Indiana Has To Get Offensive, Or Else

Kevin Wilson wants more offense. Does that surprise you? Specifically he wants more points. He’s been known as a coach who gets that done, who runs uptempo, hard-to-stop attacks that break the will of opposing defenses.

He did it at Northwestern and Oklahoma, big time. He's had the most prolific attack in the history of college football.

That ain’t happening at Indiana. At least, it ain’t happening enough.

Take Saturday’s 41-20 Illinois loss. The Hoosiers scored 20 points, but seven came on a kickoff return for a touchdown, seven on a late drive when the game was decided and the Illini had dialed back the intensity. Of the remaining six points, three were on a field goal that came after forcing a turnover that gave them the ball inside the Illini 5-yard line.

That won’t work against any team, let alone a nationally ranked one, as the Illini are.

“I think our defense is battling,” Wilson said, “but we’re still putting way too much stress on them.”

The offense even allowed Illinois to score a touchdown when a blitz forced a fumble the Illini scooped up and returned 66 yards for a touchdown.

“We had a nice drive across midfield,” Wilson said, “and we had maximum protection and they brought a blitz and one of our linemen went to pick up a guy who wasn’t his and didn’t stay on his guy. They got a sack and a scoop. A guy made an error, just messed up, shouldn’t have, but did.”

Here’s an example of IU offensive inefficiency. Defensive end Bobby Richardson, a true freshman by the way, recovered a fumble on the Illinois 3-yard line in the second quarter. The Illini led 14-10 at the time. IU ran once for a 2-yard loss, then again for a 2-yard gain. Wilson wanted to give tailback Stephen Houston another crack at it (he was planning on going for it on fourth down if Houston didn't score), but quarterback Dusty Kiel thought the defensive end was going to go at Houston, which would have left the perimeter free. So he kept the ball, the end didn’t bite and stuffed Kiel for no gain. Instead of a touchdown, IU got a field goal.

Kiel accepted the responsibility for that.

“That was frustrating. I’ve got to keep working. As a quarterback I have to get better in that area. I thought (the defensive end) was closing and he didn’t. That was all on me. I should have given it.”

Wilson did say it might not have been the “proper call,” that he was trying to go against IU’s passing nature to catch the Illini off guard. Still, he would have liked to have seen what a Houston run could have done.

“I think a little bit of our offensive issues were some guy pressing, trying a little too much, didn’t trust themselves, didn’t trust the scheme, didn’t trust the guy beside them. When you’re a little out of synch and you’re a competitor and you’re getting a little antsy, you’re playing outside the framework of the offense. It wasn’t a huge mistake. It was a guy trying to do something well.”

So now the Hoosiers are 1-5 overall, 0-2 in the Big Ten, and have to take a trip to unbeaten Wisconsin, which has the look of a national championship squad and a coach who doesn’t mind running up the score.

IU’s only chance is to hope the Badgers commit seven turnovers, and convert red-zone opportunities into touchdowns.

If not, well, it won’t be pretty.

No Fear – Oladipo Looking Good; Coaching Drama Down South

Victor Oladipo is ready for a big basketball season, both as an individual and for the Indiana Hoosiers. The sophomore guard made significant impact last year, and wants to do more this year, and that goes beyond rim-rattling dunks.

Oladipo benefited from a summer trip to China to play basketball, playing in the summer pro-am event in Indianapolis and just another year in IU’s strength training program. He’s stronger, fitter and more experienced.

All that’s good, but Oladipo also has an edge he didn’t have before. What is it? We’ll let him explain.

“I’m more confident. I don’t want to say I was scared last year, but I had fear in my mind. I was nervous. I was very nervous.

“This year I’m a little nervous, but I’m more confident than I was. I know what to expect. I know I’ve been working hard enough that when I go out there, I can be just as good as anybody and I can help my team win.”

In the end, it’s about winning. Look for Oladipo to help make that happen.


*****


Welcome to Basketball Coaches of the Big Ten, a new show that features high-profile, highly paid coaches tapping into their inner Housewives of New Jersey.

The premise is simple –- take shots at each other, but do it subtlely rather than dramatically like some of the women’s reality TV shows.

Let’s face it. Nobody wants to see men cry or claim their feelings got hurt or accuse each other of back-stabbing nastiness. What people REALLY want to see is WWE theater or mixed martial arts mayhem, but you can’t get away with that in a college setting.

So instead you have the apparent drama between Louisville’s Rick Pitino and Kentucky’s John Calipari, with Indiana Tom Crean now getting into the mix -– sort of.

Yes, it should all make for terrific TV ratings and program publicity when these coaches and teams meet.

Calipari started things off with a TV interview promoting UK’s Midnight Madness. It was innocent enough until Calipari threw in this little jab:

“There’s no other state -– none -– as connected to their basketball program as this one,” Calipari told TV station KSTV, “because those states have other programs. Michigan has Michigan State. California has UCLA … North Carolina has Duke.

“It’s Kentucky throughout this whole state, and that’s what makes us unique.”

Now you could argue that Calipari was just speaking the truth. UK is huge throughout the state and certainly has more in-state fans than any other in-state program.

Still, it does have a big rival in Louisville, which won national titles under Denny Crum and gone to Final Fours under Pitino. It has a big, new, expensive arena. It is a member of the Big East, which at least in basketball is saying something.

Reading between the lines could lead a person to conclude Calipari was taking a shot at Pitino's program. The two coaches were once close, but iciness now dominates what’s left of their relationship.

Here’s what Pitino told CBSSports.com as far as a reaction to Calipari’s comments:

“Four things I’ve learned in my 59 years about people. I ignore the jealous. I ignore the malicious. I ignore the ignorant and I ignore the paranoid.

“If the shoe fits anyone, wear it.”

The word in cyberspace and beyond is that the coaches don’t like each other and that Calipari is jealous of Pitino’s success. Pitino has a national title. Calipari does not. Pitino has taken five teams to the Final Four and none of those achievements were stripped from the record book, as Calipari’s was for Final Four trips while at Massachusetts and Memphis.

Is the word true? That's what speculation is for.

Crean entered the picture, not from jealousy or pettiness, but to promote his Hoosier program and the Dec. 10 game with UK at Assembly Hall.

“I think on Dec. 10th at 5:15 in Assembly Hall (Calipari) is going to see he forgot about how The State of Indiana feels about this program,” Crean tweeted, “No question the UK fans are behind the program, but there is NO WAY OUR FANS TAKE A BACKSEAT TO ANYONE! GO HOOSIERS!”

Now, somebody from Purdue or Butler or Notre Dame might find that irritating, but that wasn't Crean’s purpose. He’s totally focused on restoring IU’s basketball tradition, not on slamming others, and promoting a game in which he wants a huge, raucous crowd shaking Assembly Hall as it's never been shaken before.

As for what’s going on with Calipari and Pitino, you can decide for yourselves.


*****


Indiana is looking for instant impact on defense in its Class of 2012 football recruiting, and that includes junior college players.

Consider defensive back Ladarius Gunter, who is originally from Alabama and who spent last year playing at Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College. He’s good enough to have gotten an offer from North Texas (yes, the same North Texas that roughed up the Hoosiers a few weeks back) and strong interest from Nebraska, Texas A&M, Iowa State and Baylor.

The 6-2, 200-pound Gunter is set to make an official visit this weekend as IU hosts No. 19 Illinois.

IU Coaches Set Bar High; Drane Shows Leadership; NBA Dream Ends

IU defensive coaches still seek full-throttle football hustle. They don’t want excuses; they want results because you never know which play could be the game-deciding one.

The Hoosiers basically had the same number of loafs (no-hustle plays) and missed tackles against Penn State they had against North Texas. Here’s what co-defensive coordinator Doug Mallory had to say.

“Sometimes, when you’re out there for 91 plays, when you’re not rolling guys through, there’s a point where fatigue will set in. We’re still not getting the effort we want, the way we want it.”

That’s why the coaches continue to play younger guys. Sixteen true freshman have played this season, twice as many as played in the three previous seasons combined. Are they all ready? Absolutely not, but if the veteran players are messing up, and they are, Kevin Wilson and company would rather go with young guys.

“Effort is the fist thing we talk about from a defensive standpoint,” Mallory said. “We’ve set a standard and we’re going to make sure we uphold that standard. We won’t come down to their expectations. They have to come up to our expectations. It’s still a process.”

That process would be helped by playing a few more guys. For instance, safety Drew Hardin had 91 plays on defense, plus was on three of IU’s four special teams. His brother, safety Forisse Hardin, had 81 plays and also played on three special teams.

“I’ve got to be able to roll some other guys through to keep them fresh,” Mallory said.

He’ll get a chance Saturday when IU (1-4) hosts No. 19 Illinois (5-0).


****

Indiana senior safety Jarrell Drane will likely miss two to three more weeks with a sprained ankle, but that hasn’t affected his attitude. He missed the Penn State game, a big blow considering he’s hardly played in his career because of injuries, but spent his sideline time working closely with the Hardin brothers to ensure they knew their assignments.

Yes, the coaches noticed.

“That says a lot about him that he’s injured and out, but he’s still locked into the game trying to help the younger guys out,” co-defensive coordinator Doug Mallory said.


****

My NBA dream died today.

Indiana’s media challenge/fantasy camp -- a great idea by IU assistant athletic director-media J.D. Campbell and coach Tom Crean -- proved that basketball is not in my DNA, or my shoes or my elbow brace. And I was SO set on buying a Ferrari with the check sure to come as a NBA replacement player if the league decides to go that route in the wake of its lock-out shutdown.

Anyway, we had eight people on our Brian Evans-Chris Reynolds-coached team and I ranked 88th. Yeah, it’s a downer.

For the record, Ross Kinsey of WANE-TV in Fort Wayne and Scott Agness, an IU freelance broadcaster, were huge in our getting third place. Both can shoot, handle the ball and play defense. The Bloomington Herald Times’ Dustin Dopirak came up big, as did Inside Indiana’s Zach Osterman, Sports Journalism Institute’s Lara Overton and Gary Post-Tribune’s Andy Proffett. By the way, we finished third out of four teams, but let’s not downplay the significance of a performance that set standards that might never be equalled.

By the way, any video of the media performance should never be shown, much like a Nancy Grace dancing clip.

Also for the record, for one moment I entered the Dane Fife never-fouled-in-my-life zone after being called for fouling IU assistant athletic director Jeremy Gray on a three-point attempt. One person’s foul is another’s legally aggressive play. Video evidence would show I got all ball, and if I also got shoulder, chest, arm, elbow, wrist, knee and foot, well, what makes contact such a dirty word.

Did I mention my NBA dream has died?


*****

If you’d like to know who’s going to win the Heisman, or at least who are the favorites, consider the weekly poll put out by StiffArmTrophy.com. It polls as many of the Heisman voters as it can (this week that means 49 voters from 29 states), and that includes us.

The poll shows Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson top the list. Behind them are Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, Alabama running back Trent Richardson, Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III and Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones.

Moving On – Hoosiers Leaving IU Football Program

It’s been a tough week on the Indiana football front if you were fans of tailback Nick Turner, tailback Antonio Banks, defensive tackle Marlandez Harris and cornerback Peter St. Fort.

Turner, Banks and Harris all left the program this week. St. Fort was indefinitely suspended after being arrested last weekend for DUI and marijuana possession.

Turner was the biggest surprise departure because coming out of spring practice he was the No. 1 tailback, and had rushed for 157 yards last season. But he got passed on the depth chart by a pair of newcomers -- JUCO transfer Stephen Houston and true freshman D’Angelo Roberts -- plus redshirt freshman Matt Perez. He was moved to safety for a while, put on special teams, then taken off of them. He played running back briefly against Penn State, rushing once for minus-three yards.

Wilson said Turner’s lack of playing time had to do with his practice effort. Wilson, like every coach, is big on that sort of stuff.

“He came in (on Tuesday) and said he didn’t want to play,” Wilson said. “Thought it was a good choice because he hadn’t been practicing hard.”

Wilson said Turner had been “going through the motions” and that he wasn’t physical. He said Turner was a “nice kid” with “good talent” and wished him well.

If you’re counting, that’s five running backs from the Bill Lynch era who have departed in the last nine months, including Darius Willis.

It’s not unusual for players to leave when there’s a coaching change. Sometimes it’s a talent or playing time issue. Sometimes it’s a bad fit -– in other words, somebody doesn’t like somebody.

Wilson is not a warm, fuzzy, “I-love-you-man” coach, which puts him on par with a lot of guys in the profession. He’s demanding and tell-it-like-he-sees-it honest, which some can find abrasive. He has an edge that Lynch did not, and not everybody wants to deal with it.

Let’s face it. No matter who the coach is, life ain’t fun when you’re losing. And with a 1-4 record, the Hoosiers are losing more than they have in a decade, which is saying something given the program’s struggles.

Figure this won’t be the last time a player leaves. You would like to think the exodus would slow once Wilson gets all his players into his system. That will take a few years.

Now, if Wilson-recruited players start leaving, if the losing continues, well, we know how that will turn out.

Oh, for those who gotta have more quarterback news, Ed Wright-Baker is back to practice. Look for Dusty Kiel to start in Saturday’s game against No. 19 Illinois because he’s healthier, but Wright-Baker will play.

On IU Quarterback Debate, Basketball Exhibition and Jim Delany

Are you like us? Are you struggling to sleep this week wondering who will start on the offensive line for the Indiana Hoosiers?

Wait. We meant quarterback. Now comes what figures to be the weekly twists of the Ed-and-Dusty debate. Should Edward Wright-Baker return to the starter’s role he had before hurting his ankle? Did Dusty Kiel do enough against Penn State to stay No. 1? And is it time for true freshman Tre Roberson to show what his hyper athleticism can do?

Quarterbacks coach/co-offensive coordinator Rod Smith said the quarterbacks are getting enough practice reps to be read to play, if not start, each week.

Head coach Kevin Wilson said Wright-Baker, who got hurt in the second half against North Texas, looks close to full health.

“I think as we go though the week,” Wilson said, “he looks good. Looks like he’ll have a shot. That being said, Dusty’s played. I don’t know if it’s so much a controversy as it is that one guy’s a little more healthy. They’re both capable of playing well. We’ll see how it plays out as it goes forward.”

Against Penn State, in his first ever college start, Kiel was 22-for-45 for 184 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and that was with receivers dropping seven passes.

“I thought Dusty competed,” Wilson said. “I don’t think he hurt us, but I think we could have been better from an overall execution standpoint.”

As far as Roberson, he hasn’t thrown a pass yet, but he has run three times for seven yards. Wilson and Smith said they have packages to use him every game, but haven’t gotten him in much because of the closeness of the games. All four of IU’s losses have been by seven or fewer points.

“We’ve got to do a better job of getting him involved,” Smith said. “He might not have the entirety of the playbook that Dusty and Ed have, but he’s got a lot and it’s enough. We’ve got to say, ‘The hell with it, we’re going with him,’ and get him more reps.”

Is No. 19 and unbeaten Illinois, Saturday’s opponent at Memorial Stadium, the best time to do that?

We’ll have to see.


*****

Are you ready for some basketball? Of course you are. And after we get through the pomp and fun of Hoosier Hysteria, the real basketball begins. A preview will come on Saturday, Nov. 5, when IU faces the University of Indianapolis in an exhibition game.

The Greyhounds, a NCAA Division II program, were 19-9 last year and return three starters.

IU has twice before played Indianapolis in exhibition games. In 2006, the Hoosiers won 83-46. In 2005, they won 96-49.

“Our goal in scheduling our exhibition games is to find programs that will best prepare us for the season,” coach Tom Crean said in a university release. “Having the opportunity to schedule a team with strong local ties is an added bonus. (Coach) Stan Gouard and his staff have done a great job in a short period of time, which is evident by their win at Tennessee last year.”

Tipoff is at 7 p.m. at Assembly Hall. The game will be streamed via the Internet at Bigtennetwork.com.

IU opens the regular season Friday, Nov. 11, against Stony Brook.


*****

Do you want to grill Jim Delany on when he’ll see the light about a national football playoff, what’s up with paying players or just give the Big Ten commissioner a hug?

Well, we don’t know if you can do all that, but you can hear Delany speak when he comes to an IU Varsity Club Speaker Series luncheon on Oct. 26 at Memorial Stadium’s Henke Hall of Champions.

Delany is only the fifth Big Ten commissioner since its founding in 1896. Does that mean he’s really old? It depends on your perspective. Thirty once seemed old and now …

Sorry. Delany has had the job for 22 years. Among his many accomplishments is helping guide the addition of Penn State and Nebraska to the conference. He helped create the Big Ten Network and aided in the expansion of women’s sports. He’s a national leader on all the major issues facing college sports.

“We’re thrilled that Jim Delany -- one of today’s most influential leaders in college athletics -- is kicking off our series,” IU deputy athletic director Scott Dolson said in a university release.

Advanced tickets are available to Varsity Club donors and a guest for $15 a person. Donors can register by contacting the Varsity Club no later than Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 812-855-0866 or varsity@indiana.edu.

“(Jim) is a leading voice in intercollegiate athletics,” IU athletic director Fred Glass said in a university release. “The Big Ten is extremely fortunate to have him as its commissioner and we are fortunate to have him as our speaker.”

Can You Believe It -- Nation To See IU at Wisconsin

Does the nation REALLY want to see Indiana play at Wisconsin in football?

Thanks to ESPN2, the Oct. 15 game will be televised nationally.

Oh, no!

Last year the Hoosiers went up to Camp Randall Stadium and suffered one of the worst defeats in school history. The 83-20 score contributed to the eventual firing of coach Bill Lynch.

Now we have a Wisconsin team for the ages. Not only does it have its usual assortment of NFL-caliber offensive linemen and break-your-will running backs, it also has the kind of dual-threat quarterback in Russell Wilson it’s never had before. Wilson is a strong Heisman Trophy candidate and we say that with confidence considering we vote for the Heisman.

The Badgers also have a stout defense that shut down Nebraska’s powerhouse attack. It is a strong national title contender. And coach Bret Bielema is not known as a mercy coach. If he can hammer you, he will.

What does this mean for Indiana?

Nationally televised disaster.

The only thing that could keep the score reasonable is if Bielema, after taking some heat for running up the score last year on IU, backs off in the second half.

In truth, though, he shouldn’t. He doesn’t have to have Wilson play the whole game launching passes; this likely will be the perfect game for the backups to see significant action; but the play calling should still feature the Badgers’ best plays. It’s up to the Hoosiers to be man enough to stop them.

Now maybe it’s not a blowout. Maybe IU plays Wisconsin tough as nobody has this season. Maybe it finds a level that can compete with the nation’s best and then sustains it the rest of the season.

Maybe.

Nothing lasts forever. Ohio State faces a beat-down season that will provide some payback for its recent dominating ways. Perhaps the Hoosiers can some day do to the Badgers what was done to them. For now, though, the nation will get to see what we already know:

Wisconsin is really, really good, especially at home.

IU will be in big, big trouble.


*****

Hoosier Hysteria is going to have a lot of high-profile recruiting action. All five members of IU’s Class of 2012 (Yogi Ferrell, Hanner Perea, Ron Patterson, Jeremy Hollowell and Peter Jurkin) will be there along with Gary Harris and Derek Willis (ranked No. 23 in the Class of 2013).

The 6-9 Willis, from Louisville, is the former Purdue committed player who has re-opened his recruiting. The Boilers, IU and Louisville top his list, with Kentucky and Illinois in the mix.


*****


According to GoldandBlack.com’s Brian Neubert, Harris’s official visit to Purdue this past weekend went well. He spent a lot of time getting to know the players, something the standout shooting guard will also do during his upcoming visits to Indiana, Michigan State and probably Kentucky.

Not only did Harris spend time with current players and coaches, Neubert wrote, but also with Boiler recruits from the Class of 2012 and 2013. The goal is to get as complete a picture as possible, and by the time this official visit process is over, Harris will have all the information he needs.

Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions a person can make after deciding on a favorite NFL team and …

Sorry. Everybody knows picking a NFL favorite is WAY more important. Still, college is a big deal and Harris obviously wants to get it right. Wherever he ends up, he’ll be in a great program.

Consider this. IU changed its Hoosier Hysteria night to accommodate Harris’ football schedule. Coach Tom Crean gets to as many of his football games as he can. If he doesn’t land Harris, it won’t be because of lack of effort.

In about a month, we should know.

****

If you like intrigue, consider IU’s football depth chart doesn’t list a starting quarterback. There is an “or” between the names of Dusty Kiel and Edward Wright-Baker.

Maybe that means Wright-Baker is still questionable with his ankle injury. Maybe it means this week will be a battle royale between the two redshirt freshmen.

Whoever starts will have a formidable challenge Saturday against unbeaten Illinois, which is ranked No. 19.

On Indiana’s QB Situation and Code Reds

Is there now a bonafide Indiana quarterback controversy? Should an injury cost a starter his job?

History provides some answers. Wally Pipp and Drew Bledsoe lost their jobs to injury and never regained them -- Lou Gehrig for Pipp, Tom Brady for Bledsoe. Yes, Pipp sat out a game because of a headache and never got back in, so is a headache really an injury, but that’s missing the point, which is should Dusty Kiel replace Edward Wright-Baker as the starting quarterback for the Hoosiers (1-4).

Here’s what we know. Wright-Baker missed the 16-10 loss to Penn State because of an ankle injury. He missed all of last week’s practices, which we didn’t find out until after the game, when coach Kevin Wilson confirmed it.

Kiel went 22-for-45 for 184 yards, one touchdown and one interception. That’s not exactly Brady like, until you realize Kiel’s receivers dropped at least four passes that would have gone for at least 50 yards.

That was a follow-up to his North Texas performance, when he went 7-for-12 for 145 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. That he did it against a pass defense that disappeared quicker than you can ask, did Darius Willis have another pro wrestling adventure while IU played, doesn’t diminish the fact that he did it.

Penn State, by the way, might not be the greatest team in coach Joe Paterno’s epic tenure, but it does have a good defense. Kiel showed promise against it, although he was not flawless.

“He was okay,” Wilson said. “He went the wrong way some times, but he played well.”

For the season Wright-Baker is 80-for-129 (62.0 percent) for 925 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Kiel is 33-for-63 (52.4 percent) for 356 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Neither of them reminds anyone of Peyton Manning. Some of it is inexperience (this is their first major playing time), some of it is nobody on the planet can do what Peyton Manning does.

Anyway, Wilson figures Wright-Baker will be healthy for Monday’s practice, which should lead to all sorts of speculation further fueled by the fact IU’s practices are closed, so no one knows what’s going on except those with access to satellite technology, not that we’re admitting to such things.

“We’ll have both of them as we move forward,” Wilson said, “and if there is an issue of a controversy or who we got, we’ll figure that out Monday.”

Wright-Baker beat out Kiel because of fewer turnovers in preseason camp. Ball security is the key component to the quarterback position and Wright-Baker, apparently, had the edge.

Kiel seems to have closed that gap.

“He needs the supporting cast to play better,” Wilson said. “He also has some glitches, but he’s coming along. When we got in rhythm, when we blocked, when the protection was there, the offense was solid.”

What does Kiel think? There’s no way to know. Kiel revealed nothing in his post game comments other than he’s really good about saying nothing. That’s probably smart, but it does nothing for those of us looking for the next big thing now that Brad-Jen-and-Angelina Jolie are in a quiet phase.

Anyway, what did Kiel say? Here’s a sample:

Media: What about the competition between you and Wright-Baker?

Dusty: “Ed is a good friend of mine. We’ll push each other every day and get ready for Illinois.”

Media: What did you learn (from the Penn State game)?

Dusty: “Those Big Ten guys are pretty big. We’ve got to keep working.”

Media: Why was the offense better the last two drives?

Dusty: “I’m not sure. We’re working trying to get better. Guys are making plays.”

Media: Did you order the Code Red?

Dusty: “You’re God-damned right I did!”

Ah, hah. We knew it. Now we can …

Okay, the tape recorder got a little fuzzy on the last question and answer, but you get the drift. Enlightenment will have to come from seeing who starts against Illinois (yes, that’s unbeaten and nationally ranked Illinois) next Saturday, and then who performs better, because figure both will play.

In the meantime, where’s Jack Nicholson when you need him?