Indiana falls to Virginia 34-31
14:48, First Quarter
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14:48, First Quarter
Football beat reporters Alex McCarthy and Max McCombs and columnist Justin Albers discuss last week’s loss to Ball State and preview Saturday’s home opener against Virginia in the inaugural edition of the Hoosier Hype podcast.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s loss to Ball State ended at about 10 p.m. last Saturday, but Doug Mallory and Mike Ekeler, co-defensive coordinators, didn’t go home until seven hours later.“I came up, and Doug and I watched the game. We went home at about 5 a.m.,” Ekeler said. “I don’t know if I’ve slept since then. We take it very personally.”IU’s performance Saturday gave Ekeler quite a bit to think about. The Cardinals rushed for 210 yards while the Hoosiers ran for 103 yards. That’s a result they hope to avoid when Virginia visits Memorial Stadium to kick off IU’s home schedule at 7 p.m. Saturday.En route to a 40-3 trampling of William & Mary last Saturday, the Cavaliers rode their large offensive and defensive lines and outrushed the Tribe by nearly 200 yards (240-48).Like IU, Virginia played a number of very young players, from redshirt freshman running back Kevin Parks (who ran for 114 yards and three touchdowns) to freshman cornerback Demetrious Nicholson to sophomore quarterback Michael Rocco.“As their running game got going and the quarterback got in rhythm ... they were kind of playing on their terms,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “And that’s the sign of a good team.”Rocco, like IU’s sophomore quarterback Edward Wright-Baker, made his first collegiate start last week. Rocco threw for 174 yards compared to Wright-Baker’s Big Ten-leading 272 yards.Looking back, Wright-Baker said he felt he could have passed for significantly more yardage.“I missed a lot of easy throws,” Wright-Baker said. “I left like 300, 400 yards on the field, where I could have gotten the ball to playmakers like Kofi Hughes and Damarlo Belcher, and that’s hopefully what I can do this week: not leave yards on the field.”For Wright-Baker to have time to get the ball to his receivers, the offensive line will have to fend off Virginia’s experienced defensive line.Co-Offensive Coordinator Rod Smith said in order for the Hoosiers to win the battle at the offensive and defensive lines, coaches must set an example for players with increased fervor.“The kids have to understand the enthusiasm and the passion that we have in our jobs ... I think that’s where it starts,” Smith said. “I think once they see that and feel that, then hopefully that becomes contagious and trickles down and now, all of a sudden, they want to have success for not just themselves but for their teammate as well.”Belcher will also face a test against Virginia cornerback Chase Minnifield, who was named a Preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference player.Belcher said he is excited to line up against such a talented opponent.“He’s one of the best cornerbacks in the nation, and as a receiver, can’t nothing be wrong with that,” Belcher said. “I’m ready for that challenge, and I can’t wait.”Offensive Line Coach Greg Frey said his squad needs to remember there is more to the Cavaliers’ defense than a couple of big names.“Well, you watch them all,” Frey said. “There are 11 guys on defense and they’re a very good defense ... they fly around, they play physical. They’ve done a great job, and so it will be a challenge.”Wilson and his staff have been directing attention to increasing the team’s intensity and enthusiasm in order to meet that challenge.“We just looked like we were at a golf match or something,” Wilson said. “They’re challenging their team and trust me, we’ve been challenging ours. So it will be interesting to see if we’ve got some fight or we’ve got some pride. Are we going to stand up and answer the call? We’ll see.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Kevin Wilson remained positive about many aspects of Saturday’s loss against Ball State. The battle at the line was not one of them.“We’ve got to run the ball and stop the run,” Wilson said. “If not, you’re going to die a slow death in college football. And so, if we have to put twelve people out there with butcher knives and run the wishbone, you’ve got to run the football, and you’ve got to stop the run.”IU’s experienced offensive line struggled to defend sophomore quarterback Edward Wright-Baker, allowing four sacks. But the Hoosiers’ attitude is that they are done dwelling and are considering the next task — a Virginia team that won its season opener against William & Mary, 40-3.“We’re focused on Virginia right now and what they do,” Offensive Line Coach Greg Frey said. “They’re a great defense. They’ve got a couple of All-American candidates there, and they play real sound football and bring a lot of pressure.”Cavalier senior defensive linemen Matt Conrath, Nick Jenkins and Cam Johnson will provide a difficult test for the IU offensive line. They combine for 87 starts, and Johnson is on the watch lists for the Ted Hendricks and Lombardi awards.Wilson, who played on the offensive line at North Carolina from 1980-1983, said he understands success on the field usually stems from excitement and passion for the game. “It’s a game, so you need to have some fun,” Wilson said. “It’s a passionate game. It’s a game of energy and enthusiasm, and we didn’t have it — and that starts with me. ”IU’s mentality on protection will not be the only different aspect of the line — the starting lineup will change. Senior Josh Hager, the starting right tackle, injured his knee against Ball State and will require surgery. The surgery could sideline Hager for the entire season, Wilson said.The injury resulted in senior right guard Justin Pagan moving to right tackle and redshirt freshman right guard Cody Evers coming into the game. Evers said he is excited to potentially start again. He described his entrance into the third quarter in Indianapolis as “a shock to the system” and said it will be easier to play from the start of Saturday’s game.Pagan could also potentially start Saturday, as well as the rest of the offensive line since Frey and the other offensive coaches don’t have the players earning their positions each week. This includes players like junior center Will Matte, who has started 25 consecutive games, and senior left tackle Andrew McDonald, who started 11 games last season.“As far as o-line, Coach really just picks whoever’s doing the best,” McDonald said. “He’ll move guys around and find the best five, really. My spot’s not even guaranteed.”McDonald and other upperclassmen on the line are competing with freshmen like Peyton Eckert and Bernard Taylor. They didn’t play last week, but Wilson wants to see them get involved in the offense as soon as possible.“We’ll look this week as we move to try and get Peyton Eckert and Bernard Taylor in the mix,” Wilson said. “They were two guys we didn’t play, and we’ve got to keep playing some of our young guys, keep developing our depth in that way and keep competition and all that deal.”Even if Hager was healthy, he would still have to earn his starting spot again, McDonald said. “Each week is the same thing,” Frey said. “You’ve got a group of guys who are working hard (and) you find the five best, ready to play on Saturday, and those five play. ”
Offensive Player of the Week: Senior wide receiver Damarlo Belcher, who caught four passes for 101 yards, including an acrobatic 65-yard touchdown reception.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the least rushing yards and the most sacks allowed in the Big Ten in week one, the IU offensive line was already ailing. Then IU Coach Kevin Wilson delivered news that injuries have exacerbated the situation on the line.After leaving Saturday’s loss against Ball State with a knee injury, senior offensive tackle Josh Hager learned that the knee needs surgery, which Wilson said could possibly end his season.Senior linebacker Leon Beckum joins Hager on the sidelines this week with his own knee injury suffered in the same game. His injury looks less serious, as it does not require surgery, but will still keep him inactive for a few games, Wilson said.“They’re both out for this week,” Wilson said. “Of course, with Josh, if it happens to be long-term, it would be his senior year, which is kind of just disappointing for him, and we’ll see how it goes with Leon.”Athletics Director Fred Glass also spoke to the media Tuesday about various situations surrounding Saturday’s game.Traffic is usually a hindrance to IU football fans, but this season should be especially difficult, Glass said, due to local construction and anticipated congestion on highways throughout the state.The athletics department has planned many alternate routes to the stadium and has posted them on the IU athletics website.Glass repeated two words of advice to fans — arrive early.His words of advice for Bloomington residents driving places other than Memorial Stadium is to stay away from the stadium at all costs for risk of getting “sucked into this traffic vortex.”The parking lots will open at the same time as the gates open — 2 p.m. — to encourage fans to get to the stadium early and tailgate.On the positive side, Glass said that season ticket sales stood at 21,058 as of Tuesday, compared to barely more than 20,000 sold last season. The athletics department also spruced up the concourse with 1,000 gallons of paint and stain.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The night before his head coaching debut against Ball State, Kevin Wilson had to decide whether or not to eat chicken noodle soup with his dinner. At the beginning of the fourth quarter against Ball State, he was faced with a much more difficult decision.Down 24-17, IU faced a fourth-and-3 at the Ball State 9-yard line. Wilson and his staff decided to go for the first down instead of attempting a short field goal.“We need to be aggressive . . . We can’t go out and play afraid. We can’t go out playing scared, can’t worry about worst-case scenarios,” Wilson said. “We’ve got to be aggressive. We’ve got to be smart.”That approach paid off during the team’s first drive when freshman running back Matt Perez scampered nine yards on fourth down for a touchdown, but this decision didn’t turn out as well. Sophomore quarterback Edward Wright-Baker’s pass fell incomplete on the fourth-down attempt, and the offense left the field without any points. Though his team lost its season opener 27-20, Wilson wasn’t disappointed. He said he was “concerned” with problems — the offensive and defensive line play, time of possession and his own play calling. Both Wilson and players like senior wide receiver Dre Muhammad acknowledged that aspects of their game need improvement before the Hoosiers take on Virginia next Saturday.“I think offensively and defensively, we can be a lot better, and we will get better,” Muhammad said. “We’re still confident in what we’ve got and what we’ve been working for, so it’s just a matter of improving constantly week in and week out.”It was the first opening-game loss for IU since falling to Connecticut 34-10 in 2003.From the time he was hired last December, Wilson brought a mentality to the team that the time to win is now.Minutes after his head-coaching career began with a loss, Wilson remained positive at his postgame press conference.“I think, (during) the preseason, we’ve been awfully good,” Wilson said. “The guys have worked hard, and we’re not going to panic and change what we do. We’re going to do what we do, believe in what we do.”Many of the changes Wilson implemented during fall camp were evident during Saturday’s game, especially the increased pace on offense. During the first couple of drives, it was difficult to show a replay on the big screens at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis between plays because of how quickly Wright-Baker led the offense down the field.Since Big Ten Media Days, Wilson repeatedly declared one of the team’s biggest priorities was to win the turnover battle. The hard work on limiting turnovers was apparent on the offensive side of the ball, where IU committed zero turnovers.After IU’s second-straight loss to its in-state Mid-American Conference opponent — Ball State won 42-20 in 2008 — the upbeat attitude Wilson exudes still came out in players’ comments after the game.“It obviously hurts, but one game doesn’t make a season,” Perez said, “I think we can build off that, improve in the areas we need to and come back, and I think we can beat Virginia.”
Indiana vs. Ball State
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Everyone from country singer Kenny Chesney to Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday to AMA Supercross racer James Stewart has performed at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, but a Division 1 collegiate football team has never played there.That will change Saturday.IU and Ball State will meet at 7 p.m. Saturday on Lucas Oil Stadium’s artificial turf in each team’s season-opening game. Each program has undergone large changes since the construction of the stadium in 2008, and both have new coaches: Kevin Wilson for IU and Pete Lembo for Ball State.“They’re both opening on the road, so to speak,” Stadium Director Mike Fox said, “and they’re both brand new coaches, so everything is new for everyone.”However, Lucas Oil Stadium isn’t completely new to hosting any college football, as it is the site of an annual game between two historically black colleges the first weekend of October, known as the Circle City Classic.Saturday’s game, Fox said, will be much different.One of the most visible changes taking place will be the atmosphere outside the stadium, he said.For most games, parking is reserved for suite owners and employees who don’t usually spend much time in the parking lot. Fox expects a large amount of tailgating for the game, however, as much of the parking has been devoted to RVs and alumni buses, among other vehicles likely to tailgate.Certain elements of the game will be different, but the current IU team is no stranger to lacing up cleats in an NFL locker room.Last season, it traveled to FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins, for a game that senior linebacker Jeff Thomas sees as much more of a road game than Saturday’s will be.“It’s like a hometown crowd,” Thomas said. “Last year, when we played at Washington, D.C., it was like going to Penn State, you know. It was like, 80,000 (people) and 75,000 were Penn State (fans), so it’s going to be great.”In attendance for the game will be also employees from the Big Ten Conference. They will attend this game and Colts home games in order to assess how everything will work when Lucas Oil Stadium hosts the first Big Ten championship game Dec. 3.Though Saturday will mark his first game as Indiana’s head football coach, Wilson understands the importance of the Big Ten championship game for the state.“With our fan base in the Big Ten, that’s going to be like the Super Bowl the first week of December,” Wilson said.Coincidentally, Lucas Oil Stadium is also set to host Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5, 2012.Wilson and the Hoosiers have been preparing more for the new opponent than for the new venue. Based on his time spent in the Big Ten with Northwestern, Wilson remembers Mid-American Conference opponents as tough tests.Wilson is doing what he can to encourage fans to attend, but he is aware that to earn steady attendance his team needs to be a worthwhile on-field product.Fox said while the atmosphere outside of the stadium will definitely be hot and filled with the scent of charcoal and gasoline, the feel inside the stadium will depend largely on student turnout.“So much of it depends on how many students show up to support both Ball State and Indiana, because ... each student section is in the end zones, and that could be pretty crazy,” Fox said. “It just depends on if they decide to show up or not.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Saturday’s matchup with Ball State became much easier to picture Monday, as 27 of the 28 starting spots on offense, defense and special teams were revealed. The small word “or” stood between the names of sophomore quarterbacks Dusty Kiel and Edward Wright-Baker on the depth chart, revealing that only the quarterback position is in doubt for the Hoosier football team.“These guys have played so little,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “They all have a chance. They’re all doing reasonably well. (When) we get in a game setting, maybe a guy takes off, maybe he doesn’t.”Wilson also said there’s a possibility that freshman Tre Roberson will continue as a candidate for the job. He said whomever the quarterback is, he will be receiving snaps from junior center Will Matte on Saturday.Redshirt freshman Matt Perez, who missed last season with a knee injury, will start at running back, but Wilson said two or three running backs could spend time in the backfield, depending on who is playing well. Redshirt sophomore and transfer Stephen Houston looks to be next in line after Perez.“Right now, I think we’re still at the point where we’re still evaluating, so I don’t know if we’ve settled on one guy,” Co-offensive Coordinator Kevin Johns said last week. “I think right now, we’re going to roll guys and see what happens, and see who gets the hot hand, and who can squeeze it, and who can run fast, and run hard and lead us to victories.”As expected, senior wide receiver Damarlo Belcher is the No. 1 receiver, but there were notable changes from the 2010 squad. Backing up the starting three of Belcher, senior Dre Muhammad and sophomore Kofi Hughes were three freshmen: Cody Latimer, Shane Wynn — who will also return kicks — and Jay McCants.Redshirt sophomores Ted Bolser and Duwyce Wilson were absent from the tight end and wide receiver spots, respectively. Wilson said injuries have limited them, and even though they may not be far behind physically, they have missed substantial practice time and are still catching up mentally.“One of my comments is, ‘It’s not about getting healthy. It’s about getting better,’” Wilson said. “And ‘better’ doesn’t mean healthy. It means you’re being a better football player, too, and when you miss work, that’s hard to do.”Even though Wilson said as many as seven or eight players could play in the secondary and a number of players will be used on the defensive line, a couple of young players have grabbed starting jobs on defense. Redshirt freshman Ryan Phillis will start at right defensive end after beating out senior Fred Jones. Phillis has impressed teammates like senior defensive end Darius Johnson throughout camp.“He had a good camp,” Johnson said. “He definitely made a name (for himself) to be one of the top competitors for that starting spot at defensive end. Right now, he’s just got to keep it going, coming into Saturday’s game.”At the beginning of camp, Wilson and his staff knew they had a solid duo of linebackers in seniors — and close friends — Jeff Thomas and Leon Beckum, but it was unclear who would join them as the strong side linebacker.It is now clear to both Thomas and the coaching staff that the right man for the job is redshirt freshman Chase Hoobler. Thomas has developed a close trust with Beckum in their playing days together, and he has a similar confidence in Hoobler’s ability.“Just to have another person like Leon next to me — like Chase — is a real good feeling,” Thomas said. “I know he knows what he’s doing. He’s out there. He’s busting his butt, and from where he’s come to today is a great feeling to have him next to me.”
Exactly nine days prior to their season opener against Ball State, the Hoosiers practiced in front of the media for a little over an hour Thursday night. They practiced a number of situations, and it was a bit clearer who will play with the first, second and third teams.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This year’s defensive lineup is returning to normal after a season when many players were forced out of their natural positions.Injuries to senior safeties Jarrell Drane and Chris Adkins in 2010 forced senior Lenyatta Kiles and sophomore Lawrence Barnett to move to safety last season. The healthy return of Drane and Adkins has allowed both Barnett and Kiles to return to cornerback.“Naturally, I figured I would come back to corner anyway,” Kiles said. “It’s a comfortable fit. I’m able to make better plays at corner. I feel like it’s just like riding a bike: getting back to where I’m comfortable.”Drane and Adkins, good friends since coming to IU together in 2007, are making a return to playing form after years plagued by injury.Adkins missed nine games of his junior season in 2010 after suffering an ankle injury in preseason camp. He also injured his elbow during his sophomore season.Knee and ankle injuries have prevented Drane from playing a full season since high school, and he said he is impatiently waiting for an opportunity to finally play a full season.“Every year, I get real close, and then something happens and I go back down,” Drane said. “I’m hungry. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder — more like a block on my shoulder. I’m ready to play.”A scar on Drane’s forearm from a broken arm in high school marks the first of his major injuries. During the summer of his redshirt freshman season, he tore his left meniscus. In the last days of preseason camp during his redshirt sophomore campaign, he tore a ligament in his thumb while blocking a punt. A repeat tear of his right meniscus last season sidelined him yet again.His injuries have limited him to 12 games during his IU career. He could double that number this season.Sophomore cornerback Greg Heban underwent a much different position change during his IU career. Initially a pitcher for the Hoosier baseball team, Heban’s talents became apparent to IU Baseball Coach Tracy Smith during a flag football game the team played.Smith talked with both Heban and former IU Football Coach Bill Lynch, and Heban ended up playing safety. This season, Wilson and his staff re-evaluated Heban’s talent and moved him to cornerback after they noticed his natural talent and strong work ethic.“Just trying to transition from baseball to football took a lot of time, took a lot of energy,” Heban said. “But if you love the game, you’ve got to make the commitment to switch.”The defensive backs has rededicated themselves this season, and it was clear in the first all-out practice when the defense stymied the offense, not allowing a first down.“We didn’t let up at all,” Drane said. “We weren’t about to have them get a first down that day.”Drane described the defensive backs as fearless, relentless and hungry this season, knowing that he and his teammates have all returned to their natural positions.“Just having everybody right where they need to be...feeling comfortable with each other, not having to learn a new position because somebody else got hurt, just means you have to be calm and do what you do,” he said.
Head coach Kevin Wilson and his offensive staff are still looking for a quarterback to take command of the starting job. He confirmed after practice Thursday that sophomores Dusty Kiel and Edward Wright-Baker and freshman Tre Roberson are distancing themselves from the rest and are taking the majority of the reps.
Over the first week of practice, the IU football team has gone from wearing only helmets to light padding to full padding and full contact during Sunday's practice.
After finishing just 3.60 points behind the team of Jessica Parratto (Dover, N.H./Indianapolis, Ind.) and Anna James (Midland, Texas) in the women's 10-meter synchronized diving competition at at the AT&T National Diving Championships at the pool at UCLA, a pair of Hoosiers got their revenge Thursday night.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After working with current players and strength and conditioning coach Je’Nay Jackson for eight weeks, the 2011 freshman basketball players are already beginning to feel at home.When freshmen Remy Abell, Austin Etherington and Cody Zeller addressed the media Wednesday, it was clear they have enjoyed the relaxed feel of a lightly-populated campus and the less stressful class load this summer.However, they have been working hard to prepare for the upcoming season. Zeller knows that life will be much different once the school year begins.“It’s going to be a lot different once the real season starts because none of the coaches can be at any of the workouts right now, so that’s going to change,” Zeller said. “There aren’t a whole lot of students here for the summer. “I think it’s just kind of a taste of what it’s going to be like once it really comes around in the fall.”Although head coach Tom Crean and many of the other coaches aren’t allowed to be working with the players during the summer, players like junior Jordan Hulls have taken on the role of coach during the workouts, Etherington said. “The other guys are getting a lot better, so it makes us work harder, too and be ready at that level,” Etherington said. “They’re definitely working hard to make us be the best players we can be.”Etherington added that a large difference between preparing for collegiate basketball and preparing for high school basketball was working out on his own, without coaches to push him. Abell said as a result of the increased level of competition, working hard is a necessity.“In high school, you’re the star of your team,” Abell said, “but coming into college, you’re a freshman, so you’re kind of at the bottom. You have to boot yourself to work even harder and stay up with the team.”The competition and time spent with other players has helped the freshmen find motivation, and they are beginning to see results. Zeller has added ten pounds over the summer and estimates that he is a little over 225 pounds. He hopes to be at 235 pounds by the time the season starts.The trio of newcomers have begun to figure out what their respective roles may be once the season gets going, and they are all very aware of both their own and each other’s talents.“I definitely feel like I can go in and help be the guy that hits the open shot, be the guy they need to hit the shot,” Etherington said. “I think all of us are going to be able to fit in pretty well.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While new head IU football coach Kevin Wilson was not allowed to have any on-field contact with players during the summer months, his influence still reverberated through the summer program run by strength and conditioning coach Mark Hill.To prepare the players for Wilson’s upbeat style of offense, Hill increased the amount of running and decreased the amount of resting time. Players ran up and down hills, ramps and stadium steps repeatedly to get leaner.“You’ve got to get guys in shape, you’ve got to lean them out,” Hill said. “But you’ve also got to get them strong, faster, bigger and able to withstand the position.”The slogan for the summer was “nutrition and condition,” which both Hill and the administration took very seriously. In March, IU hired Amy Freel to become the first full-time director of Sports Performance Nutrition at IU and in the Big Ten.“As far as the slogan, ‘nutrition and condition,’ you can’t have one without the other,” Hill said. “And guys carrying around excess body fat, excess body weight is only going to slow them down, especially at the tempo at which we play.”Freel has supplied athletes on all teams with more nutritious options like fruit and leaner meats to help fuel athletes and help them recover after exercising. Freel, who held the same position at Virginia Tech for 13 years, makes individual plans for athletes and gives cooking demonstrations.She also takes players grocery shopping and visits local restaurants from chains like Subway or Jimmy John’s to local places like Scholar’s Inn Bakehouse. Whenever she hears a multitude of players commonly mentioning a local restaurant, she then goes to visit the restaurant. She examines the menu and figures out nutritional values of various dishes.“As far as nutrition goes,” Freel said, “I think it’s a component that a lot of athletes do not consider as part of their training. And it really can be a competitive edge when it comes down to fueling and recovering.”The nutrition and conditioning efforts of Hill and Freel paid dividends as the summer progressed when many players showed noticeable changes in physique. Hill pointed out that although all of the players have shown a great deal of improvement, some stood out.On defense, Hill said even though senior linebacker Leon Beckum only lost four pounds over the summer, his body fat decreased from 16 percent to 11.8 percent. Junior defensive tackle Mick Mentzer actually gained 12 pounds, but decreased his body fat by 3 percent.On the offensive side of the ball, Hill noticed senior left tackle Andrew McDonald dropped 10 pounds and 6.5 percent body fat.The offensive line as a whole lost between 4 and 5 percent body fat and junior quarterback Adam Follett slimmed down 20 pounds and lost 5.5 percent body fat, Hill said.Hill noticed a difference between the way players reacted to spring practice and fall practice. Hill believed that spring practice was a bit of a shock to the players’ systems, but saw improvement in their physical condition.“Guys were a little in awe, if you will,” Hill said. “But coming into this fall camp practice when you’re in the best shape of your life, you’ve been running, you’ve been doing the things you need to do, there’s no longer a shock.”Co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Kevin Johns stressed that the coaching staff wants the Hoosiers to be as focused in practice as they are during the games.“We want to play as fast as we can and we need to be in great, great shape or else we won’t make it through practice,” Johns said. “Coach Wilson has said a bunch of times that if we’re not going to be a great practice team, then we’re not going to play well on Saturdays. We’re trying to push to those guys how important you body is, and your nutrition, and your rest and your condition is to help us go practice.”
On the last day before his first fall practice as IU head coach, we'll talk a little bit about what Kevin Wilson had to say at Big Ten Media Days. The former offensive coordinator for Northwestern (1999-2001) and Oklahoma (2002-2010) was clearly looking forward to beginning practice, as he has had very little on-field time with the team.
In his first season with the Hoosiers after transferring from Foothill (Calif.) Community College, middle linebacker Jeff Thomas made 82 tackles, good for second on the team. He also made one of the biggest plays of the season when he intercepted Purdue's Rob Henry in OT that led to a 34-31 IU victory.
Practice starts Monday for the 2011 Hoosiers and to prepare, we'll be putting up a few tidbits from players or coaches at Big Ten Media Days that didn't quite make it into articles.