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(12/15/03 7:08am)
Neither rain nor sleet nor snow nor jet lag could stop the 2003 IU men's soccer team. No one could stop the players on the field either -- the Hoosiers are National Champions, finishing an improbable run with a 2-1 victory over the St. John's Red Storm.\nThe Hoosiers' most interesting battle of the championship game was the one they fought against the white storm, though. In the latter stages of the second half, the snowfall that had fallen into Columbus Crew Stadium in the form of flurries throughout the course of the game upgraded into a full-fledged whiteout.\nThe snow, combined with a St. John's goal in the 78th minute, added a degree of tension that made it impossible to divert your attention from the game as it drew closer to expiring. Would the bad traction cause an IU defender to slip just at the wrong time? Might a snowflake temporarily blind goalkeeper Jay Nolly as he attempted to make a save?\nAny worries were erased when Nolly cradled the ball in his hands after St. John's mounted its last scoring attempt with less than 10 seconds remaining. Jerry Yeagley was going out on top in an ending that seemed like it was penned by the best hacks in Hollywood.\nI mean, come on, who else would be able to come up with a scenario in which forward Ned Grabavoy and defender Drew Moor could be in the United Arab Emirates during Friday's semifinal game and still be able to show up for Sunday's final? And for Grabavoy to score the opening goal of the game? Now we're clearly treading in the realm of Disney.\nNext year, IU's jerseys will hold six stars for each of its national titles. Yeagley will need to use both hands if he wants to wear all of his championship rings at the same time, although he'll be doing it in the relaxed land of retirement.\nHe is almost universally regarded as the greatest coach in the history of collegiate soccer, and indeed his record 544 wins are evidence of this. Yeagley should also be recognized as the finest coach in the history of any sport at IU. The competition that he is going up with is none too shabby -- it includes Bob Knight, Branch McCracken and former swimming coach Doc Counsilman (another winner of six national titles).\nBut none of them did what Yeagley did. In every way, he is the father of the program. It has known no other coach since its inception as a varsity sport. When he began, American soccer was a sport with a cult following at best. Now, people come to IU so they can play for him.\nIn 31 years, Yeagley has led 16 teams to the College Cup. Visiting the Final Four at a rate better than every other year is a remarkable feat. And winning a championship at a rate of once every five years is pretty darn good. \nTo say that Yeagley is the finest coach in IU history is an understatement still. He is one of the best leaders of men in the history of collegiate sports. Wooden. Rockne. Yeagley. They're all in the same echelon.\nIU has a strong enough foundation in place that it will be able to win -- and win often -- after Yeagley is gone (there were only two seniors in the starting lineup). But if IU is ever able to produce another coach in any sport that is as successful as Yeagley -- that would be an impressive feat indeed.
(12/12/03 6:43am)
Last week, I complained about the lack of a winning team at IU. But that was before the discovery of Ryan Tapak. And I also managed to neglect the IU men's soccer team.\nI admit, I grew up a soccer-hater. I thought soccer players were just pansies that couldn't handle a real tackle and it was a game for them durn furinurs anyway.\nAnd what kind of game prohibited the use of hands? No wonder it was so popular in communist countries.\nMy own experience with soccer was pretty frustrating. One time in gym class, a kid set me up for a perfect header to score. But instead, I decided to awkwardly attempt kicking the ball, which was six feet off the ground. I missed. Hey, it wasn't my fault. I didn't know you could use your head.\nAnd people wondered how I could dislike soccer if I liked hockey so much. The answer is easy. Hockey players move much faster. And they beat the crap out of each other.\nHowever, I think my loathing for the sport was projected by my disdain for soccer moms. Who did they think they were, driving their ugly minivans five miles under the speed limit? Why weren't they taking their kids to play an American game, like baseball?\nIt turns out I was wrong about these things (except for the ugliness of minivans). Coming to IU has taught me one of the most difficult lessons to be learned by any stubborn American male: how to appreciate soccer.\nYou see, soccer players aren't pansies at all. They are the best conditioned athletes that exist. They have to run around the field for 90 minutes. That's like 89 minutes longer than I can run without tiring.\nAnd even though it will be freacking freezing this weekend, everyone on the field will be wearing shorts. It goes without mentioning that playing soccer leaves you prone to being kicked in very uncomfortable places (like the back of a Volkswagen).\nMy appreciation for soccer was also enhanced by traveling in Europe this summer. There is no other sport that brings about so much passion in its fans. The rowdiness, the songs, the burning of stadium seats …it's all glorious.\nIf I was to wear a Bears jersey into a bar in Bloomington, it probably wouldn't cause much of a stir. But most pubs in Britain and Ireland prohibit you from wearing a soccer jersey within their confines because of the odds of a turf war ensuing. Over here, we start fights over silly issues, like guys hitting on our girlfriends.\nOne of my favorite memories of the summer is singing the "Ole! Ole! Ole!" song with about a hundred drunken Irishmen. And we weren't even at a match.\nIn fact, the shirt I'm wearing in my IDS mug shot is an Irish soccer jersey. So have I transformed into a bona fide soccer aficionado in four years? \nNot really. I'm still not sure how they call offside. They don't have a blue line painted on the field.\nBut I do know the IU soccer team is pulling off a storybook season. The season began with its slowest start ever. Then they caught fire, playing to send coach Jerry Yeagley into retirement by winning his sixth national title. And they have made their tournament run without their two top players, who are playing with Team USA for the Under-20 World Cup.\nWith finals coming up, most people will be busy this weekend. But anyone who has time (people who finished I-Core, I'm looking at you) should try and make the trip to Columbus, Ohio, to support the Hoosiers.\nIt's not often you get a champion around here.
(12/08/03 6:36am)
Hey, does anyone know when NIT tickets go on sale?\nWhen Missouri center Arthur Johnson fouled out with 4:29 left to play, I figured, "Alright! This one's over." I was right. But not in the way I imagined.\nSean Kline's free throws were the last points that IU would score the rest of the game.\nIt was just one more step in the debacle that the 2003-04 season is starting to become. The Tigers outscored IU 21-2 to close out the game, completely erasing what had been the best 36 minutes of basketball the Hoosiers have played all year. That's what makes this game so hard to assess. Anyone who was flipping through scores and saw "No. 4 Missouri 63, IU 58" would think the Hoosiers gave their best against a better team.\nAnd they did. But for the final 4:23 of the game, they gave their worst. And it was one of the worst choke jobs I've seen. (Maybe not as bad as the one the Oklahoma football team pulled later Saturday, but still perfectly ugly.)\nSo which do we read into more: the fact that IU is capable of competing with one of the top teams in the country, or the fact that they piddled away the lead faster than someone who just drank a liter of cola?\nThere were a lot of positives that could be taken out of the performance. We saw that Donald Perry is deserving of more playing time, as he put up a career-high 13 points. And in the first half, everything IU did on offense and defense seemed to work.\nBut I think the negatives far outweigh the positives in this case. Should they find themselves ahead in the game, the Hoosiers have proven that they are incapable of holding on to it. They blew a 14-point lead against Xavier last week only to win in overtime. Even UNC-Greensboro was able to hang around for most of the game due to IU's lack of a killer instinct.\nAnother factor was poor decision-making by players and the coaching staff. Despite being in the double bonus, all of IU's shots in the final 4:23 were jump shots. In this situation, somebody has to do something to get the ball inside and draw a foul. It's two free throws every time.\nAdding fuel to the fire was the fact that the same lineup was in the game for the entire crash and burn that occurred after the final media timeout. Personally, even if he is a freshman, I would have preferred a Pat Ewing Jr. sighting. Or just any sort of variety in a lineup that was clearly getting outplayed.\nBut the key to the game (as it will be for the majority of the year) was IU's inability to rebound. Mizzou out-rebounded the Hoosiers 46-28. The Tigers had 21 offensive boards to seven for IU. \nThere were times when it appeared that Kline was wearing anti-ball magnets on his hands (he had seven turnovers). But he can't be expected to do everything when playing against a frontcourt of three bigger guys. That's why it was surprising that IU's tallest player, Ewing, only played 12 minutes.\nUntil IU's opponents start getting considerably shorter, the Hoosiers are going to have to play 40 minutes of solid basketball every game. Right now, they aren't good enough to have any margin for error. Unless they plan on playing some postseason games this March.
(12/05/03 6:25am)
Having a bad football team is expected. At IU, it is almost a rite of passage. But throwing in a bad basketball team to boot? For once in my life, I can legitimately say, "Egad!"\nI have a theory that football and basketball programs should be able to balance each other out. For instance, if you are as bad as Duke at football, you make up for it in basketball. At Nebraska, you do it the other way around. Or you could make like Wisconsin and put together a competitive team in both sports each year, but dominate neither.\nThen there's the other extreme -- you could make like Baylor and completely suck at both. Unfortunately, that's the direction IU appears to be headed this season.\nIt is too early to panic, of course. We're only four games into the season. There is plenty of time to improve. Heck, the whole Big Ten is looking pretty miserable at this point (with the most unfortunate exception of Purdue).\nBut there is also plenty of improvement to be done. Right now, it looks like it would take a minor miracle for IU to keep its streak of 17 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament alive.\nThe offense is in shambles. No one is moving off of the ball. If someone throws a pass, it is either to Bracey Wright or the other team. That problem is way too complicated for me to fix, so I'll leave it to Mike Davis.\nDefense has always been the hallmark of IU basketball. But Wake Forest was able to light the scoreboard up against the Hoosiers like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The reason the Demon Deacons, and a lot of others, will be able to do this is because of their ability to dominate a game inside the paint.\nThis is where the absence of George Leach will really hurt IU. Before the season began, I felt that Leach would have to have a career year for IU to compete. But his knee injury is another problem that is way too complicated for me to fix, so I will leave it to the doctors.\nIn the meantime, IU will have to rely on Sean Kline, Patrick Ewing Jr. and Mike Roberts to pick up the slack and more. Please stop grimacing. It could happen. And at the very least, the experience will make Ewing Jr. a dominant player when next season comes around.\nAt any rate, Saturday's game against No. 4 Missouri is huge. IU doesn't figure to win a lot of road games this year (a trip to north Texas might be its best chance for any road win), so it will have to defend the home court at Assembly Hall in nearly flawless fashion.\nThat's where you, Joe Fan (or Jo Fan), can help out. Forget that the Wake Forest game ever happened. Well, forget about any of the games that have been played this year; they've all been ugly. Just file into Assembly Hall before 4 p.m. Saturday and be as loud as you can possibly be.\nFor some, this may require the use of libations throughout the morning and early afternoon. That's ok, just as long as you are still able to stand up for the whole game. And yes, you should stand up for the whole game. That includes the older folks in the good seats. Lean on to somebody else if you have to. (Also, make sure to bring a water bottle to keep your voice intact.)\nThe Hoosiers know that they will have to bring their 'A' game in order to beat a team led by stars Arthur Johnson and Rickey Paulding. Fans will have to do the same. If both of these things happen, then maybe -- just maybe -- Mizzou will learn that Assembly Hall is still one of the toughest places to visit in college basketball.
(12/01/03 6:12am)
WARNING: This column contains little or no useful sports content.\nFor many, a 2-10 football season would be considered unmemorable. Not for me. Granted, most of the memories I have from this season occurred off the field. But memories are easy to come by when you spend some 100 hours in a car driving 5,436 miles round trip with my football co-writers, John Rodgers and Gavin Lesnick (Going one way, that's enough mileage to make it to Honolulu. If you got rid of the ocean). Of course, driving this long lends to conversations like "Didn't we already have this conversation?"\nSo even though the Hoosiers were outscored a somewhat disheartening average of 40-9 on the road this year, I have compiled a season worth of my favorite highlights.
(11/24/03 6:34am)
It was one of the strangest games I have ever attended. There was a large and raucous crowd backing the Hoosiers. Both teams had unusual breaks go the other way. It was over 60 degrees at the end of November. A car was set on fire in the tailgate field. Was this really happening, or did someone slip something into my water?\nMost importantly, and perhaps most bizarrely, IU outplayed and deserved to beat a superior opponent. The Hoosiers entered the game as 24-point underdogs. The question on most people's minds wasn't "Will Purdue win?" but "Will Purdue score 50?"\nAfter Purdue marched downfield on their first possession for a touchdown, most figured, "Here we go again." But instead of mindblowingly bad, this loss for IU would be frustratingly and tantalizingly close.\nIU's first good break occurred on Purdue's third possession. Boilermaker quarterback Kyle Orton hit wide receiver Kyle Ingraham with a pass, but the ball was jarred loose on a hit by safety Herana-Daze Jones straight into the hands of cornerback Cedric Henry, who returned it to the Purdue 16-yard line.\nIU's first bad break would happen four plays later. After three straight runs, IU didn't get the first down and settled for a field goal attempt that would make the score 7-6. The ball never made it more than three feet off the ground, as backup holder Rhett Kleinschmidt botched the hold and the kick went straight into IU's blockers. \nOn its next possession, IU's 45-yard field goal attempt landed in the middle of the end zone. \nPurdue went up 14-3 on the next possession, and things looked grim for IU when Tyson Beattie lined up for a punt after the Hoosiers went three and out after getting the ball back. They looked even grimmer when Beattie dropped the snap. But amazingly, no one on Purdue paid enough attention to go after him, so Beattie saw a hole and took off for an 18-yard gain.\n"I'd like to say it was planned," Beattie said. "I think my rugby instincts just kicked in."\nBut the drive would be halted at the Purdue 24-yard line when IU attempted to convert on fourth down rather than attempting a field goal.\n"Your inability to kick field goals distorts your strategy," coach Gerry DiNardo said.\nWhen Purdue jumped to a 21-3 lead early in the third quarter, it looked like the floodgates were about to break open. IU had moved the ball well offensively and only had three points. The Hoosiers had contained the Boilermakers' offense, but 41- and 33-yard touchdown catches by John Standeford looked to be backbreakers.\nBut the Hoosiers didn't know how to quit. Adding a BenJarvus Green-Ellis touchdown and a Bryan Robertson field goal to end the third, IU trailed 21-13 entering the fourth quarter.\nAnd then the Big Ten officials struck. It will never cease to amaze me that one of the best conferences in the nation may have the worst officials. But as IU opened the fourth with a short kickoff, the Purdue upback called for a fair catch. He dropped the ball, and Purdue and IU players piled onto it.\nBut we'll never know who recovered, since an official who assumed that the catch was going to be made had blown an inadvertent whistle. (We all know what assuming does.) The kickoff had to be redone.\nIt didn't matter, though, as IU got an interception from Henry, who in turn lateralled to Duane Stone for a return to the Purdue 16. \nOn third and goal from the five, LoVecchio tossed an easy touchdown pass just out of the reach of wide-open fullback Alex Stscherban. Earlier in the game, LoVecchio had just missed Stscherban on a 40-yard pass that would have also resulted in a touchdown.\nTrailing by five, IU had the nail driven in the coffin by Standeford on a 56-yard reception that set up a field goal.\nWith two minutes left in the game, IU had one last chance. Purdue had a fourth and one from the IU 36. But a spot more generous than the Salvation Army gave the Boilermakers the last good break of the game and the first down.\nIU lost 10 games this season. But in its final loss, they gave us reason to believe that a winning season is not too far around the corner.\nIU MVP: For the second straight week, BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The freshman became the first running back in 15 games to rush for over 100 yards against Purdue.
(11/21/03 6:42am)
The advantage of Purdue choking against Ohio State last week is that I can say things like: This week, Kyle "I look like a dirty hippie" Orton and Ben "Wide Left" Jones will try to rebound from gagging away a shot at the Big Ten title.\nThe disadvantage of Purdue choking against Ohio State last week is that it raises the probability of the Boilermakers laying a whooping the likes of which has never been seen on the Hoosiers this Saturday.\nOrton seems poised to have a field day if IU's defensive backs play as far off the line of scrimmage as they have for the majority of the season, as it would leave the table wide-open for Purdue's short pass attack.\nBut maybe it doesn't have to happen that way. It would be a shame to see the career of IU's defensive leader, Joe Gonzalez, end in a blowout.\nA fifth-year senior, Gonzalez has no chance at a bowl game. He has been on the field and on the sidelines for many a long, long game. But he brings something the freshman and sophomores that surround him defensively can take a lot from, and that's leadership.\nAfter losing to Penn State, Gonzalez said he was disappointed in himself as a leader. He shouldn't be. If the younger players pay any attention to what he has brought to the program, it will be quite apparent when they become seniors. And that's when it will pay dividends. But to go out with the Bucket would be a nice immediate return on that investment.\nSome don't like the odds of that happening for IU. My good friend and associate, Stanley Q. Studmuffin, is included in that crowd. So he has come up with an alternative plan that will send IU fans in a frenzy: the destruction of the "World's Largest Drum." Here is a copy of my not-so-exclusive interview.\nWhat is your issue with the drum?\n"I hate everything about it. The way they spin it, they way those guys prance up and down to hit it. I never thought that Purdue should have the world's biggest anything, besides dorks. So I've actually been plotting some way to hijack the drum over the years, but I just never had the means. After all, it is the biggest freakin' drum in the world, I couldn't just walk out of West Lafayette with it."\nHow do you plan on destroying it?\n"Easy. It's the simplicity of my plan that is so brilliant. I'm gonna wear a spiked helmet, charge onto the field, and jump through the drum."\nDon't you think that stadium security might pick up on, I don't know, a guy with a spiked helmet?\n"That's why there is a backup plan. I have an archer planted on the top of Assembly Hall. He'll fire at the drum if necessary."\nIsn't there some chance of the arrow going into the crowd?\n"Not an issue. It will mostly be Purdue fans, so chances are it won't hit anyone that matters."\nAnd if that doesn't work?\n"We have someone waiting with an Escalade outside the stadium. They will drive through the drum as it is being wheeled out of the stadium."\nWouldn't it be easier for IU to just make a bigger drum? We do have a world renowned music school.\n"Nah, each side would come up with a bigger drum each year. And it's not like they could store it in the School of Music. It would get stolen"
(11/19/03 6:53am)
IU has something that most other big time men's basketball programs can't boast about -- a coach who is returning this season.\nNorth Carolina, Kansas, Illinois and UCLA were the most notable schools to participate in this off-season's Wheel of Coaches. With Roy Williams at Chapel Hill and Bill Self at Lawrence (Self's name is pretty much tossed around as an expletive in Champaign these days), it should be an interesting year to say the very least.\nRight now, the fashionable pick to win the national championship is Connecticut. Shooting guard Ben Gordon and center Emeka Okafor might be the best players in their positions in college. Add the possibility of blue chip freshman forward Charlie Villanueva, (no relation to former Cubs catcher Hector) who is still waiting to hear if he will be eligible this year, the Huskies are easily the top team on paper. (Villanueva was poised to go to Illinois, but backed out when Self left).\nOf course, the preseason No. 1 is rarely cutting down the nets when the season comes to an end. Ask the 2002 Duke Blue Devils.\nSo who else might give the Huskies a run for their money? (I say money in the figurative sense, since the players don't get paid. Unless they play for Michigan).\nDuke: What else is new? Once again, coach K has assembled a lineup capable of mass destruction. Chris Duhon, J.J. Redick and Daniel Ewing (no relation to Pat) all return. They also add forward Luol Deng, who is considered to be equal to Villanueva in terms of potential.\nMichigan State: Let it be known that I hate praising the Spartans, because every year people are bending over backwards to give praise to Tom Izzo and his squad. But let's face it; they are poised to be the class of the Big Ten this year. So IU's Breslin Center's woes look like they aren't going away anytime soon. They lost Aloysious Anagonye, but for the first time in a number of years, their key underclassmen decided it would be a good idea to stay in school.\nMissouri: Circle Dec. 6 on your calendar, because that's when the Tigers come to town in what should be the best game of the year. Ricky Paulding and Arthur Johnson are a rarity in college basketball senior stars. Jason Conley, a transfer from VMI, led the NCAA in scoring.\nFlorida: Never mind, they'll choke in the tournament.
(11/19/03 6:50am)
I hope there is someone on campus with interest in putting a DeLorean up for sale, preferably one with a working flux capacitor. With the recruiting class that will be arriving in Bloomington next year, it would be much more convenient for me to skip over this year and watch the most highly touted IU team in a very long time.\nIt's hard not to drool over these recruits. The crown jewel is forward Josh Smith, who is considered to be one of the top five prep players in the country. Of course, this lends to the possibility of his entering the NBA Draft. But just look at what a year did for Carmelo Anthony. And who would want to risk the possibility of playing for the Atlanta Hawks?\nThe rest of the class is just as full of potential. D.J. White is 6'9" and 230 pounds, meaning IU will finally have a big man with some meat on his bones. Next year could be very nice indeed.\nUnfortunately, I do not think I will be able to find a way to produce the appropriate number of gigawatts necessary for going to the future. So I'll have to settle on what this year's team has to offer. And like most IU supporters, I have no idea what to expect.\nThis is one factor that can work to the advantage of the Hoosiers. Last year, they were burdened with high expectations after an appearance in the National Championship game. They started off red hot, but burned out after losing to Kentucky. The burnout manifested itself in losses to Penn State and Northwestern.\nThis year, the expectations are nil. IU doesn't enter the season ranked in the top 25. Michigan State, as always, is the fashionable choice by the experts to win the Big Ten. (Can anyone remember the last time someone besides Michigan State was picked to win the Big Ten? I'm thinking you'd have to go back to the Cuonzo Martin era at Purdue).\nAs always, the Hoosiers will be expected to make the NCAA Tournament. My guess is that they will make it in somewhere in the neighborhood of a seventh seed, but predicting where people will end up in the tournament is about as hard as getting into Nick's with a fake ID.\nOn the floor, the leader will be sophomore guard Bracey Wright, a preseason Wooden Award nominee. Last year, he averaged 17.1 points per game with a back that was out of whack for most of the season. This year, we might be able to see a fully healthy Wright do things we didn't know he was capable of.\nThe emotional leader of the team, naturally, will be A.J. Moye. Moye seems like he's been a team leader since he was a sophomore, so he should have an easy time being the senior that the younger players look up to.\nBut the key to IU doing anything notable this season is the other senior, George Leach. Leach has been maddeningly inconsistent throughout the course of his career. IU coach Mike Davis will be the first person to tell you that. But if Leach keeps himself in the right position defensively, and displays coordination on offense, IU might surprise some people this year.\nA couple of other players may also have breakout years. Sophomore point guard Marshall Strickland split time between starting and coming off the bench last year. I honestly think that he can be one of the top points in the conference this year.\nBut if you want to keep your eye on one player who is poised to be a future star, it is Pat Ewing Jr. And I don't say this solely because of his name. Remember, there's also a Pete Rose Jr. But what I have seen of Ewing has been all good, and I don't think he's done growing, either. \nWhich bodes very well … for next year.
(11/17/03 7:37pm)
Whenever Penn State makes a big play, the Beaver Stadium PA plays the sound of a mountain lion roaring/growling/hissing (The sound can be best described as "Rraaaaow!"). There were some 43 growls in Penn State's 52-7 victory over IU. (I keep track of the really important stats.) I'm not sure if that's a record, but it certainly must come close.\nDespite entering the game with no Big Ten victories, the Nittany Lions were 19-point favorites. I was a bit skeptical of Vegas' ability to call this one. Penn State had only scored over 19 four times this year. Its highest output had come in a 32-10 win over Kent State. Could IU really be that bad?\nYes. And then some.\nThings didn't look that way at first. In fact, it appeared that the Hoosiers were poised to contend for their first road win since 2001. IU scored on its first drive of the game for the second straight game and the second time all year.\nThe way the Hoosiers moved the ball downfield was easily the most impressive IU has looked on offense all year. Freshman BenJarvus Green-Ellis carried the ball eight times for 45 yards, and the drive was capped off by Matt LoVecchio's first touchdown pass since the Kentucky game as he threw a dart to Glenn Johnson in the end zone.\nAfter that, the Hoosiers looked like deer in headlights. (I should know; I nearly hit one driving through the Allegheny Mountains -- a deer, not a football player). The secondary apparently decided to employ a new coverage strategy called "If none of us stand within 10 yards of the receiver, maybe he'll get scared and drop it."\nIncredibly, this strategy backfired. The first example was on Zack Mills' 12-yard pass to Tony Johnson to tie the game on a throw that was about as easy as playing catch in the front yard. No one was even close to Johnson, which is pretty poor form when it is third down and you are trying to make a goal line stand.\nPenn State's next possession started at its own 4-yard line after an excellent punt by Tyson Beattie. On a critical third and six from the eight, Mills found Maurice Humphrey for an eight-yard gain after the IU secondary gave the Penn State receivers a cushion that allowed it to cross the first down line before it got into coverage. Penn State's 96-yard touchdown drive took only nine plays.\nPenn State would score again on its first possession of the second quarter. This drive was even easier for the Lions, who went 80 yards in four plays. Mills found Humphrey on a 33-yard post pattern, but I'm not sure if Humphrey even needed to make the effort of running an actual pattern. There was not a single white jersey within a 10-yard radius. It was as if everyone forgot that Humphrey even existed.\nDespite trailing 21-7 at halftime, the Hoosiers had to feel that there was a chance for them to win. The offense had moved the ball nicely, consistently getting into Penn State territory after starting at the 20-yard line every time they had the ball. But things would fall apart around the Penn State 35, just outside of field goal range. If they could get a defensive stop or a turnover, then just maybe …\nAnd then came that bane of IU football: the third quarter. Entering the game, the Hoosiers had been outscored 90-26 in the third this season. After this game, that total would be 121-26. If your math skills are better than mine, you know that means that Penn State scored 31 points in the third quarter. And if your memory skills are better than mine, you'll recall that the Lions hadn't scored more than 32 in a whole game this year.\nAll of this brings up a very important question. How bad is Illinois?\nName to look for\nPenn State kickoff specialist David Kimball is incredible. He ended the game with seven touchbacks, and most of them went out of the end zone (three split the uprights). His last couple "only" went six yards deep, but that's because his leg was undoubtedly tired after so many kicks. Some NFL team will have him in its lineup next year.\nIU MVP\nGreen-Ellis had one of the finest games by a freshman in IU history. BJGE ran for 203 yards on 42 carries. The 203 yards was the fourth best performance by a freshman running back for a Hoosier, only behind efforts by Alex Smith and Anthony Thompson. His 42 attempts broke the record for carries by a Penn State opponent, which was set by Tony Dorsett in 1976 with 38.
(11/14/03 4:32pm)
You might not know it, but the IU football program has made a major impact on why college football is what it is in this day and age.\nTo fully understand where I am going here, we first must go back in time to the greatest performance in IU history -- or at least in the last decade. Fittingly, it came in a losing effort.\nOn Nov. 5, 1994, the undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions came into Bloomington deadlocked with Nebraska in a hunt for the national championship. The game figured to be a cakewalk for Joe Paterno's squad. And for three quarters, it was. Penn State led 35-7 heading into the fourth quarter.\nJoePa, being ever the gentleman, or maybe just wanting to make sure stars Ki-Jana Carter, Kyle Brady, Bobby Engram and Kerry Collins didn't get hurt, called off the dogs. The Hoosiers proceeded to rattle off 22 points in the quarter, including a Hail Mary as time expired to finish the game with a 35-29 loss.\nI'd gather that a lot of people didn't win against the point spread on that day. But more significantly, the pollsters were not impressed to see a score that read PSU 35, IU 29 flash across the wire.\nPenn State finished the season undefeated, including a Rose Bowl win over Oregon. Nebraska also won out. The result ended up being the only thing worse than two teams splitting the national championship: two undefeated teams and only one of them winning the national championship. And the Nittany Lions were the losers.\nNow there was a public outcry. How could a team that won all of its games not at least have a chance at winning the national title? Soon thereafter, (at least as soon as the bureaucratic forces that run college football could mobilize) the Bowl Championship Series was born.\nSo, if you hate the BCS, blame IU. Or if you like it, thank them. I would much rather have seen the historical legacy yield a playoff system, but that will apparently take something even more drastic to happen.\nThat's because University presidents will continue to spout crap, er, insight, about how a playoff system is a detriment to the time players spend in the classroom. Funny, I couldn't help but notice that there was a college football game on TV every night last week. And somehow every other division of NCAA football has a playoff system.\nThe real answer, of course, is that the bowl system is a cash cow, and nothing will change about it until a playoff system can create even more revenue. For instance, IU should get somewhere in the neighborhood of $285,000 to sit at home as a member of a BCS conference.\nBut back to our history lesson. We know that JoePa has never forgotten that game. IU has never beaten Penn State. The only time they have come remotely close was in 2000 when Penn State beat the Hoosiers 27-24 at the RCA Dome. (Students aren't even willing to walk 10 minutes to Memorial Stadium. Did they honestly think people would drive an hour? Also, you might be interested to know that the Illinois game had IU's lowest home attendance since 1985.)\nNow the team that cost Paterno a national championship is in position to cost him his job. It's a real tragedy to even think that is a possibility. But Penn State's only wins have come against Kent State and Temple, and some overzealous boosters are eager to get rid of the man that made Penn State football. His first ever loss to IU could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
(11/10/03 6:07am)
So, maybe it's understandable that IU's 17-14 win over Illinois didn't cause the Memorial Stadium crowd of 24,102 to charge the field and rip out the goal posts. But for a team that had lost 11 straight in the Big Ten, it must have felt like the weight of the world was lifted from their shoulders.\nIt wasn't the prettiest game ever played. At times, it looked as ugly as a mud wrestling match between Rosie O'Donnell and, well, anybody. It was everything that was expected of two teams at the bottom of any conference -- a nail-biting finish after an error-prone game that could have gone either way. But the Hoosiers looked artistic when they needed to and helped prevent the disaster of a winless conference season.\nIt also swept away the unmistakable feeling of emptiness that seemed to permeate around the stadium. Everything from the tailgate fields to the stands to the press box was even barer than usual. We'll just assume that the cold temperature kept everyone away. They missed a lot of highlights, though.\nHighlight of the game \nEarly in the fourth quarter with Illinois leading 14-7, the Illini faced a fourth-and-one from their own 32-yard line. Illinois attempted to draw the Hoosiers offside for the first down by sending their wide receiver in motion about a dozen times. The fact that he constantly paced back and forth like a guy in bad need of a cigarette break caused everyone in the press box to break out in laughter after about 20 seconds. This was the first time I have seen mass laughter break out in a press box.\nEveryone's general amusement was expounded when IU began celebrating wildly after the play ended because the tricky Illini hadn't fooled them into jumping offsides.\nThe second-best highlight occurred in the stands. In the third quarter, the cheerleaders headed to the stands as they traditionally do, in an attempt to pump up the fans. One group of said cheerleaders were pretty much the only people in their section, though. \nOne cheerleader showed some ingenuity by getting the two people in the top corner of the stadium to start the wave. Unfortunately, it only caught on to about 30 other people, so the cheerleader was forced to resort to yelling out of the stadium with his megaphone.\nWhile it is always fun to see fans enjoying themselves from the U-decker seats, IU's continual woes in drawing fans is a serious problem. Even though it doesn't seem to make too much economic sense, it's a good idea for the athletic department to seriously consider slashing student ticket prices to somewhere in the neighborhood of $5 a pop -- if not just letting people in free with a student ID.\nPlay of the Game\nThe momentum-turning play of the game could have been used for an informational video called "How Horrible Teams Lose Games." As the fourth quarter opened, IU committed three penalties in its first four plays, lost 25 yards, and was forced to punt. \nIllinois then returned the punt for a touchdown -- or so it seemed. The return was called back on a hold, and then an additional 15 yards were tacked on when Illinois' Christian Morton was called for excessive celebration on a touchdown that didn't count in the first place. (Considering how infrequently the Illini score, though, the ref should have understood his exuberance).\nInstead of leading by two scores, Illinois was deflated and had the ball at their own 23-yard line. IU owned them from that point on.\nIU MVP \nThere's no doubt about this one. The Matt LoVecchio that everyone has waited to see came out to play Saturday. LoVecchio completed 17 of 24 passes for 166 yards. But he did his best work on the ground, running the ball 14 times for 59 yards, including an 8-yarder to win it with 24 seconds left.\nHe didn't do it without a quality supporting cast, though. Wide receiver Courtney Roby caught eight passes for 81 yards, finally getting the stats he deserves after having two impressive would-be touchdowns called back on penalties earlier this year.\nThe offensive line gave LoVecchio the time he needed to pass and run today. One standout was Chris Jahnke, who had a great pancake block on the first play of the fourth quarter.
(11/07/03 3:26pm)
Maybe you didn't get the memo. But the College Gameday crew will be in town to cover this week's big game between the Hoosiers and the visiting Illinois "Fighting" Illini. Fortunately, I was able to get a copy of the show's transcript, so here's a look at what the boys will have to say.\nCHRIS FOWLER: We're live in Bloomington, Ind., and folks, do we ever have a dandy for you this week. You might remember how they called the Notre Dame-Florida State game in '93 the "Game of the Century." Well, it's a new century, and I think it's safe to say that we can schedule to put this one on ESPN Classic ahead of time.\nKIRK HERBSTREIT: That's right, Chris. The excitement on both of these campuses has been mounting all week. We're expecting a crowd of well over 50 to show up today.\nCHRIS: You mean well over 50,000, right?\nKIRK: No, I mean 50.\nLEE CORSO: Well, I tell you what, it's no surprise that there's so much excitement in the air. There usually is when these two teams meet. Why, I remember the first game that I coached at IU was against these Illini. I even tried pumping up the crowd by driving the team into the stadium on a double-decker bus. But we were stuck in traffic, so we almost showed up late for the kickoff.\nKIRK: I can't believe that.\nLEE: What? That I would do something so stupid?\nKIRK: No. That there was a traffic jam for an IU football game.\nCHRIS: Did you guys win?\nLEE: Nope. We got killed. But that was sort of foreplay for the rest of my IU career.\nCHRIS: I think you mean foreshadowing, coach. Anyway, let's take a look at how these teams match up. This might be one of the most even games that we have ever seen.\nKIRK: There's no doubt about that. Illinois enters the game ranked 10th in the Big Ten offensively and 11th defensively, while the Hoosiers are 10th defensively and 11th offensively.\nLEE: Yeah, that Illini defense has given up 500 yards five times this year, which is something IU has done the past two weeks. And the Illini haven't scored 20 since they opened the Big Ten season with a loss to Wisconsin.\nCHRIS: Let's not forget how evenly matched both of the opponents that these teams actually beat are, either. Both teams beat their respective ISU, with the Illini beating Illinois State 49-22 and the Hoosiers besting Indiana State 33-3. Illinois State and Indiana State are in 7th and 8th place, respectively, in the Division I-AA Gateway Conference. The Redbirds and Sycamores close their seasons against each other, but you kind of wish we could have had a doubleheader here today.\nLEE: Whoo boy, talk about every scalper's dream!\nKIRK: Well, even though Ohio State, the best team ever, isn't playing in this game, I think we'll have a good one. But I have to believe that Illinois has an edge in this one, especially the way that it dominated IU in Champaign last year.\nLEE: Not so fast, my friend! Let's not forget that game was in Champaign, which is a town that smells like manure. The Hoosiers have never played well in towns that smell like manure.\nKIRK: That explains their lack of success in West Lafayette over the years.\nCHRIS: Well, it looks like we're low on time, so what are your picks?\nKIRK: This game could range anywhere from a shoot-out to a defensive classic, so it's tough to make a call. But I'm going to stick with Illinois 66, IU 63.\nCHRIS: A multi-overtime battle, eh?\nKIRK: No, Chris, that will be the score at the end of regulation.\nLEE: You could not be more wrong Mr. Herbstreit. Normally, this is the part where I put on the head of the team mascot that I picking to win. But IU doesn't have a mascot, since it wasted a bunch of money trying to find a mascot a couple years ago and ended up doing nothing. And Illinois' mascot is a real-life guy, Chief Illiniwek, who jumps and runs around like he's actually an Indian. So I couldn't rip his head off. But in a seven-overtime classic, it'll be IU 16, Illinois 13.\nCHRIS: I think there will be some serious defense here too, coach. I see this one ending Illinois 4, IU 3. Gerry DiNardo will take an intentional safety late in the game à la Bill Belichick Monday night, but it will backfire to give Illinois the win. That's all for now. Hope you enjoy the game.
(11/03/03 7:03am)
As a football fan, I have witnessed many a disastrous performance at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. When the Bears schedule comes out every season, I usually can be pretty confident in marking an "L" next to the date they will be in Minneapolis.\nMy most infamous memory occurred in 1992 when Jim Harbaugh called an audible that resulted in a Vikings interception return for a touchdown, which caused "Da Coach," Mike Ditka, to verbally undress an embarrassed Harbaugh on the sideline. The season was all downhill from there, leading to Ditka's firing.\nEven the best quarterback of his generation, Brett Favre, has laid one egg after another under the unfriendly roof of the House that Hubert Built.\nBut the distinction for the worst performance ever put forth on the paper-thin turf of the Metrodome might just belong to your Indiana Hoosiers, who were on the wrong side of a 55-7 pasting to the No. 19 Minnesota Golden Gophers Saturday. It was the most lopsided Big Ten win for Minnesota since 1949, which was well before anyone thought it would be ideal to play football on a plastic surface.\nThough it doesn't seem possible that things can worsen for IU, it manages to work out that way every week. This was the second consecutive week that the IU defense surrendered over 500 yards in total offense. The Metrodome PA announcer's trademark, "And that's another Golden Gopher … FIRST DOWN!" has been permanently ingrained in my memory. \nThe offense struggled once again, managing only one touchdown for the second consecutive game. Of course, this one was doomed from the start. Late Friday, Gerry DiNardo was informed that it was unsafe for quarterback Matt LoVecchio to play as a result of his suffering a concussion last week. This was in spite of the fact that LoVecchio had practiced all week, and somehow his head looked A-OK until the team got to Minnesota.\nThrown into the shuffle was freshman Graeme McFarland, who didn't know he was playing until 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Considering he hadn't expected to play, McFarland did an admirable job, and the offense was exciting to watch as IU attempted throwing the deep ball several times, albeit to no avail.\nPlaying on the turf at the Metrodome was about as rude an introduction as any player could ask for in their first collegiate start. In addition to being hard to land on, the surface has roughly the same composition as coarse-grained sandpaper, which likely left McFarland and a score of other Hoosiers looking for the nearest bottle of Neosporin to take care of some nasty scrapes and rug burns.\n"I was surprised. Being a professional facility, I thought it would be a lot nicer," McFarland said. "It's a lot like Mellencamp … it's not soft. If you get tackled, you're gonna get scraped up."\nThe coaching staff was snakebitten in the form of malfunctioning headsets. DiNardo's headset was not working properly throughout the game, and other coaches were having problems communicating, too. This led to IU burning its last timeout of the first half when only 10 men showed up on the field to play defense.\nIU's Metrodome woes were worsened as right guard Chris Jahnke, safety Joe Gonzalez and fullback John Pannozzo all left the game with injuries.\nWith performances like this, you would believe that the Metrodome gives the Gophers the same type of home field advantage that it has shown the Twins and Vikings over the years. Alas, this is not the case. Since moving to the Dome in 1982, Minnesota is only three games over .500 at home and has not won a Big Ten title.\nSo it makes sense that Minnesota alum Denny Sanford wants to donate $35 million to build an open-air, on-campus stadium. I'm guessing the outside temperature of 39 degrees would have been just as good of a home field edge for the Gophers Saturday. (Against IU, though, one doesn't really need an added advantage).\nThere's no timetable for the new stadium to be built. I just hope that by the time it happens, it will be worth driving 10 hours to watch the Hoosiers play.
(10/31/03 6:07am)
This is a disgrace.\nSaturday's game pits two nationally-ranked teams -- No. 19 Minnesota vs. No. 8 IU -- and is not being shown on television. Of course, Minnesota is ranked 19th in the ESPN Coaches' Poll, and IU is ranked 8th in the ESPN.com Bottom 10 (with first being the worst).\nThen again, there's a chance that you even forgot this game was being played this week, considering that you won't be able to watch it. Plus, there are a lot of other things going on that could have been distracting.\nMonday night featured multiple television appearances by former IU coach Cam Cameron, looking befuddled as ever as Drew Brees and the Chargers' offense put together a horrific performance.\nOr maybe you are focusing on Snoop Dogg's guest appearance on next week's episode of Playmakers. \nAnd football is the furthest thing from your mind when you have to plan for a good Halloween party. Halloween is my favorite holiday because you can be anything you want. You could dress in a humorous costume, such as Jesus from "The Big Lebowski." Or you could dress as something more frightening, like Gene Keady.\nMaybe the Hoosiers could show up to Saturday's party at the Metrodome as a competitive football team. At this point, I really don't care whether they win. I just want to see them give some team -- any team -- a run for its money.\nUnfortunately, Minnesota is one team that IU truly does not match up with. The Gophers are an offensive juggernaut, averaging a gaudy 39.8 points per game. And they can score in more than one way. Quarterback Asad-Abdul Khaliq has the highest passer rating in the nation to go along with 16 touchdowns. Running back Marion Barber III has 15 touchdowns, all on the ground.\nIU has scored 14 offensive touchdowns for the season. Matt LoVecchio has not thrown a touchdown pass since the Kentucky game. The defense just gave up 603 yards and 35 points to an offense that was ranked 114th in the nation. It's little wonder why Minnesota scheduled IU for Homecoming. (The Hoosiers have the distinction of being Homecoming opponents twice this year. That happened a lot to my high school team, which won eight games in four years.)\nThese are the types of random games that the Hoosiers specialize in winning, though. Two years ago they went to Wisconsin and beat the Badgers 63-32. The game wasn't on TV, so they weren't able to impress anyone across the country.\nLast time the Gophers played IU, they came into Memorial Stadium ranked as IU was attempting to rebound from a 58-0 loss to Michigan. IU pulled out a 51-43 victory. But they weren't able to impress anyone across the country because it wasn't on TV.\nBut in all reality, Minnesota serves as the perfect example of how to rebuild your football program. Before Glen Mason took over, the Golden Gophers had recorded seven consecutive losing seasons. By his third year, they were a winning team again. How did he turn it around?\nThat's easy. It's all in the scheduling. Minnesota regularly fills its non-conference schedule with teams like Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Lafayette and Ohio University. You win those games, you get some confidence. You win some Big Ten games. You go to a bowl game. You win a bowl game, you get alumni support. You get alumni support, you get recruits.\nYou don't get that by playing at Washington and Oregon in consecutive seasons.\nPick to click: There has to be a bright spot for IU Saturday. I'm going to guess that it will come from kickoff returner Lance Bennett. Bennett had a couple of good looking returns against Ohio State last week, and there's a pretty good chance that he'll be returning quite a few kickoffs this week. Maybe he'll bring one all the way back.
(10/27/03 5:44am)
Ohio State has played six home games this year. Saturday, they played their seventh.\nIf you closed your eyes and just listened, you wouldn't know where you were. Chants of "O-H-I-O" ran around constantly. Cheers drowned out the sound of the IU band. The Hoosiers were booed coming out of the locker room.\nWhen you opened your eyes, though, no Horseshoe appeared. This was Memorial Stadium. A packed Memorial Stadium. You marveled at the sight, wondering when the last time was that anyone sat in that seat. Then, with any luck, you closed your eyes again because the action on the field was too unbearable to watch.\nA friend of mine who was tailgating told me that when he heard the crowd roar early in the second quarter, he started walking around telling people, "Hey, we tied the game!" Uh, that was actually Ohio State going up 14-0.\nOhio State defensive tackle Will Smith was highly complimentary of his fans.\n"It was a long home game for Indiana. The majority of fans were for Ohio State," Smith said. "We're proud of that."\nDJ Jazzy Jeff was unavailable for comment.\nWith Halloween approaching, it is appropriate that the game played out like a horror movie -- one of those movies where some teenagers are putzing around and they wake up some horrible creature or psycho killer who goes on a rampage. In this case, the creature was the long-dormant Ohio State offense.\nThe Ohio State offense entered the game ranked 114th out of 117 teams in the country offensively, beating out sad-sack teams like Buffalo and SMU (Defense wins championships, remember?). Six hundred and three yards later, the Buckeyes lifted themselves out of those doldrums. It was their most productive offensive showing since 1986.\nThe Buckeyes basically used two plays to move the ball. There was the counter run to the left by Lydell Ross, which was good for the majority of his 167 yards and three touchdowns. Then there was the long pass downfield, which was designed exclusively to pick on freshman cornerback Cedric Henry. People will pick on freshmen, though, and the fact that Henry picked off a Craig Krenzel pass at the goal line and forced wide receiver Santonio Holmes to fumble at the goal line gives indication that as he gets older, people might regret picking on him.\nWhile the Hoosiers were a travesty defensively (though they were able to stop the bleeding a bit by forcing three turnovers inside the red zone), the offense wasn't much better.\nIU was held to fewer than 100 yards throughout most of the game. They managed to get to 131, but only after the second stringers came in for Ohio State.
(10/24/03 6:38am)
Here's a reminder for all students to wear their finest clothes (and don't forget to comb your hair) for picture day Saturday at Memorial Stadium . That's right, Ohio State is coming to town, and they're bringing their large, passionate, oft-obnoxious fan base with them.\nAnd that's what makes it the biennial picture day for Memorial Stadium. It is the only time of year when the Stadium will be sold out and full of red shirts. Hence, it offers an excellent opportunity for the IU Athletic Department to snap an aerial photo to throw on a brochure. \nThe cynical side of me (if you can believe I have one) wants to advocate that everyone show up wearing blue shirts just to throw everything off kilter. However, things may have already been thrown out of whack due to the fact that IU fans will be showing up in crimson shirts. Anyone who looks at the ensuing photograph of the Stadium will certainly notice that scarlet shirts will be more prevalent than crimson.\nSo I think that IU is going to have to get Oklahoma on its schedule. An IU-OU game isn't that crazy of an idea -- IU is undefeated against the Sooners, winning the only game between the two teams. That was in 1928, but who's counting?\nIt is a match-up Nike clearly would like to see. After all, they managed to give IU the exact same uniforms as the Sooners. The only differences are the names on the front of the jerseys and their helmets say "OU" instead of "IU."\nI think that Navy and Notre Dame may be the only two teams in the country with uniforms that even come close to being this similar. Of course, much like those two teams, no one is likely to confuse the on-field products with one another.\nWhich brings me back to Ohio State. The Buckeyes have a slight 49-game edge in the all-time series. OK, so that's not so slight. It is the most lopsided series in the Big Ten. IU's last win was in 1988, when they beat the Bucks 41-7 (that is not a misprint). The previous year, the Hoosiers won 31-10 in Columbus, which prompted Ohio State coach Earle Bruce to say, "This has got to be the darkest day for Ohio State football since I've been associated with it." And he had been associated with Ohio State football for nearly 40 years.\nWhat are IU's odds of making Saturday an even darker day, you ask? After all, these are the defending national champions. But they have made a habit of making games a little too close for comfort. This year, they edged San Diego State 16-13 without scoring an offensive touchdown. They should have lost to North Carolina State, too, but the Wolfpack coaching staff decided to rely on quarterback sneaks when they got the ball to the Ohio State four-yard line in overtime.\nLast year, the Buckeyes always seemed to pull magic out of their hats (or some other place) in beating Purdue, Illinois and, of course, Miami.\nLast year, IU had a bye week before they played Wisconsin. They stunned the Badgers 32-29 after a great fourth quarter comeback. The Hoosiers are coming off a bye week now.\nAm I advocating that IU will pull off the upset on Saturday? No. I might be sleep-deprived from studying all week, but I'm not crazy. But this game will be closer than you think. Of course, you may be thinking along the lines of 80-0. \nBut those goal posts have to come down sometime. Why not do it on picture day?
(10/17/03 6:50am)
It's hard for me to form a coherent sentence right now. Hell, it's hard for me to form an incoherent one.\nBut I must labor on.\nFor the umpthousandth time in my life, the Cubs have ripped my heart out of my chest and said, "Whoops, didn't know you'd be needing that." If there is anything positive to be taken out of this experience, it is this: at least we know who the true Cubs fans are now. The bandwagon jumpers will walk around as if nothing happened. You can tell a true fan from a mile away: slouched over, walking around as if they had just seen each and every one of their household pets run over by a garbage truck.\nOf course, there are the poor saps out there who are already upbeat about waiting until next year. Logically, it makes sense. For the first time in a long time (i.e. ever), the pieces are in place to make an even greater run next year. But logic also dictated that a team with a 3-1 series lead and two of the best pitchers in baseball playing at home would be a lock for the World Series.\nNot that I will ever give up on the Cubs. I need them like a junkie needs "smack." But I'm willing to accept the fact, like my grandparents and parents, I will be telling my young'ns stories of leads blown and curses and black cats without ever seeing the promised land.\nSo use your efforts on something more useful than hope -- like hating the Florida Marlins. Their star player, Pudge Rodriguez, listens to Yanni. What a fraud. He passes himself off as some sort of hard-ass, but he listens to Yanni. I could probably beat him up ... well, if he was sound asleep and I had a baseball bat. Maybe.\nEven White Sox and Cardinals fans, who were so giddy when the Cubs lost that they could have wet their pants (they probably did, the uncivilized lot) have to dislike the Marlins. This team has been around for 10 years, plays in a football stadium and has a fan base the size of Kate Moss. Worst of all, they wear teal.\nI won't say that you should give up on hope in sports all together, though. Because there is some hope to be had right here at IU. No, I'm not suggesting that the Hoosiers will win out and clinch a berth in the Motor City Bowl (as much as I would love to spend Christmas in Detroit).\nBut basketball season is so close that you can nearly smell it. In fact, if you go to Midnight Madness tonight, you'll be able to see it as well.\nMaybe the optimism will have to curb itself until next year, when the top recruiting class in the nation will arrive in Bloomington. There are a lot of questions about the Hoosiers entering this year. It's not likely that any of them will be answered at Midnight Madness. But much like pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, there is something permanently refreshing about Midnight Madness because of what it represents: the chance to start a new season.\nSo do yourself a favor. Grab a canned good and head to Assembly Hall tonight. See if Sean Kline can hold on to his title of slam-dunk king. See what freshmen Jessan Gray-Ashley, Errek Suhr, and Pat Ewing Jr. are all about. And don't forget about the ladies -- Cyndi Valentin is a proven three-point sharpshooter who beat everyone on the floor as a freshman last year.\nWe need something.
(10/17/03 5:39am)
The NCAA has proposed a new set of academic standards it believes will give a clearer picture of how well schools are graduating their student-athletes.\nThe proposal, which was unveiled last week, will no longer count athletes who transfer from an institution in good standing against that institution's graduation rate. Current federal statistics consider anyone that has transferred to or from a college to not have graduated. \n"The current rates are accurate, but they don't tell the entire story," said Amelia Noel, associate athletic director for student athlete services. "It is so valuable that we have a more comprehensive picture." \nFor example, if an athlete were to transfer from Purdue University and graduate from IU, he or she would not be considered a graduate from either university by the old standards. Under the new proposal, this would change.\n"If they don't make the right decision about where they go to college as a freshman, it shouldn't be held against them or the institution," Noel said.\nThe new graduation rate measurement is only a small part of the NCAA's larger proposal. NCAA President Myles Brand is spearheading a campaign to begin measuring an "annual academic-progress rate."\nThis progress rate would be an assessment of how well NCAA institutions are keeping athletes eligible for competition in addition to looking at their graduation rates. Schools that are doing a poor job holding up on the "student" end of the term "student-athlete" would be penalized, with possible punishments including lost scholarships or a ban on postseason play.\nOn the other hand, schools that are exceeding standards could potentially be rewarded for their efforts. However, officials are still brainstorming about what they could offer in terms of incentives.\nGiving programs additional scholarships is an idea that has been mulled over, but women's tennis coach Lin Loring is among those who believe such a system would be particularly messy.\n"It would be hard to enforce giving extra scholarships," Loring said. "That would be a nightmare. Most coaches I have talked to are against that."\nLoring does think that a clearer system of measuring graduation rates would benefit non-revenue sports the most, because transfers in those sports do not have to sit out for a year as they do in football and basketball.\n"You don't see transfers often in basketball and football, but it's epidemic in other sports," Loring said.\nUniversity of Oregon professor Jim Earl co-chairs the Coalition of Intercollegiate Athletics with IU professor Robert Eno. Their organization has worked closely with the NCAA in creating the proposals.\nEarl said the legacy of Brand's quest to reform collegiate athletics could be made or broken on this issue.\n"If he can't convince the NCAA to go with this extremely modest step and proposal, we'll know his plans for reform are in big trouble," Earl said.\nThe NCAA Division I board of directors will vote on the proposal in April.\n-- Contact staff writer Alex Hickey at ahickey@indiana.edu.
(10/13/03 5:33am)
You had a feeling bad things were going to happen to the Hoosiers when a member of the Marching Hundred was carted off the field before the game started.\nThen, once Northwestern jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, all sorts of questions started flying around. Is IU the worst team in Division I-A? Were these guys listening to Gerry DiNardo when he met with everyone individually last week? Do they have any heart?\nThings got so bad in the first half that I saw something unprecedented in four years of attending games at Memorial Stadium. After giving up a long pass on third and 17, IU caught a break when Northwestern was called for an illegal procedure. On third and 22, Northwestern once again proceeded to get the first down -- that's not the unprecedented part -- upon which the crowd started booing.\nI'm not sure how many of the packed-in-like-sardines crowd of 27,213 were booing, but it was enough to stun me, as I had never seen the Hoosier faithfuls respond to their team in such a fashion.\nThough senior safety Joe Gonzalez said, "You really don't pay attention to the crowd," something caused the Hoosiers to buck up on defense as they held Northwestern without points for the first time in the game and headed into the tunnel only trailing 24-14.\nWith Northwestern being Northwestern (they turned a 17-0 lead over Minnesota into a 42-17 loss last week), you figured that the Hoosiers had a fighting chance even when they fell far behind.\nIn the second half, IU proved that they had the heart to go out and snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. The Hoosier offense ran wild over the Cat defense. Leading the way was the running back tandem of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Brian Lewis. Green-Ellis looked wise beyond his years on a 27-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 24 as he did an amazing job of keeping his balance while breaking four Northwestern tackles.\nQuarterback Matt LoVecchio was as sharp as he's ever been, completing 11 straight passes. \nWhen Green-Ellis punched the ball into the end zone with less than 12 minutes left to play, there was little doubt that this thing was in the bag. Northwestern simply looked too demoralized to either move the ball or stop it from moving.\nAnd then came the play of the game. With just over six minutes left on the clock, Northwestern punt returner Mark Philmore took a 39-yard punt from Tyson Beattie back to the IU six-yard line. The defense valiantly attempted to stop the Wildcats, but on fourth and goal, running back Jason Wright tied the game up.\nBut the game was hardly over. IU would get the ball back on their own 46 with 1:30 left. Who could ask for anything more? All you needed was another 25-30 yards, and the game winning field goal was in the bag. But the IU coaching staff decided that it would be good to run the ball five straight times. Who needs to win in regulation when you could do it in overtime? With no effort to move the ball downfield, Bryan Robertson was forced to attempt an unrealistic 54-yard field goal as time expired.\nIn overtime, it looked like the Hoosiers would score. LoVecchio found Travis Haney in the corner of the end zone for a touch … no it's tipped … no it's an interception. A more frustrating finish couldn't have been scripted.\nIU finished the game with 531 yards on offense and a loss. It was more bitter to swallow than a Stroh's sitting on the kitchen counter for a month. \nWith a week off before IU meets with Ohio State to renew the most lopsided match-up in Big Ten history, the Hoosiers will at least have time to get it out of their heads.