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(12/11/13 4:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This isn’t your older brother’s IU team.The Hoosiers (8-2) showed their true colors last night in an 81-54 win against the Oakland Grizzlies. IU is at their best when slashing to the bucket while preventing the opponent from doing the same.But this is starkly different than last year’s team.Last season IU featured proficient shooters in Jordan Hulls and Christian Watford. Victor Oladipo wasn’t too shabby either, shooting 44 percent from behind the arc last year.All those players are gone. And IU’s identity has accordingly changed.This year’s team is gritty. A squad full of pure athletes who can defend anyone on the perimeter. The perimeter defense is a huge difference in this year’s team. Last year, it was Oladipo who was the best perimeter defender and then there was a big drop off.Not this year.Case and point — IU’s defense against Oakland guard Travis Bader. Before the game, Bader had been leading the nation with 4.4 three-pointers made a game and was a career 40 percent 3-point shooter.Bader had a streak of 62 straight games with a 3-pointer. That streak died in Bloomington.He was 0-10 from behind the arc against IU, and 2-15 from the field. He even had open looks, but the Hoosier defense was already in his head.It wasn’t just one player shutting Bader down. By my count seven different Hoosiers — from 6-foot guard Kevin ‘Yogi’ Ferrell to 6-foot-8 forward Jeremy Hollowell — defended Bader at different points during the game. “We switched a lot,” Crean said. “... And (switching) has got to become a strength for us.”IU was switching almost every pick set for the sharp shooter, giving him no space to get comfortable. At one point, Oakland set a screen for Bader’s screener. So a Grizzly set a screen for a Grizzly setting a screen for a Grizzly. But last night, a polar bear couldn’t get Bader open.On the play, freshman forward Collin Hartman was able to close out and contest a Bader jumper, which he missed.It wasn’t just Bader who was struggling. In the first half, besides guard Mitch Baenziger, who had a stellar first half going 4-for-4, Oakland shot 20 percent from the field and didn’t make a three.On offense, IU showed what they do best — drive to the basket.The Hoosiers scored 50 points in the half, shooting an unreal 60 percent from the field and 67 percent from behind the arc.IU didn’t settle for contested jumpers. They put their head down and earned 15 trips to the line in the first half.Once again, guard Evan Gordon, a graduate student transfer from Arizona State, continued to shed the moniker as the ‘other’ Gordon to have played for IU.He was 10-12 from the field for a game-high 26 points. Gordon’s knowledge of angles and where the opponent’s defense is helping is fun to watch. He’s only 6-feet tall and not the best athlete, but he is as good as finishing around the basket as any other Hoosier.What he does best is drive to the basket, and that will give IU the best chance to be playing meaningful ball in March.A slashing team who plays suffocating perimeter defense. That’s this year’s identity.— ehoopfer@indiana.eduFollow columnist Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(12/10/13 5:02am)
IU won’t get to 100, as they’ll call off the dogs early in anticipation
for Saturday’s matchup against Notre Dame, but the Hoosiers will get the
win.
(12/04/13 4:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s defense struggled mightily under third-year defensive coordinator Doug Mallory this season. The Hoosiers gave up 36 points in a win over Purdue, a team that hadn’t scored more than 24 points in a game all season. But IU’s defensive woes weren’t relegated to the Bucket Game. Do the math and the numbers show that IU had one of the worst defenses in college football.Out of 123 FBS teams, IU finished 121st in total defense.The Hoosiers were last in the Big Ten in scoring defense (38.8 points per game), total defense (527.9 yards per game), passing defense (290.2 yards per game) and opponent first downs (25.8 per game).The unit was second to last in the conference in rushing defense (237.8 yards per game), opponent third down conversions (46.5 percent), interceptions (seven all season) and opponent passer efficiency (147.2 passer rating for opposing quarterbacks).IU was last or second-to-last in eight major defensive categories in the conference.In eight Big Ten games, opponents scored more than 35 points seven times. The only time IU didn’t allow 35 points was a 44-24 victory against Penn State, when IU defeated the Nittany Lions for the first time in school history.IU’s defense was the worst in the Big Ten. They weren’t much better compared to the five major football conferences — Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, PAC-12 and ACC.To measure IU’s defensive struggles, consider the Hoosiers’ two most important defensive statistics: total defense and scoring defense.IU gave up an average of 38.8 points per game. The mean in the Big Ten was 25.4. IU was 42 percent worse than the average.In regards to total defense, IU gave up an average of 527.9 yards per game. The average in the Big Ten was 380. IU was 32 percent worse than the average.Averaging the two numbers produces a value of 37 percent. This number will be called the Average Percentage Away from the Mean.There was only one other team in the five major conferences with a worse APAM. IU has an APAM of 37, better only than California, which had an APAM of 38 in the PAC-12.Out of the 60 teams in the five major football conferences, IU finished 59th.California and IU were anomalies. No other team came close to an APAM in the high 30s.The worst defense in the ACC was NC State, with an APAM of 15.In the Big 12 it was Iowa State, which had an APAM of 23.In the SEC it was Texas A&M, which also had an APAM of 23.When looking more closely at California, the Golden Bears had a 1-11 record. California and IU basically had the same APAM. Offensive prowess helped the Hoosiers finish 5-7.IU’s offense ranked 11th nationally. The only Big Ten offense better was Ohio State, which is 12-0.Against Michigan this year, IU scored 47 points. The Hoosiers still lost by 16 as the Wolverine offense hung 63 points on the Hoosier defense.Plus, IU was close to earning that elusive sixth win twice this year. One more win would have sent the Hoosiers bowling for the first time in six years.Against Minnesota, IU was down 42-39 on the Gopher nine-yard line when a pass from sophomore quarterback Nate Sudfeld to sophomore running back Tevin Coleman was ruled a backwards pass, and Coleman didn’t jump on the ball. Minnesota recovered the fumble and won the game.Earlier in the season, Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds converted a fourth down by inches to extend the Midshipmen drive. If he had come up a foot short, IU would have had the ball around midfield, down six, with enough time for a late Hoosier drive.Navy converted and ran out the clock for victory.The Hoosiers fell short in those two games, and finished the year 5-7. But the fact they were that close to a bowl game accentuates how good the offense was, and just how bad the defense was.Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(12/02/13 3:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>They were calling for him from the stands.“Kofi!” they yelled to the senior wide receiver. Kofi Hughes had just played in his last IU game in a 56-36 win against Purdue.A group of four students was still hanging over the student section wall yelling, “Kofi!”Hughes jogged over to his fans with a smile. With his helmet in hand, he gave each of them a high five. He then threw up a piece of red plastic.It was his mouth guard.“Everybody was just stripping me for all the gear I had, and that was the last thing I had,” Hughes said. “So I just flung it up there.”His fans were excited, “Wasn’t that awesome?” they yelled to each other, each looking at the mouth guard.“I’m not going to use it,” Hughes said after the game.Neither will his two fellow senior captains, tight end Ted Bolser and safety Greg Heban. Each played their last game as an Indiana Hoosier on Saturday.“They’re going to walk out of here with their heads real, real high,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said after the game.Hughes, a graduate of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, caught his last touchdown late in the fourth quarter.His six-yard grab gave IU the record for most points ever scored against Purdue and was the last Hoosier touchdown of the 2013 season.IU’s previous touchdown was a two-yard pass caught by Bolser. The Cincinnati native finished his career with the most receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns of any tight end in IU’s 129-year history.Heban didn’t have the positive play he was looking to end his career on. On Purdue’s last possession, with just more than a minute remaining, the Boilermakers were trying for one last score.Purdue’s freshman quarterback Danny Etling lobbed a pass in the corner of the end zone, and Heban leapt for the interception.“It went right through my hands,” he said chuckling. “So it’s definitely a play that I’ll always remember.”The three seniors have been cornerstones for the IU program. Each of them started all 12 games this season.During their four seasons, the program went a combined 15-33 (.313 winning percentage).Twice they came within a victory of bowl eligibility, their freshmen and senior years, only to finish both seasons 5-7.Heban, the senior leader, feels responsible for the defense’s struggles this year.Despite not playing in January at any point in their careers, IU Coach Kevin Wilson thinks the group of seniors laid a strong foundation, starting with setting the tone for this Purdue win.“In all my years coaching, this is probably as much fun and as much respect I’ve had with a group of players,” he said. “They’re going to be great Hoosiers.”
(12/01/13 2:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Old Oaken Bucket returned to Bloomington on Saturday night.The 56-36 victory for IU (5-7, 3-5) against Purdue (1-11, 0-8) was an offensive showcase no other Hoosier team has ever seen against the Boilers.Before today, the record for an IU offense against Purdue was 52 points in 1988. With the help of sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson, this Hoosier team was able to break the 25-year old record.Roberson earned the start over sophomore Nate Sudfeld and shined. Roberson was 25-for-37 for 273 yards and six touchdowns. He added 154 rushing yards.A pair of junior receivers, Cody Latimer and Shane Wynn, were his favorite targets. Latimer had 110 yards on seven catches for one touchdown. Wynn had 52 yards on seven catches for three touchdowns.Seniors Kofi Hughes and Ted Bolser, in their last games donning the crimson, also contributed a score.Once again, the defense struggled. The Purdue unit came in as the conference’s worst scoring offense, averaging 14.9 points a game (the next worst was Northwestern at 26.2 points per game).Purdue put up as many points as it had all season, with 36. Their previous high had been 24 against Notre Dame and Northern Illinois.Freshman quarterback Danny Etling was 33-for-49 for 485 yards and four touchdowns.But the defense was able to hold off the Boiler attack enough for historic Hoosier offense.This year’s offense is first all-time in total points scored and total yards accumulated.The win against Purdue snaps a two-game skid against the Boilers.
(11/30/13 10:24pm)
Barring an epic comeback, IU will take home the Old Oaken Bucket today.
(11/24/13 2:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the sixth consecutive season, IU will not go to a bowl game.Before the season, junior running back D’Angelo Roberts thought IU was a bowl-caliber team.“I mean absolutely,” he said. “Nobody says to themselves, ‘We’re not going to be a bowl team.’”Ohio State (11-0, 7-0) killed the Hoosiers’ (4-7, 2-5) postseason hopes with a 42-14 thrashing in Columbus. All of IU’s 14 points came in the fourth quarter.The last time IU went bowling was 2007.Since then, the program has gone 21-50 (.296 winning percentage). No other Big Ten team has a worse record in that stretch.“This is definitely not the season I predicted,” senior wide receiver Kofi Hughes said. “Or our team hoped for.”The possibility of a bowl game was never discussed with the team, IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. Wilson, in his third year at IU, is 9-26.“I’ve never talked about being a bowl team,” he said. “Never said it to them. We talk about constant improvement and getting better every day.”At the end of the third quarter Ohio State led 35-0.Before the fourth quarter, IU had been outscored 93-3 in the previous seven quarters of action.Despite being almost equal in total yardage, IU had 442 total yards versus Ohio State’s 471, the game was never in doubt.“Indiana got most of their yards in the second half,” Buckeye linebacker Ryan Shazier said, who had a game-high 20 tackles.After giving up 554 rushing yards to Wisconsin the week before, the IU run defense struggled again.The Buckeyes had 311 yards on the ground, 218 of which came in the first half. Ohio State did not have any three-and-outs during the game.Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller racked up 144 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 11.1 yards a run.His running back, Carlos Hyde, contributed 117 yards and two touchdowns of his own. In IU’s 11 games this year, it has allowed 12 players to run for over 100 yards.“The real difference – their ability to run the ball and our inability to run the ball,” Wilson said.IU averaged just 3.1 yards per carry against the Buckeye defense.The offense was without starting running back Tevin Coleman. He missed his second straight game with an ankle sprain.Having no viable rushing attack, both of the sophomore quarterbacks, Nate Sudfeld and Tre Roberson, had trouble scoring.“They’re in a really funky situation,” Hughes said. “A lot of quarterbacks couldn’t handle it and they’ve handled it well all season.”In the first three quarters, IU got inside Buckeye territory on eight separate drives. They had no points to show for it.IU must turn its attention to Purdue when the Old Oaken Bucket is up for grabs.“Probably the biggest rivalry I know of,” Roberts said.Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(11/23/13 10:07pm)
In the last six quarters IU has played in, they have been outscored 79-3.
(11/22/13 5:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In advance of the IU football team’s Saturday game against Ohio State, the Indiana Daily Student exchanged questions and answers with the Lantern’s Eric Seger.IDS Ohio State has won 22 straight games and is undefeated under Urban Meyer. Did anybody think this kind of success would occur so fast under Meyer’s regime?SEGER I can’t really speak for anybody else who covers Ohio State or are fans of the Buckeyes, but I do know that when Meyer was hired, it did bring an excitement to campus and athletics. I think mostly it was because of the 6-7 season the year before, which is something that Buckeye Nation was not used to. Meyer’s track record prior to being coach at OSU is pretty outstanding with the two national titles at Florida, so I think it’s safe to say fans were excited with his arrival.IDS With Michigan next week, how likely is it Ohio State will overlook the Hoosiers? What is the perception of IU on campus?SEGER Even though OSU beat Illinois by 25 last week, the mood in the locker room and post game press conference was a bit dejected because the team (and Meyer) did not think they played their best. That having been said, and based off everything the players and coaches have said this week, it does not appear that they will overlook Indiana. Especially since it is Senior Day at Ohio Stadium, all the seniors we have spoken to this week said their mindset is leaving Ohio Stadium with a victory.IDS How does QB Braxton Miller look compared to former Buckeye QBs such as Terrelle Pryor and Troy Smith? Is there more or less hype/excitement around him?SEGER Miller’s development has been visibly apparent since he started two years ago as a freshman. His work with Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach Tom Herman has been lauded by Meyer in press conferences. He is confident and has been playing well this year when healthy. I’m not sure if there is more hype around him necessarily, but being an OSU quarterback comes with a lot of expectations. Injuries have kind of derailed his Heisman chances, but a skilled Buckeye quarterback will always be expected to get recognition.IDS Besides a 3-point aberration against Wisconsin, IU has scored 28 points in all of their games. Will Ohio State’s defense be smothering like Wisconsin’s, or will it allow IU to score as Illinois was able to last week?SEGER OSU’s defense was ravaged by injuries against Illinois. A pair of starting linebackers, Joshua Perry and Curtis Grant, did not play because they were hurt, and defensive end Joey Bosa left the game with a neck injury midway through. Indiana has a solid passing attack and put up 49 against OSU last year, a game where a former fullback (Zach Boren) had to play linebacker. Meyer said there are a lot of players on defense they are expecting to get back this week, so they should be better, and according to Co-Defensive Coordinator Everett Withers and Meyer, they will play better this week.IDS What is your prediction for Saturday’s game, with a score?SEGER Ohio State 56, Indiana 14.Follow football reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer
(11/22/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Missouri’s James Franklin had 404 total yards.Illinois’s Nathan Scheelhaase had 495.Michigan’s Devin Gardner — 584.In addition to prolific yardage figures, the three quarterbacks had a combined 11 total touchdowns against IU.This season IU has struggled against mobile quarterbacks. At 3:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC, IU might have its toughest test to date with Ohio State’s Braxton Miller.“He’s a Heisman caliber quarterback,” junior cornerback Tim Bennett said. “We have to do a great job of watching film and seeing his tendencies.”When the Hoosiers (4-6, 2-4) venture into “the Horseshoe” to play the No. 3 Buckeyes (10-0, 6-0), they will be underdogs. As of Thursday afternoon, Ohio State is favored by 34 points by several betting establishments on yahoo.com.Miller, a junior from Huber Heights, Ohio, is third in the conference in total offense, averaging 258 yards per game.His Buckeye unit is first in the Big Ten in total offense (537 yards a game), scoring offense (49 points a game), first downs (27 a game), third down conversion rate (52 percent), rushing offense (315 yards a game) and passer efficiency (164.6).Miller has been prolific on the ground. In Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer’s spread offense, Miller is averaging 74 rushing yards a game, second on the team.“He is a tremendous runner,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “And can beat you with his arm with some great guys with a great challenge for defenses.”Ohio State’s up-tempo offense reminds Defensive Coordinator Doug Mallory of his own team’s offense.“Spread, up-tempo, very dangerous,” Mallory said. “They’re very well coached, so it’ll be a great challenge for us this week.”The 6-foot-2, 215-pound quarterback doesn’t make many mistakes. He has just three interceptions versus 17 touchdowns. His touchdown-to-interception ratio of 5.7-to-1 is only bested by his backup, senior Kenny Guiton. Guiton saw playing time after Miller was sidelined with a knee injury. Now Miller is back and wreaking havoc on the Big Ten.Ohio State averaged 60 points in their last three games. Now they will face IU’s defense, the conference’s worst in scoring defense, pass defense and run defense. Freshman defensive lineman Darius Latham said Miller isn’t different from any other mobile quarterback they’ve faced this year. He doesn’t get caught up in the hype.“I just take it as another player,” he said. “I really ain’t worried too much about it.”Follow football reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(11/20/13 2:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On third down, the IU offense has failed to convert 82 times.IU Coach Kevin Wilson then has a choice. Go for it on fourth down, or punt?He’s elected to punt 59.8 percent of the time, and his offensive staff knows as soon as it’s first down if the team is in four-down territory or not.Wilson relays the following message to his staff.“I said it the whole game,” Wilson said. “When it’s first-and-10, you’re in four-down territory.”Wilson remembers the days when he was a play-caller, when it was third-and-eight, and he thought the team would punt the ball if they did not convert.The head coach would say only then, after the failed third down conversion, that it’s four-down territory.“And I thought, golly, I might have thrown a slant pass or screen or run,” Wilson said. “Because you’ve got fourth down in your back pocket.”For the season, IU is seven for 16 on fourth down, a 43.8 percent conversion rate. This figure is 10th in the Big Ten, and the 16 attempts are the fourth highest.“That 40-something percent ought to be higher,” Wilson said. “Our offense is better than that.”With IU ranking 122nd out of 123 Football Bowl subdivision teams in total defense, the Hoosiers might want to go for it more on fourth down.This season, IU’s defense has allowed 48 touchdowns and eight field goals. They’ve forced 37 punts, 16 turnovers on down and 14 turnovers.IU opponents are scoring touchdowns on 39 percent of their possessions and scoring any points at a 46-percent rate.IU is last in the conference for total defense, rushing defense and passing defense.Also, IU’s defense is on the field longer than any other Big Ten team’s. Because of the offense’s high tempo, the Hoosiers have an average time of possession of 24 minutes and seven seconds, the lowest in the Big Ten by almost 3 1/2 minutes.The sticking point of a high tempo offense is it’s not the amount of time you’re on the field, it’s the number of plays you get.But IU’s last in that, too.The defense has been on the field for 819 plays this season. No other Big Ten team has been on the field for more than 800 plays.Therefore, IU’s defense is not only worst in the conference, they are on the field more than any other Big Ten team.Trying to make up for the defense’s shortcomings, should the offense try to give them a break by going for it more on fourth down?IU’s offense has been prolific. Except for a three-point aberration in Wisconsin this past weekend, they have scored 28 points or more in every one of their games.They are averaging 6.7 yards per play, which is only topped by Ohio State and Wisconsin.Looking at their third-down data, it is easy to see they are converting at a high rate. Looking at third downs is useful because IU is basically converting the same percentage of third downs (43.4 percent) as fourth downs (43.8 percent). Therefore, if the fourth-down conversion rate were extrapolated, and IU went for it on fourth down as much as it did on third down, the numbers would be roughly the same.On third-and-short, (one to three yards) the Hoosiers convert 65 percent of the time. On third-and-medium, (four to seven yards) they are 40 percent. And on third-and-long, (eight or more yards) they are 29 percent.IU holds its opponents scoreless on just 54 percent of the opposition’s drives. Under projections, the Hoosiers would convert around 52 percent of fourth-and-one to fourth-and-eight situations.Should they go for it?“So, sometimes we’re being aggressive, but you’re picking your spots,” Wilson said. “Where our team is, we have to be aggressive, but if we hang our defense out to dry, that can hurt us really bad when we’re picking our spots.” Follow football reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(11/19/13 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior tight end Ted Bolser was named a semi-finalist Monday for the John Mackey Award, an honor bestowed to the nation’s top tight end.Bolser, a fifth-year senior, was named one of the eight semi-finalists. He joins Michigan’s Devin Funchess as the only representatives from the Big Ten.Bolser is the all-time leader in yards (1,313) and touchdowns (14) and second in receptions (112) among IU tight ends. He is four receptions away from Bob Stephenson’s record of 115 career tight-end receptions.He and Stephenson are the only Hoosier tight ends to have more than 100 career receptions.This season, Bolser has 30 catches for 296 yards and five touchdowns. All these figures are fourth on the current Hoosier team.After opening up the season with two touchdowns in each of the team’s first two games, Bolser has just one touchdown in the team’s last eight games.Former winners of the John Mackey award include Dallas Clark (2002), Kellen Winslow Jr. (2003), Heath Miller (2004) and Tyler Eifert (2012).The finalists are announced Nov. 25, and the winner announced on Dec. 11.— Evan Hoopfer
(11/18/13 4:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Madison, Wis. — It took Wisconsin exactly one play to take the lead.After intercepting sophomore quarterback Nate Sudfeld at the 7-yard line, Badger running back James White took the handoff.He shed a would-be tackle by defensive lineman Raphael Green, and saw green in front of him.Safeties Greg Heban and Mark Murphy gave pursuit, but it didn’t matter.His blocker, Alex Erickson, escorted White to the end zone, “in case I decided to run slow and get caught,” White said.White never looked back, and neither did the Badgers. The 93-yard touchdown run was the second-longest play in Wisconsin’s 123-year history. The run sparked Wisconsin (8-2, 5-1) to a 51-3 win against IU (4-6, 2-4).“We’re not going to beat them up over it,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said of how to move forward. “We got a lot of things to correct.”Wisconsin amassed 554 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. Four different Badgers recorded a rushing touchdown. The offensive linemen for Wisconsin took pride in the performance.“So after I got taken out, we looked up at the rushing yards,” Wisconsin offensive lineman Ryan Groy said. “It was awesome. It was awesome to see.”White finished with a career-high 205 yards on 20 carries. Sophomore Melvin Gordon had 146 yards on just 13 carries. Corey Clement, the third string freshman, had 108 yards on 11 carries. Even non-running backs were gashing the Hoosier defense. Senior Jared Abbrederis had 86 yards on three attempts for two touchdowns. Abbrederis is a wide receiver.He burned the Hoosier defense for runs of 32 and 49 yards on reverses, something IU hadn’t seen on film.“It’s something we didn’t prepare for,” Heban said of the reverses.Rushing proficiency isn’t new in this series. In the last two games against IU, Wisconsin has run for 1,118 yards. Why have they had so much success against IU?“(IU) doesn’t do a whole lot of fancy stuff,” Wisconsin offensive lineman Dan Voltz said. “They played 4-3 defense, which is what we love ... When you play a defense like that, the results are going to be pretty good.”On the day, the Badgers averaged 11.1 yards a rush. In comparison, the IU quarterbacks averaged 4.01 yards per pass attempt.“They have big guys,” defensive lineman Nick Mangieri said. “They’re good blockers. But I still feel like when we we’re doing our assignments. We were gap sound.”Next week, the competition doesn’t get any weaker. Going into last week, No. 3 Ohio State was averaging 301.1 rushing yards per game, tops in the Big Ten.“We gotta finish,” Heban said. “We’ve always been playing Ohio State pretty well. ... I’m excited.” Follow football reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(11/16/13 6:28pm)
On Wisconsin's first play from scrimmage, James White ran for a 93-yard touchdown.
(11/15/13 7:45pm)
(11/15/13 5:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Unless they knock off No. 3 Ohio State next week, IU needs to beat No. 22 Wisconsin Saturday to help secure the Hoosiers’ first bowl berth since 2007.Playing in a bowl would help put IU in the national spotlight, somewhere it wants the football program to be.“Indiana (University) is known throughout the world,” sophomore offensive lineman Ralston Evans said. “That’s what we want our football team to be.”To beat Wisconsin (7-2, 4-1), IU (4-5, 2-3) will have to overcome a recent history of Badger domination. In the last three meetings, Wisconsin has beaten IU by an average score of 68-14.“It’s a whole other year,” junior wide receiver Shane Wynn said. “That was last year, this is this year.”In the series history, Wisconsin holds a 39-18-2 edge and has won 14 of the last 16 contests. The 60th installment of the series will be aired noon Saturday on ESPN2.To buck recent history and beat the Badgers, IU will need to do so without sophomore running back Tevin Coleman. The reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week is “probably out,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said, after he suffered an ankle sprain against Illinois.Coleman sustained the injury late in the game after running for a career high 215 yards. Senior running back Stephen Houston will carry most of the offensive load.Along with Coleman, Houston has also run for more than 100 yards in the last two games. He lost his starting job earlier this season when Coleman emerged as the starter.But Houston is used to seeing the Badger defense. The last time IU traveled to Madison, Houston had a big game. He ran for 137 yards on just 19 carries, averaging 7.1 yards per carry.This year, Houston has been a formidable backup, averaging 7.3 yards per rush. “Again, we are fortunate,” Wilson said. “Stephen’s a two-year starter, and he’s played pretty good.”He will face one of the toughest tests of the year.Wisconsin is one of only three Big Ten teams to allow less than 100 rushing yards per game. Leading the defense is 5-foot-11-inch linebacker Chris Borland. The fifth-year senior has a decorated awards cabinet.He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2010, and was a first team All-Big Ten selection the past two seasons.“The best football player in the league may be Chris Borland,” Wilson said. “And there are a lot of great football players in this league. No. 44, the linebacker, is a special, special player.”In several betting establishments listed on yahoo.com, the Hoosiers are 23-point underdogs.When asked if he thought the high line was justified or if the team will take offense, Wynn shrugged his shoulders.“Everybody’s got their opinion,” he said.Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(11/12/13 5:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After running for a career high 215 yards on 15 carries and tallying two touchdowns Saturday against Illinois, sophomore running back Tevin Coleman was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. This is the first time Coleman has received the honor. It marks the first time a Hoosier running back has been awarded the honor in 12 years exactly, when Levron Williams took the honor on Nov. 12, 2001.Coleman is third in the Big Ten, averaging 106 rushing yards per game. He also leads the conference with 12 rushing touchdowns and is seventh nationally in the figure.He also ran for 108 yards against Minnesota, making it the first time a Hoosier tailback ran for more than 100 yards in consecutive games since BenJarvus Green-Ellis in 2003.Through nine games, Coleman has the most rushing yards of any IU running back since 2001. Coleman is averaging 7.3 yards per rush on the season and is on pace for 1,276 yards, which would give him the sixth most season rushing yards in IU history.His backup, senior Stephen Houston, has also rushed 100 yards in each of the past two games. He will be IU’s primary back against Wisconsin.IU Coach Kevin Wilson said Coleman is “probably out” this week after sustaining an ankle injury late against Illinois.If Coleman does not play, it will be the first time all season he has not recorded a touchdown in a game.— Evan Hoopfer
(11/11/13 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior wide receiver Shane Wynn lunged and extended all of his 5-foot-7 frame to attempt the catch, but his momentum carried him out of bounds. The play was ruled an incompletion. However, upon further review, Wynn had dragged his calf in bounds for the 27-yard catch. The call on the field was overturned.“As soon as he caught it, they said no and were trying to call a new play,” sophomore quarterback Nate Sudfeld said. “I was like, ‘He caught it, he caught it.’ I knew it was going to be a catch.”IU (4-5, 2-3) defeated Illinois (3-6, 0-5) 52-35.The victory was IU’s first since it beat Penn State Oct. 5.Wynn’s catch helped the Hoosiers score on the drive, and they would outscore Illinois by 17 points after the play. “He floated in the air for a second,” junior wide receiver Cody Latimer said. “I was like, ‘Wow, this little guy is flying.’ Great body control.”Latimer was the main target on the day. He had a career game with 11 catches, 189 yards and three touchdowns.“He has the best hands I’ve ever seen,” Sudfeld said.Twice Latimer fought for a first down when he appeared to be stopped at the marker by an Illini defender. But he fought for the extra yard or two to continue the drive for his team.“We need that first down,” Latimer said. “I had to use my strength to make a play and drag those defenders.”Latimer wasn’t the only Hoosier to have a career day. Sophomore running back Tevin Coleman had a career-high 215 rushing yards on just 15 carries, averaging more than 14 yards per carry.It was the most rushing yards by a Hoosier running back in a decade.The Illinois native had runs of 75 and 64 yards and was explosive all day.His backup, senior running back Stephen Houston, also crossed the century mark with 150 yards. Both tailbacks had two rushing touchdowns. “I just handed it off to them every single time,” Sudfeld said, laughing. “So that was pretty nice … I hand it off to Tevin and he makes one cut, and I put my hand in the air because I know it’s a touchdown.”IU had 371 rushing yards, which helped set a season-high 650 yards of total offense.As prolific as the offense was, the defense was porous.Illinois racked up 612 total yards, spearheaded by senior quarterback Nate Scheelhaase. He was 38-57 for 450 yards and two touchdowns.“We’re not there yet on defense,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said.The dual-threat quarterback also had 45 rushing yards. He joins the ranks of opposing quarterbacks to put up big numbers against the IU defense.“He’s a great athlete,” senior safety Greg Heban said. “We talked all week about how when he’s out of the pocket, stay fundamentally sound.”The Illini have yet to win a Big Ten game since 2011 when they last came to Bloomington and knocked off the Hoosiers.They are 0-19 in conference play since.Conversely, the IU win snapped a three-game losing streak. The Hoosiers are now two wins away from a bowl berth.“We really feel we’re a really good team when we put everything together,” Sudfeld said.Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(11/09/13 10:20pm)
It's been a tale of two quarters in Bloomington.
(11/08/13 5:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In Illinois’s 46 previous games, they’ve had the same quarterback for 44 of them.“Talented guy,” defensive coordinator Doug Mallory said of senior Nathan Scheelhaase. “He’s a guy that’s a dual threat quarterback.”Scheelhaase missed two games last season because of an ankle injury. Besides that, the last time Scheelhaase wasn’t the Illinois starter was Dec. 5, 2009, when Juice Williams was running the Illini offense.After a lackluster junior year where he threw just four touchdowns opposed to eight interceptions, the Kansas City native has righted the ship during his senior campaign.He started this year off by throwing for a career-high 416 yards, 340 coming in the first half, in the season-opener versus Southern Illinois.The performance earned him the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor.After his team thrashed Cincinnati in week two, Scheelhaase had thrown for more touchdowns in just seven quarters than he had in the entirety of last season.“When things break down, he’s got the arm strength to get the ball where he needs to get it to,” Mallory said.Scheelhaase is second in the Big Ten in total offense per game, behind Michigan’s Devin Gardner. When the Hoosier defense faced Gardner earlier this year, he had 584 total yards and five total touchdowns.Another dual threat quarterback IU faced was Missouri’s James Franklin. He lit up IU for 404 total yards and three total touchdowns.Despite the offense giving up 63 and 45 in those games respectively, junior safety Mark Murphy said they haven’t “struggled” against mobile quarterbacks.“It’s just another dimension you have to defend against,” he said of Scheelhaase’s running ability.Even though Scheelhaase has been prolific in his career, it hasn’t coincided with team success. In Illinois’ last 25 games against FBS opponents, they are 4-21 and 0-18 in conference play.Scheelhaase has been the starter for 24 of those games, including all Big Ten action.Illinois brought in a new offensive coordinator this season, Bill Cubit, who also coaches Scheelhaase and the rest of the quarterbacks.Cubit coached Western Michigan for eight years, and put up prolific offensive numbers. In eight games this season, the Illini offense has seen drastic improvement.Last season Illinois averaged 17 points per game, the worst in the conference. This season, they are averaging 29.They have less time of possession though, averaging 28:45 a game, compared to 30:14 last year.However, this is by design — similar to IU, they now run a faster offense.“I don’t think Illinois uses as much tempo as they were last year,” Mallory said.When looking at up-tempo and spread offenses, time of possession has little significance on offensive production.For example, IU is second in the conference in scoring offense, and last in time of possession. The much ballyhooed Oregon offense is averaging 56 points per game, and is last in the PAC-12 in time of possession.“When they get in sync, they’re a very capable offense,” Mallory said, of Illinois. “They’re very similar to us.”Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.