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(09/10/13 3:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When junior Elizabeth Tong tapped in her last putt, she had completed nine hours and 52 minutes of continuous golf.“It was the first 36-hole tournament of the year, so that’s always rough,” she said.After a long day, IU captured second at the IU Kickoff at Purgatory Gold Club in Noblesville, Ind., Sunday.“I’m really genuinely pleased with how they did,” IU Coach Clint Wallman said. “Any time you’re coming out you just don’t know what to expect in a competition format. And based off the qualifying scores they shot much, much better.”In IU’s fall event last year, sophomore Maria Mancini averaged 84 in three rounds of action.On Sunday, Mancini not only did better but was second for the Hoosiers in scoring.“She kind of struggled last year,” sophomore Marissa DeCola said. “This year she was really practicing really hard for this tournament and she killed it.”Other teammates felt the same.“She really improved from last year,” Tong said. Mancini’s rounds of 73 and 76 helped IU capture second at the Kickoff event, which was won by the Louisville Cardinals.Each of the five Hoosier women played 36 holes of golf. The total score for IU was 597.Louisville shot 570 collectively. The rest of the participants were Xavier (604), Cincinnati (605), Indiana State (618), Youngstown State (647) and DePauw (648).Fatigue might have played a factor in the Hoosiers not coming away victorious. “Some of us haven’t played a lot this summer, so it’s kind of our first big tournament back,” Tong said.DeCola said she started off well, then didn’t play as she’d hoped toward the end of the day.“Towards the end I got pretty tired,” she said. “But that’s expected in your first 36-hole tournament of the year. I’m not really proud of how I played, but my team did pretty well.”The low score for IU was set by freshmen Ana Sanjuan. The Spain native shot a 71 and 75.“She really stepped up,” Wallman said. “She’s coming from Spain, she’s been here for two weeks and she posts the low number out of the gate.”Wallman said he was proud of how his team managed the course and made a lot of intelligent decisions. He said they have a lot of work moving forward.“I think our scoring clubs need to improve a little bit,” he said. “In the red zone in football, you want to score a touchdown. For us, we have scoring opportunities. And we have to be able to take advantage of those opportunities.”IU will be back at it this weekend, traveling to East Lansing, Mich., for the Mary Fossum Invitational. The event is hosted by Michigan State and is 54 holes.Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(09/10/13 3:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Only 30 percent of IU’s yards last season came from the running game. This was the lowest figure in the Big Ten.“Our running stats are horrible,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “Our third down conversions are horrible. Our ability to score points when we get to the 35 is horrible. The other stats look good, but it doesn’t relate to points. And points relate to wins. And the run game relates to wins.”Despite being “horrible” in the run game, IU’s offense was ranked second in total offense in the conference. However, it was fourth in points per game.The offense was not able to score points in the red zone with efficiency. That’s where the role of a run game comes in with a pass-heavy offense.“When the field gets smaller, the passing windows get tighter,” Wilson said. “So the run game gives you the balance to score.”The Hoosiers run an offense that stresses an up-tempo pace, trying to keep the defense on its heels. They were the conference’s most proficient passing offense last season, the only team to average more than 300 passing yards per game.Wilson has said he wants the offense to be more balanced, rather than so one-dimensional.So far this season, IU has had mixed results.In the season-opener against Indiana State, sophomore Tevin Coleman ran for 169 yards on just 14 carries, and the run game accounted for roughly 50 percent of the Hoosiers’ total yards. Saturday against Navy, the leading rusher was sophomore quarterback Nate Sudfeld, who had 35 yards, while Coleman was held to 34 yards by the Midshipmen defense.The Hoosiers were down most of the game, so IU had to throw the ball more often than run it. The run game accounted for only 25 percent of their total yards.In 2012, the running game was one of the league’s worst. The Hoosiers averaged 131 yards per game, third least in the conference. They left several hundred yards on the field, IU running backs Coach Deland McCullogh said.“We went through the film from last year, me and all the backs. We estimated there was six or seven hundred yards we left on the field, just by poor reads,” he said. “Forget blocking, it’s poor reads.”The goal of the no-huddle offense is to get more snaps than the other team, Wilson said. Last year, that didn’t happen in part because of the running game woes.“We had games last year where we went 70 plays, and the opponent had 70 plays,” Wilson said. “The deal is, if you go no huddle, you need more plays. You want 80 or 85 cuts. Not 70 or 75. Then at the end, the time of possession is the same, but snaps played it’s 85 versus 65. We want to get to there.”Last year’s leading rusher, senior Stephen Houston, said the goal for the team is to hit 95 percent of their reads and try to get back some of those yards they left on the field.Houston lost his starting job earlier this year to Coleman, who said he is excited for the opportunity to be the primary back in a system he’s not used to running.“It’s really different,” Coleman said. “In high school we ran something similar to Georgia Tech’s offense. It’s real different to line up in the back and just hit the holes like that. It was definitely hard to get used to because I’ve never really ran in a hole like that.”His teammates also had to adapt.“The receivers have to adjust to the system, too,” senior wideout Kofi Hughes said.Because of the unusual style of offense, the receivers have to be prepared and play their part in the running game.“The things we always say as wideouts is we need to DTP — dominate the perimeter,” Hughes said. “The O-line blocks for five or six yards. We block for touchdowns.”Whether or not Houston will see many carries this season is not known, as McCullogh said he wants there to be one primary back this year.“I told them no longer am I looking for a couple guys with two or three hundred yards and a guy with four or five hundred yards,” McCullough said. “We want a 1,000-yard back. A marquee guy.”Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(09/09/13 4:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Falling to the ground, Keenan Reynolds extended his 5-foot-11 frame parallel to the field, reaching for the first down.Reynolds converted the critical fourth down by less than a yard. Navy ran out the clock and cemented its second consecutive win against IU.“I tried for two years to get out of playing these guys,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said after the loss.Navy (1-0) led wire to wire against IU (1-1) and held on for the 41-35 victory. Navy had 444 rushing yards using its triple option offense.The Hoosier defense was unable to stop the Midshipmen attack at any point.“Our team didn’t adjust well,” Wilson said. “I thought we were a little casual in our prep work recently in our body language and our chatter.“We weren’t on edge, ready to play.”IU had chances to get back in the game. Late in the fourth quarter, senior kicker Mitch Ewald’s onside kick gave the Hoosiers a good chance of recovering the kick.IU was unable to secure the ball before going out of bounds, missing the opportunity by inches. “It was so close,” Wilson said. “And like I said, today was so close. But we’re not playing horseshoes, it’s about W’s.”Navy’s 444 rushing yards came on 70 carries. The Midshipmen averaged more than six yards a carry, and IU had no answer for the attack all night.Reynolds managed the option effectively. The Antioch, Tenn., native ran the ball 32 times for 127 yards.The passing game was used sparsely but was effective for the Midshipmen. Reynolds had just two completions but netted 71 passing yards. “We prepared for them for the past year and a half, going back to spring ball, even,” senior safety Greg Heban said. “So it’s a little discouraging knowing we didn’t come out and play as well as we needed to.”Navy jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead after the first two IU offensive possessions stalled.Sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson got the start but was replaced by fellow sophomore Nate Sudfeld after Roberson didn’t achieve a first down.After Sudfeld came into the game, IU outscored Navy 35-27. He threw for 363 yards and four touchdowns.Senior wide receiver Kofi Hughes led his team with 102 yards on six receptions and one touchdown. However, the usually sure-handed receiver dropped two potential touchdown passes.“The first one I didn’t think was going to get through, and it ricocheted off my hands,” Hughes said, putting his face in his hands. “And the last one was just perfectly in the light. I tried to wrap it up, but it just caught the light.”Although IU scored on both of the possessions anyway, it would have left more time on the clock, which the Hoosiers needed at the end of the game.The two teams combined for almost 1,000 yards of total offense, and Wilson said he was proud of how his team fought back. “Disappointing loss, but I’m very, very proud,” he said. “Because we could have tanked it, but we battled back.”Follow football beat reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(09/08/13 2:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU defense couldn’t contain the Midshipmen running attack as they compiled 444 yards on the ground.Navy (1-0) bested the Hoosiers (1-1) 41-35 Saturday night. This is the second straight year Navy has beat IU by less than a touchdown with an extra point.Sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson started the game but was pulled after he failed to convert a first down in his first two series.Sophomore quarterback Nate Sudfeld came in and played the rest of the game and accumulated impressive statistics. After an interception inside the Navy red zone, Sudfeld bounced back to complete 31 of 42 passes for 363 yards and four touchdowns. IU scored on every possession after Sudfeld entered the game, except for one in which he threw an interception.While the Navy running game produced great numbers, the IU running game was held in check. Sophomore running back Tevin Coleman rushed for only 34 yards after running amok last week for 169 yards.Sudfeld, the pocket passer quarterback, was actually the leading rusher for IU with 35 yards.Navy’s own sophomore quarterback shined in his season opener. He rushed for 127 yards and added 71 yards through the air on two lone completions.
(09/07/13 11:45pm)
Ever since sophomore quarterback Nate Sudfeld entered the game, the Hoosiers have outscored Navy 14-10.
(09/06/13 3:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the final 12 minutes and 18 seconds of the fourth quarter against Navy last season, the Hoosiers had the ball a total of one minute and six seconds.IU saw its nine-point lead evaporate after Navy had drives of 74 and 72 yards. The Midshipmen’s option offense dominated the Hoosier defense.“We have to focus on getting three and outs,” sophomore cornerback Michael Hunter said. “They’re a team that likes to go for it on fourth down. So time of possession is going to play a big part in this game.”As IU (1-0) prepares for Navy (0-0), they will have to defeat Navy’s unique style of offense: the triple option. The scheme is so unique, the Hoosiers requested the opener against Indiana State to be on a Thursday so they could get a few extra days of preparation for Navy, IU Coach Kevin Wilson said.“I think they’ve been to bowls nine in the last 10 years,” he said. “They won the Commander in Chief trophy eight of the last 10, so it’s a quality team, winning team.”The Midshipmen averaged 278 yards on the ground last season, the sixth highest figure in college football.They also averaged 5.17 yards a carry. Last season the Hoosier defense was the worst in the Big Ten against the run.IU allowed 231 rushing yards per game, the only conference team to give up more than 200 rushing yards per game on average.Navy had a balanced rushing attack last year with no one player sticking out. Five Midshipmen had between 23 and 89 rushing yards against the Hoosiers.Navy’s then true-freshman quarterback Keenan Reynolds added 96 yards through the air and contributed 66 yards on the ground himself.“They’re led by the quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who’s awesome,” Wilson said. “You look at last year, he comes in, I know before we played them, the quarterback, the starter gets injured and he wins the Air Force game on the road.”Reynolds was the first Navy true-freshman to start at quarterback since 1991. His poise impressed Wilson, who said for a freshman he was “very calm.”Hunter said the danger of defending the option is that you are always expecting the run, and when they do pass it, your guard can be down as a defensive back.“It would be easy to fall asleep back there,” he said. “They’re going to pound, pound, run, run, run and you never know when they’re going to hit us with a play action, so you got to be ready.”Hunter’s fellow cornerback and junior Tim Bennett stressed the importance of having razor sharp focus against the option.“You just got to train your mind and be focused,” he said. “You got to be focused every play whether you’re getting blocked or covering a route.”To be prepared for such a mobile quarterback, the Hoosiers are using third and fourth string running backs at practice to play the part of the Navy quarterback, Hunter said.“It’s going to be a big challenge for us,” Wilson said.Follow football reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(09/04/13 4:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU finished the year 4-8 last season, but should have finished 5-7 according to the Pythagorean Expectation Model.The model, first developed by statistical pioneer Bill James for baseball and later adapted for football, evaluates how good a team is relative to points the team scored and points scored against the team.Looking at teams in the Big Ten last year, the PEM number suggests teams with a higher expected win total than actual win total will have more wins the following year.Essentially, the PEM is a better tool for predicting how a team will do the next season than its actual win-loss record.In four contests last year, IU lost by a combined total of 10 points. The Hoosiers were in all of those games late into the fourth quarter but couldn’t manage to win.But even though they were within a touchdown of winning each of those games, the win-loss record still stands at 0-4. The win-loss record fails to show how close the Hoosiers were to a victory in each instance.This is where the PEM can more clearly illustrate what IU’s record should have been.Last year, IU scored 369 points and gave up 423. Using the equation which uses elements similar to the Pythagorean Theorem, the Hoosiers should have won 5.03 games relative to their points scored and points against.They won four.The difference of 1.03 expected wins versus actual wins was tied for the third-highest figure in the conference last season.Consider Ohio State for example. In 2011, the Buckeyes had a 6-7 record. However, the PEM showed the team should have won 7.7 wins. This is a full 1.7 difference between the PEM and actual win-loss record.The next year, Ohio State went 12-0.Not all analysis is as drastic as this, but the PEM is a useful tool for predicting a team’s record.Using the PEM retroactively in IU’s history, it shows its usefulness once again in predicting improvement or regression. The 2009 IU team went 4-8 but had a positive PEM number of 0.42, so they should have won 4.42 games.In 2010, they improved to 5-7.That year, IU had a PEM number of -0.56 (so they should have won 4.44 games), and the next year their total number of wins decreased from five to one.In 2011, the Hoosiers finished 1-11 but had a positive PEM number of 2.54, meaning they should have won 3.54 games instead of one.So by considering the PEM, the 2012 Hoosiers should have seen an increase in wins, which they did. The 2012 squad finished 4-8.Looking at the past three seasons for IU, they have improved each time they had a positive PEM the year before and regressed in the years they have had a negative PEM the year before.So what is IU expected to do this year?Last season they had a PEM of 1.04, meaning they should have won roughly five games, but they only went 4-8.The PEM is not always correct in its predictions and is not the only factor one should look at when deciphering whether or not a team will improve.However, if this model holds true for the fourth consecutive year, IU will win five or more games this year.Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(08/30/13 5:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The decision to start sophomore running back Tevin Coleman over fifth-year senior Stephen Houston came as a surprise.Thursday night, Coleman showed why he separated himself from the incumbent tailback.“Tevin’s a special player,” senior tight end Ted Bolser said. “And he’s going to be extremely good. I mean he’s already extremely good, so that’s an understatement.”Coleman finished with 169 yards on 14 carries, good for a 12 yards per run average. The sophomore also made two trips to the end zone to propel the Hoosiers to a 73-28 victory.With the proficient numbers, IU Coach Kevin Wilson said he thought they should have run Coleman more.“I don’t know why we didn’t call his number more, he had 12 yards a carry,” Wilson said. “On 14 carries. He’s a good player. So bring those guys along too.”In the first half, Coleman and Houston had an equal amount of carries but an unequal amount of production. Coleman gained 75 yards on his eight rushes, with Houston managing just nine yards.On a third down in the middle of the third quarter, Houston dropped a pass that could have extended the Hoosier’s drive.In this game, it wasn’t IU who was supposed dominate the run game.Indiana State running back Shakir Bell ran amok against the Hoosier defense in last year’s opener.He ran for 192 yards on 24 carries, averaging eight yards a carry. The Warren Central graduate also tallied the game’s opening touchdown.“He’s a good player,” Wilson said. “We let him out a couple times. There were a couple times we had him corralled and we let him out.”This year the Hoosier defense was ready for Bell.He was held to 68 yards on 17 carries before Bell scampered for a 45-yard run late in the first half.“I think we came out and set the tone,” sophomore cornerback Michael Hunter said. “I think we did a pretty good job. He’s a pretty good running back. I’m not sure how many yards he had but I feel like we did a pretty good job on him.”The 45-yard burst was the last play Bell would see. He suffered an injury on the tackle and was donning street clothes for the rest of the contest.“The good news is that they did an x-ray and there is nothing broken,” Indiana State Coach Mike Sanford said. “He has a shoulder injury, and we’re going to wait and see the severity of it as we go along. It’s not dislocated, but we will have to wait and see what exactly happens.”Coleman’s emergence as a lead back will help improve upon the Hoosiers run game. Last season they averaged the lowest yards per carry in the conference.“He’s an awesome player,” Bosler said. “We’re expecting huge things from him.”Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(08/29/13 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Sycamores were a Hail Mary away from their first-ever victory over a Big Ten opponent last season.IU defeated Indiana State 24-17 in the 2012 season opener. It has been 33 years since Indiana State won a season opener on the road, and they are 0-10 against Big Ten teams all-time.Still, they only lost by seven to Indiana, something the players said won’t happen this year.“We’re not looking anybody over again,” sophomore cornerback Michael Hunter said. “If you’re at this level, they probably stood out in high school. So you just have to go out there and play football.”The third season of IU Coach Kevin Wilson’s era kicks off when FBS opponent Indiana State tries for the upset tonight at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.Sophomore running back Tevin Coleman said the Hoosiers didn’t score as many points against Indiana State last season as they thought they would, adding “this year, we’re much better.”“We’re going to come out here and have a fast start and put a lot of numbers on the board,” Coleman said.Earlier this month, Coleman was given the starting job over fifth-year senior incumbent Stephen Houston.Coleman is excited for the opportunity to prove himself and improve the Hoosiers’ running game, which had the lowest average yards per carry in the conference last year.“(Offensive coordinator Seth) Litrell said he’s going to run the ball a lot more,” Coleman said, “because he knows the RB’s been working real hard and he likes how we were looking at the end of practice.”Who will be handing the ball off to Coleman is still a mystery.Wilson has yet to name a starting quarterback for the season opener. Junior Cam Coffman is battling sophomores Tre Roberson and Nate Sudfeld for the starting job.Multiple quarterbacks are expected to be used, but Wilson said if one has a hot hand he will stay in the game.Tonight will be the first game for Indiana State Coach Mike Sanford. Sanford was the offensive coordinator for a Utah State team that finished 11-2 last season with a No. 16 rank in the AP poll.He was the coach of UNLV from 2005 to 2009, when he compiled a 16-43 record.For the second straight year, the game will be under the lights, which many players prefer. Coleman said it feels more natural, and his teammates agree.“I’m very excited,” sophomore cornerback Michael Hunter said. “Since I’ve been here we really haven’t had a lot of night games. Just to start the season off on one, especially a Thursday one, the students will be all riled up … so it’ll be a good experience.”Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(08/29/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Several Big Ten players were presented with the question, “Is IU still the laughing stock or the joke of the conference?” at Big Ten Media Day in Chicago in late July.“Whenever our team goes into it, we think we’re going to win it. It’s a rivalry. Every rivalry, no matter what, sees the other players as a joke. It’s no disrespect, it’s just a rivalry.” Ricardo Allen, Purdue cornerback “Oh no, not at all, not at all. They’ve grown every year since I’ve been in college. A lot of people tend to look down on Indiana, but they have great athletes, a great team and a great head coach. All it takes is a great leader to lead those guys, and they’ll follow. That’s what going on. You can see it in the way they’ve been playing lately, and they’re going to be a problem.”Malcolm Harris, Penn State safety“They’re not a laughing stock or a joke. They’ve never been. Maybe fans hold that opinion from time to time, but I know you can’t afford to have that opinion. In 2009, we played them, we won by three and it came down to the wire. Even when we’ve won big against them, they’re a very dangerous offensive team and they’re really improving under Coach Wilson. I’ve never called Indiana a laughing stock. Especially as a defensive player, I got a lot of respect for Indiana.”Chris Borland, Wisconsin linebacker “No, not the way they’ve played last year especially. You look at their Ohio State game. They’ve played quite a few teams really hard and beat some teams people didn’t think they would have won. I definitely say they aren’t, and some other teams would say that firsthand.”Bruce Gaston, Purdue defensive tackle “Absolutely not. I don’t think there are any teams in the Big Ten that are laughing stocks. I think every team has their own set of strengths. Indiana obviously last year gave us a great battle. I don’t think there’s any reason to call them a laughing stock.”Jack Mewhort, Ohio State offensive lineman “No, not at all. I think Coach Wilson is doing a great job. Ohio State will tell you they’re not a laughing stock; they took them to the wire. Their offense is very explosive. I think they’re on a great track to being a very good team in this conference. It’s not a team you just chalk up a win, especially with their coach.”Corey Lewis, Illinois offensive lineman — Evan Hoopfer
(08/28/13 4:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU finished the year 4-8 last season, but should have finished 5-7 according to the Pythagorean Expectation Model.The model, first developed by statistical pioneer Bill James for baseball and later adapted for football, evaluates how good a team is relative to points the team scored and points scored against the team.Looking at teams in the Big Ten last year, the PEM number suggests teams with a higher expected win total than actual win total will have more wins the following year.Essentially, the PEM is a better tool for predicting how a team will do the next season than its actual win-loss record.In four contests last year, IU lost by a combined total of 10 points. The Hoosiers were in all of those games late into the fourth quarter but couldn’t manage to win.But even though they were within a touchdown of winning each of those games, the win-loss record still stands at 0-4. The win-loss record fails to show how close the Hoosiers were to a victory in each instance.This is where the PEM can more clearly illustrate what IU’s record should have been.Last year, IU scored 369 points and gave up 423. Using the equation which uses elements similar to the pythagorean theorem, the Hoosiers should have won 5.03 games relative to their points scored and points against.They won four.The difference of 1.03 expected wins versus actual wins was tied for the third-highest figure in the conference last season.Consider Ohio State for example. In 2011, the Buckeyes had a 6-7 record. However, the PEM showed the team should have won 7.7 wins. This is a full 1.7 difference between the PEM and actual win-loss record.The next year, Ohio State went 12-0.Not all analysis is as drastic as this, but the PEM is a useful tool for predicting a team’s record.Using the PEM retroactively in IU’s history, it shows its usefulness once again in predicting improvement or regression. The 2009 IU team went 4-8 but had a positive PEM number of 0.42, so they should have won 4.42 games.In 2010, they improved to 5-7.That year, IU had a PEM number of -0.56 (so they should have won 4.44 games), and the next year their total number of wins decreased from five to one.In 2011, the Hoosiers finished 1-11 but had a positive PEM number of 2.54, meaning they should have won 3.54 games instead of one.So by considering the PEM, the 2012 Hoosiers should have seen an increase in wins, which they did. The 2012 squad finished 4-8.Looking at the past three seasons for IU, they have improved each time they had a positive PEM the year before and regressed in the years they have had a negative PEM the year before.The PEM model is three-for-three with predictions. So what is IU expected to do this year?Last season they had a PEM of 1.04, meaning they should have won roughly five games, but they only went 4-8.The PEM is not always correct in its predictions and is not the only factor one should look at when deciphering whether or not a team will improve.However, if this model holds true for the fourth consecutive year, IU will win five or more games this year.Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(08/19/13 6:26pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s leading three receivers ranked in the top 10 for receptions and yards per game in the conference last season. The trio is comprises senior Kofi Hughes and juniors Cody Latimer and Shane Wynn.This was the first time one Big Ten team had three representatives on both lists since the Big Ten started cataloging receiving statistics in 2004.Purdue senior cornerback Ricardo Allen, who has been named Second Team All-Big Ten three times, said besides his group of receivers at West Lafayette, the Hoosier trio is the best in the conference.“If I had to say another team, I would say IU,” Allen said. “They compete on a daily basis and they have the stats to prove it.”IU senior safety Greg Heban said going against the offense in practice every day is making IU’s defense better, and he said he agrees the receiving corps is the best in the conference.“Yeah, I do,” Heban said. “Going against them every day, all three of those guys, they’re just the best in the Big Ten…They are all freak athletes, and if I was any other defense, I wouldn’t want to go against our defense.”Last year, the trio accounted for 162 receptions, 2,104 yards and 15 touchdowns, about half of the total offensive production for last year’s 14 players who caught passes.Latimer was named Second Team All-Big Ten by the media and Wynn was named All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media following their feats in 2012. This year, Latimer was named to the Biletnikoff Award Preseason watch list, the award given annually to the country’s top receiver.Hughes, the senior leader of the group, said IU has a bevy of other players at the receiver position who can make plays.“And besides those three names, we have Duwyce Wilson, Isaiah Roundtree, Nick Stoner and Ricky Jones,” Hughes said. “Those guys can start anywhere in the Big Ten. Just because of the depth we have on this team, if I have to go out or Cody has to go out, we’re not skipping a beat at all.”Along with wide receiver depth, IU’s passing attack will also feature senior tight end Ted Bolser, who was named to the Mackey Award Preseason watch list, the award given annually to the nation’s best tight end.IU Coach Kevin Wilson doesn’t focus on getting the three receivers touches, he said the go-to man is the open man.“I think we got three guys who can deliver,” Wilson said. “They’ll have some stats, have some numbers. But it’s not trying to get Kofi (Hughes) a big year, or Cody Latimer a big year, it kind of just happens in the process.”From speedster Wynn, who stands at 5-foot-7, to jump ball threat Latimer who towers at 6-foot-3, each player brings a distinct set of skills to the field, Heban said.“Cody (Latimer)’s definitely got the size and the hands. He’s a great receiver,” Heban said. “Shane (Wynn) obviously has got the speed. And I think Kofi (Hughes)’s biggest asset is his route running…I think they all three bring something different to the table, and having all three of those combines into one great corps.”Purdue’s Allen isn’t the only defensive player around the Big Ten who thinks the trio is a tough bunch to handle.Penn State safety Malcolm Willis is the most experienced Nittany Lion in the defensive backfield and says the Hoosiers passing game turns heads. Willis is also a friend of Wynn, whom he said he has tremendous respect for.“They’re definitely a tough group,” Willis said. “Those guys, especially a guy like Shane Wynn — I’m actually good friends with Shane — he might be one of the toughest guys to cover in the slot that I’ve played against or that I’ve seen. Those three guys are a big problem to handle.”Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer
(08/06/13 1:57pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Another incoming freshman will not play for IU this fall.3-star running back Daryl Chestnut is not academically eligible to play this fall. He joins 4-star receiver Taj Williams and 3-star defensive lineman Maurice Swain as incoming freshmen ruled academically ineligible.“The plan is, we’re trying to look at the choices and trying to get him as a midyear,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “That being said, we’ll replace him with another walk-on.”Chestnut and Williams are in similar situations. Both will try again to become academically eligible in the spring semester.“The plan is, Taj (Williams) and Daryl (Chestnut), will be to try to get there situations, where they are very close, officially eligible where they would start in January,” Wilson said.Swain, not as close as Chestnut and Williams to becoming eligible, will have to go to junior college. Wilson said he would, “keep an eye on him,” in the future.The absence of Chestnut at the running back position will not hurt the depth, Wilson said.“At the same time we did sign three backs,” Wilson said. “(Freshman running back) LeRay (Smith) looks very fast and we got the other animals back.”Linebacker Chase Hoobler likely out for seasonDuring his freshmen campaign, junior linebacker Chase Hoobler made the freshmen all-Big Ten team for BTN.com. His sophomore season was cut short by missing six games due to injury, and his junior year looks to be done due to a stress fracture in his foot.“He has a stress fracture that will be operated on and that’ll push him four months,” Wilson said. “And maybe, that basically shoots his year.”Much like how Chestnut’s departure doesn’t hurt running back depth, Wilson said the bevvy of talent in the linebacking corps will make Hoobler’s absence less severe. “It’s really unfortunate more for him, then for us,” Wilson said. “To me, he’s a good kid. A fourth year kid, good student and you want him to do well. It’s more you feel for Chase (Hoobler) … we’ll move forward in a good way.”Still no quarterback announcedJunior Cam Coffman is competing alongside sophomores Tre Roberson and Nate Sudfeld for the quarterback position.IU came into camp without an announced starter and after four days, there is no certainty on who will start under center. “All have looked good, but not as sharp as I want, but it’s early,” Wilson said. “Not bad by any means.”No matter who plays for the Hoosiers, Wilson stressed the importance of being able to throw on the run.“We’re all doing a lot more moving around,” Wilson said. “Whether it be movement throws, awkward throws, quarterback run game and we’re throwing it a lot.”There is not timeline for making the quarterback decision. Wilson opts for early game vs. Indiana State to give more time to prepare for NavyIU opens against Indiana State on Thursday night, Aug. 29. Wilson explained he pushed for a Thursday night opener to give his defense more time to prepare for Navy.“I’m the person who wanted to play on Thursday,” Wilson said. “Because I wanted a few more days to transition to the second game… but to get ready for that option is two more days of preparation.”The Hoosiers will play Navy the next week, who runs the less-conventional option offense. Last season Navy won 31-30 while amassing 257 rushing yards against the Hoosier defense.“When you play an option football team, it’s a total waste of what you do defensively,” Wilson said. “Philosophy wise, everything you do from a D-line perspective, a linebacker’s perspective, it doesn’t fit … And those guys (Navy), they’re awesome.”Kelvin Sampson referenceWilson’s press conference ended on a lighter note when a cell phone went off in the room.The coach reached for his pocket saying, “Is that me?”“It’s not you,” a member of IU’s media relations team said.“Good, because then you’d say I was Coach Sampson or something, right?” Wilson said, filling the room with laughter.
(08/02/13 10:26pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU football team opened training camp Friday to its first serious injury news of the season.Junior linebacker Chase Hoobler has a stress fracture in his foot and may not play, “well into the season,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said at the team's opening practice Friday.“That’s going to shut him down,” Wilson said. “We feel for him, he’s one of our better players … He’s kind of got that unfortunate karma going against him. He’s a great kid.”Whether or not Hoobler will get surgery is “heads or tails” as of now, Wilson said. Hoobler played in all 12 games as a freshman and played in six games last year before getting hurt.As a freshman, he was named to the BTN.com all-Big Ten freshmen team and Wilson is curious how his team, and Hoobler, will respond to adversity.“When we’ve had adversity, we’ve always went south in my short time here,” Wilson said. “When things don’t go well, how can you help us? I’m sorry you’re hurt and I feel sorry for you, but at the same time you have a voice on this team. You live with guys that are good players. People like you, so I need some positive vibes from him.” Incoming freshmen dismissed from team, could rejoin in futureIU’s much hyped freshman class lost some talent when wide receiver Taj Williams and defensive lineman Maurice Swain were declared academically ineligible. Running back Daryl Chestnut is currently in limbo as to his eligibility.With Williams, a 4-star, 6-foot-4-inch recruit from Florida, there is potential to return in the spring, but his grades are not up to par yet, Wilson said.“It’s unfortunate he’s not here now, but he’s so close,” Wilson said. “It’s red tape and ultimately its things you’ve got to do and realistic to do. It was realistic to maybe happen this summer, but it didn’t.”Unlike Williams, Swain will have to go the junior college route. Wilson said he’ll keep an eye on him down the road.Chestnut is the closest of the three to potentially joining the team. IU is waiting on results before he can be declared academically eligible.“If the results go proper, he will show (up in camp),” Wilson said. “If not, if he’s close enough he’ll be a midyear … Right now Daryl (Chestnut) is not eliminated, it’s just a matter of red tape.”Williams and Chestnut are in similar situations, with Wilson hoping they will join the team sooner rather than later.Quarterbacks under 'stress' in competition for starting jobOnce again, Wilson enters training camp without an announced starter at the quarterback position, with three players trying to stand out to the coaching staff.“Those guys got a lot of stress on them right now,” Wilson said.Junior Cam Coffman and sophomores Tre Roberson and Nate Sudfeld are all vying for the spot, and the coaches are waiting for someone to take charge.“I want someone to step up and be the man,” offensive coordinator Seth Littrell said. “Step up and be the guy.”Despite not knowing who will be under center, senior running back Stephen Houston says the competition is not a distraction to the team.“All three of them are capable,” Houston said. “There’s not too much focus on who starts, it’s all about who finishes.”Houston, a fifth-year senior, said competition is high at every position and nobody is guaranteed a spot, including him.To secure the starting job he needs to do what he does best: be physical, the 233-pound back said.“Being more physical,” Houston said. “Just playing to my strengths. I’m the biggest one in the room, so not really trying to finesse it.”Duwyce Wilson finally feels healthyLast season, receivers Cody Latimer, Kofi Hughes and Shane Wynn all were in the top 10 in the conference in receptions and yards per game.Besides those three, Hughes thought the addition of a healthy senior Duwyce Wilson was big for the offense heading into this year.“And besides those three names, we have Duwyce Wilson, Isaiah Roundtree, Nick Stoner and Ricky Jones,” Hughes said. “Those guys can start anywhere in the Big Ten. Just because of the depth we have on this team, if I have to go out or Cody has to go out, we’re not skipping a beat at all.”Duwyce Wilson said being healthy for this season and participating in every drill on the first day means everything to him.“I can’t put it into words,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been injured for a long time now. So being healthy finally, it’s just a great feeling … I couldn’t ask for anything better.”In the second game of the season, Roberson broke his leg and was out for the year. Duwyce Wilson said he knew exactly how his teammate felt, and the two of them helped each other.“Especially with the treatment and the rehab,” he said. “I talked to him a little bit. But Tre’s always had a great head on him … Having him out here right now, it’s great to see him out here.”
(08/01/13 10:41pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior cornerback Antonio Marshall has been dismissed from the IU football team and signees Taj Williams and Maurice Swain will not play for IU this year after failing to meet academic requirements, the team announced in a release Thursday.Marshall was released due to a violation of team rules. It was not specified what that violation was.Marshall played at Georgia Military Junior College in 2011 before coming to Bloomington last season. He started the final seven games at cornerback for the Hoosiers last season and appeared in 11 games, recording 38 tackles and two interceptions.Williams, a 6-feet 4-inch Tallahassee, Fla., native, was a four-star wide receiver according to rivals.com.Swain was a three-star defensive lineman from Georgia, also according to rivals.com.Both Williams and Swain failed to meet the academic requirements to enroll at IU.Three-star signee running back Daryl Chestnut is expected to join the team sometime during camp as he finishes his academic requirements, but will not be on the field as the team starts practice Friday, according to the release. He is currently listed on the 105-man roster.The roster is comprised of 80 scholarship players and 25 walk-ons this preseason.“We have a good group coming back combined with a strong recruiting class and a solid walk-on program,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said in the release. “This is the healthiest we have been during my time in Bloomington.”
(07/25/13 2:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>CHICAGO — IU plays Indiana State in 36 days under the lights, but who will be under center is still unknown.“We’re unsettled at quarterback,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “Got three guys in a dead heat ... Haven’t seen someone separate through spring.”Sophomores Nate Sudfeld and Tre Roberson will try to unseat junior Cam Coffman, who started ten games last year at quarterback.“I really don’t know what it’s going to be, the deciding factor or anything like that,” senior wide receiver Kofi Hughes said. “I think it’s going to be really tough. But like I said, I think our whole team is confident in Nate, Cam and Tre. And whoever they want to throw out there, I think it’s going to be really good.”Roberson, last season’s initial starter, lost his starting job last season when he broke his leg against Massachusetts in the second game of the season.He subsequently received a medical redshirt, and Coffman started the rest of the season with Sudfeld seeing action in seven games.Despite leading the conference with 311.2 yards per game, Wilson wasn’t impressed with his team’s response to the Roberson injury.“We also did not handle the adversity of losing our starting quarterback,” he said. “We led the league in passing, blah, blah, blah, all that junk. Once our quarterback got hurt, we lost five straight games.”Coffman stepped in and averaged 248.5 yards a game with a passer efficiency rating of 123.87.However, he was pulled in many games for Sudfeld, a 6-foot-5-inch California native who was statistically more efficient than Coffman.Sudfeld had a higher completion rate, and his average of 12.4 yards per completion was higher than Coffman’s 11.1 figure.No matter who is leading the Hoosier offense, Wilson stressed the importance of his quarterback to be elite.“For our program to win, have the year we’re capable of having, we need to be dynamic at quarterback,” Wilson said. “We can’t be average and let the complementary pieces give us the victories that we need for our program and our fans and alums and school.”Having great intangibles is vital, Hughes added.“I just want to really make sure they can command the offense,” Hughes said.This season is different from Wilson’s previous two, he said. All three players can play at a high rate. “The first year, I didn’t know if we could throw it in the ocean,” Wilson said.Each player has a uniqueness that makes him special on the field, Wilson said.“Maybe the greatest arm strength is Nate Sudfeld,” he said. “Tall. Very smart. Young player, very good. Maybe greatest moxie might be Cam Coffman. He’s a little daredevil. He’ll take some shots and take some chances. Great anticipation, vision. The best athlete of the crowd is probably Tre Roberson.”Other players are not stressing about the quarterback situation, Hughes said. All of them are capable of spearheading the Hoosier offense, which ranked second in total yards in the Big Ten last season.“I don’t think there’s a crowd favorite on our team,” Hughes said. “That’s why we’re all at ease. Let Coach Wilson decide that, take that into his own hands because we’ll be great with whoever.”
(07/25/13 1:34am)
IU Coach Kevin Wilson said that because of the physical nature of
playing running back and the pace at which running backs play, most
teams will play with more than one.
(07/22/13 12:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Strength of schedule often correlates with a team’s success. Generally, the tougher the opponents, the harder it will be to amass wins. So how does this upcoming IU season compare with previous ones in terms of strength of schedule?Looking at the previous five years of IU’s schedules, definite trends can be determined. In processing all statistics, non-FBS teams were thrown out. Only IU’s Division I-FBS opponents were examined.For the previous five years of IU football, the Hoosiers’ opponents had an average winning percentage of 54.7 percent from the prior season.This upcoming year, IU’s opponents had an average winning percentage of 55.7 percent, a full percentage point higher than the previous five-year average.Of the Hoosiers’ 11 FBS opponents this season, only four did not play in a bowl game last year — Missouri, Penn State, Illinois and Ohio State. Penn State and Ohio State, who finished 8-4 and 12-0, respectively, were both ineligible for bowls because of sanctions levied by the NCAA. Missouri and Illinois did not qualify for a bowl because of their records, as the Tigers finished 5-7 in their first season in the Southeastern Conference and the Illini went 2-10 and winless in the Big Ten. It was Missouri’s first time missing a bowl since the 2004 season.Looking more closely at Missouri, the Tigers’ first year in the SEC was a tough one in terms of their schedule.Some of their opponents included Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida, South Carolina and Georgia.All five of these teams finished the season ranked in the top nine of the AP Poll.Their schedule was rated the toughest schedule by the Colley Matrix, Jeff Sagarin and Kenneth Massey. All three of these computer rankings are used in the BCS rankings.Strength of schedule is not the only contributor for measuring a team’s success, but it does play a factor.But does strength of schedule really matter in IU’s case? Looking at IU’s toughest and weakest schedules the previous five years suggests it does. In the previous five years examined, IU had the most difficult strength of schedule heading into the 2011 season.That year, IU’s opponents had an average winning percentage of 56.8 percent, a full two percentage points higher than the five-year average.The 2011 team finished 1-11 (0-8 in the Big Ten).To note, this was also the first year of the IU Coach Kevin Wilson era, which was a transition year for the team as a whole, so strength of schedule was just one factor at play with the final record.Conversely, IU’s easiest strength of schedule in the previous five years was the 2010 season. That season IU’s opponents had an average winning percentage of 51.8 percent, roughly three percentage points below the average.The 2010 season was IU’s most successful in the previous five years. The Hoosiers finished the year 5-7, one win away from qualifying for a bowl game.So it stands to reason if a team had a tougher schedule, the amount of wins would diminish.In the last five seasons IU has averaged 3.4 wins, and the Hoosiers had, on average, an easier schedule, than this one featuring nine teams that amassed at least six wins to qualify for a bowl game.For IU to become bowl eligible this season, it will have to break some heavy statistical trends to capture more wins than its 3.4 average the past five years.
(07/18/13 12:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After fighting leukemia for the past three months, former IU soccer player Kevin Alston has been taken off the disabled list for the New England Revolution.“I hit a bump in my life where you find something out that you never expect and life throws curve balls at you and you have to take it and go with it,” Alston said in an interview courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net.Alston, 25, last played for the Hoosiers in 2008, leaving IU after his junior year to be picked No. 10 overall by the Revolution. During his time at IU, he was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore and First Team All-Big Ten as a junior.He helped lead the Hoosiers to three NCAA tournament appearances, culminating with a quarterfinals appearance in 2008.Alston has started 116 games for the Revolution and was an all-star in 2010.Alston has played five seasons for New England, and ranks in the top 10 for most appearances, starts and minutes played for the franchise.According to the team’s website, Alston made the journey Monday to Colorado with his team, where the Revolution played the Colorado Rapids Wednesday.“I think it’s been a blessing in disguise,” Alston said. “A lot of good came from it. I’m just really grateful and fortunate that I had the opportunity to help out the team any way I can and have the opportunity to play again.”— Evan Hoopfer
(07/18/13 12:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior wide receiver Cody Latimer has been named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list. The award is given annually to the nation’s top receiver.The Dayton, Ohio, native led the Hoosiers last year in yards, yards per game, yards per reception, tied for the lead in touchdowns and was second in receptions.The Biletnikoff Award watch list includes 75 receivers across the country. Latimer is one of eight total receivers from the Big Ten to make the list.Notable winners of the Biletnikoff Award include Justin Blackmon (2011 and 2010), Michael Crabtree (2008 and 2007), Calvin Johnson (2006), Larry Fitzgerald (2003) and Randy Moss (1997).The 6-foot-3-inch Latimer was named Second Team All-Big Ten by the media and ESPN.com last year. He garnered co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after his 113-yard performance against Iowa.Latimer is the third Hoosier to be named to a preseason watch list this summer. Senior tight end Ted Bolser was named to the John Mackey Award watch list and senior kicker Mitch Ewald was named to Lou Groza Award watch list.— Evan Hoopfer