Wilson Message to Houston is IU Clear – Pick It Up!

Kevin Wilson ain’t messing around. He wants big-time effort from all his Indiana football players, especially his starters and the guys who should be his best players.

That puts tailback Stephen Houston under the gun.

Houston rushed for more than 800 yards last season, most in the final eight games when he emerged as one of the better running backs in the Big Ten. As a result, Wilson ratcheted up his expectations of the former junior college transfer. And when Houston didn’t meet those expectations in practices heading into Saturday’s season opener against Indiana State, Wilson has let him know it, both by word and deed.

“I was talking to Stephen the other day,” Wilson said. “I said, ‘Maybe I’m wrong, but my standard for you is pretty high. Now maybe I’m the guy who’s wrong. Maybe my standard shouldn’t be as high. My standard it’s a little bit higher than I see your performance.’ Maybe I’m wrong.

“I think he could be an upper-level Big Ten back. He’s 220 (pounds). He’s got really good feet. He’s got really good hands. But he needs to be better in pass protection. He needs to be more physical. He needs to run behind his pads and get two or three tough yards. That’s where he’s not complete. The physical side of his game needs to come out. His skill set is reasonably good, and he can have the edge and the attitude of a great running back, he can be an upper level running back. Right now he’s a pretty good one.”

As a result, freshman Tevin Coleman is No. 1 on the depth chart. Sophomore D’Angelo Roberts is No. 3 behind Coleman and Houston.

“I don’t know if anyone’s won (the running back starting job), but (Coleman) has just played the best, short term,” Wilson said. “He’s playing the hardest, and he’s awfully talented. He just runs hard. He’s fast. He has instincts. Some guys have got it. He has a chance to be pretty good.

“Tevin’s probably got the most talent. Stephen can be the most consistent, but doesn’t play the hardest. D’Angelo’s a nice change-up that fits in.”

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IU hasn’t made it official, but it looks like it’s done with its non-conference basketball schedule.

The key games are Nov. 27 at home against North Carolina, Butler in the Crossroads Classic on Dec. 15 at Indianapolis' Bankers Life Fieldhouse, a Legends Classic game in Brooklyn against Georgia on Nov. 19 and another Legends Class game against either UCLA or Georgetown on Nov. 20.

The other eight games are against patsies in Assembly Hall. Yes, that means that rather than play Kentucky at Lucas Oil Stadium or Louisville in Assembly Hall, games that would generate HUGE local and national interest and lots of extra money, IU officials chose Central Connecticut State.

Or was it Jacksonville?

Oh, well.

The Big Ten is set to release the conference schedule at any time.

 

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Wilson insists that receiver Kofi Hughes, cornerback Lawrence Barnett and linebacker Forisse Hardin will get the one-game suspensions they deserve for violating team rules.

He just can’t say when that suspension will be.

“If they play (Saturday against Indiana) they play, if they don’t they don’t,” Wilson said. “I don’t know if there’s going to be an official announcement.”

Basically they’ll be suspended when it least hurts the Hoosiers. That might be Saturday. It might be later.

After last year’s 1-11 disaster, Wilson will take no chances.

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If you’re going to the Indiana State game (which has an 8 p.m. start), keep in mind two things –- the weather could get nasty if remnants of Hurricane Isaac show up in Indiana as expected, and traffic construction could make getting to the game a challenge.

IU officials offer this advice -– get to the game early.

“Once again we cannot stress enough how important it is for fans to plan their route carefully and arrive early,” athletic director Fred Glass said in a university release. “Avoid prolonged traffic delays by spending your day in Bloomington and enjoying your pregame tailgate with us at Memorial Stadium. We’ve made changes in the past few years to give fans the opportunity to enjoy many pre-game activities. We’re looking forward to some great crowds.”

Memorial Stadium will be open at least five hours prior to kickoff. On Saturday that will mean 3 p.m.

If you want to know the best route to get to Memorial Stadium, check out these websites:

View the 2012 Alternative Route Map to Memorial Stadium
http://www.iuhoosiers.com/facilities/ind-facilities-memorial-traffic.html

View the Pre-game and Post-game Traffic Pattern Maps
http://www.iuhoosiers.com/facilities/ind-facilities-memorial-traffic.html

View map of current Bloomington Road Closings
http://bloomington.in.gov/locations/?locationGroup_id=5

IUHoosiers.com
http://www.iuhoosiers.com/

Twitter @IUBPublicSafety
https://twitter.com/IUBPublicSafety

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Are you struggling to sleep worrying about who’s going to win the Heisman Trophy this season.

Well, thanks to StiffArmTrophy.com, sleep can come your way. StiffArm has polled Heisman Trophy voters to get a sense of what the early vote looks like. Granted, this is VERY early, but it looks like a five-player race between Wisconsin running back Montee Ball, Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, USC quarterback Matt Barkley, South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore and Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones. Ball, Lattimore, Jones and Robinson all received 50 votes. Barkley received 49.

Keep in mind that last year’s winner, Robert Griffin III of Baylor, opened the season No. 11 on the Heisman list. So what seems true in late August might have nothing to do with December reality, when the announcement is made.

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This broke earlier in the week, but Indiana women’s basketball player Kaila Hulls will miss the upcoming season after tearing her right ACL for the second time in 10 months. She is the sister of IU guard Jordan Hulls.

Hulls missed all of last year with a torn ACL while a member of the Bowling Green program. She seemed fully recovered after transferring to IU, but was hurt in practice. Missing two entire seasons with the same injury in the same knee is a huge setback.

As a senior at Bloomington High School South, Hulls averaged 20 points and 11.7 rebounds and was named to the 2011 Indiana All-Star team.

“It is devastating to hear the diagnosis of another ACL injury for Kaila,” coach Curt Miller said in a university release. “She has worked relentlessly on getting back from her prior injury, and has done everything asked of her by the doctors and training staff. She will attack her latest injury like a champion. We look forward to having her on the court during the 2013-14 season.”