Is Darius Willis Indiana's Tailback Answer?

Is Darius Willis IU’s tailback answer?

Hold that thought.

Once upon a time, when Bill Mallory was coaching the Hoosiers, running backs reigned supreme.

Specifically, it was Anthony Thompson, Vaughn Dunbar and Alex Smith who helped turn IU into a mini Running Back U.

Thompson set the school rushing record with 5,299 yards. Smith had 3,492 yards in three years. Dunbar had 3,029 yards in two years. Dunbar’s 1,805 rushing yards in 1991 remains the school record.

The tailback dominated attack is tough to duplicate in this more sophisticated era, when offenses are often spread and defenses are relentlessly swift.

Still, the Hoosiers are committed to the run and have Willis, a talented sophomore back who has struggled to stay healthy. He rushed for 607 yards and six touchdowns last year in nine games while averaging 4.9 yards a carry. That average beats Thompson’s average in three of his seasons, two of Smith’s seasons and one of Dunbar’s seasons.

The Big Ten returns a ton of quality running backs and that doesn’t include Purdue’s Ralph Bolden, who is expected to miss the season after blowing out his knee in the spring.

It also doesn’t include Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who rushed for 779 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 4.8 yards a carry.

So where does Willis rate?

Let’s take a look.

The two most heralded returning running backs are Wisconsin’s John Clay and Penn State’s Evan Royster.

The 6-1, 248-pound Clay follows in a long line of big Wisconsin backs. He surpassed 100 rushing yards nine times and finished with 1,517 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Royster rushed for 1,169 yards and six touchdowns.

There’s also Iowa’s Adam Robinson (834 yards) and Brandon Wegher (641), Ohio State’s Brandon Saine (739) and Dan Herrono (600), Illinois’ Mike Leshoure (734) and Jason Ford (588).

Of course, a running back’s numbers often reflect the quality of the offensive line as much as the back’s skill. But as far as sheer running ability, the 6-foot, 225-pound Willis has the size, speed, strength and skill you want in a dominant running back.

Do you remember him out-racing the entire Michigan defense en route to a huge late touchdown that put IU on the brink of victory? Of course you do. He had 152 rushing yards against the Wolverines and later had 103 against Northwestern and 142 against Purdue.

Willis can do more of that and will need to if IU is to have a winning record. He has to be a big-play threat as well as a consistent performer. That’s why Indiana recruited him, and if he lives up to his potential, the Hoosiers will have a chance to have a special season.

So is Willis Indiana's tailback answer?

The answer is, he'd better be.

Measuring Up -- Where Does IU's Chappell Rate In Big Ten

As we know from our football history lessons (and from the number of hot babes dated and endorsements received), a team’s success is directly related to the quality of its quarterback.

Yes, it’s a team game and defense, as we have noted before, is a huge component. But no position has a bigger impact than quarterback.

So where does Indiana’s Ben Chappell stack up in relation to the other Big Ten QBs?

Let’s take a look.

First, Chappell is a senior with extensive experience over the last two seasons. As a sophomore he split time with Kellen Lewis and threw for over a thousand yards. Last year, Lewis was kicked off the team and Chappell became the main guy. He became the first IU quarterback to complete better than 60 percent of his passes (62.6 percent). Just as impressive was the fact he learned how to throw the ball away. Although not the most mobile quarterback in America, he was sacked just 16 times.

Of course, a lot of that had to do with the quality of his protection (the offensive line did a solid job), but he still was good at avoiding drive-killing sacks.

He threw for 2,941 yards and 17 touchdowns. His 15 interceptions were high. In an ideal world he’d cut the interceptions to fewer than 10 and get the touchdown passes to over 20 this season.

Six other experienced Big Ten quarterbacks return.

The best is likely to be Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor because of his dual-threat ability.

While his running gets much of the attention (he rushed for 779 yards and seven touchdowns last season), he also completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 2,094 yards and 18 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. Not great, but not bad. You can bet the house he’ll be better this season.

The most accurate returning quarterback is Wisconsin’s Scott Tolzien. He completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 2,705 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

The quarterback known for playing the best in the fourth quarter is Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi. While his overall numbers weren’t great (56.3 percent, 2,417 yards, 17 touchdowns, 15 interceptions) he came up big in big moments, a huge reason why the Hawkeyes went 11-2 last season. Stanzi was injured in their losses to Northwestern and Ohio State.

Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins had a solid season. He completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 2,680 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

The other returning quarterbacks are the inconsistent Adam Weber of Minnesota (52.0 percent, 2,582 yards, 13 touchdowns, 15 interceptions) and the youthful Tate Forcier of Michigan (58.7 percent, 2,050 yards, 13 touchdowns, 10 interceptions as a freshman).

The bottom line is Chappell is smart, experienced and has a strong group of receivers to throw to. He has a chance to be the Big Ten’s second-best quarterback. If IU is to have a winning record, he has to be.

Nobody said playing quarterback was pressure free.

Indiana Football Facts To Ponder

Sure, you’ve heard all the talk about how important defense is in turning Indiana from a perennial loser to a perennial winner.

Here are a few facts to back that up.

We should warn you –- a lot of it isn’t pretty. So you need to ask yourself three questions:

1) Can you handle the truth?

2) Do you feel lucky ... PUNK?

3) Which movie stars in which movies actually asked those questions?

Anyway, last year IU averaged 23.5 points on offense. That’s not great, but it’s not horrible. You can win with that if you have decent defense.

Decent defense, of course, comes grudgingly to IU.

Last year the Hoosiers gave up 29.5 points. That IS bad until you consider it was a significant improvement over the 2008 season, when Indiana allowed 35.3 points.

In the last seven years the Hoosiers have allowed 31.2 or more points five times. Their best defensive average during that stretch was 28.5 points in 2007. That was the bowl season when they averaged an impressive 31.7 points on offense

In the last three years Indiana has been decent against the run in terms of yards per carry. Last season opponents averaged 4.0 yards. In 2008 it was 4.1. In 2007 it was 3.8.

By comparison, Ohio State hasn’t allowed more than 3.5 yards per carry in the last seven seasons. It has won five straight Big Ten titles.

Is that a coincidence?

We think not.

The Hoosiers also haven’t been great against the pass. Five times in the last seven years opponents have completed at least 60.8 percent of their passes, with a high of 67.1 percent in 2003.

No wonder IU has a history of blowing leads.

It’s way past time for that to change. The Hoosiers know that, of course. But knowledge doesn’t always equal doing. As a famous movie star once sort of said, actually the same one who asked Question No. 2, Go ahead Hoosiers, make my day.

Repeat After Us -- IU Football Will Not Finish 10th

Here we are, just over two months from the start of the football season and Indiana is taking a prediction hit. This one comes from Phil Steele’s 2010 College Football Preview. It has about every statistic imaginable, and even a few that aren’t.

We have taken all those numbers, fed them to the Hoosier Hoopla computer and spit out a Steele future in which IU is picked to finish 10th in the Big Ten, just ahead of Minnesota and just behind Purdue.

Yes, we’ve seen this before. Wouldn’t it be nice if just once those numbers predicted, say, a top-5 finish?

On the positive side, the magazine does pick the Hoosiers to sweep their four non-conference games. Of course, a lineup of Towson, Western Kentucky, Akron and Arkansas State is not exactly a murderer’s row. These teams combined to go 9-37 in 2009.

No matter. This is EXACTLY the kind of non-conference schedule IU needs. The air-head days of scheduling trips to Oregon (although the Hoosiers somehow won that game) have given way to a saner scheduling approach.

A 4-0 non-conference record means IU would need to win two Big Ten games to become bowl eligible, three to clinch a bowl bid. How likely is that? Consider that in the last three years IU is 5-19 in conference games, the worst record of any Big Ten team. In the last five years it is 9-31. In the last 10 it’s 18-62. Those last two totals are easily the worst in the league.

The past, of course, does not predict the future. Repeat that 100 times and you might believe it. You can also believe this -- while IU lost 22 lettermen from last year, it does have talent and potential.

If it makes you feel better, repeat that 100 times as well.

You might think Mr. Steele would really like Hoosier receivers, which seems to be the team’s strongest area. And the magazine does acknowledge the potential with Tandon Doss on its first-team All-Big Ten list and Damarlo Belcher making its third team.

However, overall the magazine rates IU receivers sixth in the Big Ten, with Wisconsin at No. 1 and Ohio State at No. 2.

The Indiana position rated highest by the magazine is at quarterback. Ben Chappell tops a unit rated as the third best behind Ohio State and Michigan.

Chappell completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 2,941 yards, 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

The least appreciated units are the defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs. They all rank 10th.

This isn’t a surprise. The No. 1 culprit in IU’s 17-year run of mediocrity (brightened only by the 2007 Insight Bowl appearance) is bad defense.

So what does all this mean? For a Cream ‘n Crimson optimist, it means nothing. In the end it’s all about performance. The Hoosiers will have plenty of opportunities to prove critics wrong.

Will they take advantage of those opportunities?

It will start, and very likely end, with defense.

Now What -- 18 Commitments Give IU Intriguing Possibilities

So what would you do if you were coach Bill Lynch and have all but wrapped up your football recruiting class for 2011 before vacation time?

Yes, football coaches take vacations, mostly in July because that’s between the end of their summer camps and the start of their preseason camp. NCAA rules keep them away from their own players and recruiting is on low burner. Of course, after the recruiting June Indiana just had, coaches have earned some time away.

The Hoosiers picked up 10 commitments in the last few weeks and now have 18 overall. The latest was Cincinnati receiver Jay McCants, who has good size (6-5 and 200 pounds) and decent speed (4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash). He had an offer from Buffalo and was getting long looks from Purdue, West Virginia, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Louisville and Wisconsin.

There’s a chance the Hoosiers won’t keep all 18 of these commitments, but that’s true for every program. IU coaches will continue to recruit these guys and most will sign next February.

You figure the pace will slow down. No other Big Ten team has gotten so many early commitments. Penn State, for instance, has one. Ohio State has 15.

This summer blitz isn’t an aberration. IU had 21 commitments by Aug. 1 of last year, including 11 in July.

Lynch’s strategy is simple –- go after good players who are good fits, get them to commit early, redshirt most of them, develop all of them, and reap the benefits.

Those benefits haven’t produced bowl bids the last two years, but the upgrade in talent is obvious, at least on paper. Now it has to produce on the field.

The commitment surge is helped by IU’s Midwest focus. All the commitments are from the central part of the country –- Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Kansas.

Yes, some coaches, including Purdue’s Danny Hope, hit the Southeast hard, particularly Florida. Why? Because there’s a ton of speed and athleticism there. It seems that part of the country has more fast players than anywhere else, and if you don’t recruit that area, you have no long-term chance in the profession.

IU, by the way, does recruit that area. It has players from Georgia and Florida, plus the equally talent-rich states of Texas and California.

Here’s the deal. IU has a few scholarships remaining. Why not use them to go after some 5-star studs?

The key, of course, is having a realistic shot at these studs. It would help if the state of Indiana had some 5-star guys in the Class of 2011. It does not. It would be good if there was a connection, say the IU coaches know the kid’s high school coach or parents. Maybe the kid’s family went to Indiana. Something like that.

The Hoosiers are in the mix for three-star players such as defensive linemen James Adeyanju and Keith Heitzman (peegs.com has a great list with its defensive hot board), but wouldn’t it be nice if say the nation’s No. 1 prospect according to Rivals.com, defensive end Jadeveon Clownes, would consider the Hoosiers.

Yes, the competition is fierce. Alabama, LSU, USC and Georgia are in the mix for the 6-6, 242-pound standout from South Carolina. IU would probably make better use of time and money by going after someone else.

Still, on a warm summer day in Bloomington with a solid group of commitments lined up and all things possible, it’s okay to dream.

Reality is for the fall.

Sallie Secret -- Is IU Interested In Ex-Memphis Player?

Okay, so what should we make of Indiana reportedly taking a look at one-and-done guard Roburt Sallie?

Let’s emphasize that the reporting –- courtesy of a “tweet” by FoxSports.com’s Jeff Goodman -– is not etched in stone.

It might even be wrong.

But then, they also say that about Bigfoot.

So let’s assume it’s true. Here’s the first thought –- not ANOTHER guard. The Hoosiers already have set an NCAA record for most guards on a roster. Two incoming freshmen are guards. The two guys back from injury (Maurice Creek and Matt Roth) are guards. The senior (Jeremiah Rivers) is a guard. You could argue that forwards Christian Watford and Derek Elston are just blown up guards. And then there’s Verdell Jones and Jordan Hulls and …

Sorry. The second thought is who is Roburt Sallie? Well, he’s a well-traveled California native who spent the last two years at Memphis. He’s a three-point sharpshooter (47.1 percent, 41.3 percent the last two seasons) who averaged 10.5 points last season. He’s listed at 6-5 and 200 pounds, so technically you could call him a forward, but that would fool no one.

Anyway, Sallie already has graduated from college, but has one year of eligibility left. The NCAA has changed its rule so that transfers who already have graduated don’t have to redshirt a season. They can play right away.

Sallie is reportedly set to visit Louisville and then Indiana. He brings a veteran backcourt presence and a knack for rebounding. He averaged 4.0 boards last season. Rebounding was among the many issues IU has struggled with the last couple of season.

Sallie was California junior college player of the year while leading City College of San Francisco to a 29-4 record a couple of seasons ago.

The key point is Sallie would only be around for one season. In essence, he would be a mercenary reminiscent of forward Marco Killingsworth at the end of the Mike Davis era. It didn’t quite work out then -– Killingsworth put up big numbers (17.1 points, 7.8 rebounds), but IU went just 9-7 in the Big Ten and Davis was pushed out the door.

Of course, a 9-7 Big Ten record for next year would be kissing-Megan-Fox good (not that we KNOW what kissing her is like) given IU has won just five conference games in the last two seasons.

Getting Sallie became a possibility after forward Bawa Muniru recently decided to transfer, thus freeing up a scholarship. Because it’s only for a year, it would have zero affect on IU’s Class of 2011 recruiting

Nothing is certain. Sallie might not pick the Hoosiers. Coach Tom Crean and his staff might decide it’s not a good fit team-wise, chemistry-wise, skill-wise.

And, of course, it might not even be true.

Still, if it is true, it’s a chance to get a good-shooting experienced player used to winning. IU can’t make this a habit (the risk of chemistry conflict is high), but extraordinary times require extraordinary measures.

Two years of playing the Big Ten patsy makes this a very extraordinary time. Is it enough to warrant getting Sallie?

Only Bigfoot knows for sure.

Sin City Awaits Hoosiers -- Is That So Bad?

For Indiana basketball, what happens in Vegas goes around the college basketball world.

Why?

Because the Hoosiers are set to be part of the Las Vegas Classic and a field that includes two schools with ties to the Cream ‘n Crimson ways –- New Mexico and Colorado –- and one big bully in Northern Iowa.

Yes, Northern Iowa.

What, you were expecting Wayne Newton?

Anyway, New Mexico’s Indiana connections come in two parts. First, former IU All-America Steve Alford coaches the Lobos. Second, they recently accepted Emmanuel Negedu, the former Tennessee player whose heart condition ended his career with the Volunteers. He wanted to come to Indiana, but school officials nixed the idea, although the team medical staff cleared him.

That is just stuff to talk about. The main thing is New Mexico went 30-5 last season and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It returns one of the nation’s best point guards in senior Dairese Gary. Alford was named Mountain West coach of the year and finished third in the vote for AP national coach of the year.

IU assistant coach Steve McClain was an assistant coach at Colorado. He was in the running for the head coaching job that opened this spring. When he was shot down for that position, Indiana coach Tom Crean hired him.

McClain was instrumental in helping to rebuild the Colorado program. The Buffaloes return all five starters from a 15-16 team (their best record in five years). That includes All-Big 12 guard Cory Higgins (1,391 career points) and Big 12 freshman of the year Alec Burks (17.1 points).

As far as Northern Iowa, well, the Panthers might be the best team in the field. They won 30 games last year and reached the Sweet 16. They’ve won two straight Missouri Valley regular season and tournament championships. They return two starters and seven of their top-10 scorers, including senior point guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe (10.6 points).

Also in the field are SIU-Edwardsville, The Citadel, Longwood University and South Carolina State.

Each team will play four games in the event. The first two will be at school arenas. The last two are set for Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena on Dec. 22-23.

As far as the glitzy Vegas scene, don’t expect the Hoosiers to see any of it. This is a business trip, which means they’re there to win basketball games. The other stuff -- check out the movie “The Hangover” to see what can happen -- can wait till they graduate.