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(09/06/02 6:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>INDIANAPOLIS -- U.S. team coach George Karl paced left with less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter. Then he paced right.
Finally, Karl went still as his team went from being favorites to being victims of a second upset, this time at the hands of Yugoslavia in the quarterfinals of the World Basketball Championships.
In front of a crowd of rambunctious Yugoslavian fans and stunned Americans, the Slavic team battled their way to an 81-78 victory.
(09/05/02 6:21am)
Utah is giving the IU football team no respect. \nFor that matter, neither is the rest of the country.\nThe Utah Web site doesn't even bother to spell IU's head coach's name right. Gerry DiNardo turned into "Jerry" DiNardo in their press release. A "G" into a "J" is not a significant mistake, but still, if Utah was showing any respect for the undefeated Hoosiers, one would think they would care enough to make sure a name was spelled right.\nCBS Sportsline predicted Utah would win by three points, 22-19. \nEven IU fans who post messages continuously on the IU football fan Web site, predict that Utah will probably be the victors in this game. They don't even keep with the three-point spread; a few have predicted a blowout for Utah.\nAnd to quote ESPN.com, "More Mountain West respect should be on the way after Utes dispose of Indiana." Ouch, that's not mincing words at all is it?\nIU is getting no love from anyone for this third meeting with the Utes. Perhaps last year's game hasn't completely been forgotten. But then again, why should it be?\nIU had a lead going into the fourth quarter of the 2001 game, but someone forgot to tell the Hoosiers that having the lead didn't mean an automatic win. Too bad, maybe IU would have shown up.\nInstead, Utah scored 14 points early in the quarter and denied IU the chance to tie the game on a two-point conversion attempt. The Utes won 28-26, and headed to a bowl game while the IU team sat at home watching the bowl games on television, wondering what could have been.\nIf only they bothered to show up for the fourth quarter. \nBut it's a new year, with a new coach (Again, Utah, that's Gerry with a G!) and a new defense. Unfortunately, going out to Salt Lake, the Hoosiers are without what they need most: An offense.\nFollowing Saturday's game, DiNardo said quarterback Tommy Jones could have played better. Word to that. Jones' statistics basically mirror Utah's quarterback Lance Rice's; Jones attempted just two more passes than Rice and both had 165 yards. But a consistent, unstoppable Jones is needed more than ever. \nAs of now, Jones is without his leading rusher Brian Lewis, who is questionable for Saturday's game. Lewis suffers from a sprained ankle. Not good news as Jones and the IU offense faces a Ute defense that held it's first opponent, Utah State, to three points, 162 total yards, including minus-9 rushing yards, and an interception. \nUtah's leading rusher was Marty Johnson, who rushed for 176 yards on 30 carries, and contributed over half of the 282 total rushing yards the Utes racked up last Saturday. In short, Johnson rushed for 76 more yards than the Hoosiers had total. Oh boy.\nWith a defense that needs to prove the first game wasn't a fluke and an offense without a consistent quarterback or dominant running back, CBS Sportsline was being nice. Just a three-point spread? Looking at the statistics and comparing IU to Utah, that number should be multiplied by 10 billion. That is the biggest cause of concern for the IU football team and its fans.\nThen again, so is Utah's spelling abilities.
(09/03/02 6:37pm)
Yup, the IU football team won its first football game. While it really should not be much of a shock, since they did play William and Mary, there were several moments throughout the game that deserve recognition. So, much like the "most likely" awards given out in high school, here are a few given to the team:\nBest move by coach Gerry DiNardo: Last spring, DiNardo moved senior Kris Dielman from offense to defense. Very insightful, considering that Dielman won Big Ten Player of the Week honors yesterday. Dielman had a sack, rushed the quarterback several times, recovered a fumble and had five tackles for a loss. Whoa. No wonder Cam Cameron was fired. Just imagine what the team could have done with him on defense and Antwaan Randle El on offense. Bygones.\nBest Support of a popular belief: Referees are morons. And the ones at the IU game didn't do much to challenge that statement. In the fourth quarter, IU was called for pass interference. Too bad no one told the refs that the pass was supposed to be catchable, not 20 yards out of bounds. And the safeties are supposed to be close to the receiver. Doh!\nMost Dane Fife-like moment: This can also be deemed the biggest bonehead play. Much like Fife fouling Duke's Jay Williams in the final seconds of the Sweet Sixteen game last year, IU's defense decided to rough the kicker, when William and Mary was Fourth and 38. IU was down by a touchdown and could have had great field position. Instead the defense decides to get a penalty, and give William and Mary a fresh start to move the ball down the field. That's probably not the most-used play in the playbook.\nScariest: IU's offense. 263 yards? Total? 50 percent completion on passing for a team that needs to rely heavily on its passing game. That's just not going to cut it in future games. Against William and Mary, it worked, thanks to the defense. Those numbers will probably be okay against Central Michigan as well. But in the Big Ten? No chance.\nNicest Surprise: The IU defense. For a team that just two years ago was called the "Iniana" football team because it had no "d," the defense was shockingly strong. In addition to Dielman, the Jones', Damien and Herana-Daze, created constant pressure on the offense. Damien had caused a fumble, but the earlier-referred-to morons called it back. And let's not forget junior Antonio Watson who saved the game for IU. Watson broke up the final two passes of the game in the endzone, preventing a possible tied game. Go ahead and pat yourselves on the back. You deserve it. Really!\nMost sigh-of-relief worthy: The IU kicking situation. Okay, so sophomore Bryan Robertson missed a field goal attempt in the third quarter. He still made one, and each PAT he attempted was GOOD! Imagine that! And punter Ryan Hamre had a punt that was 45 yards long! Perhaps IU might be able to rely on special teams this year instead of always going for a touchdown because the uprights are 20 yards away from the line of scrimmage. This is just too much.\nMost Sacrificing-the-body moment:\nGranted senior Tommy Jones didn't have the best showing in his second debut as IU's quarterback. We won't remember the three interceptions, or his -0.5 average rush. Well, maybe we will. But he showed he definitely has a knack for blocking. In the third quarter, Jones sacrificed his body to trip up a defender on a reverse play, and helped sophomore receiver Courtney Roby rush for six yards. Way to take one for the team. Now let's talk about the interceptions.\nMost Surreal Moment: Actually it's moments. Because on a few occasions, the team earned enough respect from the crowd to bring it to its feet. Yes, a CROWD! More than once, and most of the time, it was when IU was on defense. AND! There were 33,427 fans in attendance. That's almost 10,000 more than made it to most home games last year. If only the Athletic Department was intelligent enough to make all games free to students, IU could have fans all season. (On a note to fans: A football game lasts FOUR quarters, not two!) But don't let that take away from the huge support the team received Saturday.\nMost soap Opera-like questions: Can IU's offense improve? Can IU's defense continue it's amazing uphill climb towards greatness? Will the athletic department realize that a student section in the endzone is a terrible, horrible, awful idea? Stay tuned to find out. And these are the days of our lives...
(09/02/02 6:20am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- The U.S. team found itself in an unusual situation Saturday night. For the first time in the three-day old World Basketball Championships, the team had to dig itself out of a hole against Houston Rocket draftee Yao Ming and his China team. After being down by as much as 12 points, the U.S. team battled back and won 84-65.\nThe U.S. team, 3-0 in its quest for the gold medal in the Championships, was aided greatly by its defense after faltering offensively.\n"I thought China gave us a test," U.S. coach George Karl said. "Defensively, from the two-minute mark in the third quarter on, we had great effort, great intensity. Slowly, we wore the Chinese players out a little bit."\nBut the pressure on the Chinese team didn't happen until the U.S. team was already down 28-16 in the first quarter. Not until six seconds left in the first half, in front of a crowd of 22,619, did the U.S. team take a one-point lead, and headed into halftime with a score of 43-42.\nChina was led offensively by the Denver Nugget's Menke Bateer, who scored 19 points, with seven rebounds. Bateer's strong offensive game made up for Ming's lack of one. Ming, who in a game against Algeria scored 38 points, was held to just 10 points in 26 minutes of play after picking up three early fouls. Ming fouled out of the game with 2:47 left in the game.\n"We beat him up a little bit," U.S. team member and Detroit Piston Ben Wallace said. "We banged him. As the game went on, he started to wear down a little bit. The more we pushed him, the less fight he put up. I think that was the biggest key to the second half."\nWhile continuing to pound China defensively, the U.S. heated up their shooting following the break. The U.S. team shot just over 38 percent in the first half, but finished the game shooting close to 47 percent.\nThe big spark for the U.S. team came from the Phoenix Sun's Shawn Marion. Marion came off the bench to contribute 15 points, the second most on the U.S. team. Seven of those points came in the first five minutes of the second half, and two of those points came from a crowd-igniting dunk.\n"You never know who is going to start or be a factor," said U.S. team member and L.A. Clipper Elton Brand. "Tonight, Shawn Marion came off the bench and gave us a real spark. The first game, I started off hot and the second game it was Paul Pierce. So we have a lot of weapons."\nNot attracting as much attention as Marion in the game, Pierce led the U.S. offensively with 19 points in 29 minutes of play.\nTo start the second half, the Chinese team continued to hang with the U.S., until the U.S. went on a 9-1 shooting streak that widened the gap between the two teams. With Ming out, and the U.S. team's forwards consistently pressuring Bateer, the Chinese team did not recover.\nThe U.S. team earned is the No. 1 seed for Group C heading into the second round play. The U.S. faces Russia tonight at 8 p.m.\n"We can't afford to take any team lightly," Wallace said. "We know everyone is gunning for us. They are coming out hard. It's a matter of us maintaining our energy and taking control of the game. We don't want to make it a possession game. We want to keep the tempo up"
(08/30/02 6:30am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Tip-Off Celebration wasn't much of a celebration as few people came out to attend the festivities at the Pan American Plaza Thursday.\nTo kick off the 11-day 2002 World Basketball Championships, an opening ceremony was planned. While bands performed and celebrities made appearances, there was a noticeable lack of fan interest and most obvious was that hardly any U.S. fans were found milling around outside the RCA Dome.\nWhile it was only the first day and the U.S. team did not play until later in the evening, many vendors and sponsors who set up booths and various attractions outside the dome were surprised by the sparseness of individuals throughout the day.\n"We expected thousands," said Kim Alexander, who was working a Blue Cross/Blue Shield carbon monoxide-testing booth. "We didn't get nearly that many. Hopefully more will come out over the weekend."\nWhile the basketball games between the sixteen different countries, including the U.S. team, remain the biggest venue for the next week and a half, there are several other events intended to draw fans, both nationally and internationally.\nDuring the 62-game competition, fans can also attend fireworks set to music next Monday night along the White River. There will be concerts in the plaza in front of the RCA Dome, and a Roundball Rally will be held through tomorrow. The rally gives children and adults a chance to play basketball-related games, eat a variety of foods and buy merchandise.\nAlexander said she hopes more will attend over the weekend.\n"It's just really surprising that there weren't as many U.S. fans as there are from other countries," Alexander said.\nTons of Turkey\nWhile the U.S. is scraping by with little fan support, the Turkey team is loaded with fan support. Turkey flags and t-shirts, along with faces painted in support of teams are seen all around Indianapolis.\nEven after losing 78-75 to Puerto Rico in their first game yesterday, Turkey fans remain optimistic. After all, this is the first time Turkey has qualified to participate in the Championships.\n"Our country is very excited." Ismet Mustecaplioglu of Istanbul said. "Much more than here. There are no Americans here. It was a nice game (Thursday). We're a little disappointed, but I'm sure we'll qualify in the next rounds."\nMustecaplioglu made the 11-hour flight to Indianapolis with his four children and wife in tow. The family spent the first day of the Championships watching Turkey play and exploring the city.\nBut Mustecaplioglu said that what he's enjoyed most is seeing all the Turkish people there.\n"It's a good thing," he said. "Otherwise there would be no one here. The place would be empty.\"\nDouble Duty\nLei Yin, a marketing associate for the Lilly Corporation is cheering for two teams in the Championships: China and the U.S.\nBetween games, though, he and a group of men and women sit outside the stadium promoting a Chinese style of meditation. But he still has time to concentrate on the games as well. \n"Oh yes, I'm a China fan, but also an American team fan," Yin said. "I cheer for both teams. I'm anticipating Saturday night's game. I expect it to be a good game." \nBringing various cultures and beliefs to one spot is expected when 16 countries are brought together, and Yin and his group have set up an exhibit outside the RCA Dome to promote their style of meditation.\nBut basketball is ultimately what drew him here.\n"We have friends in the stadium enjoying the game, and we'll be there later," Yin said. "We just want to show people that the joy that comes from watching basketball can also be found through meditation"
(08/30/02 6:21am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- It didn't matter that at the end of the first period the U.S. team only scored 11 of its 20 field goal attempts. Or that U.S. team member Elton Brand scored all but 2 of the first 13 points for the team that has admitted an offensive weakness.\nIt didn't matter because in the U.S. team's first game of the World Basketball Championships Thursday its opponent, Algeria, struggled even more. And to add to the pain of losing, Algeria shot a mere 31 percent, while the U.S. rebuilt their offense and dominated on defense in the second half. The U.S. team easily defeated Algeria, 110-60.\n"We wanted to get out to an early start,"U.S. team member and Detroit Piston Ben Wallace said. "We knew we were going to have a big presence in the paint. Tonight's going to get us started and is going to get us motivated for the rest of the games."\nIn practice Tuesday, U.S. team member and Indiana Pacer Jermaine O'Neal expressed his surprise at the U.S. being unable to break 100 points. The team was able to do so tonight, but it was a struggle in the beginning.\nWith Brand leading the team in scoring in the first quarter, it was U.S. team member and Boston Celtic Paul Pierce who revived the team in the second half. Pierce went 6-for-11 from the field and added four three-pointers. \nPierce's shooting deflated whatever hope the Algerian team had for a comeback. Pierce had back-to-back three-pointers in the third quarter that extended the U.S. lead to 24.\n"Paul led the way for us tonight,"U.S. coach George Karl said. "I thought he was fantastic. Elton Brand also came out for us tonight."\nThe U.S. team went into the locker room at the half with a 19-point lead over Algeria, despite shooting 47.5 percent. From beyond the arc, the U.S. team was 5-for-17. Not great, considering the three-point line is closer thanks to the International Basketball Federation rules the Championships follow. \nBut a stronger second half replaced the ugly start. As the U.S. built up its offensive numbers, Algeria crumbled.\n"Regardless of the team we play, we're going to come out hard,"U.S. team member and Toronto Raptor Antonio Davis said. "We feel if we can do that, we are going to be pretty tough to beat."\nThe U.S. team's ease was aided by the Algeria team who were unable to convert U.S. turnovers to points and whose jump shots were off the mark for a majority of the game.\nThe domination of the U.S. team, despite its early offensive struggles, was apparent from tip-off. The U.S. went on a 13-0 run in the first four minutes of the game, and didn't allow Algeria to put numbers on the board until the first quarter was half over. Algeria was down 13-1 following a successful free throw.\n"We came out and our defensive intensity is what is going to win games for us,"U.S. team member and Chicago Bull Jay Williams said. "If we keep that same defensive intensity up throughout the whole tournament, I think we have a good chance of winning a lot of basketball games."\nBut the group of Algerian fans that took up the east side of the court in the RCA Dome last night had a reason to cheer when Algeria went on a three-point scoring tirade and came within six of the U.S. team.\nThat was the closest Algeria came to the U.S. team during the entire game.\nIn between sloppy passes and missed jump shots, the U.S. teams used its height advantage and under the basket power to jump to a 51-32 lead at the half.
(08/29/02 6:03am)
There is nothing better than football Saturdays in the fall.\nExcept if you go to IU.\nBecause here, the parking lots are half-full, people who bother to tailgate rarely bother to go watch the game and a two-sided stadium is unnecessary because the fans could fit on one side.\nWell, except when we play other Big Ten schools. Their fans actually bother to make road trips.\nIt's pretty pathetic that IU has to take its aerial shot of the stadium when Ohio State is in town, because the stadium is actually filled with red and white. \nAnd there are excuses as to why football Saturdays at IU are basically non-existent. True, the football team hasn't had a winning season since Moses parted the sea. But Iowa and Penn State were all sub-par last year and I guarantee its fans will be there. It's called loyalty, through the bad and good.\nYes, this is a basketball-crazy school. So is Ohio State. But they can read a schedule and understand that the two sports hardly conflict, and that doesn't even start until November.\nFor the last five years, IU had Antwaan Randle El, who was called college football's most exciting player. Even that couldn't convince students, faculty or anyone to come out to the games.\nAt this point, it seems that the football team isn't the only reason that a winning season is harder to obtain than a negative steroid test on a MLB player. \nBasically, to go with a bad football team, IU has lousy fans.\nBut that can change this year. Because, essentially, this upcoming season is unpredictable.\nIU hired new coach Gerry Dinardo in hopes of the football team going in a different direction. And Dinardo did his best in his short time here to weed out the bad seeds on the team and establish a no-nonsense attitude with the team. He's hard-nosed, and the team won't get away with the bad attitudes that former IU coach Cam Cameron allowed on the team.\nAnd there's the new colors. When Northwestern renamed their stadium, their small streak of victories stopped. Maybe the new colors will have the opposite effect on IU. Maybe the team will win again like they did back in the day when the idea of going to a bowl game wasn't such a joke.\nRandle El is gone. So the option-left won't be the only play the offense runs. Dinardo named Tommy Jones starting quarterback on Tuesday. But as much as you think back to the NC State debacle last year and the experiment of Randle El at wide receiver, Jones really can't be blamed. Let's just hope that the pressure of overcoming the idea that he was to blame won't be too much of a shadow for Jones. \nThe IU Athletics Department is trying to change the look of the IU sports facilities to be more flashy for recruits. Wouldn't it be nice if when the football recruits came to a game on any given Saturday they saw that the IU football team has the support of its fans? That's a huge difference between IU and Michigan or Ohio State. Their fans are insane, and space is so tight in those stadiums that fans literally have to turn sideways to view the game.\nAnd the bottom line is, you can't complain about the football team if you don't go to the games. Only those who suffer the loses with the teams have the right to moan about the spectacle that takes place at Memorial Stadium. Otherwise, those who just write off the team without actually taking the time to back up what they are saying are just annoying.\nThis Saturday, the Athletic Department has scheduled a variety of events to attract students to the games. They are even admitting students with an ID in for free. FREE. And it's at 4 p.m. No setting the alarm to make kickoff.\nSo go on Saturday and make your college experience a complete one. And maybe IU can have football Saturday's that are as much fun as they are everywhere else.
(08/29/02 6:00am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- Downtown Indianapolis, the middle of America, is getting an international flavor for the next 10 days.\nThe Circle City has been taken over by 16 different countries to battle each other on the basketball court.\nThe World Basketball Championships, a four-year event running opposite the Olympics, have landed in America for the first time.\nStarting today, the teams will compete in an elimination-style set-up leading up to the Sept. 8 final game.\nThe U.S. team expects to be there. But first, they have to get past eight teams, starting tonight in a televised game against Algeria.\n"Yeah we do have some teams out there and first of all we're going to respect those teams and every team we play against," said U.S. team member and Toronto Raptor Antonio Davis. "We're not really worried about who we're playing, we're worrying about getting better each and every day and that's the sign of a good (team) so we'll just have to wait and see what happens."\nNot that Team USA's exhibition games have given them anything to worry about. Prior to arriving in Indianapolis, the U.S. team spent nine days out west training for the Worlds. The first exhibition game was last Thursday against Houston Rockets draftee Yao Ming and his China team. The U.S. routed China in the 84-54 victory. Against Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki and the German team in the second exhibition game, U.S. won 91-73.\nBut while the U.S. remains the favorite, the NBA player-filled team has spent the weeks leading up the Worlds adjusting to the International Basketball rules that the tournament follows, while also adjusting to each other.\n"We're still trying to find where guys are going to be at," U.S. team member and Indiana Pacer Jermaine O'Neal said. "It's still a little different. We're bringing some of the NBA rules and some of the NBA mentality into the game. We've struggled a little bit over the last two games and haven't broken 100 yet and that's kind of surprising with the guys we have on this team. But overall I'm not worried about it, I think we can really put it together and put it together fast."\nThe U.S. team is composed of 13 NBA players, including Pacers O'Neal and Reggie Miller. Miller was sidelined with an ankle injury at the team's practice last Thursday, and his playing status has not been determined.\nBut the U.S. team is not the only competitor to have NBA players. Along with Germany and China, seven other teams have NBA players on their roster. Yugoslavia boasts the most players of all the international teams with five, including Sacramento's Vlade Divac and Predrag Stojakovic.\nTeam USA coach George Karl said the gap is closing between countries.\n"You have the best players in the world," Karl said. "You have five or six teams that think they can win it. I still think we're the best. We have nine games in 11 nights and that's a mental challenge. International basketball has been getting closer and closer to NBA basketball for the past 10 years."\nOverall, the U.S. team has a record of 91-23 in the Worlds, an event put on by the International Basketball Federation,and has won three gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals. The last time Team USA won the gold in this event was in 1994, when the Worlds were held in Toronto. \nOrganizers of the event expect around 175,000 fans to attend the 52-year old event, many from different countries. Tickets for the event range from $10 to $190 dollars, depending on which session of play is attended. \nAnd if the U.S. team has it's way, they'll be watched in every session during this tournament. But it's not only about the gold medal for the team. They are focused on representing the U.S.\n"It means a lot to me," O'Neal said. "Especially now, things have been so tough, been so hectic. Coming up on the Sept. 11 anniversary to put that USA across my chest means a helluva lot more than putting Pacers across my chest.\n"But don't get me wrong I still got love for the Pacers"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Much like the hot and cold weather plaguing central Indiana, the Hoosier football team had highs and lows during their second scrimmage of the spring season.\n"It went good and OK," senior wide receiver Antwaan Randle El said. "We didn't play as well as we wanted on offense, and we still have some things that need to be corrected on defense, but overall we stayed with it and near the end made some big plays."\nThe offense and the defense struggled early in the scrimmage. \nSophomore quarterback Tommy Jones, one of three quarterbacks competing for the starting position, led the first team offense. But Jones was off the mark.\n"We didn't ask Tommy Jones to do a whole lot," coach Cam Cameron said. "A missed completion here or there is big, especially in a close ball game. It's the fundamental plays he's got to make on a consistent basis."\nBut where the first team offense was struggling, the second team offense was showing some promise. The second team got the ball past the defense on a couple of different plays, and managed to find the end zone.\n"Our second team offense scored three out of the first four times, so I thought our twos on offense really played the best they've played," Cameron said. "The latter part of the scrimmage our first offense finally got on track. But it balanced out pretty good. Both sides of the ball didsome good things." \nThe defense found themselves making mistakes, but amid a plethora of missed tackles and misread assignments, there were some highlights. \nThe defense got in a few hard hits. Junior linebacker Devin Schaffer, sophomore cornerback Michael Hanley and sophomore strong safety Joe Gonzalez each made some big plays that showed improvement for the defense.\n"It's not an easy thing building a successful defense," Schaffer said. "On offense, one guy can make plays and carry your offense, but on defense, if one guy makes a mistake, it's positive yardage. But we're trying to iron things out."\nTurnovers plagued both sides during the scrimmage. The offense had a couple of fumbles from both the first and the second team.\nThe defense let the ball get over their heads a couple of times, and a few missed tackles led to big plays from the offense. Cameron said the safeties are going to have to get better.\nRandle El, freshman running back Brian Lewis and junior running back Levron Williams each produced a big play for the offense. Each of them were able to find running room for 15 or more yards. \n"We've gotten better everyday," Randle El said. "Our practices have been real physical, and that's what we need. Our defense is really coming at our receivers. Our linebackers are hitting the fullbacks. We have some hitting and some physical stuff going on and that's great. But we're working together, and we're not giving up on each other"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
A mess of tricycles, costumes and loud music converged in Assembly Hall Thursday night as the Mini 500 kicked off Little 500 weekend.\n"Tonight came together well," said senior Jayme Jones, IU Student Foundation Steering Committee member. "Everyone worked really hard. I'm excited with how it came out."\nThe competition began with Ashton Annihilators in the lead in the women's division, Delta Chi in the men's and Collins Catastrophies in the co-ed group. But none of those teams finished the night with the top spot.\nThe race reached a climax when a controversial call in the men's division declared Sigma Chi the winners. The close call forced an extra race to determine the winner.\nDelta Chi, Sigma Chi and Delta Sigma Pi made it to the final round for the men, but the race was really between Sigma Chi and Delta Chi. Both teams stayed neck and neck, until Delta Chi, the lead men's team going into the event, was disqualified twice for illegal riding.\n"As their coach, I say this is a travesty to the institution," junior Steve Lo said. "It's an outrage. We've been training year-round, and it was totally unfair."\nThe Sigma Chi team -- senior Chris Mansfield, junior Corey Mosher, senior Jack Donaldson and senior Trent Hahn -- didn't qualify during the preseason because of personal reasons in the house. But the team, which won the event last year, bounced back, giving it two consecutive titles.\n"The race was awesome," Mansfield said. "But I'm not surprised we won, because we are returning champions. It's a pretty good feeling."\nThe rest of the races were not quite as eventful, but had upsets of their own.\nHeading into the women's race, Ashton, which won the event last year and led all of the women's teams in qualifications, was expected to win. But the Evans Scholars Caddy Girls came away with the victory.\n"This is great," said senior Shannon Hoffman of Caddy Girls. "Ashton had the best qualifying time coming into tonight, so we made that our goal. We wanted to beat them. This is great."\nCollins Catastrophies were leading the co-ed division, when Delta Sigma Pi knocked them out in the semi-round.\nCBGBs emerged from the No. 14 spot to take home the trophy, coming from second-to-last position to win the race on a night filled with hoopla. \nThe race kicked off with excitement as the teams made their entrances into the balloon-filled, crazed gym. A poster hung at the front of the gym with a Harley Davidson logo and the "Live to trike, trike to live" logo stenciled on it.\nBut the costumes stole the show.\nDelta Chi showed up in women's dresses, and Delta Zeta wore men's suits. Lambda Chi Alpha showed up with its shirts on backward and continued the theme by racing backward.\nFormer basketball coach "Bob Knight" reappeared, escorted by Alpha Sigma Phi members, who posed as Texas Tech basketball players.\n"Overall, the participants were not too rowdy," Jones said. "The Mini 500 is a great kickoff event for the Little 500, because it gets everyone in the spirit of the weekend. It's such a fun event"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Before the football team headed to Wolfpack territory, coach Cam Cameron and his players promised a "statement" would be made.\nBut before a sold out crowd of 51,500 Thursday at North Carolina State, the statement of an "improved team" was instead replaced by painful plays that bore strong resemblance to last season.\nThe Hoosiers had two late looks at the endzone, and fell to the Wolfpack 35-14. \n"I can't remember any point in time when we have made that many mistakes," Cameron said of his teams' turnovers. "I take full responsibility for our guys coming out and making mistakes. I think you can tell it wasn't from a lack of effort on their part."\nThe solo touchdown drive came from a nine-play, 70-yard drive that ended in junior quarterback Tommy Jones' 15-yard pass to junior tight end Kris Dielman. But the drive came with less than six minutes left in the game. Until that point the team only made it to NC State's 23-yard line. All despite senior Antwaan Randle El's jumps between wide receiver (30 yards on four catches), quarterback (1-for-2 for seven yards), punter (his kicks averaged 35 yards) and punt returner (three returns for 27 yards).\n"It was very frustrating," Randle El said. "We didn't execute. We didn't move the ball like we normally do." \nThe second touchdown came with 4:08 left in the game. With Wolfpack (1-0) reserves in, junior fullback Jeremi Johnson ran for a 17-yard touchdown. A failed on-side kick gave the Wolfpack the opportunity to wind down the remaining seconds of the game. \nThe question of who would play quarterback was answered by Cameron's yo-yoing of Randle El and Jones. Both took snaps at quarterback, and in the first half were equally ineffective, completing only 27 plays for 74 yards.\n"It's not where we wanted to be," Randle El said. "We have to correct that." \nThe rotating system showed little improvement in the second half as the Hoosier (1-0) offense punted once, fumbled on a quarterback sack and failed twice on fourth-down conversions.\n"No matter who the quarterback is, we jumped offsides and made mistakes," Cameron said. "We took a gamble."\nJones and Randle El divided time in the Hoosier's first second-half drive. But between Jones' passes and Randle El's option plays, the Hoosiers were unable to capitalize.\nWith IU struggling on offense, and the defense in the unfamiliar territory of increased field time, the Wolfpack ripped through holes and scored two consecutive touchdowns to increase the lead to 35-0 with 10 minutes left in the game. \n"I think (the defense) played better," senior linebacker Devin Schaffer said. "We still have some mistakes we have to eliminate. But that's our job to stop them, so we're not looking for any moral victory."\nDespite a 21-0 halftime deficit, the defense came out of the tunnel and had two consecutive stops on the Wolfpack offense before allowing the two scores. NC State was forced to punt twice before using good field position to find the endzone.\nAs expected, the Wolfpack attacked the Hoosier secondary on its first drive of the game. After IU deferred the kickoff, NC State and last year's ACC Rookie of the Year, quarterback Philip Rivers, came out throwing. Rivers, a major factor in a win over the Hoosiers last year, finished the game 22-for-33, gaining 243 yards and scoring three touchdowns.\n"He's a smart quarterback," Schaffer said. "I thought we did a good job of putting pressure on him, and making make some quick decisions. But he's only a sophomore and he plays like a senior."\nThe Wolfpack completed only one of its three passes during the first drive of the game, and the IU defense had its first stop of the season. But on River's second time out, he went 3-for-3 on third downs, orchestrated 11 plays and threw a touchdown pass to his senior tight end Willie Wright. The point after was blocked.\nKicking was a weak spot for both teams. Hoosier place kicker, sophomore Adam Braucher, saw his first attempt go wide left. Punter Ryan Hambre had one punt caught by a Wolfpack defender for a touchdown. His second attempt was blocked, and his third and fourth attempts went 12 and 17 yards respectively.\n"I'm especially concerned about our kicking game and mistakes offensively in the red zone," Cameron said. "But we can't panic. We just have to get back to work, and that's what we're going to do"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Forget what happened two weeks ago. Throw out all the negative energy directed toward the football team. The Hoosiers have moved on from their embarrassing Sept. 6 loss at North Carolina State, and want to show fans their capabilities Saturday.\n"You saw a team against North Carolina State with a lot of confusion, because it was the first game of the year," said senior cornerback Sharrod Wallace. "I think this week we'll be more prepared, more confident and play a great game. As a team, our backs are to the wall. We're out there to prove a point: that we are a better team than people saw two weeks ago."\nThe IU football team (0-1) takes the field in its home opener against the Utah Utes (1-1) at 4 p.m. tomorrow at Memorial Stadium. After a delay in the schedule because of the terrorist attacks, the originally-scheduled Sept. 15 home opener against Kentucky has been pushed to Dec. 1.\nThis break gave IU 16 days to prepare for the Utes. For the past two weeks, the team has been watching film of the NC State game, film of Utah's first two games and concentrating on correcting past mistakes.\n"I wouldn't say (the NC State loss) was disheartening, but it was disappointing," said senior linebacker Devin Schaffer. "We were embarrassed. It was mistakes. You can't make mistakes like that in Division I football and expect to succeed. This layoff has given us a chance to work on those things and get them fixed. I feel we have."\nThe disastrous mistakes that plagued IU against the Wolfpack were the focus of the the Hoosier practice these past couple of weeks, particularly the kicking game, which was one of IU's two major downfalls.\nBefore heading to Wednesday's practice, sophomore kicker Adam Braucher, who missed a a 41-yard field goal against NC State, was all smiles and full of confidence. Braucher said the special teams is especially excited to show people what they are made of.\n"Everybody is holding himself accountable for his mistakes," Schaffer said. "It's not like the offense is a scapegoat. We're getting the kicking game fixed."\nSenior Antwaan Randle El is now the team's primary punter, but Cameron said true freshman Bryan Robertson and senior J.R. Drummond are back-up possibilities. Sophomore Ryan Hamre was demoted after the NC State debacle.\nThe same week IU averaged under 20 yards per punt, the Utes' punts travelled for an average of more than 40 yards in their 24-10 loss to No. 7 Oregon. \nAgainst Oregon, the Utah defense allowed the Ducks no third-down conversions.\n"We've got a package plan for them," said senior running back Levron Williams. "Whatever they throw at us, we've got something to overcome that. We've got plays and enough stuff for them. All of our plans are good, and we do stuff for a reason. We just experiment and try to find different ways to get the ball out and make plays."\nWilliams is expected to start at running back Saturday. He played for a limited amount of time in the first game, carrying the ball only seven times.\nThe revolving door at the quarterback position continues to spin as Cameron avoided addressing who he would start at quarterback during the past week. The tentative plan has junior quarterback Tommy Jones taking the first snaps, but Randle El is expected to make an early appearance.\n"I know this, we're not going to play at the level we played at quarterback, regardless of how it plays out," Cameron said. "We've got to play better. It didn't work out the way we had planned. But, at the same time we are going to need both quarterbacks throughout the season"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Three crucial plays. A missed field goal, an interception and a failed two-point conversion were the difference in a game that slipped through the Hoosiers' fingers.\nDespite leading the game going into the fourth quarter, IU (0-2) gave up 14 unanswered points to the Utah Utes (2-1) and had a successful two-point conversion called back to drop the game 28-26.\n"I think the defense played as well as offense did," said senior quarterback Antwaan Randle El. "They had just enough mistakes to get them beat. They didn't give up 40 (points) and we didn't score as we should have. No one is to blame but everyone is to blame."\nUtah was trailing the Hoosiers 20-14 at the beginning of the final period, but before an attendance of 26,591, Utah marched down the field on its second possession of the quarter. The Utes needed just more than two minutes to move the ball down the field, and score on a 27-yard touchdown reception.\nOn the Hoosiers' next possession, Randle El, who is expected to stay at quarterback, threw an interception which set up the Utes second touchdown. Utah needed only two plays before finding the endzone, and with 10 minutes left in the game, the Hoosiers trailed by eight.\n"We throw an interception and give them basically a touchdown or the right position when we are ahead," said head coach Cam Cameron. "That's the only turnover we had, but it's critical at that point."\nIU drained the clock for six minutes on its next possession while attempting to tie the score. The offense converted two third-downs and one fourth-down before Randle El found junior wide receiver Glenn Johnson for a touchdown.\nIU totaled two penalties against Utah, but none more critical than the one with 3:35 remaining in the game. The Hoosiers went for a game-tying, two-point conversion after the touchdown pass, but were called for illegal procedure, and the successful attempt was recanted. On the second try, Randle El was forced to scramble and fell just short of the goal line.\n"All the things that have gone against us. We're down, we need to come back, we have to score, we have to go for two, we have to execute and get the game in overtime," Cameron said. "And we can't get lined up (for the two-point conversion). We've got a wide receiver who needs to get on the ball, and the great thing about college football is all you have to do is look at the official and if his arm is out, that means you are off the ball. That is the difference in this ball game."\nOpting against an onside kick with just over three minutes remaining, the Hoosier defense allowed the Utes to get down to the IU 31-yard line before taking a knee with 1:25 left in the ball game.\n"I thought we had enough time," Cameron said. "We had almost four minutes and feel like you gave yourself a chance, but then they take the ball and run it down and throw. We weren't able to get them stopped."\nUtah received the ball first in the game, and on its first possession was able to score on a one-yard run. The score remained 7-0 until the Hoosiers first drive in the second quarter. During the drive, senior running back Levron Williams -- who had 230 yards rushing, returning and receiving -- helped move the ball with a 17-yard reception. More than four minutes into the drive, Randle El scored on a one-yard run to tie the score. Sophomore place kicker Adam Braucher's point-after attempt was good, and the score was tied 7-7 going into the half.\nThe kicking woes that plagued IU at N.C. State haunted the Hoosiers. The first extra point was the only time Braucher split the goalposts. His first attempt was a 35-yard kick that went wide right with two minutes left in the first half. Braucher was unsuccessful in his next point-after attempt in the third quarter.\n"It's not about finger pointing, but (Braucher) didn't get it done and he knows that," Randle El said. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it, because you cannot sugarcoat something like that. We shouldn't have even been in those situations. Those plays got us beat today."\nKicking was a negative for a team that showed bright possibilities. Williams carried the ball 15 times, five more than against N.C. State, and ran one for a touchdown. On the Hoosiers' second scoring drive, Williams had a 48-yard carry to set up the touchdown. His play complemented Randle El, who was back in his familiar position.\nDespite the final Utah drive, the defense showed signs of improvement. But similar to last year, the defense was unable to make the important stops.\n"You play how you practice and today was a prime example of that," said senior linebacker Devin Schaffer.\n"Some guys who make critical mistakes in practice made the same mistakes today. Utah is a good team, but we made some unforced mistakes. We have to hold everyone accountable for their mistakes. This is Division 1 football, and if teams see you make a mistake, they're going to find a way to exploit it and that is what happened today"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Little League football said senior Levron Williams was too big to play running back. He was talented enough to play both offense and defense, but they would not let him carry the ball.\n"I was supposed to play running back the year I started to play, but they had a weight requirement I had to meet, and they said I was overweight," Williams, the Hoosiers starting running back, said. "I was kind of bigger than everyone else."\nWilliams said his future as a running back began in middle school.\n"I just showed them I could run the ball and they let me play running back," he said.\nThe idea to keep Williams, who towers at 6 foot 3 inches and 228 pounds, away from the ball is eerily similar to his lack of carries at the beginning of this season. But after being second string against N.C. State in the season opener, Williams has returned to the starting backfield for the Hoosiers. After two games, Williams' leads IU in rushing, with 119 yards on 20 attempts. \nWilliams' football career at IU began as a question mark when he fell just short of the required ACT score. He spent his freshman year as a non-qualifier, and was not allowed to participate.\nDespite sitting out the season before, Williams started five games in his first season on the football team, and played in nine total games. His play was hindered by a reoccurring ankle injury he suffered during a practice, but the injury did not stop him from averaging 9.3 yards per carry and 21.5 yards per catch.\n"I get water in my eyes and goose bumps when I think of how far Levron Williams has come," coach Cam Cameron said. "Everything that was said that he couldn't do, he's done. And again, he has to continue to improve. I take my hat off to him."\nWilliams, who spent most of the 1998-99 season at tailback and wide receiver, caught the ball for more than 100 yards against Ohio State. The Hoosiers open the Big Ten season against the Buckeyes this Saturday, a team they haven't faced since Williams' personal record-making game. \n"The last time I played them in '98, had a successful game," Williams said. "I will just come out on Saturday and work hard again." \nAfter an injury-plagued first year, Williams' second season at IU contrasts the 1999 season where he earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors. During his 2000 season, Williams rushed for a total of 821 yards, four more than his total the year before.\nCurrently in his senior season, Williams is less than 200 yards away from having 2,000 career rushing yards and 1,000 career receiving yards, which would make him the only player in Div. I football to accomplish this.\n"Levron is a great player, and when he puts his mind to it that he's going to go out and play well, he's going to play well," senior cornerback Sharrod Wallace said. "He does it in practice, so he's going to do it in the game as well."\nBut according to Williams, whose cousin is former IU basketball standout Calbert Chaeney, football is not his favorite sport to play. \nWilliams played on the basketball team at Bosse High School in Evansville, and in his senior year, he was awarded Player of the Year by the Evansville Courier .\n"I was a pretty good basketball player in high school," Williams said. "I actually like basketball more than football. I didn't look at my basketball offers in high school, so I didn't get the chance to explore that."\nAside from his general studies major, Williams takes classes in art, a hobby he began in elementary school. According to Williams, his favorite objects to draw are landscapes, human figures and cartoon characters.\nApart from his football skills that have made him arguably IU's second-most exciting player, Williams isn't sure he'll be remembered for anything but being a "funny guy." \n"Levron's a clown," junior tight end Kris Dielman said. "He works hard in practice, but he's goofy, and he likes to clown around a lot. He's pretty serious before the games, and when the game starts, you know he's ready to play"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
MADISON, Wis. - What a game. What a record-breaking, defense dominating, near-flawless game. \nIt's almost unexplainable, almost unbelievable, almost uncomprehendable how a winless IU football team traveled to Wisconsin and completely rolled over a 3-2 Badger team.\nAlmost being the key word. The Hoosiers went, they dominated, they stunned 79,264 spectators by whooping Wisconsin 63-32. To put that number in perspective, the last time an IU football team scored 63 points was in 1890. \n"I don't think it's the Lord that decides whether Wisconsin or Indiana that wins the game and I don't think he cares, but he really has blessed us with a group of kids that kept believing in us," coach Cam Cameron said. "I just think we are extremely blessed with the kind of kids we have on the team, and I know its been hard to try to convince you guys of that. I don't know why you didn't believe me, but today you can see some indications we have got a group of kids that haven't quit on us."\nBut the kind of performance the Hoosier team displayed Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium had fans and players alike shaking their heads.\nBecause how is it possible that the Wisconsin defense, ranked 16th in the nation and set-up to prevent the run, let senior running back Levron Williams rush for a career-high 280 yards and score a record-tying six touchdowns?\nNot only did Williams decimate the Badgers with a 51- and a 56-yard score, but with his six touchdowns he tied the record set by Michigan State's Blake Ezor in 1989 for the most touchdowns scored in a Big Ten game.\n"Oh my goodness. I came up to him and said 'Lev, man, you probably got 300 yards rushing,' and someone else said 'No, he's got 400,'" senior linebacker Justin Smith said. "He was just running through the middle, like untouched, and breaking through. He was running over people, and Levron's not a little guy. It's what we expect him to do. It was a lot of fun watching the offense get back to the way they were and it was a lot of fun on defense flying around."\nBut arguably more amazing then the show Williams put on was the defense against the Badgers. IU's defense, led by senior cornerback Sharrod Wallace, helped set the tone for the day when he broke up a pass on the first Wisconsin drive that led to a fourth down and a Hoosier possession.\nSenior quarterback Antwaan Randle El threw a 46-yard pass to freshman wide receiver Travis Haney to set up Williams' first touchdown run. From there, the Hoosiers could not be touched.\nTimewise, the Hoosiers did not need to dominate the clock to run up the score. At the end of the first quarter, IU's offense had scored four times, which took 11 plays and lasted just over two and a half minutes. 2:31 to be exact. \nThe fifth score during the first half came from a blocked Wisconsin punt the Hoosiers special teams returned for a touchdown. \n"I just wanted to keep going," Randle El said. "We were up 32-0, and I just wanted to keep going. Then they scored three points and I got upset. I kept telling our defense to just keep fighting, and we came in at halftime and we we were like, it's not over. Let's come out the second half and put forth the same effort and continue to put points on the board and not let up."\nThey didn't.\nGoing into halftime, the score was 42-17, and Cameron told his team in the locker room to act like the score was zero-zero. So the Hoosiers added 21 points to the Badgers' 15 in the third and fourth quarters.\nThe Hoosiers came up with its first interception of the season by sophomore cornerback Michael Hanley in the third quarter. By this time, IU already forced and recovered three fumbles.\n"(The defense was) flying around hitting people, causing fumbles, getting picks, and blocking punts," Smith said. "It felt good, because when you get one big play, it starts to snowball. When we got that first fumble in the first quarter and then we got another fumble and another one and blocked punt, a pick; they start coming once you get the first one. I've never had so much fun in a game." \nWilliams' yardage and Randle El's 102 rushing yards helped IU's total on the ground reach 449 yards. Randle El threw a first quarter touchdown that was the 36th of his career, breaking the Hoosier record for career touchdown passes of 35, while throwing for 182 yards in the game.\n"One thing I think we learned, is that no matter what the lead is, you have to go out there and make plays and be on the edge," Wallace said. "If (defense) does that, offense isn't going to change what they are doing. I feel good, because I think we played well on all three phases. But actually this win is over, and I'm worried about next week now"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Sometimes, 65th anniversaries are overlooked. They're not considered the milestones that 75th and 100th anniversaries are. But if IU defeats Iowa Saturday, the Hoosiers will return from their 65th match-up against the Hawkeyes with a big gift.\nA 2-2 record in an uncertain Big Ten where it is anyone's game.\nBoth the Hoosiers and the Hawkeyes are 1-2 in the conference, but with five teams ahead of them at 2-1, the standings in the Big Ten are all up in the air.\n"I think (a win is) pivotal," coach Cam Cameron said. "I've said that all year and this one has a capital 'P.' This is a pivotal, pivotal football game for this football team. \n"That is what makes this week so much fun. Going into a bye week, you have a chance to go in and play a very good football team in their own stadium...keep yourself in the thing. It won't be easy, I can guarantee you that."\nAside from the fact that the game is at Iowa's Kinnick Stadium, where the fans sit almost right on top of the players, Iowa is coming off two close road losses. \nLast Saturday, the Hawkeyes drew within three, but were defeated by Michigan State, and they lost to Purdue the week before. The Boilermakers won 23-14, but Iowa's defense allowed only one touchdown, two fieldgoals and a mere 217 yards total offense. \n"They'll come up and hit you," senior running back Levron Williams said. "They have veteran guys that are determined to make plays. Their defense is like number one in the Big Ten, but Wisconsin's defense was ranked high, too. We're just going to go all out and throw our bodies around." \nBut the the Hoosiers (1-4) do not face an ideal situation going into this game. Iowa (3-2) may have had two straight losses, but its defense continues to put up big numbers. On the ground, the Hawkeyes have given up only 64.3 yards per game.\nIU is coming off a heart-breaking loss after a heart-pounding win, and its offense was held to 194 yards on the ground.\n"They've improved defensively across the board," Cameron said. "I think (Penn State coach) Joe Paterno said it's probably the best defensive line they'll face all year long. They are solid across the defensive front and their secondary is better. I'm really impressed with their defense...the physicalness and the effort that they play with."\nIowa is also going to be attacking with a powerful offense. The Hawkeye quarterback, senior Kyle McCann, has completed 84 passes for 978 yards with eight touchdowns. Senior quarterback Antwaan Randle El, in five games, passed 54 times for 692 yards. But Randle El has also made less attempts than McCann.\nBoth Iowa and the Hoosiers have strong offensive threats. Williams had 133 yards against a similar Hawkeye defense last year, and this year has 981 all-purpose yards. The Hawkeyes will be unleashing senior wide receiver Kahlil Hill, who in the win against Penn State had a 76-yard kick return.\n "...Guys we are familiar with like Hill and (Ladell) Betts on the offensive side of the ball are dangerous, especially with Hill in the return game," Cameron said. "They're probably as good as a return team as we'll face."\n But starting out strong and keeping up intensity will be the main focus for the IU squad that lost to Illinois. But the playing conditions will be similar to what the Hoosiers faced in the blowout against Wisconsin.\nBitter cold, loud fans and a desperation for a win.\n"The feeling right now is that we are in a critical situation," senior wide receiver Henry Frazier said. "We must win against Iowa and come back 2-2 for the bye week. If you look at the Big Ten, everyone is good and everyone is still in it. We have to come out and play on the edge and we have to come out positive. I'm excited to go"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Familiarity is comforting, except when it's losing. And that's just what the Hoosiers did Saturday in Iowa City against the Hawkeyes.\nThey lost 42-28, in an all too familiar fashion. A dominant offense, an invisible defense.\nThe tone of the game was set a mere 1:45 seconds into the game when Iowa scored on a 75-yard touchdown run. The entire drive consisted of three plays, and from then out the Iowa offense scored on all but one possession in the first half.\n"I've got to look at the tape, because I am really surprised at the way we played defensively," coach Cam Cameron said. "I have to look at the tape. I really don't know what was happening totally from that perspective. We just never felt we had control of the thing from a defensive perspective at all. Why that happened is beyond me at this point."\nLess than two minutes before the half, the Hoosiers were trailing by a touchdown, and Iowa had the ball. Up to this point, Iowa (4-2, 2-2) had scored on four previous drives, the longest lasting 4:27 seconds and the shortest being a 12 second, 59-yard pass play.\nIt appeared the Hoosiers (1-5, 1-4) would go into the infamous pink locker room at Kinnick Stadium trailing by 14 points, but junior nickelback A.C. Carter intercepted Iowa quarterback Kyle McCann's pass, and returned it 10 yards. \nThe offense was in prime position to tie the score, but after picking up 20 yards to put the ball at the Hoosier 28-yard line, time was running out, and IU was forced to attempt a field goal. But sophomore kicker Adam Braucher's kick went wide and the Hoosiers were unable to capitalize on the only defensive stop of the first half.\n"I don't know," senior linebacker Devin Schaffer said. "It's sad. You spend a whole week preparing, and we had a great game plan, and then you don't go out and execute. I can't explain it. I can go look at the film and see what happened, maybe then I can explain it, but I don't understand why we would go out there and play like that today."\nThe defense had noticeably improved this season. Against Wisconsin and Ilinois, the defense was able to force turnovers and stop drives. But Iowa was able to expose weaknesses within the defense, specifically rush coverage.\nThe Hoosiers ended with 308 rushing yards, which was more than 70 more yards than the Hawkeyes, and IU had the ball more than 10 minutes longer than Iowa, but the defense was unable to close gaps to contain Iowa's powerful running back Ladell Betts, who rushed for 172 yards and one touchdown.\n"We knew he was an elusive runner and he was killing us today on the cutback," Schaffer said. "When you play against him you have to account for all the gaps because he has great vision. We knew that and we just didn't perform like we should have."\nAfter the opening Hawkeye score, the Hoosiers had to start their first drive at their own 2-yard line after senior running back Levron Williams stepped out of bounds on the kick-off return. After 14 plays that went 98 yards, Williams found the endzone, and Braucher, filling in for injured freshman kicker Bryan Robertson, made the point after. \nBut on the next possession, the Hawkeyes took only four minutes to answer back. \n"It was like a seesaw battle," senior quarterback Antwaan Randle El said. "When that happens you've got to continue to be a part of offense and score. We just continued to believe that the defense was going to give us a chance and get them stopped. They didn't play the way they wanted to. They didn't play well, but we had our chances."\nIn a game dominated by offense, it was the Hawkeyes who were able to pull ahead. Only twice did the Hoosiers not find the endzone following an Iowa score. \nThe IU defense came up with only two stops in the game, the interception at the end of the second quarter and a senior tackle Kemp Rasmussen pass break-up which forced the Hawkeyes to punt. But that stop didn't come until the end of the third quarter.\nTwo positives in the game were an improved kicking game that, aside from the missed field goal, made each point-after attempt, and an offense that ran 84 plays for 468 yards.\n"There's going to be no quit," Cameron said. "We're not buying into the hang-your-head-and-the-season-is-over. There's still a lot to play for, and you may not believe it, and that's fine. We believe it. We have to out and represent ourselves, so anytime you have to represent yourself, there's a lot to play for"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Familiarity is comforting, except when it's losing. And that's just what the Hoosiers did Saturday in Iowa City against the Hawkeyes.\nThey lost 42-28, in an all too familiar fashion. A dominant offense, an invisible defense.\nThe tone of the game was set a mere 1:45 seconds into the game when Iowa scored on a 75-yard touchdown run. The entire drive consisted of three plays, and from then out the Iowa offense scored on all but one possession in the first half.\n"I've got to look at the tape, because I am really surprised at the way we played defensively," coach Cam Cameron said. "I have to look at the tape. I really don't know what was happening totally from that perspective. We just never felt we had control of the thing from a defensive perspective at all. Why that happened is beyond me at this point."\nLess than two minutes before the half, the Hoosiers were trailing by a touchdown, and Iowa had the ball. Up to this point, Iowa (4-2, 2-2) had scored on four previous drives, the longest lasting 4:27 seconds and the shortest being a 12 second, 59-yard pass play.\nIt appeared the Hoosiers (1-5, 1-4) would go into the infamous pink locker room at Kinnick Stadium trailing by 14 points, but junior nickelback A.C. Carter intercepted Iowa quarterback Kyle McCann's pass, and returned it 10 yards. \nThe offense was in prime position to tie the score, but after picking up 20 yards to put the ball at the Hoosier 28-yard line, time was running out, and IU was forced to attempt a field goal. But sophomore kicker Adam Braucher's kick went wide and the Hoosiers were unable to capitalize on the only defensive stop of the first half.\n"I don't know," senior linebacker Devin Schaffer said. "It's sad. You spend a whole week preparing, and we had a great game plan, and then you don't go out and execute. I can't explain it. I can go look at the film and see what happened, maybe then I can explain it, but I don't understand why we would go out there and play like that today."\nThe defense had noticeably improved this season. Against Wisconsin and Ilinois, the defense was able to force turnovers and stop drives. But Iowa was able to expose weaknesses within the defense, specifically rush coverage.\nThe Hoosiers ended with 308 rushing yards, which was more than 70 more yards than the Hawkeyes, and IU had the ball more than 10 minutes longer than Iowa, but the defense was unable to close gaps to contain Iowa's powerful running back Ladell Betts, who rushed for 172 yards and one touchdown.\n"We knew he was an elusive runner and he was killing us today on the cutback," Schaffer said. "When you play against him you have to account for all the gaps because he has great vision. We knew that and we just didn't perform like we should have."\nAfter the opening Hawkeye score, the Hoosiers had to start their first drive at their own 2-yard line after senior running back Levron Williams stepped out of bounds on the kick-off return. After 14 plays that went 98 yards, Williams found the endzone, and Braucher, filling in for injured freshman kicker Bryan Robertson, made the point after. \nBut on the next possession, the Hawkeyes took only four minutes to answer back. \n"It was like a seesaw battle," senior quarterback Antwaan Randle El said. "When that happens you've got to continue to be a part of offense and score. We just continued to believe that the defense was going to give us a chance and get them stopped. They didn't play the way they wanted to. They didn't play well, but we had our chances."\nIn a game dominated by offense, it was the Hawkeyes who were able to pull ahead. Only twice did the Hoosiers not find the endzone following an Iowa score. \nThe IU defense came up with only two stops in the game, the interception at the end of the second quarter and a senior tackle Kemp Rasmussen pass break-up which forced the Hawkeyes to punt. But that stop didn't come until the end of the third quarter.\nTwo positives in the game were an improved kicking game that, aside from the missed field goal, made each point-after attempt, and an offense that ran 84 plays for 468 yards.\n"There's going to be no quit," Cameron said. "We're not buying into the hang-your-head-and-the-season-is-over. There's still a lot to play for, and you may not believe it, and that's fine. We believe it. We have to out and represent ourselves, so anytime you have to represent yourself, there's a lot to play for"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
All year, football coach Cam Cameron has talked about the importance of being a mistake-free team.\nNow, it's crucial.\nSaturday, the Hoosiers (2-5, 2-3), fresh off an emotional win against No. 13 Michigan, travel to East Lansing to face the No. 23 Michigan State Spartans. \nIn the 26-24 win against the Wolverines, MSU was given 76 yards from Wolverine penalties, which Spartan head coach Bobby Williams described as "huge."\nNot good news for the Hoosier team that, despite a 56-21 route of Northwestern, gave up 66 yards on nine penalties. \n"We have to get ready for a different style of play," freshman linebacker Herana-Daze Jones said. "We have to get ready for an inside team that's going to line you up and run right at you. It's totally different. We're focused on State. We're not looking at past, we're just focusing on future."\nAt Spartan Stadium, that focus is going to be tested by several players on the MSU team, specifically junior tailback T.J. Duckett.\nDuckett, who pummels opponents with his 6-foot-1, 249-pound frame, caught the game winning touchdown against Michigan. In addition to that, he rushed for 211 of the 352 total yards for the Spartans (5-2, 3-2) and had 19 receiving yards.\n"He's just a regular guy," senior wide receiver Henry Frazier said. "We got (senior running back) Levron (Williams), and Levron's a scary guy. We've got just as much weapons as they do. I think we're pretty evenly matched."\nFrazier said that while they are evenly matched, the Spartan offense isn't likely to put up the same type of numbers as the Hoosier offense can put up.\nComparing Williams to Duckett, against Northwestern, Williams had 219 all-purpose yards. Overall, Williams has racked up 1366 all-purpose yards in seven games.\nDuckett has 878 all-purpose yards for the season, 844 of which are rushing yards. That's a 488 yard difference.\n"(Duckett) could have started in the Big Ten as a junior in high school," Cameron said. "We talk about high school guys going to the NBA. Here is a guy who could have given up his high school career and gone ahead and play in college. He was that good in high school. He could have been playing college football throughout his high school career."\nIn preparation for this game, the Hoosier coaching staff has mixed a few parts of the game up, specifically, the line-up.\nArguably most surprising is the defensive roster change. Junior Ron Bethel, normally positioned as a safety, has moved to linebacker. Bethel replaces senior Devin Schaffer, who slipped to second on the depth chart, and is listed with junior safety Antonio Watson as back-ups.\n"I can't really talk about our plans, but we do have a scheme for the game," senior cornerback Marcus Floyd said. "Basically we're just trying to stay focused. We realize some of their tendencies, some of the things they like to do and we've been practicing this week on just basically trying to stop them."\nBoth teams put up explosive numbers after the upsets last weekend, but Frazier said the winner will be the one who's most prepared for this game.\n"The team that dwells on the past is going to be in trouble," Frazier said. "We already put the win aside, and we're already concentrating on them. For their sake, they should be doing the same thing. \n"Our attitude is great, and we're ready to get another win"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The defeated Michigan State Spartans had silently filed off the field. The MSU coaches and cheerleaders were long gone, and the Spartan Marching Band was doing its post-game show.\nBut the Hoosier football team was not stepping off the field until it got what it wanted: the Old Brass Spittoon. It's a trophy that has been awarded to the winner of the MSU-IU game since 1950, and IU wanted what it rightfully earned on the field.\n"This is a tradition," senior quarterback Antwaan Randle El said after the game, holding the Spittoon. "When you win, you get the Spittoon. That's what we've been talking about all week. We said we wouldn't leave until we got it, but we got it and now we can go home."\nThe Hoosiers (3-5, 3-3) traveled back to IU after beating the Spartans 37-28 in a game marked by crucial plays made by both the offense and defense.\nBoth MSU (5-3, 3-3) and IU came into the game after emotional upsets last week, but it was the Hoosier offense that wore down the State defense and the IU defense that came up with important stops at critical times.\n"I don't know how you win in this league or any league anymore without making big plays in critical situations," coach Cam Cameron said. "There's too many good players on these teams and it's nice we have a couple of those guys. We've got some guys making some big plays on offense and now some guys making some big plays against pretty good players on defense."\nRandle El, who became the NCAA's career leader in rushing yards by a quarterback Saturday with 3,645, set the tone for the day when he ran 57 yards for a touchdown to give the Hoosiers the opening score.\nBut unlike the Wisconsin and Northwestern victories, the game wasn't an offense-dominated contest. The defense was called upon several times to step up and make stops. \nIt did not disappoint.\n"It boosts our confidence," freshman linebacker Herana-Daze Jones said. "We know if we play hard and give it our best effort, we could be a good defense. We just got to keep playing and keep playing and something good will happen."\nFor Jones, that good came in the form of an interception after Randle El mishandled a pitch to senior Levron Williams with just over five minutes to play in the fourth quarter and IU leading by only a field goal. \nBut with the ball on the IU 46-yard line, Jones picked off Spartan quarterback Jeff Smoker. IU scored the final touchdown when it took over.\n"When Herana-Daze picked that ball off, I tried to find him as quick as I could and give him a hug," Randle El said.\nThe IU defense, which has managed at least one interception for the last four games, came up with two Saturday. Jones' interception and the one by senior linebacker Justin Smith, who intercepted the ball with just more than a minute left, sealed the victory for the Hoosiers.\nThe week prior to the game, the players stressed the importance of being focused against MSU. The success of the goal was prominent when sophomore cornerback Michael Hanley snatched a ball tipped in the air by a Spartan player after Randle El punted.\n"I was laughing," Jones said. "(The MSU player) just threw his hand up and I was laughing. I was happy that we got the ball back. I'm glad he made that play."\nWilliams, who rushed for 251 yards to give him more than 1,000 rushing yards for the season, remembers just looking up and seeing that IU had possession again. He scored five plays later.\n"You just play and play and play for 60 minutes," Cameron said. "That's the story in my mind. Everything doesn't always work out like you script it. The bottom line is you have to score one more point than the opponent or hold them to one less. We don't care which it is"