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(09/21/00 2:42pm)
IU's wide receiving corps and coach Cam Cameron admit the Hoosiers had some difficulties catching the football last season.\nIt seemed like for every play the receivers made, there were one or two more they could've made. With this in mind, the receivers spent the summer in Bloomington working with the quarterbacks.\nAfter two games, the receivers' dedication is evident, and the Hoosiers are dropping fewer passes. IU ranks fifth in the Big Ten, averaging 191.5 receiving yards per game. \nOne of the big differences this season is the ability of the receivers to make big plays. When junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El found an open target in IU's first two games against North Carolina State and Kentucky, his receiver managed to hold onto the ball. In the Sept. 9 opener against North Carolina State, seniors Versie Gaddis and Jerry Dorsey caught touchdown passes of 70 and 57 yards, respectively. \n"We are off to a pretty good start," Gaddis said. "We haven't come across too many dropped balls, and that's great because we worked hard all summer trying to improve."\nCatching pass after pass from the same rotation of quarterbacks isn't many college kids idea of summer fun. But IU's receivers realized it was going to take this kind of dedication to improve this year.\n"Past summers we didn't do as much as we did this summer," junior wide receiver Derin Graham said. "Going into the season we knew we were going to have a great season as a receiver group. We worked with the quarterbacks a lot and did seven-on-sevens and things like that."\nCameron said the receivers should be more of a factor Saturday against Cincinnati. Randle El attempted 26 passes last Saturday against Kentucky and 27 against North Carolina State. IU's opponents have attempted almost twice as many passes (100) as the Hoosiers in the first two games.\n"I thought our receivers played extremely well against Kentucky," Cameron said. "It's just that we weren't able to get them the football. We will get that corrected this week." \nRandle El has connected with just three wide receivers in the early stages of the season: Gaddis, Graham and Dorsey. But every day in practice a battle wages between IU's three established receivers and less established players such as junior college transfer Henry Frazier, redshirt freshman L.J. Parker and sophomore Glenn Johnson. \nGaddis leads the team in receiving yards with 108 and is second in receptions with four. But Gaddis realizes if he makes a few mistakes he might be replaced by a just as talented receiver.\n"Of course there is always going to be competition," Gaddis said. "All of us appreciate the competition because it makes you better."\nIf Gaddis, Dorsey or Graham falter, Cameron said he isn't reluctant to throw a younger player into the mix.\n"We have great competition at receiver," Cameron said. "Guys who get to play know if they don't play well they know there are guys right behind them who can play"
(09/19/00 5:52am)
It's not hard to guess who will end up with the ball when IU's football team is in a critical situation. \nJunior quarterback Antwaan Randle El's role goes beyond the typical responsibilities of the quarterback.\nNot only is Randle El responsible for barking instructions at the line of scrimmage and throwing the ball, but he also has to worry about carrying the ball. As Saturday's game against Kentucky progressed, Randle El ran the ball enough to fatigue a well-conditioned tailback.\nRandle El carried the ball 25 times in IU's 41-38 loss to Kentucky. Many of the running plays were by design, others were called on the fly by IU's creative quarterback. When Randle El was pressured by the Kentucky defense in the second half, he instinctively took off running.\n"It's not difficult carrying the ball a lot," Randle El said. "I'm pretty much used to it."\nRandle El created all four of IU's touchdowns, throwing for two and running for two more. He attempted 26 passes and combined with his rushing attempts, Randle El was involved in 74 percent of IU's offensive plays. His 83 rushing and 143 passing yards accounted for 60 percent of the Hoosiers' offensive yardage.\n"They play a lot of man coverages, and so you would like to create some matchups where he can carry the football," coach Cam Cameron said when discussing Randle El's number of rushing attempts. "Obviously he improvises with the passing game pretty well. You just got to do a good job of knowing when it's there and when it isn't and protect the football." \nWith the game close in the fourth quarter, Randle El made things happen for IU (0-2). Just two of IU's 20 fourth-quarter plays ' a one yard run by sophomore fullback Jeremi Johnson and a draw to junior tailback Levron Williams on a third-and-24 play ' didn't involve him passing or running.\n"I felt like we needed a spark more than anything," Randle El said. "I knew we needed something. I figured why not be the guy to do it."\nAfter the game, Randle El said he was disappointed that he fumbled away the game's decisive touchdown on a play where he was blindsided by Kentucky defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson. The fumble was Randle El's second of the game. The first occurred with less than a minute remaining in the first half. Three plays later Kentucky scored a touchdown, decreasing IU's lead to 26-21 heading into halftime.\n"The two fumbles were the turning points in this game," Kentucky defensive back David Johnson said. "The first fumble we recovered led to a score and the the second was the biggest play of the game." \nDespite the late-game fumble, Randle El recovered and led the Hoosiers down the field in the final two minutes, putting IU into position to score a touchdown. IU's hopes of tying the game ended when a Randle El pass dropped a few inches in front of senior wide receiver Versie Gaddis. \n"(Randle El) and I are very similar," Cameron said. "We are action-oriented people who want to go in there and do it all sometimes. Sometimes you got to realize that you don't have to do it all. I think he realizes that more than ever he'll adjust. Every good quarterback I've been around has had this happen to him"
(09/15/00 5:47am)
The Bourbon Barrel doesn't exist anymore, but that doesn't mean the IU/Kentucky football game doesn't mean anything.\nTravel to parts of Southern Indiana or almost anywhere in Kentucky and the annual border war between the Hoosiers and Wildcats is a topic of conversation.\n"When you go down to Southern Indiana, Louisville, Owensboro, Evansville, that game is the number one thing that they talk about when I come down to the golf outings and speak," coach Cam Cameron said. "They are pointing towards the Kentucky game, but it is important to us all."\nIU (0-1) and Kentucky (1-1) play for the 31st time at 5 p.m., Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, but it won't be a trophy game. The Bourbon Barrel, given annually to the game's winner since 1987, was dismantled prior to the 1999 game.\nThe Bourbon Barrel was retired last September after Kentucky transfer player Arthur Steinmetz was killed in an alcohol-related car crash. Kentucky athletics director C.M. Newton presented the idea of retiring the Bourbon Barrel to IU and the schools reached a joint-decision to retire the trophy. When discussing the rivalry, IU players informally refer to the contest with Kentucky as the "barrel" game. \nUnlike IU's game with Purdue, which has been contested annually since 1920, the rivalry with Kentucky is still developing. The Hoosiers and Wildcats started meeting annually in 1987. IU leads the all-time series 16-13-1.\nAlthough not as fierce as the school's basketball rivalry, the intensity and competitiveness of the "barrel" game has increased in recent years. \n"Kentucky is a rival for us and they play us hard every year," senior fullback De'Wayne Hogan said. "They beat us the last two years and now it's our time."\nSince junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El's freshman season in 1998, the signal-callers have taken center stage and the past two meetings have been nail bitters. Randle El matched-up with Tim Couch in 1998, who went on to be the first pick of the 1999 NFL Draft. Kentucky quarterback Dusty Bonner and Randle El accounted for 505 yards combined passing yards last year. Randle El and Kentucky freshman Jared Lorenzen are expected to produce the same kind offensive fireworks Saturday.\nThe past two meetings between the team's were both decided in the fourth quarter. The Hoosiers trailed, 38-21 heading into the fourth quarter of last year's game. IU managed to trim the Wildcats' lead to six with three minutes remaining before losing, 44-35. Kentucky used a big fourth quarter from Couch to defeat IU, 31-27, in 1998.\nFourth-year Kentucky coach Hal Mumme is expecting the same type of game this season.\n"I imagine the game will be a who has it last kind of deal," Mumme said. "It's always been an exciting game and the only time since I've been here that it hasn't been a close game was before Randle El was here."\nCameron, who is also in his fourth season, agrees that Saturday's game has a possibility of being decided in the final minutes.\n"We are in a very similar situation to which you saw Saturday (against North Carolina State) where we had to make big plays at the end of the ball game in order to win the game," Cameron said. "I imagine that this ball game will go down to the fourth quarter, too"
(09/15/00 5:18am)
Fullbacks are often the players on a football team who are suppose to do the dirty work. Whether it's clearing the way for the tailback or throwing a block to protect a quarterback, fullbacks often do things that don't find their way onto the stat sheet.\nBut in IU's offensive system, the fullback is known to be more than a blocker. And IU's opening game Saturday against North Carolina State proved that the fullback will be an integral part of IU's offense this season.\n"There's probably a handful of schools, that can legitimately recruit a fullback and tell him, 'You're going to get the football,'" said coach Cam Cameron said. "Most people are running a one-back or an offense where the fullback is strictly a blocker. Our fullback has to be able to block, he has to be able to handle the football, running and ultimately catching the football. Those guys are extremely valuable to us."\nAllowing IU to do more with the position is the fact it has two capable fullbacks, senior De'Wayne Hogan and sophomore Jeremi Johnson.\nHogan and Johnson were involved in more than a blocking capacity in IU's 41-38 loss to NC State. Hogan carried the ball 11 times for 54 yards, while Johnson carried the ball three times for 21 yards and caught two passes for 21 yards. Each player rushed for a touchdown in the defeat.\n"We were practicing all week and all camp to get the fullbacks the ball more," Hogan said. "I kind of knew I was going to get a chance of to show what I can do."\nThe primary difference between Hogan and Johnson is size. The 6-foot, 230-pound Hogan is the normal size for a college football fullback and arrived at IU as a tailback. His 10-yard touchdown scamper up the middle in the first quarter against NC State proved that Hogan can find and run through an open hole like a tailback. \n"De'Wayne was first a tailback when he first came here, and he's made a nice adjustment to fullback," Cameron said.\nJohnson although an inch shorter than Hogan, he weighs 40 pounds more. Johnson's size makes him an imposing presence on runs or blocks. He demonstrated his power when he dragged three NC State tacklers with him on his four-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. \nWhile Hogan and Johnson had their moments carrying the football Saturday, they also did a solid job of handling their blocking responsibilities. Cameron noted it was Johnson's block that helped junior tailback Williams score on a 36-yard option play at the the end of the first half.\n"The play right before the half, where Levron Williams scores is because Jeremi Johnson does exactly what he's asked to do and creates the initial block and then Levron cuts it back and scores," Cameron said.\nHogan started against NC State and will likely start Saturday at Kentucky. Hogan saw more snaps against the Wolfpack, but Johnson received ample playing time. Both players say they have no problem splitting time with each other.\n"Jeremi is a good fullback," Hogan said. "I have no problem with it. He does a lot of great things and there are things I can help him with and there are things he's helped me with. With us splitting time it gives him time to rest."\nThe more experienced Hogan has offered advice to the younger Johnson.\n"He's helped me a lot," Johnson said. "He told me to push myself every play"
(09/13/00 7:06am)
Junior guard Dane Fife spent Monday night at a Bloomington comedy club.\nWhile he was sitting in the audience, the onstage comedian pleaded for Fife to stay at IU. The students in attendance then started cheering for Fife, who announced early in the day he was transferring from IU because of Bob Knight's removal as basketball coach.\nFife was touched by the students' support. He was also encouraged by the University's decision to name Mike Davis as new basketball coach.\nSo just one day after saying he was leaving Indiana, Fife marched onto the Assembly Hall floor with 11 teammates and stood at center court as Davis was announced as interim head coach and John Treloar as interim associate head coach. After the announcement, Fife said he was staying at IU.\n"The main thing I realize is that this is my home," Fife said. "The people here are just unbelievable to us. The students' support, the team's support and the coaches' support has been unbelievable."\nFife did admit it will be weird putting on the IU jersey without Knight as coach.\n"It's going to be different," Fife said. "It felt different before this press conference. Coach Davis and Coach Treloar walked in, but no coach Knight. It was different right there." \nFife said he's relieved the whirlwind surrounding the team's coaching situation is over and the Hoosiers can get back to playing basketball.\n"I feel a lot better," Fife said. "I've been through a lot; everybody's been through a lot, I'm glad to be back."\nFreshman guard A.J. Moye, who also announced he would transfer Monday, said the naming of Davis' as coach was one reason why he changed his mind.\n"Right now, if they didn't name coach Davis as coach, I would probably be going back to my apartment to get my things and transfer," Moye said. "Since coach Davis is the head coach, I'm more than happy to remain. He played an integral part in getting me here too."\nMoye, a prized recruit from Atlanta, said a Monday night phone conversation with Davis influenced his decision to stay at IU. \n"My situation was a little different than anyone else's because there were a lot of emotional circumstances taken into consideration," explained Moye, who said he primarily came to IU because of Knight. "I basically trusted my life to Coach Knight, and he's gone, and that's something I can't get back. But I still have Coach Davis. He's more than a coach, he's a big brother. Right now, he's the only person in the state I can trust."\nThe most dramatic moment of the news conference came when the entire team marched onto the floor together at 4:05 p.m. to appear before the more than 100 media members in attendance. Up until that point it wasn't clear if Fife and Moye were still part of the team.\n"I just felt it was a great scene," junior forward Kirk Haston said. "It was a great opportunity for us to show what a solid team we can be together. It was a really good sense of pride." \nSophomore guard Kyle Hornsby said the march was to show the team's support for Davis and Treloar.\n"That shows we do back Coach Davis and Coach Treloar," Hornsby said, "As much as we hated what happened here and as much as we love coach Knight, we do back both of these coaches and we look forward to continuing the tradition of Indiana basketball." \nHornsby said he found out Tuesday morning that Fife and Moye would remain with the team.\n"I love both those guys," he said. "I've known Dane since before my senior year of high school. I like playing with him and I love the fact that's he staying. I haven't known A.J. for nearly as long, but he's a good guy and I would like the chance to play with him"
(09/13/00 5:42am)
Football coach Cam Cameron was fined $10,000 by the Big Ten office Tuesday for remarks directed at officials after Saturday's loss to North Carolina State. The fine will be taken from IU's share of network TV money. \nCameron apologized to both the media and IU fans Tuesday at his weekly news conference.\n"I was very concerned about the officiating after the game, but in the future that's not how we will handle things," Cameron said. "It was wrong criticizing the officials."\nCameron was fined for violating the fourth part of the unsportsmanlike conduct section of Agreement 10 in the 2000-01 Big Ten Handbook, which includes "publicly and unduly criticizing a game official."\nThe handbook states penalties for violating the agreement include, "a public reprimand, and, at the discretion of the involved institution, either a $10,000 fine (withheld from the institution's share of conference network television revenues) or a one-game suspension."\n IU athletic officials and Cameron settled on the fine.\n "You can say certain things, but the language that he used violated a Big Ten rule," athletics director Clarence Doninger said.\nDoninger said his office agreed with the Big Ten's findings that Cameron broke the agreement.\n Much of Cameron's postgame frustration was directed towards the Atlantic Coast Conference officiating crew headed by Thomas Zimorski.\n Cameron said there were "six to eight calls" that affected the outcome of the game.\n The most notable of the calls came on a holding penalty against IU's defense on a 4th-and-8 play late in the fourth quarter. The flag came late on the play after Philip Rivers' pass intended for Ray Robinson was tipped. If no call had been made, IU would have gained possession on North Carolina State's 24-yard line with less than two minutes in the game.\n"They're out there discussing, and they don't have any idea what they saw, why they saw it, if it was tipped," Cameron said of the play in the postgame news conference.\nCameron went one step farther after the game and said in front of a horde of TV cameras and print reporters that the officials robbed IU of a victory.\n"We played well enough to win the football game. Period," Cameron said after the 41-38 defeat. "You can slice it anyway you want, the football game was flat taken from Indiana University."\nThe athletics department and Cameron filed a complaint to Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and Supervisor of Football Officials David Perry, and the matter is being looked into by the conference. \n"We are still concerned about officiating, but (this) needs to be done in a prescribed manner," Doninger said. "Cam said he is sorry, and I believe him."\nCameron said he will handle similar situations differently in the future.\n"We will do everything we can in the future to handle it through the Big Ten office," Cameron said. "Those guys will handle it for that point forward. I apologize to everyone and we will focus on football and things we can control"
(09/13/00 4:10am)
College football quarterbacks come in all shapes and sizes. During IU's game against North Carolina State Saturday, two different styles of signal-callers were on display.\nOn one side of the field was junior Antwaan Randle El, part of the new breed of quarterbacks. At 5-foot-10, Randle El is frighteningly quick and is a threat to run the ball just as much as he is to throw it.\nOn the other side of the field was North Carolina State freshman Phillip Rivers, who is more like the traditional quarterback. The 6-foot-5 true freshman is a drop-pack passer with a strong, accurate arm. \nDespite their different styles, both quarterbacks produced the same results in NC State's 41-38 win ' lots of offense.\nRandle El led IU in both passing and rushing with 240 and 81 yards, respectively. Randle El also produced two big plays, by throwing a 57-yard touchdown pass to senior Jerry Dorsey in the first quarter and a 70-yard touchdown bomb to senior Versie Gaddis in the second quarter.\nNorth Carolina State coach Chuck Amato, who praised the IU quarterback earlier in the week, was even more impressed after witnessing Randle El's talents.\n"That quarterback is something special," Amato said. "I'm glad we only play them once. I hope we don't see anyone like that the rest of the year."\nAs for Rivers, he led his team to a 15-point fourth quarter comeback despite throwing the first interception of his career with less than seven minutes remaining in the game.\nRivers picked apart IU's secondary Saturday for 401 yards, completing 31-of-52 pass attempts. Just as Amato talked highly of Randle El, coach Cam Cameron said he was impressed by Rivers.\n"They have excellent skill, and they went and found a quarterback," Cameron said. "That kid is a special talent, those guys don't come around very often. You'll hear about that guy for the next four years."
(09/11/00 5:06am)
During the offseason, the football team talked about how things were going to change in 2000.\n Coach Cam Cameron and his players talked about winning, not losing close games in the fourth quarter. They talked about how the defense would be one of the most improved groups in college football. They talked about how the Hoosiers would get off to a fast start this season.\nJudging by IU's performance in its 41-38 loss Saturday to North Carolina State the Hoosiers will have to wait another week to change things. \nIU (0-1) outplayed NC State for three quarters only to have a 15-point lead stolen in the fourth quarter, stunning the 30,151 in attendance at Memorial Stadium. \n"It's unexplainable," said junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El, who held his head down with his hand covering his face in the post game news conference. "I don't know, it's unexplainable. We blew that game."\nAn emotional Cameron told the horde of media members present at the news conference that he thought IU was robbed of a victory against the Wolfpack.\n"We played well enough to win the football game on the scoreboard, period," he said. "You can slice it any way you want, the football game was flat taken from Indiana University ' not from just our football team, it was taken from every single one of us. I have never seen anything like that in my life." \nMany of Cameron's post game frustration was directed toward the Atlantic Coast Conference officiating crew headed by Thomas Zimorski. Cameron said there were "six to eight questionable calls" impacting the outcome of the game. \nOne of those calls came on a fourth and eight play with less than two minutes remaining. NC State freshman quarterback Philip Rivers' pass bounced off junior tailback Ray Robinson's hand and fell incomplete. At that moment it appeared the Hoosiers were about to take over on the Wolfpack's 24 yard line.\nBut the Hoosiers were flagged for defensive holding, continuing the Wolfpack's drive. Five plays later, Rivers completed a 47-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Koren Robinson, who streaked by the entire IU secondary, giving the Wolfpack a one-point lead with 54 seconds remaining. NC State went for a two-point conversion as Rivers completed a pass to sophomore tightend Willie Wright, increasing the lead to three.\nJunior Derin Graham's 54-yard kick return to NC State's 44 put the Hoosiers into position for one final drive. IU then advanced the ball 24 yards on the following four plays, allowing senior kicker Andy Payne a chance at a 37-yard field goal attempt with seven seconds remaining. But Payne's kick was low and blocked by a leaping Terrence Holt.\n"The kick was low," Cameron said. "Andy usually gets the ball up in the air, but it didn't happen on that one."\nFor the second consecutive week, the Wolfpack defeated an opponent in the closing moments. NC State defeated Arkansas State, 38-31, in double-overtime last weekend in Raleigh.\n"I looked them all in the eye and said 'don't anybody quit,'" NC State coach Chuck Amato said. "It's a 60 minute game and it's going to take someone 64 minutes to beat us. I told them not to worry about the clock. All we could do is keep fighting and do our best." \nRivers completed 31 of 52 passes for 401 yards. Rivers also tossed five touchdown passes, which tied a school record set by Terry Harvey. Rivers completed passes to six different players led by Wright who caught nine passes, including two for touchdowns. \n"He's a true freshman and came out with a lot of composure," IU senior defensive tackle Paul Mandina said of Rivers. "And he could have given up more than once and he didn't."\nWhen Mandina was asked about Rivers' performance, Randle El shook his head in amazement after discovering the NC State quarterback was a true freshman.\nIU's offense was effective in the loss, outgaining the Wolfpack's 476 to 474 yards. Randle El led the Hoosiers in both passing and rushing with 240 and 81 yards, respectively. Gaddis led IU with 108 receiving yards on four receptions.\nEarly in the game, it looked like the Hoosiers were going to have their way with the Wolfpack. IU opened a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter on Randle El's 70-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Versie Gaddis. \nThe Hoosiers carried a 28-13 lead into halftime when junior tailback Levron Williams scored on a 36-yard option play with three seconds remaining in the half. Williams avoided four NC State tacklers on his way to the end zone.
(09/09/00 4:01am)
Playing against a formidable Atlantic Coast Conference foe with a dangerous offensive trio isn't an ideal way for IU to break in its new defense.\nFollowing a dramatic double-overtime win against Arkansas State against an offense that features one of college football's most elusive quarterbacks, is a difficult task for North Carolina State and its new coach, Chuck Amato.\nSo, when the Hoosiers and Wolfpack meet in IU's opener at 11:10 a.m., Saturday at Memorial Stadium, almost no one will go home surprised if a lot of points are put on the scoreboard.\nAfter their 38-31 win Saturday against Arkansas State in Raleigh, the Wolfpack are eighth in college football with 539 yards of total offense.\n"It's going to be a wide-open offense," junior cornerback Sharrod Wallace said of N.C. State's attack. "We prepared well for this offense. It's going to be a great challenge for us and we look forward to it."\nLeading the Wolfpack's attack is redshirt freshman quarterback Philip Rivers. The 18-year-old completed 29 of 57 passes for 397 yards and three touchdowns against Arkansas State. All three numbers were N.C. State freshman records for a quarterback. Rivers' passing yards in the game were the fifth highest total in school history and his number of attempts were the most in the 201 games played at Carter-Finley Stadium.\n"There's no doubt he exceeded expectations," Amato said of Rivers. "He showed a lot of calmness. Some of the things he did were remarkable."\nRivers was a fan-favorite among the 46,943, who braved monsoon-like conditions to watch the Wolfpack open their season. Rivers received a standing ovation after the game's first play despite overthrowing a receiver on a trick play.\n"I love Philip Rivers and it doesn't seem like he's 18," N.C. State junior linebacker Levar Fisher said. "He has fit in well and everyone has embraced him. He will win some rookie of the year awards and break a bunch of freshman records."\nRivers has the advantage of playing alongside the past two ACC Rookie of the Year recipients ' junior running back Ray Robinson and sophomore wide receiver Koren Robinson.\nWith the fate of Saturday's game undecided in overtime, the Wolfpack resorted to Ray Robinson, the 1998 ACC Rookie of the Year. The 5-foot-10, 198-pound tailback finished the game with 139 rushing yards on 27 carries. He also scored a touchdown in the first and second overtime periods.\nThe third part of N.C. State's talented trio is Koren Robinson, who was the 1999 ACC Rookie of the Year. The 6-foot-2, 203 pound receiver caught seven passes for 115 yards against Arkansas State. Koren Robinson caught 48 passes in 1999 for 853 yards and could pose problems for IU's smaller defensive backs.\n"This team has great skill not only at quarterback, but at wide receiver," IU coach Cam Cameron said. "They are a lot like us."\nWhile the Hoosiers will be busy containing the Wolfpack's offensive weapons, N.C. State's defense also has a lot to worry about.\nIU was the only team in 1999 to produce a 2,000-yard passer (junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El), two 750-yard rushers (junior running back Levron Williams and Randle El) and two 600-yard receivers (senior wide receivers Versie Gaddis and Jerry Dorsey).\nAmato is especially concerned about containing Randle El. The first-year coach described Randle El as being "bigger" than former Florida State quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward, "faster" than former Georgia Tech standout Joe Hamilton and as "dangerous" as Virginia Tech sophomore Michael Vick.
(09/08/00 6:15am)
Senior kicker Andy Payne wears two different shoe sizes. \nOn his right foot he wears a size nine. On his left foot Payne wears a size 11. The smaller shoe happens to be on Payne's kicking foot. \n"The shoe on my right foot conforms to my foot a little better," Payne said. "It stretches out and gives me better contact on the ball."\nJust like his shoe sizes, Payne's two duties for the football team Saturday against North Carolina State will probably be different. \nWhen the Hoosiers are looking to add points, he's the place-kicker. When IU is looking to make it more difficult for the Wolfpack to score points, he's expected to handle the punting duties.\nRather than being overwhelmed with playing two positions, Payne is looking to make the most of his opportunity.\n"I'm happy about it," he said. "It's something I've always wanted to do. I'm prepared and I'm ready to get it done. I'm just practicing punts more than I normally do."\nIf Payne is IU's punter, he won't be the only Big Ten player handling both the place-kicking and punting duties. Michigan junior Hayden Epstein was the Wolverines place-kicker and punter in 1999 and has the same role this season. Purdue junior Travis Dorsch also handles both duties for the Boilermakers.\nEasing Payne's burden is the fact he won't be kicking-off. Redshirt freshman Adam Braucher will be the Hoosiers' kickoff specialist against the Wolfpack.\n"Adam Braucher is going to do the kicking off, so that takes some pressure off Andy," coach Cam Cameron said. "If you ask a guy to do all three phases sometimes his leg can wear down." \nPayne was IU's "pooch" punter in 1999 while All-Big Ten punter Drew Hagan handled the regular punting duties. Payne averaged 38.8 yards in five attempts last season.\nHagan's graduation has left a void in IU's kicking game. The Hoosiers recruited Ryan Hamre as a punter in the offseason. Unless Hamre, freshman Tyson Picken or freshman Greg Blazak impress the coaches before Saturday's kickoff, Payne will punt.\n"Andy's punted and we haven't asked him to punt a lot," Cameron said. "We pretty much know what he can do. In all likelihood unless one of the younger guys really comes on, Andy will punt in this game."\nHamre is expected to be IU's punter of the future. As a senior at Boone High School in Orlando, Fla. Hamre averaged 45.7 yards per punt, earning him first-team all-state honors.\n"He's got a really strong leg," Payne said. "In the future he's going to be a great punter here. It's a competition. I imagine if he breaks out this week he would probably start. If he could boot it 60 yards, I would be happy."\nWhile IU's punting situation is unclear, the place-kicking situation is solidified. Payne has been IU's place-kicker since 1997, connecting on 34 of 46 career field goal attempts. Payne connected on 36 of 36 extra point attempts and 9 of 12 field goal opportunities last season.\n \nNAME CHANGE\nSenior Orlando Spencer, who will start alongside junior Sharrod Wallace at cornerback against N.C. State, isn't a transfer or late addition to IU's roster.\nTo honor his mother, Spencer switched his name from O.J. to Orlando in the offseason.\n"It's basically my mother's wish and I told her I would continue it," Spencer said. "She's been asking me to do it since high school."\nSpencer, a fifth-year senior, has already graduated from IU with a degree in English education. On the field, Spencer started eight games for the Hoosiers in 1998 and has four career interceptions.
(09/08/00 5:42am)
No position on the football team might have benefited more from the Hoosiers' 11-day training camp in Marshall, Ind., than the offensive line. \nWhile sweltering away in the 90-degree heat, the inexperienced, but potentially talented offensive line started to click.\n"We are used to working together as a unit," said sophomore left tackle A.C. Myler, who will be starting his first game as an offensive lineman Saturday against North Carolina State. "I think Marshall helped us get used to working together as a unit. We\'re a close-knit group anyway and that helps us on the field."\nJunior quarterback Antwaan Randle El, whose effectiveness could hinge on the new-look offensive line's performance, agreed that his blockers returned from Marshall as an improved unit.\n"The most important thing is that they are a lot better than they were before we went to Marshall," Randle El said. "The only thing I can do is encourage them and let them know what I can do."\nFor Randle El and the offense to repeat its 1999 performance, the offensive line and its four new starters must improve on a continual basis. \n"We\'re all big guys, we\'re all strong guys and we\'re all athletic guys," Myler said. "We plan on being good this year. We understand it might take us a little longer to get better, but we plan on being good."\nSophomore right tackle Enoch DeMar is the only member of the offensive line starting Saturday with any collegiate experience at his position. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound DeMar started all 11 games in 1999.\nJoining DeMar on the offensive line at the guard positions are redshirt freshmen Anthony Oakley and Sione Ohuafi.\nProtecting Randle El\'s blind-side will be Myler, who played defensive tackle in 1999. The 6-foot-4, 327-pound Myler switched to the offensive line prior to the start of spring practice in March and has welcomed the move.\n"You have to be aggressive anywhere you play in football and defense is fun, but offense is what wins," Myler said. "You got to score points to win. The defensive line might be more aggressive from the onset, but on the offense and defensive line you have to be aggressive to be good."\n Junior Craig Osika will be IU\'s starting center after being selected as an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection as a tight end last season.\n"Craig is doing an excellent job, and he's a guy that is just going to get better every snap," coach Cam Cameron said.\nAlso new to the line is coach Hal Hunter, who replaces Mark Deal as offensive line coach prior to the start of spring practice. Hunter is also IU\'s offensive coordinator until Pete Schmidt returns from his battle with lymphoma in 2001.\n"He's brought a simple system and it\'s easy to learn," Myler said of Hunter. "He's got us ingrained in learning the fundamentals of it. It seems fluid and we\'re going to do a good job at it."\nWhile the line is improving, Cameron realizes the unit is still young.\n"We're not asking them to do too much too fast," Cameron said. "Everyone is getting better. I have been encouraged with what I\'ve seen from them, and they should get better and better"
(09/07/00 5:28am)
When the football team opens its season against North Carolina State Saturday at Memorial Stadium, it could be as close as the Hoosiers will get to playing defending national champion Florida State or offensive powerhouse Brigham Young University.\nThe Hoosiers aren't scheduled to play the Seminoles or Cougars in the near future, but against the Wolfpack, they face a team linked with two of college football's elite programs.\nN.C. State coach Chuck Amato is in the midst of his first season in Raleigh, after serving as assistant head to Bobby Bowden at Florida State. Amato, a 1969 graduate of N.C. State, returned to his alma mater after spending 14 seasons with the Seminoles. In addition to his duties as assistant head coach, Amato coached Florida State's linebackers the past four seasons.\nIt was evident during the Wolfpacks' 38-31, double-overtime victory against Arkansas State that Amato's coaching style will be similar to Bowden's. The legendary Florida State coach is known for taking chances and opening the game up and that's exactly what Amato did against Arkansas State. \nOn the game's opening play, the Wolfpack attempted a trick play on offense. As the game wore on, the Wolfpack ended up going for a touchdown on fourth down six times, and freshman quarterback Philip Rivers attempted 57 passes. \n"Coach Bowden is a riverboat gambler and my family are street gamblers," Amato joked. "Bobby has had tremendous influence on me. I learned with a wide-open offense you have a chance to score."\nAmato was also Bowden-like in the way he handled the game's outcome. Instead of being disappointed his team needed two overtimes to knock-off a team it was heavily favored to defeat, Amato was encouraged by the victory.\n"All Coach Amato wanted us to do is finish the game," N.C. State junior linebacker LeVar Fisher said. "If you put your head down, he will slap you in the face."\n Similar to Florida State, the Wolfpack play an attacking defense, featuring a number of stunts and blitzes.\n "We basically have spent a long time looking at Florida State's defense," IU coach Cam Cameron said. "Chuck Amato comes from Florida State, and we would assume that they would bring that package for the most part. I am sure they will have a wrinkle here or there."\nN.C. State is linked to BYU by new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Norm Chow.\nDuring his tenure at BYU from 1978-1999 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Chow coached Browns' quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer, Davey O'Brien Trophy winner Jim McMahon and future NFL Hall-of-Famer Steve Young.\nBYU's offense is known for its high-octane passing attack. After one game, there are already offensive similarities between the Cougars and Wolfpack.\nBeside the 57 pass attempts, Rivers completed passes to nine different receivers, including nine to senior Eric Leak and seven to sophomore Koren Robinson.\nAfter the first full weekend of college football games, N.C. State is ranked eighth in the NCAA in total offense, averaging 539 yards per game.\n"If you look at them statistically, Norm Chow has picked up right where he left off at BYU," Cameron said.
(09/06/00 5:36pm)
Junior Levron Williams has the size and strength of a linebacker, reliable hands like a wide receiver and speed comparable to almost any kick returner.\nThe scary thing for IU's opponents this season is that Williams is at running back -- a position where he can combine all his talents.\n"I'm going to try a little bit of everything," Williams said. "I will run off tackle, run from the option or go out on the slot and catch the ball."\nNo running back in the Big Ten is as versatile as the 6-foot-4 Williams.\nMichigan's Anthony Thomas is more experienced. Northwestern's Damien Anderson might be more durable. And Michigan State's T.J. Duckett is stronger.\nBut whether he's asked to run the option alongside junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El, gain three tough yards up the middle or go deep on a pass route, Williams showed in 1999 he has the ability of being a part of every play.\n"With him being able to receive it's great because we don't have to put three receivers in the game," Randle El said. "We can go in different formations with him in the game. With him being as tall as he his and having the hands he has, it helps the team a lot."\n Realizing the versatility Williams could provide in IU's backfield, coach Cam Cameron and his staff switched the Evansville native from wide receiver to tailback last season. Playing running back in 1999 allowed Williams to get more touches than he did as a redshirt freshman in 1998.\n Williams finished last season with a team-high 817 rushing yards on 118 carries. He rushed for more than 100 yards in three games, including a career-high 241 yards, Oct. 9, against Northwestern. \nAs a receiver out of the backfield, Williams was second on the team in receptions with 33. In the season finale against Purdue, Williams caught eight passes for 111 yards.\nWilliams' performance in 1999 earned him an All-Big Ten honorable mention title from the coaches and media. Despite being featured on the back of the 2000 Indiana Football Yearbook and in a number of preseason magazines, Williams said he is unchanged by his success.\n"The recognition means nothing to me," he said. \nA 1,000 yard rushing season could be in Williams' future this fall, but he said, "It goes through my head, but I don't want to talk about it too much." \nPlaying running back is nothing new for Williams. He was a standout at the position during his days at Bosse High School in Evansville, completing his career with 4,269 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns. \nPlaying tailback at the college level last season was a new experience for Williams. Before the start on the 1999 season, he had just six carries in his collegiate career.\n"It's been fun to watch him develop in stages," Cameron said. "He started out as a split end, then as a tailback, who was primarily an outside runner, and now he's got to be able to develop the ability to run inside."\nWhen he arrived at IU in 1997, Williams weighed 190 pounds. After participating in the Hoosiers' offseason conditioning program this winter, Williams is now 220 pounds. The added weight should help Williams when he collides with some of the conference's larger defensive linemen and linebackers.\nIU's backfield is touted as one of top three in the conference by preseason publications and football experts. Williams is a big reason for this, but his supporting cast should also be productive this season.\nMaking lead blocks for Williams will be two talented fullbacks, senior De'Wayne Hogan and sophomore Jeremi Johnson. Playing behind Williams will be redshirt freshman Brian Lewis. Although Lewis is 5-foot-8, Williams said his backup has all kinds of talent.\n"Brian's a great back," Williams said. "He's quick and kind of like Barry Sanders. He's going to push me to become a better player."\nAs far as the fullbacks, Levron said it doesn't matter if he's playing alongside Hogan or Johnson. \nJohnson said Williams helped him elevate his game as a freshman last season.\n"I haven't been around a lot of great tailbacks like Levron," Johnson said. "I see him doing good, and I want to do good also." \nHeading into Saturday's home-opener against North Carolina State, there's no doubt what position Williams will play. \n"I'm starting to feel real comfortable as a running back, but I still have a lot to learn," he said. Williams added that he likes playing tailback more than receiver for a simple reason: "It's better to get the ball in the backfield than with your back turned to the defender"
(09/01/00 5:55am)
One of the buzzes in the athletic department this weekend doesn't involve the basketball or football teams. \nNearly two decades after IU fielded its last varsity field hockey team, the sport makes its anticipated return 1 p.m. Saturday against Slippery Rock in Mellencamp Pavilion.\n"It hasn't come to me that I will be playing Division I on Saturday," senior Tania Hults said. "It doesn't seem real."\nContrary to what many students and members of the community might believe, field hockey isn't new to IU. Field hockey was a varsity sport for 10 years before being discontinued in 1982. IU posted a record of 119-74-15 record during its 10 seasons.\nDr. Kay Burrus, an associate dean in the School of Health Physical Education and Recreation and field hockey coach from 1972-76, said the return of field hockey "is a great thing for the University." \nDespite the fact that IU does have a field hockey history, everything about the 2000 squad is new. \nThe team has 18 players, including nine who played together on the IU club team. Coach Amy Robertson filled the remaining spots on the roster by recruiting five freshmen and finding three other interested players on campus.\nIU will play its home games this season at Mellencamp Pavilion before moving to an outdoor turf facility in 2001.\n"The Astroturf is excellent in Mellencamp," Robertson said. "We don't have to worry about being rained out or sunburned, so I really like it. There's not a lot of space on the sidelines, so the officials won't be happy, but from a playing standpoint, it's a real favorable surface."\nDuring field hockey's first stint as a varsity sport, the Hoosiers played home games at Memorial Stadium and the former artificial surface football practice field located near Bill Armstrong Stadium. As a club sport the field hockey team played its games on the "tundra," a grass field located behind Foster Quad and some of the greek houses on North Jordan Avenue. \nRoberston is also new to IU. Robertson was named head coach on March 30 after serving as an assistant coach at Wake Forest the past three seasons. She helped the Demon Deacons post an 18-4 record and earn their first trip to the NCAA Tournament last season.\nRobertson has worked continuously since arriving at IU, doing everything from recruiting and scheduling to ordering equipment for the team.\n"I have definitely used every minute of the 24-hour day," Robertson said. "I think it's been a challenge, but it has been really fun because everyone is really eager to start a new program."\n Robertson squeezed eight practices in this spring with the existing players from the club team. The entire roster started practicing together Aug. 18 and during the two-week span some players said there has been noticeable improvement.\n "I think we're starting to click," sophomore Erica Nilsson said. "The first practice we had together you could tell we weren't playing well together, and people weren't sure of each other."\nRobertson said her philosophy is for the team to not get ahead of itself and focus on each practice individually. So far, the team has stuck to those principles.\n"When we get to practice we leave everything behind us," Hults said.\nIU's opening-game opponent is just as mysterious as the Hoosiers themselves. Slippery Rock is a Division II school in Pennsylvania located about a hour north of Pittsburgh.\n"We're open-minded to playing a very tough game, and if it's not a tough game we just want to slam it down their throats," Hults said. \n Nilsson expects the Hoosiers will be flowing with adrenaline Saturday.\n"It's going to be the hardest we play in our lives," she said. "We are going to go after the ball with 110 percent effort. We are going to be so excited." \nWhen Saturday finally arrives, Hults, who has been pushing for a varsity team since her freshman year, said, "I'm just not going to stop smiling."\nAnd so will 17 of her teammates.
(09/01/00 5:34am)
National championship and Wisconsin are two words rarely used in the same sentence.\nWisconsin has never won a national title, and from 1963 until Barry Alvarez took over as head coach in 1990, the Badgers were one of the Big Ten's pushovers.\nBut two consecutive Big Ten and Rose Bowl titles in '98 and '99 have decreased the gap between the Badgers and college football's elite.\nAdd loads of talent, including 16 returning starters, and it's not surprising expectations are high entering the 2000 season.\n"We are thinking national championship," junior cornerback Jamar Fletcher said. "We have the team to do it."\nMany football experts also think 2000 could be the Badgers' year. After posting a 10-2 record last season, Wisconsin is ranked in the top five of almost every preseason poll.\n"I'd be lying if I said winning a national championship hasn't crossed my mind," senior center Casey Rabach said. "Winning a title is in any college football player's mind if they are ranked as high as we are."\nFor Wisconsin to make a run at the title, it must replace running back Ron Dayne, the 1999 Heisman Trophy winner. Dayne, the first-round draft pick of the New York Giants, was the catalyst of the Badgers' offense for four seasons, leaving Madison as college football's all-time leading rusher with 6,397 yards.\nAlvarez said junior Michael Bennett will get first crack at replacing Dayne. Bennett won the 100-and-200 meter dashes at the Big Ten Outdoor Track Championship in the spring.\n"It's going to be hard to replace a Heisman Trophy winner, but it's business as usual," Rabach said. "Michael Bennett should work out nicely for us. He's a speed guy."\nWisconsin led the conference with 3,283 yards rushing, but attempted a conference low 219 passes last season. Without Dayne, Wisconsin's passing attack, led by sophomore quarterback Brooks Bollinger, will play an increased role.\n"Our biggest job is to take the abilities of our players, especially those who make big plays, and take advantage of them," Alvarez said. "We need to use our quarterback a little bit more and maybe not put as much stock in our tailback as we have in the past."\nBollinger registered a perfect 8-0 record after taking over as the Badgers' starting quarterback midway through 1999. Bollinger's consistent play as a starter earned him Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors from the coaches and media.\nRabach, a 1999 first-team all-Big Ten selection, anchors an offensive line that must replace both tackles. Three-year starter Bill Ferrario and two-year starter Dave Costa give the Badgers experience at guard.\nA pair of juniors from St Louis, Fletcher and defensive tackle Wendell Bryant, will lead the defense. \nFletcher, a candidate to win the Jim Thorpe Award, given to college football's best defensive back, led the Big Ten with seven interceptions in both 1998 and 1999. In his short career, Fletcher has already returned five interceptions for touchdowns.\n"Jamar is the most effective corner I've been around as far as breaking up and making plays," said Alvarez, who also coached 1991 Thorpe Award winner Troy Vincent.\nThe 6-foot-4, 293-pound Bryant is one of the Big Ten's top pass-rushers and led the Badgers with seven sacks in 1999.\nWisconsin's biggest defensive concern is replacing inside linebackers Chris Ghidorzi and Donnel Thompson. Junior Bryson Thompson, Donnel's younger brother, and Nick Greisen will likely start the season at inside linebacker.\nWisconsin's special teams should once again be solid. Senior kicker Vitaly Pisetsky connected on 16 of 20 field goal attempts in 1999 and is a candidate for the Lou Groza Award, given to college football's top place-kicker. Senior Kevin Stemke has handled the punting duties for three years, and his 43.1-yard career average is eighth best in conference history.
(08/31/00 5:38am)
Junior defensive end Kemp Rasmussen plans on watching football this weekend.\n"Yeah, I'm going to watch football this weekend," Rasmussen said. "I watched football last weekend."\nSure, Rasmussen would prefer to play football rather than watch it for the second consecutive weekend. But when your team has a bye week in the first official weekend of the college football season, there's not much else to do.\n"I would much rather play," Rasmussen said. "I look forward to game day. The sooner it gets here the better."\nRasmussen, like the rest of his teammates, must wait until Sept. 9 to play their opener against North Carolina State at Memorial Stadium. Including the game with the Wolfpack, IU plays on 11 consecutive weekends this fall. Unlike 1999, there will be no off week during the season. \n"I'm glad we got that extra week to prepare," junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El said. "The way we have it scheduled we can look at some things and get some stuff taken care of before the first game. We aren't going to start focusing on North Carolina State until Sunday of the actual game week."\nNot playing the first weekend has its advantages and disadvantages for the Hoosiers. \nThe extra week gives the defense more time to work and learn new defensive coordinators James Bell's system. \n"We still consider this training camp," Rasmussen said. "There's a lot to learn this week. Guys need to be focused and ready to play."\nThe Hoosiers also have an opportunity to watch future opponents play this weekend. Ten of IU's 11 opponents play either Thursday, Saturday or Monday, so the Hoosiers will have an opportunity to get an overview of what future opponents are doing. \n"This weekend is an advantage for us because we got to watch a bunch of different teams play and see what offenses and defenses they run," junior running back Levron Williams said.\nA major disadvantage of not having the bye week during the season is the lack of a week to recover from bumps and bruises in the middle of the season. It's nearly impossible for a team to go through the Big Ten schedule without sustaining any injuries along the way. An extra week of rest during a stretch of conference games is sometimes desperately needed in the Big Ten.\nAlso, starting the season late means there's an extra week to collect opening game nerves.\nLast season, the Hoosiers' bye week was Nov. 6, which was wedged between the Michigan and Minnesota games.\n"That bye week during the year is nice because you have a week to recover," Rasmussen said. "But playing a week later also has its good points. I guess it doesn't matter to me. They both have their good and bad points"
(08/30/00 5:35am)
Eleven days away from home is a long time. Practicing football continuously for 11 days in Marshall, Ind., 90 minutes west of Indianapolis, can make the time seem even longer.\nThis is what the football team did from Aug. 16-26, but the team is back in Bloomington, preparing for its Sept. 9 opening game against North Carolina State. After taking Monday off, the team resumed practice Tuesday.\n"I think it was good for us to go to camp and have no distractions and concentrate on football," junior defensive end Kemp Rasmussen said. "But it's good to be back. Eleven days of camp is kind of a grind."\nIt's hard to argue with Rasmussen.\nAlmost two weeks of dealing with the rigors of training camp is a long time for a college football team.\nThe Hoosiers practiced three times per day at the FCA National Headquarters. On some days IU spent 17 hours practicing in muggy conditions with the temperature reaching 90 degrees.\nThere isn't much at the FCA complex. Just four fields and a covered facility for bad weather. There's also a pond for swimming or fishing, along with a cafeteria and a large bunkhouse.\n"I went by the pond, but I didn't fish," junior running back Levron Williams joked.\nIU, along with Illinois, which has camp in Rantoul, Ill., are the two Big Ten squads that didn't hold training camps on-campus.\n"We've got their undivided attention," coach Cam Cameron said last week. "We've got proximity. Everything is close. That helps us give these guys the opportunity to maximize their time. They're not going to and from dorms. It really makes us a lot more efficient."\nDespite the lack of social opportunities in Marshall some of the players returned with positive memories from camp.\n"I wouldn't like to be there any longer, but it was fun," junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El said. "It brought us closer together as a team and helped us understand a lot of things." \nWilliams agreed.\n"We had a lot of fun (in Marshall)," he said. "That was the first time I had as much as I did at camp"
(08/25/00 4:47am)
Junior Greg Yeldell, an All-American triple jumper and a two-year starter on the football team, has been dismissed from both squads and released from his scholarship, IU athletics officials said Wednesday.\nFootball coach Cam Cameron announced at training camp in Marshall, Ind., that Yeldell had been released for "a violation of team rules." \n"Every team and every organization has rules to follow," Cameron said. "If you violate those rules, sometimes you have to dismiss someone, and that's what we did." \nCameron and men's track coach Marshall Goss confirmed Yeldell will transfer.\n"We must work in the parameters of the rules, and Greg had difficulty doing that," Goss said. "We wish him the best."\nCameron would not say if the dismal was related to an off-the-field incident in which Yeldell was arrested Jan. 23 and charged with resisting law enforcement, possession of marijuana and maintaining a common nuisance.\n"We're keeping it in the program," Cameron said.\nDuring his two years at IU, Yeldell showed why he is considered one of the most talented two-sport athletes in the Big Ten.\nYeldell finished fifth in the triple jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in May. He also won the Big Ten outdoor and indoor titles in the event. Yeldell's jump of 55 feet, 2 inches was a meet record at the Big Ten outdoor championships. \nYeldell,19, competed in the triple jump this summer at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Calif. He finished 15th at the trials with a jump of 52 feet, 7 inches. \n"When you lose that type of athlete, it hurts the team's point production," Goss said. "We have to go on and try to find someone to replace him."\nYeldell started 14 games the past two seasons as a strong safety for the football team. He recorded 61 tackles last season and was expected to be IU's starting strong safety this season.\nAs a freshman in 1998, Yeldell tallied five interceptions, including an NCAA freshman record three in one game against Michigan.\nYeldell came to IU from North Rowan High School in East Spencer, N.C., as a highly-touted recruit in both track and football. He selected IU over a number of schools, including North Carolina, Ohio State and Florida State.\nYeldell was named the 1998 National High School Track and Field Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News and holds the United States high school record in the triple jump. \n"I think we all know he's a physical talent," Cameron said. "And I mean this sincerely: I hope wherever he winds up going, he gets things squared away and goes on to do well." \nYeldell was out of town and could not be reached for comment.
(08/24/00 4:31am)
Seven wins. \nThat's all Penn State's Joe Paterno needs to pass former Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, as college football's all-time winningest coach.\nThe Nittany Lions getting seven wins in a season is pretty much a given. Penn State has failed to reach the seven-win plateau just three times in Paterno's 34 years as head coach. The last time Penn State didn't win seven games was in 1988 when it posted a 5-6 record.\nPaterno, though, doesn't think winning seven games this season will be as simple as everyone thinks.\n"Seven wins isn't going to be easy with our football team and the schedule that we play," Paterno said.\nPaterno, who often speaks humbly about his team, might be correct.\nUnlike 1999, when Penn State had loads of talent and was a preseason No. 1, a lot of uncertainty surrounds this year's Nittany Lions.\nThe defense must replace nine starters, including defensive end Courtney Brown, who was the top pick in April's NFL Draft. \nFrequently called "linebacker university," Penn State's big question mark on defense is at the linebacker position. Paterno and his staff have to find replacements for all-American linebackers LaVar Arrington and Brandon Short.\nReplacing Arrington and Mac Morrison at outside linebacker are senior Eric Sturdifen and junior Shamar Finney, who made a total of 18 tackles last season. \nJunior Ron Graham has the difficult job of replacing Short at middle linebacker. Graham arrived at Penn State in 1997 as one of the most heavily recruited high school players in the country.\n"Ron Graham has worked unbelievably hard this summer," senior defensive end Justin Kurpeikis said. "When he gets on the field he's a great talent, and he has a lot of potential."\nKurpeikis anchors Penn State's defensive line and is a candidate for many postseason awards after tallying 52 tackles in 1999. Paterno thinks highly of Kurpeikis, who is assuming a leadership role on the Nittany Lions new-look defense.\n"Justin is going to be a great player," Paterno said. "He has been a strong leader and had a great winter program and spring."\nSeven starters return on offense, including quarterback Rashard Casey. Despite being arrested May 14 and charged with aggravated assault in the beating of an off-duty police officer in his hometown of Hoboken, N.J., Casey will be Penn State's starting quarterback when it opens the season Sunday against Southern California in the kickoff classic. Casey pleaded not guilty to the charges, and Paterno has defended his quarterback throughout the summer.\n"I'm going to play Rashard Casey until something convinces me I shouldn't," Paterno said at the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon in the end of July.\nKareem McKenzie, a 6-foot-7-inch, 321-pound tackle, anchors Penn State's offensive line. McKenzie is a two-year starter and was on the field for 908 snaps last season.\n"A lot of people are looking to roll over us this season," McKenzie said. "We have 11 guys on offense and defense that can play"
(08/23/00 6:08am)
College football schedules don't get much tougher than Iowa's 2000 slate.\nThe Hawkeyes begin the season Aug. 26 playing No. 8 Kansas St. in the Eddie Robinson Classic. Two weeks later they host Western Michigan, who lost to Marshall, 34-30, in last year's Mid-American Conference championship game. One week after facing Western Michigan, the Hawkeyes play rival Iowa State. Finally, the difficult quartet of nonconference games concludes Sept. 23, in Lincoln, Neb. against No. 1 Nebraska. \nAfter the Nebraska game, lurks eight demanding Big Ten contests. \n"Our schedule isn't intimidating, but it's certainly challenging," second-year coach Kirk Ferentz said. "But that's part of playing in the Big Ten. The nonconference schedule is probably good training for the Big Ten."\nThe difficult schedule might slow Ferentz's attempt at rebuilding Iowa's program.\nAfter making six bowl appearances from 1991-97, the Hawkeyes won a total of four games the past two seasons. During Ferentz's honeymoon season in 1999, the Hawkeyes went 1-10 and failed to win a conference game for the first time since 1973.\nFerentz said he realizes critics are tossing verbal jabs at the Hawkeyes heading into the 2000 season, but he isn't listening to them.\n"If you go 1-10, you better expect some negativity," Ferentz said. "I haven't tuned into it, but I'm pretty sure it's out there."\nFerentz added that the pressure for the Hawkeyes to improve this season is self-inflicted. \n"The pressure is internal," he said. "You can't worry about what fans and people say because it will drive you crazy." \nA number of skill players returning on offense give the Hawkeyes a chance of being competitive this season. \nDirecting the offense will be senior quarterback Scott Mullen. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Mullen started Iowa's final five games in 1999, completing 126-of-226 passes. Mullen heads into the season as Iowa's No. 1 quarterback.\n"Scott's throwing better than ever," senior wide receiver Kevin Kasper said. "He's bigger and stronger. Mentally he's also a better player."\nMullen will be throwing to two proven targets—Kasper and junior Kahlil Hill. Kasper was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in 1999, catching 46 passes in the final five games. Hill, who was suspended in 1999 for violating a team rule, caught 35 passes as a freshman in 1998.\nJunior running back Ladell Betts returns after piecing together a solid sophomore season. Betts carried the ball 189 times for 857 yards, earning co-team MVP and second-team All-Big Ten honors. Betts attributed for 83 percent of Iowa's 1,028 rushing yards.\n"I think Ladell is a big-time Big Ten back," Ferentz said. "He has been a team guy all the way and that's what impresses me."\nOn defense, Iowa returns five starters from a unit that allowed conference-worst 463.4 yards per game. Junior defensive end Aaron Kampman is Iowa's leading returning tackler, tallying 103 last season. \nThe Hawkeyes must also find a replacement for kicker Tim Douglas, who led the team last season with 36 points. Senior Greg McLaughlin, redshirt freshman John Gockman and freshman Nate Kaeding will compete for the place-kicking job.