Observations on the win over Indiana, 35-14!

1-Chad Henne had a big day with 17 of 21 for 316 yards and 3 TDs (no picks). He did fumble in the red zone, and experienced 3 sacks that led to an Indiana score; however, he is looking better. We were 11 of 16 in 3rd and 4th down conversion, and most of the misses were with Richard. We were only forced into 2 punts and both were within the last 9 minutes of the game. Yes, we did fumble 3 times, losing it twice; however, considering the loss of Breaston, our passing offense did well.

Edwards had 8 catches for 165 yards and 2 TDs. Gonzalez had two catches for 48 yards and 1 TD. Avant and Ecker had 2 catches each for 27 and 21 yards respectively. We had 8 receivers with one catch or more including Adrian Arrington's first.

2-Our defense was awesome! We held Indiana to zero of 12 in 3rd down conversions. They were 3 of 3 in 4th down, and did get 13 first downs plus were 2 of 3 in the red zone; however, the defense turned in a solid effort. The "Hurrying Hoosiers" got 139 yards rushing, but lost 78 yards including 2 sacks for 25. Their punter, Tyson Beattie, scampered for 32 yards on the fake punt on the first series of the game. Ellis gained 52 yards in 14 attempts, but lost 14 for a net of 38. They netted 61 yards in 38 attempts. LoVecchio was 13 of 19 for 138 yards with 1 TD (no picks), but his long pass was 28 yards. We really limited their "big plays." Hall got the start over Curry, but Curry played. Roby had 5 catches for 70 yards including a controversial TD, but it was a good catch over Mason.

Woods, Burgess and Joe Sarantos played after limited duty in the last two weeks, and Branch played at defensive end before Will Paul. I thought Paul looked good when he was in though. Barringer still hasn't seen action at safety, and Jamar Adams did. Woodley, McClintock, Reid and Mundy all had 5 tackles; Reid and Crable were credited with our two sacks. 7 different players were credited with 9 tackles for loss with Reid and Woodley getting two each.

3-Our running game looked good on occasion, but still have much, much room for improvement. It will be hard for our offense to sustain long drives without a stellar running game. Hart did get 84 yards on 20 carries, but netted 79 total. Martin came in with 7 rushes for 24 yards. We had 130 yards on 39 rushes including the 3 fumbles, and one rushing TD (barely). Hart caught two screen passes for 36 yards, one for 33. He reminds me of Gil Chapman.

4-Special teams were improved. Hall returns a 76 yard punt for a TD, and Mason returns a kickoff for 97 yards. So, the special teams work led to two TDs. Finley punted twice for a 44 yard average. Rivas made 5 extra points, but missed a 44 yard field goal. Lance Bennett did scamper for one 56 yard kickoff return, but overall we improved on our net punting game and our special teams play overall. We are using Arrington on kickoff returns with Grant now, and Leon Hall on punts in Breaston's absence. Hopefully, his hand will be better soon; we'll need him down the stretch.

5-Kyle Killion was a "monster" for Indiana with 10 tackles including 3 for loss and his fumble recovery led to a TD. Jones also had 10 tackles. They really need some corners, don't they?

6-We will have a difficult time coming out on top next week against Minnesota for the Brown Jug, and whether we do or not, Purdue has to be the favorite to win the title after their drubbing of arch-rival Notre Dame. Wisconsin looks to have a solid defense, and the Buckeyes will be a real challenge to beat in Columbus with their great defense. I hope for the best, but this team is really not championship caliber. They are good, and improving; hopefully, they'll play their best against the Gophers.

Observations on the first half with the Hoosiers, 14-7!

1-Each team had one red zone in the first half, but each came away empty with Indiana snapping it over LoVecchio's head and Henne fumbling. That is until we fumbled the Hoosiers into a second red zone opportunity which they converted for a 14-7 lead at halftime.

2-The story of this game so far has been our defense until the last minute of the half. Indiana has been forced into 5 punts, and they are zero of six opportunities on 3rd down conversions. They do have 56 yards in net rushing including a rushing TD. Ellis has 30 yards in 10 attempts including the TD. Their success rushing including the fake punt led them to a 5 minute time of possession advantage. LoVecchio is 5 of 9 for 59 yards and 7 first downs (5 by rushing), we've sacked him 3 times.

3-Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers!!! We have three fumbles, losing two and that last one was very costly. Henne is 11 of 13 for 174 yards including the 40 yard TD pass to Gonzalez. The bad thing is Henne has two fumbles: one in the red zone taking away a sure TD and one in the last minute of the half that led to Indiana's TD. Henne has been sacked twice. Breaston apparently didn't make the trip. Edwards has 5 catches for 51 yards. Hart has 48 yards in 13 carries. We are 4 of 6 in 3rd down conversions; we have 11 first downs (7 by pass).

4-Special teams are continuing to be up and down. Hall returns a 76 yard punt for a TD, but Rivas misses a 44 yard field goal. We have not been forced into any punts yet.

5-Momentum has shifted in the Hoosiers favor. We really need to have a good 3rd quarter or watch out!!!