.\nIllinois started the season with three wins against nonconference opponents but has since won only one Big Ten contest in five games. Big Ten title hopes have changed to hopes of not finishing last. \nThe Fighting Illini need a victory in Saturday's game almost as much as IU does, since the Fighting Illini still need two wins to be bowl eligible. Even if Illinois does defeat the Hoosiers, two wins could be difficult because its two final opponents are Ohio State and Northwestern, and both are in contention for the conference championship.\nThe keys to victory for IU this week would be to pound Illinois on the ground and keep quarterback Kurt Kittner from having a Heisman-worthy performance.\nIU's running game is among the best in the nation while Illinois' run defense is among the worst. If junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El and junior running back Levron Williams are clicking, there's no reason both cannot finish with more than 150 yards and a couple touchdowns. \nIf the Hoosiers are put in a situation where Randle El has to pass continuously, Illinois will have the advantage.\nLast week, Kittner threw 13-for-19 for 104 yards and two interceptions -- by far his worst game of the season. Illinois' only touchdown last week came from a defensive score.\nKittner can be expected to rise to the occasion this week and have some big numbers, but IU must stop him from throwing for 500 yards and six touchdowns.\nBoth teams' fates will be twisted one way or the other after Saturday's game. A loss for Illinois will give it little hope for next week and the rest of this season.\nIf IU loses, there could always be hope for next season.
(10/31/00 5:30am)
Like an undertaker, former IU coach Bill Mallory buried IU's football program six feet deep into a losing hole.\nFour years ago, Cam Cameron was dropped into that hole.\nAlthough Cameron played with IU's football team in the early 1980s, he knew little about losing before he was put in the hole. He had played under Bob Knight, spent 10 years as an assistant for the Michigan Wolverines and had a winning season with the Washington Redskins.\nCameron was a winner, but Mallory had left behind a bunch of kids who knew a lot about losing. \nUnlike Darth Vader's failure to bring Luke Skywalker to the dark side, IU's losing force was too strong for Cameron. He too became a loser.\nSuch as quicksand, the hole nearly swallowed Cameron and his head coaching career after IU's 58-0 loss to the Wolverines three weeks ago. Then, somehow, Cameron and the Hoosiers found a grappling hook to shoot and catch a win last week against a ranked opponent for the first time since 1993.\nWith their win against Minnesota, the Hoosiers were able to pull themselves to the highest point of the hole they had ever reached. The Hoosiers and Cameron were able to peek above and see the light for the first time in a long while. \nAll the Hoosiers had to do was push with a little force and lift their bodies above the hole to the land where blue chip recruits go and teams depart for bowl games.\nAlmost as if planned for an IU coming-out party, the Hoosiers' game Saturday was surrounded by a unique celebration aura set by the RCA Dome and the team's biggest home crowd of the season (43,122).\nThe Hoosiers seemed to lift one leg out of the hole with ease on their first drive as they marched down the field with option running plays. But then IU threw its first pass, and it was intercepted. These words seem too good to be true, but IU's defense then picked up from the offense's mistake by forcing Penn State to punt after three unsuccessful plays.\nJunior Levron Williams brought the Hoosiers a closer look at the winner's world with a 25-yard touchdown run. The defense then slipped as the Nittany Lions evened the scored at seven on their next drive. \nThroughout the game, IU would lift a part of its body over the hill with a good offensive series or a clutch defensive play, but then Penn State would nudge the Hoosiers down again with a defensive turnover or offensive score. Like two heavyweight champions, IU and Penn State threw punch for punch until the the final bell rang.\nThen the game was over.\nBut where was IU? Wasn't this the Hoosiers' hole-emerging party? \nWith Penn State's late game-winning field goal, the Hoosiers fell once again to the bottom of the hole, and everyone walked away losers.\nSome IU faithful were just happy to not be blown out by a Penn State team, as the Hoosiers had been in the past. But that's the attitude that must go before IU can climb out of the hole. Cameron, IU's players and fans need to be sick of complacency, with just scraping and clawing up the hole only to fall short time after time.\nThe Hoosiers have shown progress on defense in the last two weeks, and the offense continues -- for the most part -- to be able to dominate. But it's probably too late.\nTo be bowl eligible and finish with a winning record, IU must defeat Illinois and Purdue on the road and Wisconsin at home. All three are beatable teams, but Cameron has never won three games in a row. \nWhile a bowl might be unrealistic, IU must continue to show improvement. The defense has to solidify itself all over the field -- not just in clutch situations -- and it must limit the big plays. The offense needs to start finding other receivers to go to because IU's top two -- seniors Versie Gaddis and Jerry Dorsey -- are graduating.\nSadly, the seniors might never get out of the hole in an IU uniform, although they have been responsible for moving IU's program along.\nBut then again the hole is a dark, dirty place that is a friend to no man.
(10/27/00 4:12pm)
I hadn't seen Bob Swerski of "Saturday Night Live's" Superfans since he was wanted for the attempted murder of Mike McCaskey after Mike Ditka was fired.\nBut there he was in the Bloomington emergency room. Instead of wearing a Walter Payton jersey and Bears' jogging pants, good old Bob was wearing an Antwaan Randle El jersey and Hoosier shorts.\n"Bob, is that you?" I asked, surprised because he looked as if he had put on a good 50 or 60 pounds.\n"Yep, it's me, Scott," Bob said. "I haven't been the same since the Ditka conspiracy, when he was fired because they were worried he was a national threat. Anyways, I'm up to two cases of Old Style, a dozen Polish sausages and three heart attacks a day. I'm here because I thought I was having another heart attack, but I guess I just mistook it for some sausage that was stuck."\n"The polish sausage will always get you," I responded. \n"Yep," he said, as he continually punched his stomach to budge the sausage. "So you're covering da Hoosiers this year?"\n"You follow the Hoosiers?" I asked. \n"Yep, I went from Chicago to New Orleans with Ditka. But then he got fired again, so I came out to follow another coaching god, Bobby Knight. But then he got fired. What can I say? I fell in love with IU's beautiful women, the dorm meal card and "sink the biz," so I've stayed and now I follow Cam Cameron.\n"Instead of Ditka, Ditka, Ditka, Ditka, it's now Cameron, Cameron, Cameron."\n"Doesn't have the same ring," I said. "We did look good last week when we defeated a ranked team for the first time since 1993."\n"1993. That was the first year da coach didn't coach da Bears," Bob said as he started crying.\n"Sorry, I forgot," I said. "I don't have anything against Ditka. My dad actually went to the Superbowl game and I was brought up to respect Ditka."\n"Apology accepted," Bob said. "Oh yeah, I'm not happy about you trying to run Cam Cameron out of town. Give him some time. You know da coach needed a couple years before he won da Superbowl. Da Hoosiers could go to da bowl soon."\n"I'm not totally convinced yet, but let's talk about that later," I said. " Are you going to the game at the RCA Dome Saturday?"\n"Football in a dome is like spandex on men," Bob said. "It just ain't right and it should be outlawed. It sure ain't Bears' football or Soldiers Field for sure. Da Bears or football without fans who have no possibility of seeing their breaths or yell and swear drunkenly for da Bears with their shirts off in freezing temperatures is just wrong."\n"That's what I was thinking, but I could not have put it so eloquently," I answered.\n"Dat 'Twaan kid can surely play," Bob said. "He reminds me of a young Jimmy McMahon with some wheels and I could swear I see a little of Payton out there with Levron Williams and Jerry Dorsey, and Versie Gaddis reminds me of Willie Gault and Dennis McKinnon. Unfortunately, dat defense doesn't look like the Monsters of the Midway.\n"I know," I said. "I've been saying Indiana should be spelled without a 'd.'"\n"Da coach probably would have not stood for that in his Bears days," Bob said. "Da Hoosiers did show some progress last week, but they need to step it up like da Bears did in 1985. Paul Mandina and the line need to start looking like Dent, Fridge and McMichael. Justin Smith and the linebackers need to watch some tape of Singletary, Wilber Marshall and Otis Wilson and the secondary needs to start playing like Duerson and Fencik."\n"Sounds like a good idea," I responded. "We should get them a tape of the Super Bowl Shuffle, too. Anyways, how about the Bears at 1-7 this year?"\n"Like I said, nothing's been the same since Ditka's departure," he said angrily. "Ditka was well, Ditka. Who would win: Ditka versus God?"\n"I'm not sure," I said.\n"Trick question, Ditka is God. Ditka. Ditka. Ditka. I do know we'll beat the Colts in Chicago this year," he exclaimed.\n"Any predictions on the IU-Penn State game this weekend?\n"Hoosiers 42, Nittany Lions 0," Bob said.\n"Sounds like a barn burner," I said.\n"That's only the first quarter score," he said as he started having another heart attack.\nAs he was carted off to the emergency room, I heard his chant fade off into the distance.\n"Da Hoosiers. Da Hoosiers. Da Hoosiers. Da .."
(10/24/00 5:19am)
A gasp and then a cry of "not again" found its way around Memorial Stadium, as if in a crowd wave. \nBefore the crowd's shrieks, the attention had been turned to IU's offense, which had been nearly perfect all day. But Minnesota had just scored early in the fourth quarter and now only trailed the Hoosiers 37-35. \nIU's answer of how to spell relief, Antwaan Randle El, took the field. And as if he and all IU players are cursed because they are Hoosiers, 'Twaan fumbled and gave the Golden Gophers the ball.\nThe Hoosiers had once again set the backdrop and positioned the actors for the final dramatic scene where the hero dies in the end after prevailing for the first three-fourths of the movie. No matter how many times IU's fans have seen this scenario, it never gets any easier, so they continue to gasp and cry for the football gods' mercy. \nThen like finding a $20 bill in an old pair of jeans, IU's luck changed. \nOn Minnesota's third play, Sharrod Wallace picked off quarterback Travis Cole and IU marched to victory.\nOverall, the defense and special teams were still not consistent, and the Hoosiers' offense can't be expected to score 51 points to win a game. But IU showed something it hadn't in the previous six weeks -- clutch play.\nThroughout the game, IU's players stepped up when the game really mattered and like the Tin Man, showed they could have heart. \nOn Minnesota's first drive, IU safety Johnny Anderson was able to drop Minnesota's running back Tellis Redmon for three yards when the Gophers needed four yards on third down. IU's other safety, freshman Ron Bethel, held Redmon to only a four-yard reception on third down when five was required on the second drive.\nFreshman Stephen Williams came up with his first collegiate sack when Minnesota was faced with third and nine. With IU ahead 44-35, linebacker Justin Smith rocked the Minnesota quaterback's world with a blind-sided blitz that caused Cole to fumble the ball, which defensive tackle Paul Mandina recovered.\nEven when the Gophers had first and goal on the two-yard line, the Hoosiers' defense stepped up. Mandina first tackled Thomas Tapeh for a two-yard loss, then Wallace broke up a pass and sophomore Kemp Rasmussen finally met Redmon at the line for no gain, forcing the Gophers to kick a field goal. \nPlay after play on offense, Randle El, Levron Williams and Versie Gaddis showed their veteran leadership and combined for six touchdowns and nearly 800 yards.\nThis win meant something to this program, but that something cannot be determined until next week's game. People should not get too excited about IU football unless the Hoosiers can build on Saturday's win.\nThe Hoosiers still have many questions to answer.\nThey need to prove that they're not one-hit wonders like Chumbawamba, or that they do not need a butt-whipping like Michigan's 58-0 win to get motivated and play their best.\nA win against Penn State and Joe Paterno -- even if the Nittany Lions are up and down this season -- could turn the corner for IU's program and coach Cam Cameron. \nThe thought of IU football without gasps and cries might be tough for Hoosiers to get used to, but would probably be welcomed with cheers.
(10/20/00 5:52am)
Ran into a football player the other day.\nNot a kicker or a running back, but one of those really meaty guys who could be mistaken for an ox. When our eyes met, there was no doubt we knew each other.\nBefore, I had laughed at suggestions of a bodyguard for protection from hostile Hoosiers, but at this moment I would not have minded a brawler at my side. If we had been in a dark, deserted, rat-infested alley, I might have ran. Although it was getting late, the Indiana Memorial Union seemed like a safe place, so I stayed.\nBefore his first move, which might have been to tear off my arms and rip out my voice box so I would be left only to type with my nose, I offered to sit and chat.\nHe agreed and to my surprise, he began the questioning. He first asked what I thought my purpose was with my columns.\n"I consider myself the voice of the students," I said. For nearly an hour in the IMU cafeteria, we conversed about our different view points on IU football.\nHe was not there to strong-arm me into writing how glorious IU football is or how I was wrong to write anything bad about Cameron and the defense. This football player believed IU deserved criticism, but he said he thought I could do so in a more credible and professional manner.\nWhen we finished, I was not brainwashed to how Cameron is a godsend or IU football will be Big Ten champions soon, but I did get a better sense of IU football from a player's perspective. \nThe only time he laughed, which he tried to hold back, was when he imagined me meeting one of the enraged players on the streets.\nOverall, we did not share many laughs, but I think we both came away with a better understanding of where each other stands.\nRight now, IU stands on a plank with one foot off and the other on its way, unless the Hoosiers can emerge at Homecoming against Minnesota.\nThe vivid memory of the 58-0 defeat to Michigan last week remains in the players' minds. Not only has the Hoosiers' ability been questioned, but now also their character and pride. \nMany jumped off the IU bandwagon weeks ago, and the few left are holding onto the bumper for their lives. IU needs to win some ballgames soon, but more importantly they need to show some improvement. From week to week and over the last four years, IU has shown very little progress and that is discouraging.\nThe question now is how will the team respond? \nThe defensive breakdown has been that everyone is not on the same page. All eleven players must not only know what they're doing individually, but what everyone else is doing as well. At times, eight, nine or even 10 players have executed a play properly, but then one player makes a mental mistake and Michigan's David Terrell or Northwestern's Damien Anderson travels half the field for a touchdown.\nThe Hoosiers' defense needs to successfully execute and be more consistent to win this weekend. Talent-wise, IU might be a little unequal with some schools, but within these ranks, it all comes down to how one executes and consistency.\nThe defense has taken heat from the coaches as well as the media, but so has junior Antwaan Randle El. Any chances for the Heisman Trophy flew out the window with 'Twaan's 39-yard rushing, 111-yard passing and no touchdown performance last week. Randle El should be as motivated as anyone this weekend to redeem himself.\nA pep talk should not be required to fire them up Saturday. The fact that they were embarrassed last week, this is Homecoming and sharks await their arrival if they fall off the plank should be reason enough for motivation.
(10/17/00 5:35am)
No one, not even God Himself, could defend any choice of words I write beneath this paragraph that bashes the disgraceful performance "Iniana" made Saturday.\nIn the last few days, my imagination wheel has spun and spun thinking of brilliant and creative ideas for this space. Others, whether asked or not, gave me countless methods to slice and dice coach Cam Cameron and the "Iniana" football program into a nice gourmet dinner for my readers.\nMy first idea sprung up in the press box at halftime when the Hoosiers trailed 45-0. The day before I had an advertisement seen in Michigan's school newspaper to try out for the Wolverines' men's basketball squad. All a student needed to have was at least 12 credit hours and a physical signed by a doctor, and then he would have an opportunity to play for Michigan.\nThe state of Michigan's basketball program could not be any worse than that of Iniana football, so I thought IU could possibly recruit players by putting out a similar want ad.\nThe classified would read something like, "Big Ten university seeking meaty students who want to play Division I collegiate football, can hit and tackle people and have been off steroids for at least a year. No experience necessary."\nSomeone else recommended I write the top 58 (the number of points IU gave up to Michigan) reasons why the defense might actually be playing for the other team or why Cameron should be fired. \nThe list would go… No. 58: Cameron gets paid to coach IU?, No 57: We could use Cameron's salary to repair Showalter Fountain, No. 56: Cameron has red hair, No. 55: His players have as much respect for Cameron as how far they can throw him... and so on. \nAnother writer said to me that the easy column would tear apart IU, but the person who would really earn his or her money would write about the positives in such a game. There was no way I was doing that. \nOne of my roommates suggested writing about our flag football team's first game. Though I hesitated for a second to think about it, I realized I probably could not write an entire column on a game we won because the other team forfeited.\nAnother person proposed I write that Cam Cameron should be fired from the football team and be hired by IU to teach accounting since he has a business degree from here. That person said I could use him as an accredited source. This idea did not get too far from the drawing board.\nAfter the game, as defensive coach Ted Daisher made his way from the field to the locker room, one young Wolverine fan summed up IU's loss perfectly to the coach, saying, "Your team got its butts kicked."\nI would have sat down and talked for hours with the kid about his views of IU football and let him write my column, but his schedule was solidly booked for the next week or so with video games, cartoons and naps.\nAfter experiencing the Big House and the crazed football hysteria created by Michigan's football fans, I thought about sarcastically comparing every facet of Wolverine football to IU football. I could have compared 110,000 people performing the wave to IU's inflatable doll mascot that runs around the sideline smooshing his face.\nBut after I waited in line for an hour and a half for supposedly Michigan's most popular bar, Rick's, only to be disappointed that it was like Kilroy's, then went to a house party where I could get only a couple of beers before the kegs went dry and saw way too many kids talking trash that definitely should not be talking trash, I thought the Wolverines didn't deserve such praise.\nThe mockery of IU's football program Saturday opened the door to so many sarcastic and cynical writing opportunities, but no piece of the puzzle fit in precisely. \nIn the end, I figured it out. \nIn today's column, I didn't have to tell the story of how Cameron has not moved this program along in four years or that "Iniana" does not have a "d" or how IU is the joke of the Big Ten or how Cameron should be fired.\nThis past weekend, Cameron and the Hoosiers wrote my column even before I could dab any ink on paper. The Hoosiers not only allowed Michigan to railroad them on the scoreboard, but IU showed no heart and gave up. \nIf I had to sum up Saturday's game in just a word or two, I think there's no better way than to simply state the score -- Michigan 58, IU 0.\nThe only injustice to that would be that the score actually depicts a closer game than it was.
(10/13/00 5:25am)
Cam Cameron has probably not been a betting man in recent years. Still, (in my "Godfather" voice) here is one offer he cannot refuse.\nIf Cameron and his 'In(d)iana' defense can somehow go on the road and find a way to defeat the almighty Wolverines, never again (this season) will I mention the draining sand in the hour glass that represents his coaching career or IU's lack of defense. Simply win and I shut up.\nOn the other hand, if the Hoosiers lose, it continues to be an open hunting season.\nNo one knows better than Cameron the difficulty of winning at the "Big House."\nWhen he was part of the Wolverines' personnel from 1984-1993, Michigan went 50-12-1 at home -- with seven of those losses being to ranked opponents.\nThe two years Cameron lettered as the Hoosiers' back-up quarterback in 1982 and '83, IU lost twice to Michigan at home. In his only game at Michigan as a head coach in '98, Cameron and the Hoosiers lost 10-21.\nThose facts, along with the fact that the Hoosiers have not defeated Michigan at the "Big House" since 1967, when IU won 27-20 and then advanced to the Rose Bowl, makes this seem a pretty safe bet.\nIronically, the last time the Hoosiers defeated Michigan (14-10 in '87) Cameron was on the sidelines as an assistant coach for the Wolverines. \nThe Wolverines have defeated IU so many times that they have the title and deed to the Hoosiers. In 35 home games, Michigan has won 28 times. Overall, the Hoosiers have won only nine games of the team's 52 meetings and only twice during the last 10 presidential terms.\nThe domination began in 1900 when IU first met Michigan and lost 12-0. In their first nine meetings, Michigan outscored the Hoosiers 285-6. \nThe Hoosiers have been shut out by Michigan 15 times and not until last year when Randle El helped put 31 points on the board did the Hoosiers ever achieve the 30-point mark against the Wolverines. On the other hand, Michigan has scored 30 or more points in 25 games.\nIt was pure domination in the 20th century and so far, there are no signs it will be any different in this century.\nMichigan also has added motivation this week to pound the Hoosiers after a last-second defeat at the hands of Purdue last week. Never has Michigan lost to IU and Purdue in the same season, and the last time the Woverines lost to two schools from Indiana was in 1987 -- when they lost to IU and Notre Dame.\nRunning back Anthony Thomas, a.k.a. A-train, who ran for career high 197 yards last year against IU, high leaping wide receiver David Terrell and baseball stud and Wolverine quarterback Drew Henson will have the opportunity to set new career numbers against one of the worst defenses in the nation Saturday.\nAfter Michigan, the Hoosiers' defense could secure the title of worst in the nation.\nYou can bet on that.
(10/10/00 6:36am)
Stop me if you have heard this one before.\nWhat do you get when you take the "d" out of Indiana?\nAnswer: The Iniana football team.\nFrom now on, IU's defense has lost all privileges to the "d" in Indiana until the Hoosiers can hold opponents to back-to-back under "30-something" games. The "d" does not show up on Saturdays, so why should it be included the rest of the week?\nDon't get me wrong, Northwestern's offense can make almost any defense buckle like a baby's knees when learning to walk. The Wildcats put defenses in a difficult situation when they spread opponents out with four-man wide receiver sets as if a predominant passing team, but then handed the ball off 60 percent of the time.\n There's no simple way to stop the Wildcats' offense, except to execute consistently on defense.\n Poor tackling, missed coverage and lack of concentration by "Iniana's" defense Saturday made things that much easier for Northwestern.\n Damien Anderson mowed Ryan Field's grass for 292 yards and four touchdowns against IU as if he was driving one of those John Deere lawnmowers that are rigged to race in events. Anderson has punished other defenses, but none like IU's.\n That's my point -- offenses, such as North Carolina State's, Kentucky's and Northwestern's, drowned IU defense in points whereas other teams are at least able to bob for air. \nIowa (33 points), Northwestern (52 points), North Carolina State (41 points) and Kentucky (41 points) all have scored its season high in points against "Iniana's" defense. Plain and simple, IU's defense is second rate.\nWithout the measly six-point performance by Cincinnati, which ranks 74th in the nation in scoring, the Hoosiers would be the worst defense in the nation. Now, they are only 103th out of 114 with a 34.6 average per game. \nAt first, it only seemed as if the Hoosiers could not stop the pass (114th in nation, 295.6 yards per game), but they have now proved they're equally as bad at stopping the run (81th in nation, 167 yards per game). IU allows 462.6 yards a game, which ranks 111th in the nation.\nLast year, former defensive coordinator Jon Heacock, who now is an assistant at Youngstown State, unrightfully took the blame for the defense's inabilities when he was fired and replaced by James Bell. The new coordinator has implemented an aggressive defense that has worked at other places, but because Bell is not a miracle worker and does not have near the talent of other Big Ten teams, his defense will continue to fail.\nNothing against the individual defensive players because I know they work their tails off for this school and sacrifice a lot, but IU's players just are not as athletically gifted as Michigan's or Ohio State's.\nWhat it all comes down to is recruiting. \nMichigan, Penn State, Ohio State and Wisconsin can sell its football traditions easily and show recruits how someday they can be in the NFL. IU has nothing but La Bamba's to sell to prospective students.\nIU also has a disadvantage because the state of Indiana just does not produce the greatest football players. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions are able to pick the cream of the crop right from their back door while Purdue and IU have to go out of the state to stay competitive. \nPurdue at the beginning of the season had listed only two players from Indiana that were expected to start offensively or defensively. On the other hand, IU had nine players set to start from the state.\nTo crack the upper echelon of the Big Ten, the Hoosiers have to gain more talent from the rest of the country. Picking up Illinois' Steve Williams and Texas' Brandon Baker both of the 2000 class was a plus, but it will take a lot more to get the Hoosiers near the top.\nSome people believe it takes about four or five years to turn a program around. Cam Cameron is now in his fourth year at IU, and although he has made some minor progress, nothing has changed. \nIllinois' Ron Turner, Minnesota's Glen Mason, Purdue's Joe Tiller and Cameron all began coaching in 1997, and everyone but Cameron has been to a Bowl game. Northwestern coach Randy Walker has been able to turn his team's program around in only his second year.\nMy best bet would be Cameron will not removed at the end of this season even if IU doesn't win another game. Cameron will be given one last chance with his star quarterback, Antwaan Randle El. If he can't win next year after four years with IU's greatest offensive weapon, Cameron will be fired.\nBut that's another joke altogether.
(10/06/00 5:13am)
What's up with Northwestern?\nDon't the Wildcats know almost everyone except their mommas picked them to close the Big Ten barn door after all the thoroughbreds trounced over them?\nBefore the season began, I would have guessed the Wildcats had three (Northern Illinois, Duke and Iowa), maybe four (IU) wins in them. \nDon't look now, but those smarties from Evanston are talking Rose Bowl as they sit on top of the Big Ten.\nThey had an easy time with Northern Illinois and Duke, but then lost to No. 14 Texas Christian University.\nOne would think road games at Wisconsin and Michigan State would have put the Wildcats in their place. But like a car without its lights on, Northwestern emerged from the pitch black to surprise the entire nation with an overtime victory in Madison, Wis., and a blowout at East Lansing, Mich. \nThe 2000 Wildcats are similar to the 1995 squad that came out of E-Town as underdogs only to end up in Pasadena, Calif., for the Rose Bowl. \nBefore the 1995 season, Gary Barnett, who now coaches at the University of Colorado, had won only eight games in his first three seasons as the Wildcats' head coach. He promised 1995 would be different, but no one wanted to believe him.\nAll of a sudden, Northwestern defeated Notre Dame in South Bend. Then after a loss and another win, the Wildcats swept through the Big Ten undefeated. The Wildcats would eventually lose to USC 41-32 in the Rose Bowl, but showed everyone they could play with the big boys. \nThese days, Randy Walker coaches the team. After a 3-8 finish in his first season, he told everyone his team was improved. But all coaches say that, so no one can be sure when to believe it. \nA columnist in Chicago even made a mockery of Northwestern's optimism for the season, as he said the Wildcats should know better than to think bowl.\nAnyway, here they are 4-1, ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 1996 and needing only two more wins to go to any bowl game. Plus, they have made every scribe from here to across the nation eat his words.\nWhat I'm not sure about yet is what to make of the Big Ten.\nEither everyone is very good or they're all mediocre.\nOhio State (top 25) killed Penn State, who beat Purdue (top 25 at the time), who defeated Minnesota, who killed Illinois (top 25 at the time).\nNorthwestern massacred Michigan State, who defeated Notre Dame. And the Wildcats beat Wisconsin, who barely beat Cincinnati, who IU stomped on.\nSo does that make IU good?\nOhio State is the only overall undefeated team in conference, but the Buckeyes play Wisconsin in Madison this weekend. The Badgers are still a powerhouse and will make a run at the conference title even with two losses.\nMichigan also sits at the top of the Big Ten with a 4-1 mark, but the Wolverines play at Purdue, who cannot be happy with last week's choke against the Nittany Lions.\nPenn State (2-4) has the tools to be a contender, but has not really put them to use yet. The Nittany Lions face Minnesota, who is, surprisingly, 3-2 this weekend.\nThen, there's the Hoosiers against Northwestern. The Wildcats come off two impressive wins, but IU has won two in a row and the defense has shown signs of a pulse. \nFor those with a gambling problem, my advice is to stay away from the Big Ten betting because it's like Russian roulette; you never know when you'll be dead or a dead beat.
(10/03/00 6:51am)
Fire it up!"\nOne of my best friends uses those three words about 100 times a day to express anything from cooking to lifting to studying.\nHe fires the grill up. He fires going to class up. He fires the fireplace up. He fires his girlfriend up. \nHe fires "fire it up" up more than anyone on the face of this earth.\nIt's not that annoying when he fires it up -- he's said it so many times he might have it patented -- but it is when everyone else within a two-mile radius starts firing it up.\nIt's catchy. Our neighbor once was in such a drunken stupor that "fire it up" was the only three words that came out of his mouth for about an hour. One of my roommates ("Mini fire it up," a smaller version of the original,) says it about 50 times a day. \nSaturday, the phenomenon of firing it up caught Memorial Stadium.\nThe Hoosiers fired it up for assistant coach Pete Schmidt, who passed away Friday, with a victory over Iowa.\nThursday, when the team was told Schmidt had a short time to live, senior Jerry Dorsey, among many other players, found the game of football to be the least of their concerns. \nFootball was only a game. Schmidt was a father figure. \n"Pete was like a father to not just me but to all the players who knew him very well," Dorsey said. "He was there to correct our mistakes on the field but also there to laugh and joke with us through good times and bad. \n"Pete will never leave my heart. I guess I am scarred for life because this is the first time someone close to me has passed away, and it hurts." \nWhen listening to coach Cam Cameron in press conferences, one cannot always be sure the coach is spinning the truth. When it came to Schmidt, one could see the tears Cameron fought back Saturday were as real as real gets. Neither Cameron nor any of the players will ever forget the man they loved deeply.\nFrom Iowa and onward, IU has dedicated and fired the season up to Schmidt.\nThe question mark defense to the unstoppable offense stepped up their play against the Hawkeyes.\nJunior Justin Smith, like a brick thrown through a window, broke through Iowa's offensive line easily and destroyed anything in his way for four sacks and 13 tackles, which included six for a loss. By the end of the game, Smith had tackled and hugged Iowa quarterback Jon Beutjer so many times that Beutjer probably thought the two were dating.\nThe fact the Hoosiers did not allow a touchdown in the first half was underplayed, because the defense allowed 30 points and Beutjer threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns in the second half. Almost as remarkable as a man walking on the moon, the Hoosiers' defense had held opponents touchdown-less for six consecutive quarters. \nNo dream lasts forever, so the Hoosiers' defense, as expected, would face reality again. \nJust as the first two weeks of the season, the crowd gasped when the Hawkeyes scored with 4:33 left in the game to put themselves within five points after IU led by as many 21 points.\nIn the end, Antwaan Randle El allowed the Hoosier faithful to sigh with relief with two rushing touchdowns to give him a ridiculous amount of rushing yards (187) on the day.\nRandle El in the end might be Batman saving the day, but Dorsey cannot be overlooked as he was Batman's sidekick Robin, who does not always get the superhero prestige, but always contributes to the butt whipping.\nAhead 31-26, the Hoosiers were confronted with a 3rd and 12 on their own 20-yard line. A failed conversion on the play would have forced the Hoosiers to punt and give Iowa the ball with only three minutes left in the game. Just like deja vu, the potential situation was way too familiar.\nWith good protection on the third down play, Randle El found Dorsey darting across the middle of the field. Dorsey spun from one tackle and then twisted again while he fought two defenders from putting him to the ground, then lunged his body backward, stretched the ball out as far as could and willed his way for a few more yards to get the Hoosiers a first down. The next play, Randle El scampered into the end zone after dashing 62 yards.\n"If we don't get that, we're stopped and everything," Cameron said. "But he caught the ball, got up field and made some twists and turns and got the first down. That was a big play for us and I went over to him on the sidelines and pointed to him and told him that was big.\n"We had some guys that just played with great emotion and this was our day. There were some guys who refused to let us lose that ball game."\nNo doubt, Schmidt would have fired it up on such a day.
(09/29/00 5:22am)
Hopkinsville High School football head coach Craig Clayton gently nudged, then slightly tugged and then finally, like a loose tooth, was able to jiggle Jerry Dorsey into playing football his senior year of high school.\nDorsey's agreement came after almost an entire year of Clatyon's persuasiveness. \nAt first, Clayton tried to gain Dorsey's friendship as he talked with him in the halls and joked with him in a physical education class about his football potential. The problem was that Dorsey thought of himself as a basketball player, but to this day Clayton says Dorsey never had a jumper. \nHeading into the 1996-97 football season, Clayton had almost all the weapons to win a Kentucky state championship. His quarterback was current University of Cincinnati starter Deontey Kenner and his running back was current Kentucky fullback Artose Pinner, but his star wide receiver was dismissed because of a drug related incident.\nDuring gym class, Clayton saw that Dorsey had as much athleticism as anyone else. Clayton believed Dorsey could possibly complete his jigsaw puzzle of a state championship, so Clayton never quit until he got his guy.\n"He really had to talk me into playing football," Dorsey said. "I mean he really had to talk me into playing because I didn't want to get hit at all. (My emotions the first time I was hit were) scared, nervous, jibberish, jumpy."\nOn a Friday afternoon during the summer of 1996, Clayton waited for Dorsey to finish a summer school class. After the class, Clayton and Dorsey got into Clayton's car and headed to the University of Kentucky for a state-wide passing competition, which would be Dorsey's first football action.\nOnce on the road for the 200-mile trip, Dorsey asked Clayton if he would mind if they could listen to some classical music. \n"I knew right then he was a different kid than what I was coaching at the time," Clayton said. "It was a bit different than what the kids were listening to at the time- heavy metal, rap..."\nIn Lexington, Dorsey showed he was not the regular teenager on the field as well as off the field. Dorsey held his own against the state's best secondaries and helped the Tigers win the competition. During his senior year, he led the Tigers in receiving yards and touchdown receptions as Hopkinsville finished as state runner-ups.\nDorsey, a senior, now leads the Hoosiers receiving attack. This season, he ranks first on the team with seven receptions, 227 yards and two touchdown receptions.\nLast season, Dorsey struggled a bit after transferring from the City College of San Francisco, a junior college. He only caught 14 passes in his first seven games, but he then went on to catch 17 for 362 yards and four touchdowns in his final four games. \n"No. 1, he\'s worked extremely hard," IU coach Cam Cameron said of Dorsey's improvement this season. "He got bigger and stronger in the weight room, which I think has given him more confidence. He\'s always been able to run but he\'s a lot more physical than he\'s ever been. \n"He\'s mentally tougher and the other good thing about him, he\'s one of those guys that, not only he can he run, but he\'s got great endurance." \nIn high school, Clayton saw Dorsey as not having a lot of confidence and as lazy in the classroom. Dorsey did not have many life goals outlined and because of poor grades could not qualify to play athletics at a higher level.\nOne of Dorsey's former teammates, Miguel Merritt, who graduated last year after playing at the University of Alabama, played at CCSF under coach George Rush and was a factor in Dorsey heading out to California. Once there, Rush saw Dorsey had as much talent as anyone around, but did not have the knowledge of the game to go along with it.\n"I didn't know anything about (receiving)," Dorsey said. "All I knew how to do was catch. We didn't have a receivers coach (in high school), they just told us to run this pattern and that's what we did."\nAbout midway through his first season in junior college, Dorsey began to recognize defensive coverages and was able to change his routes mid-stream to complete the package. His sophomore year, he finished second nationally with 83 catches for 1,345 yards and 16 touchdowns. Both seasons, the Rams were runner-up national champs.\n"In crunch time, he was our go-to guy," said Rush, who has coached at CCSF for 24 years. "He made big plays. He was at his best when the pressure was on. He was just a great football player."\nIn addition to becoming a big time receiver, Dorsey also played for the Rams' basketball squad, but more importantly was able to find some direction in his life. Sports gave him confidence and he used that confidence in other aspects of his life.\nAfter finishing at CCSF, Dorsey had planned on attending the University of Cincinnati until one day former Ram teammate and current IU senior safety Johnny Anderson approached him about the possibility of joining the Indiana program.\nJust like Clayton, Cameron and his staff needed some time to persuade Dorsey Bloomington was a perfect fit. Inside of IU football sports information director Todd Starowitz's office, Dorsey was shown charts and graphs of how he would get the ball in the Hoosiers offense and in the end, Dorsey was convinced. \nDorsey has fit into the offense as mostly a deep threat, while running mostly streaks and post patterns, which has enabled him to make some big plays this year. He has caught three passes for 50 yards or more this season, including two last week. \nWhen Dorsey first began playing football, Clayton never thought Dorsey would be tough enough to play big-time football, but now that is one area Dorsey prides himself on.\n"The biggest hit I've taken was probably at city college when I got hit in the air and spinned. After that hit I was like it didn't hurt much, but it knocked the wind out of me, so I attacked every ball after that"
(09/26/00 5:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Relax; I was just joshing around with the headline. Not even I'm that cold-blooded.
After last week's column on how 0-11 was still a possibility for the Hoosiers, I called a friend of mine on the team to get his reaction. To my surprise, his roommate said he would not talk to me.
For about a minute in the background, I could hear the roommate tell my friend to pick up the phone, but my friend was reluctant. Finally, he got the phone and said, 'What?' in a very aggravated tone. I knew this conversation wasn't going very far and after a few lines of his argument I let him go.
This being a good friend of mine, I thought it would take more than just my column for him to be angry. In my response, I have written this letter to him.
Dear friend,
Just like a midget to a giant, we obviously do not meet eye-to-eye on the necessity of my last column that bashed the Hoosiers' play in the first two weeks. Never was it meant to be personal, but I'm also not going to apologize because I believe it had to be said. Anyway, it's in the past, so let's squash it and move on.
As you're well aware, it's not like me to be critical of others. Usually, I'm the guy who avoids confrontation and at times will be run over because of my passiveness.
Whether my picture hung in a player's locker because I was wanted like a fugitive or rather just as a motivational boost, I'm not sure, but I do not write to upset people, especially large, finely-tuned athletes who could fire me through the air like a paper airplane.
Unlike other newspaper positions, a columnist has the freedom of adding his or her opinion to their story. My job consists of calling it as I see it. If that means ripping or praising, then that's what I have to do. Still, don't let my duty interfere with our friendship.
That aside, the team proved me wrong, just as I hoped. In reality, I'm an IU fan, and I want to see the Hoosiers win, but it seemed as if I was the Hoosier anti-Christ last week. Anyway, the defense took my column, stuck it down my throat and force-fed it to me.
After the Hoosiers took a big lead into halftime, I was afraid the game was going to be another one of those that could send some old Hoosier fan to the emergency room with a heart attack. As the third quarter went along and the offense grew a larger and larger lead, I felt even the Hoosiers' defense could not blow this one.
Once again, I'm kidding.
The defense played with passion and fire all four quarters and played one of its greatest games since coach Cam Cameron has been here. Seriously, you guys looked like men on a mission to send a statement. The statement I received said, "To Scott Powers: You are an idiot. You don't know jack about IU football, and if you continue to badmouth us we'll continue to prove you wrong. With love, signed, the Hoosiers' defense."
Even with the impressive win, I don't think everyone is completely impressed, but you've definitely gotten some fans back on the wagon. The next step would be a real Big Ten run. Right now, no one in the conference really has shown any kind of dominance and the conference trophy is there for anyone's taking.
Now, I'm getting way ahead of myself, but I am excited about Hoosier football again. The first two weeks were frustrating as being woken up right before a good dream was about to get really interesting. But like I said, let's not talk about North Carolina State and Kentucky anymore and only talk about the present and future.
One of your arguments about my column was that you and your teammates put in endless hours of mental and physical preparation to represent IU to the best of your ability. In your shoes, I'd probably be upset if someone said we "sucked," but on the other hand, you have to look at it from a fan's perspective.
In actuality, I never questioned the team's dedication, but rather its athletic ability. And that was proven wrong Saturday. Either way, I'm sure being a student-athlete is not easy, and I do appreciate the time the team puts into making the Hoosiers the best possible football team they can be.
I hope this can straighten out any hostility you have toward me and we can continue to be cool no matter what I say about the Hoosier football team.
Sincerely,
Scotty P.
(09/19/00 4:11am)
Somehow every year, I find a way to justify IU, DePaul and Syracuse in the NCAA's Final Four. \n Those are my teams, and I just cannot pick against them. The same goes for my hometown Cubs and Bears. When someone offers a bet that either team will lose ' no matter who their opponent is ' I throw my money in like a chump. The problem is I think with my heart not with my brain, and I'm just way too optimistic.\nAt the beginning of the football season, I did it again. I picked the Hoosiers to start the season with five consecutive wins and said IU would head to its first bowl game since 1993. Like a parent to a four-year-old, coach Cam Cameron told me his team was improved and I believed him. Trick me once (last year), shame on you. Trick me twice (this year), shame on me.\nWell, it is too late to have my prediction taken seriously, but I would like to withdraw my optimism because I've lost all faith in Cameron and the Hoosier defense. They suckered me into thinking that being the nation's most improved defense was a realistic goal. \nBut after allowing 82 points in two games, they rank 108th in the country. If IU continues to play the way it has, there's no reason the Hoosiers can't finish the season 0-11.\nThis is my final year here, and I'm fed up with IU losing. When Cameron arrived my freshman year, there was a feeling on campus that he was here to save IU's football program. I was certain by the time I graduated that the Hoosiers would be respectable. I knew it would not happen overnight, but I figured Cameron would have more than 10 wins in his first 35 games.\nAfter Saturday's all-too-common near-victory, Cameron once again went into his spiel that his team was going to make good things happen in the next nine weeks. As he spoke, I sat in the tunnel near IU's offense more pissed than ever about the state of IU's football team.\nI know not to expect Cameron to say the season is over or that his defense sucks, but having to listen to the same story throughout my stay at IU just pushed me over the edge. I finally had enough. The tunnel was cold, but I continued to get hotter and hotter as I got more upset. I just stared at Cameron and athletics director Clarence Doninger for making my four years of watching Hoosier football so aggravating.\nAround the country, coaches are turning around programs like South Carolina and Illinois in only a few years into teams that receive votes in national polls. Not once in Cameron's four years has he been near receiving a vote. The question is, how long should it take to turn around a program?\nBefore Cameron, Bill Mallory took the Hoosiers to a bowl in his third season. Neither Lee Corso nor Sam Wyche did anything in their brief stays with IU, but, before them, John Pont needed only three seasons to take IU to the Rose Bowl. \nThis is Cameron's fourth year, and this should be his last if IU doesn't improve. He will have three more years on his contract after this season and Antwaan Randle El for one more year, but I'm sure the administration was thinking those last three years of his tenure would be spent on top of the mountain rather than still climbing it.\nNeither the fans nor 'Twaan nor the offense deserve this. Randle El is one of the nation's most talented quarterbacks that will do anything to win, but for three years he's had to sit on the sideline, watching his defense blow victory after victory. In his 23 games as quarterback, he has won eight, lost eight by 10 points or less and has lost 11 after putting at least 20 points on the board. Only four times in his career has IU scored less than 14 points. \nUnfortunately, Randle El has blamed himself for a lot of the Hoosier's losses. After the Kentucky loss, he had a look of disappointment as he spoke of how he wished he could have done more. Because he never points fingers other than at himself, and he sacrifices every ounce of his body to his team, Randle El will always be a champion in my eyes. He tried to carry IU Saturday, but once again the defense handed him too much weight. Because he could not come through in the end, he felt as if it were his fault, and that's just wrong.\nThis season, with a 36-point average, IU's offense ranks second in the Big Ten and 18th in the nation and almost anywhere in the nation, that is enough to win.\nI knew not to get excited Saturday when IU took a 26-14 lead late in the second quarter, because as always, the defense would unravel and lose its composure as if it were a guest on The Jerry Springer Show. While watching the defense do just as expected, I saw the season flash before my eyes. No longer did I feel as if I was covering the second game of the season, but rather the eighth or ninth.\nWatching IU on Saturdays is no longer anticipated, but feared. The heart just cannot take many more close losses. It's just too painful. If they're to lose anymore maybe they can do it early, so at least the few faithful IU has left will have time to pick up the final minutes of Notre Dame or a national contender game.\nEven though I've lost all optimism with the football team, I'm sure when March comes around I probably will have Mike Davis and the Hoosiers in the Final Four, along with the 'Cuse and the Blue Demons, because I never learn.
(09/15/00 5:39am)
There's no doubt about it, the Kentucky game Saturday is do or die for the Hoosiers.\nLose and go 0-2 in a good, but not great, nonconference schedule and kiss this season goodbye, as six wins and a bowl bid become very unlikely as the schedule only gets harder into the conference. Win and go 1-1 and at least there's still a chance for a successful season. Cincinnati will be tough although the game will be in Bloomington. But then it's Big Ten's basement dwellers, Iowa and Northwestern, up to bat.\nLike always, defense will be the Hoosiers' breaking point this weekend. Last Saturday against North Carolina State, the defense would have had problems covering a jar of pickles as it allowed 401 yards passing and five touchdown passes. \nCoach Cam Cameron said his defense would have a few new looks, but would not disclose them as he talked to the media Tuesday before his team began practicing for the week. \nJust like instant mac and cheese, Kentucky's offense needs only a couple of minutes to put six points on the board and their extra point unit on the field.\nFor the second time in two weeks, IU will face a freshman quarterback.\nLast week, true freshman Philip Rivers, who is 6-foot-5 and 221 pounds, dismantled the Hoosiers' defense easily. And now redshirt freshman Jared Lorenzen, 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds, will take a crack at it. Now, look back and check out this boy's dimensions again.\nAt 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds, Lorenzen is bigger than almost all of IU's first and second team defensive line. Don't let his size deceive you; he has wicked quarterbacking skills. In his first two collegiate games, he threw for 704 yards and six touchdowns. He also scampered for 44 yards and one touchdown.\nThe Hoosiers' defensive line will have to step up big and put heat on Lorenzen to keep the secondary from breaking down. Last week, the Hoosiers sacked Rivers three times, but overall they lacked the pressure to fluster the freshman quarterback. This week, the job doesn't get any easier as Kentucky's offensive line is talented and actually didn't allow a single sack last weekend.\nIf turning the season around is not a good enough reason to win, how about defeating those Kentucky hillbillies who have defeated IU in five consecutive games. In Kentucky, the Wildcats are probably confident they can take down the IU hicks. Last season, the Wildcats beat IU 44-35 last year and the year before, when 'Twaan was a redshirt freshman, fell 31-27. Two close games, but like always, we never sealed the deal.\nThings need to start clicking tomorrow in a way the Hoosiers have never done before. The key word I'll use for Saturday will be "consistency". As long as IU can play consistently well on offense and defense, neither side will have to dominate for the Hoosiers to win.
(09/12/00 5:43am)
First-half thoughts were about throwing low blows at those who showed no support for the football team Saturday.\n The press box has its perks, but I can't feel the game up there, so I usually sit in the stands. At halftime, I left my uncomfortable steel stadium seat for the press box because the lackluster crowd of barely 30,000 gave nothing to feel.\nBut after IU blew a 15-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, I realized the crowd was not the only thing Memorial Stadium had missing. The Hoosiers' defense also forgot to show up as IU lost 41-38 to North Carolina State.\nAfter the game, coach Cam Cameron cowardly blamed the loss on the referees. He said his team "played well enough to win the football game on the scoreboard" and that "the football game was flat taken from Indiana University."\nSure, there were a few questionable calls. A delayed holding call against IU late in the game was definitely suspect by the Atlantic Coast Conference officiating crew. With IU leading 38-33 with less than two minutes left in the game, the Wolfpack threw an incomplete pass on 4th and 8, which appeared to be the end of their hopes. But then a flag landed, giving them a second shot and eventually the win. \nBut still, Cameron needs to take a hard look in the mirror to see who is really to blame for this loss.\nHis offense and junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El did play well enough to win and probably could have scored a few more times, but how can you point fingers at a squad that puts up 38 points? Cameron can blame the refs all he wants, but how can you really expect to win when your defense allows 474 total yards and lets Philip Rivers, a freshman quarterback, exploit your secondary as if he were Johnny Cochran?\nEven in the first half, where on paper it looks like IU's defense shined, North Carolina State was only stubbing its toe. Give the Hoosiers' defense credit on the Wolfpack's first two drives, but from there it's down hill. On North Carolina State's third drive, a fumbled snap and a 10-yard holding call forced North Carolina State to punt.\nAfter Randle El made an errant pitch that North Carolina State recovered on IU's 13-yard line, the Wolfpack spoiled their fourth drive with a four-yard loss when their running back, Ray Robinson, slipped on the wet grass, Rivers fumbled a snap and then their tight end Willie Wright, who was wide open, also slipped just before Rivers could find him in the endzone. The drive resulted in a field goal.\nOn North Carolina State's next drive, the Wolfpack kicked another field goal after driving 80 yards and then scored a touchdown in their final possession of the half. \nIn the second half, North Carolina State trounced the Hoosiers' defense for 268 passing yards and 53 rushing yards and 28 points as the Wolfpack scored on four of their seven drives. Not exactly the defense that said it could be the most improved squad in college football.\nThroughout Saturday's game, North Carolina State picked apart the defense too easily with either short screen passes to their running back, 10-yard passes to their tight end or bombs to wide receiver Koren Robinson. Six times, IU allowed passing plays of 25 yards or more and that just cannot be acceptable to IU's secondary.\nThe biggest burner was with 54 seconds left in the game when Koren Robinson was able to outrun IU's secondary and get behind them for a 47-yard touchdown. Ahead 38-34 and you know NC State's looking for a big play, how does IU let that happen? Within the next week, I hope to talk to IU's defensive coordinator James Bell and a number of IU's players to answer this question.\nAs upset I was at the lack of fan support for IU's first game, the Hoosiers do need to show they can compete at a higher level before fans can be expected to fill the stands. \nSenior captain Paul Mandina stressed fans to not to lose faith at a press conference after the loss, and I do believe there is a possibility to turn things around. But the Hoosiers will have to show me something Saturday against Kentucky, which has another talented offense. Another loss like Saturday's and the Hoosiers can scrap the season and any idea of a bowl.