Indiana U. Dynasty -- Fighting Misfortune and Mediocrity

[buckeyeryan]

Indiana University Dynasty



XBox 360
NCAA '08
(settings, quarter length, and sliders TBD)

With the death of Head Coach Terry Hoeppner on June 19, the Indiana Hoosier football team finds itself in disbelief and disarray. Already with an inexperienced and overmatched team, the Hoosiers now face an even greater hurdle entering a daunting season in the Big Ten. Can the team find its identity under new Head Coach Bill Lynch and challenge for its first bowl bid since 1993? Can quarterback Kellen Lewis become the most exciting Hoosier since Antwaan Randle El? Will Memorial Stadium be filled with Hoosier fans instead of being the home to traveling Wolverines, Spartans, and Buckeyes?

Only time will tell, and the Hoosiers are anxious to forget their troubles, and leave it all on the field....

[buckeyeryan]

Indiana Unversity 2007 Preview:
from Pete Fiutak



Indiana is still light years away from being a consistent contender in the Big Ten race, but that doesn't mean it can't be far more competitive and be a thorn in everyone's side.

Coaches live for challenges, and Terry Hoeppner, who likely could've waited for a much bigger gig after several successful seasons at Miami University, took on a huge one two years ago when he became the head man at the Big Ten's version of the Los Angeles Clippers. He finally appeared to have things in place for a good season, and appeared ready to pull off one of the college football's most impressive feats by taking IU to a bowl game, and then tragedy struck.
Indiana Hoosiers

A second brain tumor claimed the life of Hoeppner, taking away one of the most respected coaches in the game, and the driving force who believed that Indiana could be a place where winning football could actually exist. There was nothing hokey about his approach or his belief. He accepted no excuses; he really thought he could build a potential player in the Big Ten race. As a credit to his legacy, his team has more talent than the program has seen in years.

While the team will rally around Hoeppner's memory, it also has emerging young leaders. All struggling teams need at least one great prospect to build around, and the Hoosiers found their man in quarterback Kellen Lewis, who showed the moxie of a longtime veteran in his freshman season. Paired with receiver James Hardy, who's put up tremendous numbers in his first two seasons, Lewis is set to explode and be the type of player who hasn't scared Big Ten teams since Antwaan Randle El was in Bloomington.
Unfortunately, the rest of the Big Ten should be better this year, meaning it'll be a weekly fight for IU to scrape up a few wins. That's not to say the offense can't catch fire and do what it did against Iowa and Michigan State last year, but realistically, the Hoosiers need turnovers and big breaks to stay with the top teams. The program might be better, but it's not where Hoeppner wanted it to be quite yet.

The defense could use more size, the offensive line needs to be more physical, and the team needs to learn how to close after losing its final three games last year. If nothing else, this will be an exciting team that will score in bunches at times, be maddening at others, and for the first time in years, will be a factor in some way, shape or form in the conference race.

What to watch for on offense: The coaching staff likes to use several receivers in an up-tempo style that's great when things are going well, but can lead to way-too-quick three-and-outs when it's not working. The line isn't all that big and isn't going to dominate in the ground game, so the emergence and improvement of Lewis will be everything. As he goes, so will the attack. Hardy might be the Big Ten's best receiver not playing at Michigan, and should win at least two games by himself.

What to watch for on defense: Theoretically, IU would love to attack, attack, attack with a smallish, quick defense, but more often than not it'll have to read and react unless the defensive front four plays much better than it did last year. This is a veteran group that should be more effective and should create more turnovers and big plays, but don't expect it to be a brick wall against the run. The Big Ten teams with good offensive lines should be able to run at will.

The team will be far better if … it's able to move the chains a bit better. Lewis is the team's most dangerous running threat, and the lines aren't built to run consistently or stop the run. The defense needs as much time off the field as possible, so Lewis needs to be better at cranking out long drives and connecting on his third-down passes.

The Schedule: Who goes on the road to play to MAC teams? A team coached by a former MAC head man does. IU gets a layup against Indiana State to start the season before going to Western Michigan and Akron, while a third MAC game, against Central Michigan late in the year, is in Bloomington. The Big Ten season starts out against Illinois in a battle of Big Ten also-rans looking to get off to a hot start. Beating Minnesota, Penn State or Purdue at home would be a big key to the program's progression. The big plus? No Ohio State and no Michigan.



Best Offensive Player: Sophomore QB Kellen Lewis.



Yeah, junior receiver James Hardy is the best offensive player going into the season, but that'll change. There's hope surrounding the Hoosier program for the first time in ages because of young players like Lewis, who led IU in rushing and passing as a freshman despite beginning the year No. 3 on the depth chart. You don't have to be an NFL scout to recognize Lewis' many physical gifts, but it's his unexpected poise and leadership qualities that have the program thinking it's close to returning to the postseason.

Best Defensive Player: Senior CB Tracy Porter.



The Hoosiers' best playmaker on defense and most reliable cover corner is already No. 10 on the school's all-time list for interceptions. Porter makes sharp breaks on passes, always draws the opposition's most dangerous receiver and is a real nuisance on special teams, blocking kicks and returning punts.

Key player to a successful season: Defensive linemen Jammie Kirlew, Greg Brown and Joe Kremer. With the graduation of Kenny Kendal, the line needs to find another top pass rusher. Not that Kendal was a stud with his four sacks, but he was the team's best end at applying a little bit of pressure. For a D that desperately needs more sacks, everyone has to do more. Kirlew has the most promise, but Brown should be the best llinemen of the bunch.

The season will be a success if ... the Hoosiers go to a bowl for the first time since 1993. It's not going to be easy and there can't be any mistakes against the mediocre teams. The chance is there for a special year if there's an upset or two in the mix over someone like Minnesota or Penn State. If IU can beat Indiana State, Western Michigan, Akron, Illinois, Minnesota, Central Michigan and Northwestern, or at least six of the seven, a 13th game will be possible.

Key game: Sept. 22 vs. Illinois. Assuming IU can get past two MAC road games, it'll have a shot at a 4-0 start against the Illini before going to Iowa. Win the Big Ten home opener, win three of the final eight games, go to a bowl. It might be that simple.

2006 Fun Stats:
First quarter scoring: Opponents 130; Indiana 48
Fourth down conversion: Opponents 4 of 5 (80%); Indiana 8 of 23 (35%)
Red zone touchdowns: Opponents 34 of 46 (74%); Indiana 21 of 37 (57%)


Indiana Hoosiers
Team Information
Head coach: Bill Lynch
Returning Lettermen: 42
Lettermen Lost: 24

Ten Best Players
1. CB Tracy Porter, Sr.
2. WR James Hardy, Jr.
3. QB Kellen Lewis, Soph.
4. RB/KR Marcus Thigpen, Jr.
5. CB Leslie Majors, Sr.
6. DE Greg Brown, Jr.
7. OT Rodger Sadfold, Soph.
8. LB Geno Johnson, Jr.
9. OG Pete Saxon, Soph.
10. DE Jammie Kirlow, Soph.

2007 Schedule
Sept. 1 Indiana State
Sept. 8 at Western Mich
Sept. 15 Akron
Sept. 22 Illinois
Sept. 29 at Iowa
Oct. 6 Minnesota
Oct. 13 at Michigan State
Oct. 20 Penn State
Oct. 27 at Wisconsin
Nov. 3 Ball State
Nov. 10 at Northwestern
Nov. 17 Purdue

[buckeyeryan]

Indiana University: Individual Statistics

Passing Yards

2007
2008
2009
2010

Passing TD's

2007
2008
2009
2010

Rushing Yards

2007
2008
2009
2010

Rushing TD's

2007
2008
2009
2010

Catches

2007
2008
2009
2010

Receiving Yards

2007
2008
2009
2010

Receiving TD's

2007
2008
2009
2010

Tackles

2007
2008
2009
2010

Sacks

2007
2008
2009
2010

Interceptions

2007
2008
2009
2010

[buckeyeryan]

Bill Lynch


Indiana football coach Bill Lynch was the guest speaker Tuesday for the Bloomington Rotary meeting at the Indiana Memorial Union, drawing the club’s biggest turnout of the year.

Lynch, in talking about football, said many of the same things he’s been saying since spring football. He said that after being around some really good football teams in his 35 years of coaching and some not so good ones, you can see a difference in the chemistry of the two types of teams. “The ones that are really good, they have it,” he said. “I think we have it.”

Lynch drew laughs in saying he’s been around a couple of teams that weren’t even looking for it. That was just one of several times that Lynch - in one of his first forays as a public speaker since being named head coach - showed he can be pretty funny.

After being introduced by former Monroe circuit court judge Randy Bridges (also Cam Cameron’s father in law) as, among other things, the captain of the football and basketball teams at Butler, Lynch told a story about in his final basketball game at Butler guarding Larry Bird. “I personally held him to 47 points,” Lynch bragged.




But that game went better than a previous matchup that season with Indiana State. In Lynch’s first game against Bird, he thought he had the younger 6-9 player blocked out on a rebound only to watch Bird rise over him and dunk the ball so hard that it bounced off the floor and hit Lynch in the chin, causing him to bite his tongue. “So that was the first two of his 49 that night,” Lynch observed drily.

Lynch also had a sense of humor in talking about his team, which he said is deeper and doesn’t have an obvious hole or two that needs to be filled, as has been the case in previous years. But he did say that following the departure of senior Tyson Beattie, the coaching staff hasn’t yet settled on a replacement.

“We’re going to find a punter,” he said. “If not, by rule we can go for it on fourth down.”

On a more serious note, an audience member asked Lynch how he would make the team his own. He said that he’s not worried about that because what Hoeppner has left behind is a cohesive staff - most with long ties to Hoeppner and/or Lynch - that’s ready to carry on in the direction Hoeppner got started.

“I learned a long time ago that it’s amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t worry about who gets the credit,” Lynch said. “We know this football team’s strength, its weaknesses and the players’ personalities, and they know us. It’s going to be Indiana University’s football team and I think it’s going to be a good one.”

[buckeyeryan]

As we look towards next season, let's recap IU's 2006 campaign:





Game 1: Sept. 2 vs. Western Michigan

W 39-20
The Hoosiers put up 252 yards through the air in victory

Game 2: Sept. 9 vs. Ball State
W 24-23
Indiana squeaks out a victory to move to 2-0 as spirits are high

Game 3: Sept. 16 vs. S. Illinois
L 35-28
Star WR James Hardy is suspended two games for breaking team rules, and the team is upset by a supposed lesser squad.

Game 4: September 23 vs. Connecticut
L 44-14
Three fumbles and 0 total yards rushing lead to a dismal Indiana performance

Game 5: September 30 vs. Wisconsin
L 52-17
Big Ten play starts poorly for the Hoosiers, who complete only 13 of 30 passes

Game 6: October 7 vs. Illinois
W 34-32
Indiana evens up their record at 3-3 with a dramatic victory against the Illini. Kellen Lewis emerges as the starting QB.

Game 7: October 14 vs. Iowa
W 31-28
The Hoosiers land their biggest victory of the season, upsetting a team that had been ranked in the Top Ten just a few weeks earlier

Game 8: October 21 vs. Ohio State
L 44-3
The Number one Buckeyes hold Indiana to 7 yards rushing, and knock Indiana down from their emotional high





Game 9: October 28 vs. Michigan State
W 46-21
The Hoosiers tally 446 yards of offense and hammer Big Ten rival Michigan State. Rumors of a possible bowl birth begin to swirl in Bloomington

Game 10: November 4 vs. Minnesota
L 63-26
Indiana's defense doesn't show up, and the offenses' season-high 500 yards go to waste. Indiana has two games left to win one more game to gain bowl eligibility

Game 11: November 11 vs. Michigan
L 44-3
The Wolverines hammer Indiana in a warm-up game before their huge 1 vs. 2 match-up with Ohio State. Indiana is held to a season low 131 total yards of offense.





Game 12: November 18 vs. Purdue
L 28-19
The Boilermakers force four fumbles and take "The Bucket" from Indiana, dashing their hopes of a bowl bid. The Hoosiers end their season at 5-7.

[buckeyeryan]

Can Lewis Lead Hoosiers to Promised Land?






At 6 foot 1, and weighing only 177 pounds, Kellen Lewis has the weight of an entire football program squarely on his shoulders.
Coming off one of the greatest freshman seasons in Indiana University's history, Lewis is the face - and legs and arms - of a Hoosier program hoping for great things.
"He's amazing," says WR James Hardy, Lewis' number one target. "He does things that you wouldn't expect a senior, much less a freshman, to be able to do..."
Lewis threw for 2,221 yards in his first year as a quarterback, and was named a Freshman All-American. He accounted for six touchdowns against Michigan State, five of them through the air and one on the ground.
"I'm ready for the season to start," Lewis said after practice yesterday. "It's important for us to get this practice time in, but I'm looking forward to facing some different defenses in real game situations."

Lewis is often compared to former Hoosier Antwaan Randle El, who was the first collegiate player to pass for 6,000 yards and rush for 3,000 in a career. Antwaan passed for 7,469 yards and 42 touchdowns and rushed for 3,895 yards and 44 scores during his Hoosier years. In his final college game, a 26-15 win against Kentucky, he surpassed Doug Flutie to move into fifth place on the NCAA Division I-A total yardage list. He also became the first player in major college football to record 2,500 total yards in four consecutive seasons.





"Antwaan is a huge idol of mine. I'd love to become half the player that he was here. Right now, though, I'm just focused on us winning some games and making a bowl"

[georgiafan]

good stuff I like the title

[buckeyeryan]

Athlon Sports Released its Selections for the All Big Ten First, Second, and Third teams. Only three Hoosiers made the list, with one of those being in the area of Special Teams. The following is a list of the First, Second, and Third team Selections.


All-Big Ten First Team
Offense
QB Chad Henne 6'2" 224 Sr. Michigan
The best of what could be an average crop of quarterbacks.




RB Mike Hart 5'9" 196 Jr. Michigan
The soul of Michigan’s offense and a tremendous leader.

RB P.J. Hill 5'11" 222 So. Wisconsin
Led the league in rushing (1,569 yards) as a freshman.

WR Dorien Bryant 5'10" 175 Jr. Purdue
Led the league in catches (87) and receiving yards (1,068).

WR Mario Manningham 6'0" 181 Jr. Michigan
Always seems to come up with a big TD catch.

TE Travis Beckum 6'4" 221 Jr. Wisconsin
Led all tight ends nationally in catches (61) and yards (903).

C Tony Brinkhaus 6'3" 295 Sr. Minnesota
Gophers’ line struggled when he was nursing an injury.

OL Kirk Barton 6'6" 310 Sr. Ohio State
Buckeyes’ most dependable blocker is a fixture at right tackle.

OL Jordan Grimes 6'3" 325 Sr. Purdue
Purdue allowed only 20 sacks last season.

OL Adam Kraus 6'6" 296 Sr. Michigan
Versatile performer has played center and guard.

OL Jake Long 6'7" 313 Sr. Michigan
League’s Offensive Lineman of the Year is back for more.

Defense

DL Vernon Gholston 6'4" 260 Jr. Ohio State
Tied for fourth in the league in tackles for a loss (15).

DL Bryan Mattison 6'3" 272 Sr. Iowa
Son of Florida co-D.C. Greg Mattison was all over the field.

DL Matt Shaughnessy 6'6" 242 Jr. Wisconsin
Smart, stout against the run and can chase down mobile QBs.

DL Terrance Taylor 6'0" 310 Jr. Michigan
Should play a bigger role this season with Alan Branch gone.

LB Dan Connor 6'3" 233 Sr. Penn State
Has moved from the outside to the middle to replace Paul Posluszny.

LB James Laurinaitis 6'3" 244 Jr. Ohio State
All-American will keep the Buckeyes’ defense humming.




LB J Leman 6'2" 240 Sr. Illinois
Led the league in tackles (152) and second in tackles for a loss (19).

CB Jack Ikegwuonu 6'1" 201 Jr. Wisconsin
Developed into a shut-down corner who also excelled in run support.

CB Malcom Jenkins 6'1" 202 Jr. Ohio State
First-team All-Big Ten pick in 2006 will vie for All-America honors.

S Jamar Adams 6'2" 212 Sr. Michigan
Broke up six passes, the No. 2 mark on the team.

S Kevin Mitchell 6'0" 200 Sr. Illinois
Veteran is a key cog in one of the Big Ten’s top defensive backfields.

Specialists
P Jared Armstrong 6'3" 234 Sr. Purdue
Second in the league in punting average (43.1 yards).

PR Tracy Porter 5'11" 181 Sr. Indiana
18.6-yard average would have led the nation had he qualified.

K Taylor Mehlhaff 5'11" 185 Sr. Wisconsin
A second-team All-Big Ten pick in 2006; made 15-of-20 FG attempts.

KR Marcus Thigpen 5'9" 182 Jr. Indiana
Led the nation in KO returns (30.1 yards) and scored three TDs.


All-Big Ten Second Team
Offense
QB Anthony Morelli 6'4" 232 Sr. Penn State
RB Albert Young 5'10" 209 Sr. Iowa
RB Chris Wells 6'1" 225 So. Ohio State
WR Deon Butler 5'10" 168 Jr. Penn State
WR James Hardy 6'7" 216 Jr. Indiana
TE Andrew Quarless 6'5" 252 So. Penn State
C Rafael Eubanks 6'3" 288 So. Iowa
OL Rich Ohrnberger 6'2" 289 Jr. Penn State
OL Dace Richardson 6'6" 306 Jr. Iowa
OL Kraig Urbik 6'6" 330 Jr. Wisconsin
OL Eric Vanden Heuvel 6'7" 323 Jr. Wisconsin

Defense
DL Jason Chapman 6'4" 289 Jr. Wisconsin
DL Mitch King 6'3" 264 Jr. Iowa
DL Matt Kroul 6'3" 271 Jr. Iowa
DL Willie VanDeSteeg 6'4" 255 Jr. Minnesota
LB Jonathan Casillas 6'2" 212 Jr. Wisconsin
LB Shawn Crable 6'5" 245 Sr. Michigan
LB Mike Klinkenborg 6'2" 240 Sr. Iowa
CB Justin King 6'0" 186 Jr. Penn State
CB Tracy Porter 5'11" 181 Sr. Indiana
S Dominique Barber 6'0" 210 Sr. Minnesota
S Otis Wiley 6'2" 210 Jr. Michigan State

Specialists
K Jason Reda 6'1" 200 Sr. Illinois
P Ken DeBauche 6'2" 220 Sr. Wisconsin
KR Dominic Jones 5'8" 190 Jr. Minnesota
PR Derrick Williams 6'0" 203 Jr. Penn State

All-Big Ten Third Team
Offense
QB Curtis Painter 6'4" 223 Jr. Purdue
RB Rashard Mendenhall 5'11" 210 Jr. Illinois
RB Tyrell Sutton 5'9" 190 Jr. Northwestern
WR Paul Hubbard 6'4" 215 Sr. Wisconsin
WR Greg Orton 6'3" 199 Jr. Purdue
TE Dustin Keller 6'4" 240 Sr. Purdue
C Marcus Coleman 6'6" 302 Sr. Wisconsin
OL Seth Olsen 6'5" 301 Jr. Iowa
OL Steve Rehring 6'8" 329 Jr. Ohio State
OL Sean Sester 6'8" 325 Jr. Purdue
OL Steve Shidell 6'5" 290 Sr. Minnesota

Defense
DL Tim Jamison 6'3" 266 Sr. Michigan
DL Mike Newkirk 6'3" 263 Jr. Wisconsin
DL Chris Norwell 6'6" 290 Sr. Illinois
DL Corey Wootton 6'7" 275 So. Northwestern
LB Elijah Hodge 6'1" 232 So. Wisconsin
LB Sean Lee 6'2" 232 Jr. Penn State
LB Mike Sherels 6'0" 240 Sr. Minnesota
CB Allen Langford 5'11" 196 Jr. Wisconsin
CB Adam Shada 6'1" 185 Sr. Iowa
S Shane Carter 6'2" 204 So. Wisconsin
S Justin Harrison 5'11" 215 Sr. Illinois

Specialists
K Kevin Kelly 5'7" 167 Jr. Penn State
P Zoltan Mesko 6'4" 242 Jr. Michigan
KR A.J. Wallace 6'1" 195 So. Penn State
PR Dominic Jones 5'8" 190 Jr. Minnesota

[georgiafan]

a big diffrence in talent in the big ten from the 1st team to the 3rd team

[sg_HustlinOwl]

Kellen Lewis is the man