Hoosiers determined to dominate Indiana believes it has speed, quickness and depth this season Sean Morrison | The Journal Gazette Wilson FORT WAYNE – Indiana’s season starts the same way it did in 2012, but the Hoosiers are looking for a more dominant result. IU takes on Indiana State at 7 p.m. today at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. The Hoosiers played the Sycamores to open last season, as well, in a game that revealed the weaknesses that plagued IU throughout a 4-8 campaign. “I think you’ll see a team that’s going to show some quickness and better speed,” IU coach Kevin Wilson said of his squad. “We didn’t have a sluggish practice day. Even had a couple extremely positive comments from scouts being through that they couldn’t believe the way we looked and really appreciated the energy, the way the guys were practicing.” IU will need that same enthusiasm today as it takes on a Football Championship Subdivision team that features a NFL prospect at running back. Indiana’s State’s Shakir Bell ran for 192 yards and a touchdown in a 24-17 loss to IU last year. The 5-foot-8 senior, who ran for 1,465 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, will be a measuring stick for how far the Hoosiers’ run defense has come. IU had the worst defense in the Big Ten last season in points given up (35.2 per game), total defense (463.5 yards per game) and run defense (231.3 yards per game). “Shakir Bell is a tremendous player,” Wilson said. “He is basically the Heisman Trophy-type player in that division of football.” The Hoosiers still have not publicly named a starting quarterback, although the coaches have told the team who will get the nod today. Redshirt sophomore Tre Roberson, junior Cam Coffman and sophomore Nate Sudfeld competed for the position throughout camp. Wilson did not rule out employing one, two or all three signal callers today. That theme of multiple options extends through the rest of the team, as well. “We’re not going to be looking over our shoulder if you make a bad throw, if you make an errant play, because the game’s not perfect,” he said Tuesday on the Big Ten teleconference. “With our football team, I’d say we have very few starters. I don’t know that we have an enormous amount of high-level, secure guys where I’m gonna play the whole game. I think a lot of our twos are as good as our ones.” Many have predicted the Hoosiers will go to a bowl game. Although it’s early, today’s matchup with ISU will show whether those forecasts are appropriate. “We’re stronger – we’re mentally stronger, we’re physically stronger, we’re more mature physically and mentally,” Wilson said. “But it takes just a little bit to get off, and if you’re off, you can get beat.”
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 13:31:21 +0000