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(09/28/07 4:29am)
What would you do if the Hoosiers were losing? Would you stand up and walk out on them? \nJames Hardy and the Hoosiers got a not-so-subtle answer to those questions last Saturday. Down to Illinois in the second half and unable to gain any ground, many Hoosier fans decided if they couldn’t beat the Fighting Illini, they’d at least try and beat the traffic. \n“You could see it during the game, they all of a sudden just leave,” Hardy said Tuesday. “For us, as hard as we have been working to put this program where it needs to be, we just need the support. We know the 105 of us, and the coaching staff, believe in each other. Now it’s our job to get the whole community behind us if we win or lose.” \nHardy added, “Bloomington has to be somewhat like a family and has to stay together no matter what.”\nLast week’s 6-foot-7 symbol of frustration spent this week attempting to play matchmaker between the city of Bloomington and the IU football team. Hardy might not be the ideal messenger to call out Hoosier fans, but his point is dead on.\nWhich comes first, the winning football program or the diehard fans? \nUnlike the chicken and the egg, there is an answer to this riddle: the winning football program. Beyond Wrigley Field, fans don’t rally around annual losers. Fans jump on bandwagons of winning teams, not waning wannabes. \nThat said, going into last weekend’s game against Illinois, the Hoosiers were not only a winning team, but an undefeated team. Nevertheless, the Memorial Stadium attendance was as disappointing as Michael Richards’ performance at The Laugh Factory. As Hardy noted, fans in the second half were looking for an excuse to leave rather than a sign of a comeback. \nThe Hoosiers need more than just fan support to turn their program around, but the difference IU fans could make is overlooked. A sea of crimson shirts in a packed Memorial Stadium would be a beautiful thing to behold. The pep band blasting the fight song. The student section leading an obnoxiously deafening chant. The noise in the stadium would be death-metal loud when the Hoosiers scored their first touchdown of the afternoon. I think I just got goose bumps. \nInstead, the Hoosiers have to settle for half-empty stands and an over-inflated attendance number to try and disguise their dwindling support. \nAs it stands now, the Hoosiers are in family limbo. They lost their inspirational leader this summer and haven’t been fully embraced by the University. Everyone mourned the loss of Terry Hoeppner and pitied the Hoosiers, but that’s where the support ended. Every week, I see Hoosier fans let Hep slip out of their conscience and into their memories. \nMost people’s memories of Hardy view him as a top talent with a typical star wideout’s persona: cocky and selfish. But Hardy was the only player to speak up this week and say something besides a series of pointless cliches in reference to next week. \nHardy wants you. He’s tired of playing in front of second-rate crowds. This Saturday, IU will be playing in front of a stadium packed with loyal fans – unfortunately, they will be in black and gold. \nIf you miraculously come across a television playing the Big Ten Network on Saturday, take a good look at the Kinnick Stadium crowd. I can guarantee there will be 70,000 screaming fans in support of the Hawkeyes.\nIowa has what Hardy and the Hoosiers are working towards: a football family that sticks together no matter what.
(09/27/07 4:00am)
When it comes to skateboarding, my knowledge ends somewhere around kick-flips and the Flying Tomato. \nBut thanks to an adolescence that was dominated by video games and ESPN, I feel like I'm qualified enough to make this statement: "skate." was made for gamers, not skaters. \nThe controls are as smooth and enjoyable as freshly paved asphalt. You have full control of holds, spins, tricks and ollies. It is a complete makeover from the traditional "Tony Hawk" game controls that extreme sport gamers have grown accustomed to. Instead of being button-based, the controls revolve completely around the thumb sticks and triggers. \nThe skating areas in "Tony Hawk" look like cramped jail cells compared to the vast levels found in "skate." The layout and map somewhat resemble "Grand Theft Auto," and there are enough secret ramps, poles and tricks for you to live out your inner Bart Simpson until your little extreme heart is content. \nBut prepare to be let down when attempting to complete the obligatory challenges required throughout the Career Modem. It focuses too much on completing specific tasks and not pure skating. For a game that was most likely designed for a lazy demographic, shouldn't this game require more chilling? The actual story line has big-budget movie-like footage that features more skateboarding cameos than a medicinal marijuana clinic. But the challenges are forced and frequent, leaving you frustrated and far away from beating the game. \nEA Sports integrates a lot of features used in the company's other games into "skate." The replay controls are almost identical to "Madden," and there are hundreds of items to unlock, from clothing to different skaters -- another EA trademark. \nOverall, the game bails out when trying to appeal to skateboarding fans. The product placement is painful at times -- T-Mobile Sidekicks, anyone? -- and the annoying bystanders while you are skating are unnecessary and unavoidable. In an attempt to mimic reality, "skate." has security guards roaming certain areas that will clothesline you if you skate in a restricted area. Will EA Sports feature streakers in its next edition of "FIFA"? \n"skate." does a good job of distinguishing and separating itself from the "Tony Hawk" series but fails to appeal to skating enthusiasts. My advice for the sequel: Put Shaun White on the cover.
(09/27/07 12:06am)
Some people love to state the obvious.\nLook at Jerry Seinfeld – he made a career out of it. But sometimes, no matter how apparent something is, some people just need things pointed out to them.\nSo to put it gently, the Hoosiers haven’t been very good in Big Ten play of late. They haven’t had a conference record of .500 or better since 2001.\nIn the last five seasons, IU has gone a combined 7-33 in the Big Ten. The team’s winning percentage is barely hovering over the Mendoza line. The Hoosiers have been getting their wins out of the way early in the season, only to fall apart down the stretch like a certain lovable Chicago baseball team.\nIt’s been nearly four years since IU won a game in the month of November. But all of that is in the past, obviously. Everyone is aware that this is a new Hoosier team and a new season.\nBill Lynch and the Hoosiers have a conference schedule this season that most college coaches could only dream about. The Hoosiers are spared from playing the two toughest conference teams from last season – Ohio State and Michigan – who they lost to by a combined score of 78-6 in 2006.\nAlthough playing Michigan this year appears to be a guaranteed win if your school can field a team. The Wolverines season ended faster than you can say Mario Manningham. I don’t know why, but there is something almost euphoric about watching Lloyd Carr and Chad Henne exchange devastated expressions.\nWe’ve learned from Michigan that no out-of-conference game is a sure win, but the Hoosiers have slated where they are heavy the favorite. IU will host Ball State on Nov. 3 – if the Hoosiers can beat them, they will only need to win two conference games in order to become bowl eligible and fulfill their season-long goal to “Play 13.”\nA home loss to Illinois put a slight dent into IU’s bowl bumper, but nothing that a hammer and some elbow grease can’t fix.\nWhere will the other win come? I’d expect that the Hoosiers will be able to beat either Minnesota at home (Oct. 6) or Northwestern on the road (Nov. 10), if not both. IU will face the cream of the Big Ten back-to-back weekends in October when they play Penn State on Homecoming weekend and Wisconsin the next.\nThe most important game of every Big Ten season for the Hoosiers is the Old Oaken Bucket game against Purdue. The Boilermakers have destroyed the Hoosiers for the past decade in the rivalry game.\nThey’ve won the last five Bucket games and nine of the last 10. With IU’s recent resurgence, this year’s game could rekindle the recently uncompetitive rivalry.\nThe Hoosiers have their best chance in years to have a successful Big Ten season and reach their goal of playing in a bowl game. It doesn’t take an expert to realize that – I’m just stating the obvious.
(09/26/07 12:42am)
I'm sorry Indiana fans, but you are really lacking in the creativity department.
(09/24/07 6:36pm)
Everyone who watched Saturday's game would agree that the Hoosiers need to play better against Iowa to obtain their fourth victory of the season.
(09/24/07 4:00am)
James Hardy's body language said it all.\nLate in the third quarter, after one of IU’s 10 failed third-down conversions, Hardy ripped his chinstrap off. He stood with his hands on his hips staring in disbelief into the distance at yet another broken play. He was a 6-foot-7 symbol of frustration.\nA win would have meant the Hoosiers’ best start in 17 years. It would have improved their record to 4-0 and left them only two wins shy of that long-\ndesired bowl game.\nBut instead of stepping on the Fighting Illini Saturday, the Hoosiers slipped. It was the ball that slipped too, three times to be exact. Instead of making the big plays, IU was the victim of them, including a timely punt block and a game-clinching interception.\nAnd like that, the season is over. It was fun pretending to be a football school for three weeks, wasn’t it? The Hoosiers will probably lose out the rest of the season. The only thing that gets you out of your depressing uncomfortable bed in the morning is the fact that the start of men’s basketball season is only three weeks away.\nIf those thoughts have been running through your conscience, I’m not surprised. It’s easy to be frustrated and to give up on a team. But whether you realize it or not, the Hoosier’s loss Saturday has about as much significance as middle school grades.\nI don’t mean to sound like Herm Edwards, but IU is still at 3-1, off to a better start this year than last and has an easier schedule ahead, too. The Hoosiers have six winnable games left this season and need only three to “Play 13.” People who have been following IU football long enough know that a single loss doesn’t derail a season. They still are going to come out and play to win the game. Too far?\nThe important thing to take from Saturday’s game is that IU should have won the game. I think there is a consensus that the Hoosiers didn’t play up to their potential. That’s a significant turnaround from the team that a few years ago had no chance when it came to conference rivals.\nAfter the game, IU coach Bill Lynch decided to downplay his own team’s performance and instead give credit to Illinois. IU’s coach literally gave “them credit” six times in the first two minutes and 29 seconds of his press conference.\nTracy Porter, the senior captain and defensive leader of the Hoosiers, said the team is obviously frustrated by the loss, but is already looking toward next week.\n“Guys are not going to be down and out; it’s only one loss,” Porter said after the game. “We’re 3-1, we have a ton more games to play. We’re going to put the loss behind us like we did the three wins ... and we’re going to come out and look at Iowa this week.”\nOne of the keys to bouncing back from a loss is accountability and pointing out the mistakes from Saturday, he said.\n“You have to go into the film room,” Porter said. “Most people don’t want to do it, but you have to criticize each and every play, the things you did wrong and the things you did right.”\nThere will be plenty for the IU coaching staff to criticize in the film room this week. And there is a good chance you’ll hear plenty of people kick the Hoosiers to the curb. But as someone who has been witness to a lot of Saturday losses, let me tell you that the Hoosiers can still “Play 13.”\nPrediction: Indiana 31, \nIllinois 28\nActual: Indiana 14, Illinois 27
(09/22/07 2:44pm)
-- Indiana 14, Illinois 27, -- [FINAL]
(09/21/07 9:53pm)
I hate the phrase "biggest game of the year."
(09/21/07 4:33am)
Make way for the new evil empire. Purdue is yesterday’s news; Kentucky is irrelevant. The Hoosiers’ new nemesis is wrapped in blue with a big, ugly orange ribbon on top: the University of Illinois.\nThe Fighting Illini are more than just border enemies; they are sworn enemies. \nDon’t feel guilty. If you had any idea how mutual the feeling is, you would defend Eric Gordon’s dorm like a sixth NCAA championship depended on it. On Saturday, greet Drink (quarterback Juice) Williams and the Fighting Illini like you would mandatory Saturday night classes. \nFor most of the last half-century, Hoosier fans have battled Purdue and Kentucky fans in the realm of sports. And although those rivalries are alive, they just don’t mean as much to people in Bloomington as they used to.\nThe spawn of new rivalries is healthy. Nobody would have gone to the last 13 Rocky movies if Sylvester Stallone fought Apollo Creed in every one. That’s why fresh rivalries pop up everyday: 50 Cent vs. Kanye, Michigan vs. Appalachian State, New England vs. San Diego, to name a few. \nThis season, the Hoosiers have squared off against the Sycamores, the Broncos and the Zips. At this point, Hoosier fans should be oozing at the mouth for an opponent that can fill an entire roster and owns more than one football. \nIllinois is the perfect, sexy new rival: we’re in the same conference, close by, in possession of football and basketball facilities with the same names (Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall) and similar enough in size to be consistently competitive.\nIf you’re lacking motivation to despise Illinois, take a better look at the two-headed monster of their athletic program: Bruce Weber and Drink Williams. I could have sworn Chris Crocker was impersonating Weber when I saw him defending Britney Spears on YouTube.com. I can totally imagine Weber bellowing, “Leave Chief Illiniwek alone!”\nAs for Williams, he is a poor man’s Kellen Lewis. Both are sophomore quarterbacks, so people like to compare the two, when in fact it’s like comparing a Kia and a BMW. Lewis is ahead of Williams in every conceivable statistic: completions, completion percentage, passing yards, touchdowns thrown, quarterback rating, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns to name a few. \nAs for originality, Williams isn’t even the only player on Illinois’ squad that goes by “Juice” (safety Kevin Mitchell goes by the same moniker). What’s so attractive about the nickname? Do you remember the last popular football player nicknamed “Juice?” He just got arrested ... again!\nDrink Williams’ nickname dates back to his birth, when his grandmother coined him “Juice” because of his size (13 pounds and eight ounces). On an equally rational note, when I was born, my grandma nicknamed me “Blondie” because of my curly brown hair.\nAs of today, forget the Boilermakers until later in the season, and don’t pay attention to UK. On Saturday, watch the Hoosiers squeeze the juice from the Fighting Illini, and let it mark the first day of a new rivalry.\nPrediction: IU 31, Illinois 28
(09/17/07 2:57pm)
For Immediate Release
September 17, 2007
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(09/17/07 3:35am)
If you weren’t comfortably numb tailgating Saturday and were actually at Memorial Stadium, you’d know exactly what Bill Lynch was talking about. \nIn his post-game press conference, Lynch credited the Hoosiers’ success to their ability to make “explosive plays.”\nKa-boom. \nExplosive plays are common when you’re the fastest team in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers simply outran Akron. IU’s offense was clicking so well on Saturday that the press box announcer had to remind the room there was no cheering or excessive noise allowed in the room.\nThe Hoosiers spread the field against Akron and took advantage of a weapons surplus that would make the United States blush. Their most dangerous weapon was sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis, who wreaked havoc against the Zips all afternoon. On Saturday, he challenged the IU gold standard for quarterbacks – Antwaan Randle El – and came within 11 yards of Randle El’s record 210 rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game. \nFor the day, Lewis finished with 199 rushing yards and two touchdowns. His day on the ground was highlighted by his career-long 64-yard dash up the sideline in the first quarter. \n“If they are trying to take away the pass, that is the ability he has,” James Hardy said of Lewis’ running ability. “And that’s why this offense has become so explosive. With him using his arm and his legs, moving back and forth around the field, it is hard for the defenders to defend.”\nAnd when you have so many players on the field with playmaking ability, it becomes even harder to defend. \nHardy, an early finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, caught his fifth touchdown in three games Saturday. Seven different receivers caught passes for the Hoosiers on Saturday. On the ground, running backs Marcus Thigpen and Demetrius McCray combined for 138 yards rushing. \nIn the first three games this year, opponents have been giving Thigpen the Devin Hester treatment – refusing to kick to him. They’d rather squib it or kick it out of bounds than give him a chance to run it back on them. \n“I am a little surprised when they do kick it to me,” Thigpen said. “I am still waiting for a good kick to come to me.”\nAnd I’m still waiting for the Zips to tackle Thigpen after his career-long 59-yard run Saturday. Akron missed him more than they miss LeBron James.\nTerry Hoeppner once declared Thigpen the fastest man in Bloomington, but he might have some competition in Ray Fisher. In terms of size and energy, Fisher is reminiscent of former IU basketball player Errek Suhr. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound wide receiver scampered almost untouched for 24 yards to the end zone for a touchdown in the second quarter Saturday.\nWhen asked who was faster, Thigpen or himself, Fisher smiled and said, “I’ll leave it at a tie. For now.”\nOn the other side of the ball, the Hoosiers were equally electrifying. \nIU’s defense seemed to play to the phrase “bend not break” and was aided by their ability to get to the ball quickly. Greg Middleton had two sacks, giving him a team-high five for the season, and Tracy Porter intercepted a ball on the two-yard line late in the game to seal the victory.\nBut it was Lewis’ legs and throwing arm that scored all of the points for the Hoosiers. Only a sophomore and already one of the most explosive players in the Big Ten, Lewis has blown up before he’s grown up. Whether he was running for first downs or running around linebackers, Lewis’ effort was mesmerizing, but not surprising to his teammates.\n“Last year, he surprised me,” Fisher said of Lewis. “But not now. I expect it every play.”\nMcCray described Lewis as “elusive” and praised his ability to “make people miss.”\n“We’ve been seeing that since day one,” McCray said. “We get to see that in practice everyday.”
(09/15/07 2:37pm)
-- Indiana 41, Akron 24 [FINAL] --
(09/14/07 4:41am)
How many Indiana Hoosiers does it take to put together a consistent running game? \nThe answer is a lot more complex than the light bulb version of that question. Not every Hoosier team can have an Anthony Thompson or Antwaan Randle El, so many teams find themselves turning to the running-back-by-committee approach. \nIt’s a fantasy football owner’s worst nightmare. But it’s also the Hoosier football team’s reality. \nOutside of sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis’s scrambling heroics, the Hoosiers have been unable to establish a primary go-to running back through two games. Lewis gets most of his yards on his pure ability or on broken plays, but the Hoosiers have to get the ball past the line of scrimmage on designed run plays this season. \nPart of the blame could be pointed at IU’s offensive line or the Hoosier’s fondness for shotgun-formation running plays. But rushing flaws can be masked, if not cured, by using a group effort when it comes to carries. \nIn their season opener, the Akron Zips allowed a measly 58 rushing yards to Army. In their second game, they surrendered 196 yards rushing yards to Ohio State. You’d have to be as oblivious as Shawne Williams in his Cadillac Escalade to not realize the difference between those two teams. But to give the Zips (was Zaps taken?) credit, they did hold the now-No. 10 Buckeyes to three points in the first half. \nIU will most likely attempt to match Ohio State’s rushing output with the running-back-by-committee approach. It was assumed before the season that all-world returner Marcus Thigpen would receive the bulk of the carries for the Hoosiers, which he has done so far (31 attempts for 116 yards). But despite his speed, Thigpen is averaging a pedestrian 3.7 yards per carry. Thigpen has the potential to turn any carry into a touchdown, but his inability to find the necessary holes has been stifling his production. \nThe one Hoosier who can create holes in defensive lines is 254-pound senior fullback Josiah Sears. Sears is built in the mold of Mike Alstott and is the kind of touchdown vulture Warrick Dunn loses sleep over. His name is the one the Hoosiers should be calling on goal line situations this year, not Lewis, who was stuffed on three consecutive quarterback sneaks near the goal line against Western Michigan last Saturday. But as a go-to back he is inefficient, averaging only 1.8 yards per carry through two games. \nLuckily for Bill Lynch, the Hoosiers have more options than A.J. Ratliff at a party. Aside from Thigpen, the player in IU’s backfield who is the most electrifying is sophomore Demetrius McCray. The Brandon, Fla., native rushed for 75 yards on only eight carries last week, including a 45-yard run that was the Hoosier’s longest play from scrimmage all game. \nMcCray has the strength to be an every-down back and the speed and agility to make defenders miss. It’s as if someone put Thigpen and Sears together and divided by two. It is unlikely that McCray will pass Thigpen on the depth chart, but he should receive somewhere from seven to 12 carries a game and help solidify the Hoosier’s ground attack. Not to mention McCray wears a grill, which makes him an immediate favorite of mine (and Paul Wall). \nIn addition to McCray, the Hoosiers have two additional backs that are averaging more than five yards per carry this season in sophomore Bryan Payton and freshman Trea Burgess. \nIt is very unlikely the Hoosiers will use all of their rushing options on Saturday against Akron, but look for Lynch to spread the carries out and for the committee to prevail the rest of the season.
(09/10/07 4:03am)
Saturday night’s game was similar to the song everyone hated as a grade-schooler: It was the game that would never end. The Hoosiers were able to get up early, and the game ended late. \nThe soggy, lengthy battle at Western Michigan’s Waldo Stadium lasted more than four hours, during which there were more yellow flags than on a Sunday at the Masters. The game was drawn out by a painful 23 total penalties for 204 yards. Before Western Michigan was even able to get off its first offensive snap, it was whistled for two false starts. \nThe game also seemed to be interrupted at will by referees deciding to take a second look. If four-hour games are the cost for college football using instant replay, then I am against it like I’m against Kirk Herbstreit talking. College football would be better without both of them. Watching the Hoosiers’ game Saturday night was like watching the director’s cut of Medellin. \nNeither team could establish a consistent running game. And in the second and third quarter, Western Michigan couldn’t establish much of anything. The Broncos did their best Jamaal Tinsley impression and turned the ball over on five consecutive possessions. They went through three different quarterbacks in the first half, and on top of that, threw two picks to one of IU’s former quarterbacks, freshman safety Mitchell Evans. \nThe Hoosiers’ second-half offensive play calling was the real killer. In the third quarter, the Hoosiers drove the ball to Western Michigan’s one-yard line. On second down, they tried a quarterback sneak only to get stopped short. On third down, the Hoosiers went to Lewis again only to have the middle plugged by beefy Bronco defenders.\nAnd if you didn’t watch the game on ESPNU, you’ll never believe this – the Hoosiers called Lewis’ number again on fourth down and ran the same play. Lewis was stopped at the goal line and the Hoosiers turned the ball over due to their inability to gain an inch. It was like watching “Tin Cup,” except Kevin Costner was wearing a headset and demanding that his quarterback “run it again.” \nIt also seems as if the Hoosiers have fallen in love with the shotgun formation. The personal favorite formation of Mike Martz and anyone who ever plays video games doesn’t work well when you’re trying to run out the clock.\nInstead of handing off the ball to Josiah Sears or Marcus Thigpen to make the game shorter, the Hoosiers continued to line up five-wide into the fourth quarter. This didn’t end up being much of a factor in the score, but it did give Western Michigan a few additional opportunities. \nI literally aged a year during Saturday’s game (my birthday was at midnight), but it felt like much more. I guess these are the kinds of things fans of good football programs complain about. It feels good to dwell on the length of the game rather than the outcome. \nPredicted: Indiana 27, Western Michigan 20\nActual: Indiana 37, Western Michigan 27
(09/08/07 11:30pm)
-- Indiana 37, Western Michigan 27 -- [FINAL]
(09/07/07 4:38am)
Loyal fans have been patiently waiting since 1993 for the Hoosiers to turn it around. Waiting for their lovable losers to become, at the least, satisfactory winners. \nLast Saturday’s victory over Indiana State could be the start of the reversal that lifts the Hoosiers out of the football toilet and into a much cleaner, more respectable kind of bowl. \nIt wasn’t long ago that another Indiana football team made a turnaround that ultimately ended in glory. For a majority of the 1990s, the Indianapolis Colts were the doormat of the NFL. They were one step above the football equivalent of Athletes In Action in 1991, going a miserable 1-15. Six years later, the Colts were still fighting to get out of the same hole and went 3-13 two consecutive seasons. \nBut the franchise’s record was a mirror image of year before. The Colts went 13-3 in 1999 and continued to improve gradually, culminating with their Super Bowl XLI victory over the Chicago Bears. Thank you, Rex Grossman. \nThe Hoosiers might be light years away from the Rose Bowl, but they’re not that far from the Insight.com Bowl. \nThe two football teams have more in common than just Don Fischer, who happens to do play-by-play for both teams. They both have struggled to regain the prominence they once possessed. One reason could be the state’s love for basketball, which has always put football a distant second. Even when the Colts started reaching the playoffs annually, they still struggled to sell out regular-season home games. \nYou can’t help but notice that all of Hoosier Nation wasn’t exactly defending “The Rock” in person last Saturday. Although 34,175 was Memorial Stadium’s announced attendance, the actual total was much closer to 15,000 during the second half. Apparently killing the keg is more fun than the Hoosiers doing the same to Indiana State. \nBut like the Colts’ victories, the fans eventually came. Like the current Hoosiers, the Colts built their team around spectacular-skill position players, such as Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Bob Sanders. \nThey don’t fit into the exact same mold, but the Hoosiers are similar, led by Kellen Lewis, James Hardy and Tracy Porter. \nBoth teams also have well-documented struggles on defense, particularly against the run. They both lend to the football cliche of bending, not breaking. Skeptics would say the Colts could never win the big one; realists would say the Hoosiers couldn’t win one. \nLosses are something the two teams have had to deal with on and off the field. In 2005, the Colts mourned the death of their coach’s son James Dungy. His passing ultimately brought the team closer together and made the players more of a family. \nThe Hoosiers are still dealing with a loss of their own from this past summer. A firm conclusion can’t be drawn from a single game, but it does appear the Hoosiers have become more of a tight-knit group due to the loss of their leader, Terry Hoeppner. \nI’m not saying the Hoosiers have anything like the talent of the current Indianapolis Colts. But they aren’t like the team John Elway refused to play with, either. \nAt the very least, IU is a team with a lot of offensive firepower, which should be enough to beat Western Michigan on the road Saturday. \nThe Broncos lost 62-24 last week to No. 3 West Virginia and will be looking to take out their frustrations against an easier opponent at home in Week 2. They also will be ready to defend against a running quarterback such as Lewis, after being scorched by the Mountaineers’ Heisman candidate Pat White last week. \nNevertheless, I think the Hoosiers will prevail. To borrow the Colts season-long motto from last year: Believe.
(09/04/07 9:19pm)
1. Lewis to Hardy...touchdown.
Hot route Hardy, send him on a fly pattern, snap the ball, relax in the pocket and throw it as far as you can. No, I'm not doing my Rex Grossman impression, I'm re-enacting the video game version of the Hoosier's play calling Saturday. Western Michigan could face some of the same problems Indiana State had when it comes to defending Hardy. The tallest Bronco defensive back is 6-foot-1 and is a true freshman (Keith Dixson). I'd be more than surprised if Western Michigan didn't do extensive scheming to try and stifle Hardy's output. If they do contain Hardy, look for James Bailey, Ray Fischer and others to have big days.
(09/03/07 8:41pm)
Take a moment to exhale. The Hoosiers are undefeated. Kellen Lewis and James Hardy look like All-Americans. Representatives from the Motor City Bowl were spotted at Bill Lynch's post-game press conference Saturday night.
(09/03/07 5:01am)
Tom Hanks never said anything about crying in football.\nThe Memorial Stadium press box fell silent before Saturday night’s game when a video tribute to late IU coach Terry Hoeppner played on the south scoreboard.\nThe sound of keys punching was replaced with respectful silence. The usually loud and ever-active room paused to pay homage to a man who transcended the reporter/coach relationship. \nJane Hoeppner stood with her family, IU president Michael McRobbie, IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan and others on the 50-yard line during the tribute. As she walked onto the field, Jane Hoeppner saluted the crowd that was chanting her late husband’s name.\nJane Hoeppner waved her hands above her head and fought back tears as the Hoosiers said one last goodbye to their beloved leader.\nThere was no doubt to anyone in attendance Saturday night that Jane Hoeppner was the strongest woman in the state.\n“She is the center of attention,” sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis said after the game. “She has kind of stepped in where Coach Hep stepped out.”\nWith the Hoeppner family in the middle of the field, another family came out to show their support. \nThe entire IU football family stepped onto Memorial Stadium’s field to watch the tribute video with the crowd. The team had watched the video the night before, but that didn’t change the emotions that spilled out.\n“It needed to be an emotional night,” sophomore running back Bryan Payton said. “A lot of people needed to get things off their chest. Everyone handles it in their own way. It was a great tribute tonight, and the win was dedicated to him.”\nThe tribute itself was inspirational, but short, much like Hoeppner’s time at IU. At first, the video brought on goose bumps and misty eyes. How would the Hoosiers be able to play in their season opener if they were wiping away tears?\nBut then came the Hoeppner that everyone knew. He was laughing and goofing around during outtakes of “Hep wants you” segments. He started dancing in front of the 34,715 people in attendance. All of a sudden the tragic tribute went into a fitting celebration. Hep always could work a crowd.\nAnd on the same night that David slayed Goliath in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Hoosiers made sure they took care of their underdog opponents at home, cruising to a 55-7 victory over Indiana State. \nThere was a brief in-game tribute to Hoeppner that was cut short by yellow flags. When senior wide receiver James Hardy scored IU’s second touchdown of the night off a 58-yard bomb from Lewis, he fell to his knees and lifted the ball into the air – a symbol that the touchdown was for his coach. \nHardy was immediately flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. \n“As a team, we didn’t think he was boasting or trying to embarrass the other team,” senior cornerback Tracy Porter said. “We knew he was trying to do it for Coach Hep ... but the officials have to do things by the book. As a player, I think they made the right call. But coming off what we’re dealing with, I thought they shouldn’t have done it.”\nLike Hardy, the rest of the Hoosiers had Coach Hep on their minds. It was well past midnight by the time the IU players filed into the press room at Memorial Stadium for interviews. Some players were with their families, others with friends, but all of them were thinking about who wasn’t there.\n“He would have been happy,” senior running back Josiah Sears said. “We ran the ball, we scored touchdowns and we won ... He would have been leading the fight song afterwards and been up in the bleachers.”\nYou didn’t need the players to tell you. You didn’t need a video tribute or a Hep badge to prove it. It was plenty clear.\nThe Hoosiers won this one for Hep. \nPrediction: Indiana 55, Indiana State 21\nActual: Indiana 55, Indiana State 7.
(09/02/07 8:18pm)
Mike Davis couldn't convince Greg Oden to play basketball in Bloomington.