The Preview in Review: Part 3

Time for the Indiana and Purdue preview review. Those links will take you back to the previews we did back in August. We were new and didn't know what we were doing -- cut us some slack. We got it wrong, way wrong, for Indiana; but we hit the nail on the head with Purdue. Well, one of us did, at least.

We'll start with Indiana.

Indiana has eight (8!) home games this year, including four against non-conference powers such as Western Kentucky and Murray State. And to top it off, they don’t play Ohio State or Michigan this year. While they should feast on their weak non-conference opponents, they will still struggle in the Big11Ten.

Our prediction for Indiana: 7-5 (3-5 Big11Ten).

Back in the real world, the Hoosiers went 3-9 (1-7 Big11Ten). Maybe we were living in a fantasy world or something, but we thought they would at least put up a fight. Sure, they had a couple close games and one of their non-conference losses was to a MAC team that ended up doing very well (Ball State) -- but there were far too many blowouts and complete ineptitude on both sides of the ball.

To finish the season, Indiana was 10th in scoring offense and 11th in scoring defense. When you can't score and you got stop people from scoring, you know it's going to be a long season.

It was rough year for the whole team. Marcus Thigpen didn't do much in the backfield, rushing for only 631 yards and neither of the two quarterbacks who got significant time seemed to do much. Ben Chappell and Kellen Lewis both saw significant time at QB, sometimes during the same game, and Chappell getting some solo time when Lewis was out with an ankle injury.

In the preview we made mention that Indiana insisted there was a battle for the QB position that might be resolved until the first game of the season. Unfortunately, that battle may never have been resolved. Quarterback tandems never really work out like people hope and perhaps that may have attributed to Indiana's disappointing season.

So, yeah, Indiana was bad. We were clearly wrong.
But on the other hand, there was Purdue.

Here's what we said:

Purdue’s schedule isn’t as cakey as some in the Big11Ten, but they do luck out by not having to play Wisconsin. We do think they will win their rivalry game with Indiana, mostly to get back at this guy:


However, four of their first six games will be against Oregon, Notre Dame, Penn State and Ohio State. That’s not going to be a fun run for the Boilermakers. Boiler down.

Our prediction for Purdue: 4-8 (2-6 Big11Ten).

How did they finish? 4-8 (2-6 Big11Ten). Yeah, it was a lucky guess. We know.

One of the high points for Purdue probably took place when Chris Summers was trotting out on the field to knock down a 44 yard field goal that would have beat Oregon, who was ranked 16 at the time. If you remember Purdue's game against PSU this season, you probably remember how reliable of a kicker Chris Summers is.

Yeah, he's not.

So, long story short, he missed. Then he missed another in overtime, and Oregon punched one in. Hey, at least he's probably better than that guy out at Cal Poly.

After that, Purdue would beat Central Michigan before losing 5 in a row. They would get 2 more wins against Michigan and Indiana. That win at Indiana would end up being the last of the Joe Tiller era as he retired at seasons end.

After the trouncing of Indiana by a score of 62-10, we found this gem of a quote in the AP recap:

"It just means I'm going to have one more Miller Lite," Tiller said. "I was going to limit myself to 12 or 13. This game won't change my mind [on coming back]. I'm done with coaching."

Sure, it was against Indiana, but maybe if Purdue had played that inspired all season long things may have been different. They're always right on the cusp of being a good team, so hopefully they get it together soon.

Game 11 Recap: Penn State 34, Indiana 7

It was a rainy day in Happy Valley. We braved the storm to head down to the Sports Cafe. LaVar Arrington showed up. Penn State won. The sun came out after the game. Hot sausage sandwiches all around. It was a solid day.

Apparently Dick Vermeil was in the house.
We suspect his constant crying may have caused the rain.

Onto the recap...

1st Quarter

Indiana got the ball to start the game. We were looking forward to some domination after last week.

Indiana was able to move the ball just past midfield before the Lion's defense was able to put the brakes on them. We thought that might be bad because on a day like Saturday, with the sloppy weather, you knew field position would be huge.

Walking downtown a lot of our talk was about how much Royster was going to get the ball during this game because of the bad weather. On the first PSU drive, Clark came out passing, then ran for nine before Royster got his first touch and was stuffed on third and 1. Bad news.

Indiana was quick to match the PSU 3-and-out with one of their own, and the ball was back in Clark's hands.

By now it was really raining so we thought that a heavy dose of Royster is what we should expect, but we couldn't have been more wrong. Clark threw on 8 of 10 plays as PSU marched out from their own 11 before being forced to punt inside Indiana territory.

Special teams are important on days like today when the weather plays such a big part in the game, and they were able to get the punt downed at the Indiana 2 yard line.

Indiana rushed for two then threw an incompletion.
On third down they attemped another pass but Mark Rubin stepped up and snatched it out of the air.

There were 15 people in the Sports Cafe and they all went nuts.

After the pick you knew the TD was coming. Instead, Clark ran the ball five yards before having it stripped. Indiana recovered the fumble and we were crushed. We know we're probably looking too far into things but we wonder how Clark's head is right now.

We don't think he's feeling that concussion, because he wouldn't be playing if he were, but what's his confidence level at this point in the game? After a down game against Iowa and then coming out and turning it over right away, you have to wonder. Of course, if you're reading this then you know how the game turns out and what Clark does, but right now, as the first quarter is ending, what kind of confidence does the kid have in his game?

2nd Quarter

Anyway, Indiana was pinned deep again and forced to punt after a few plays. Williams fielded the punt at around midfield and PSU was really starting to win the field position game. All they needed was one big play.

On third down, that big play came. Clark and Williams hooked up on a 39 yard pass.

7-0

After seeing what PSU did to bad teams earlier in the season, we were feeling pretty confident after the score.

Indiana had other plays, however. On their second play after the kickoff, Marcus Thigpen took the ball and ran 57 yards for the touchdown.

7-7

You might have gone to the bathroom with PSU up 7-0 and came back to see the score 7-7.

If you ate at the Cafe like we did, you might have gone to the bathroom with the score 7-0 and came back to see the score 34-7.

After the score, PSU marched down the field to the Indiana 23. The drive was going well as Clark dished out a few medium range passes, but an 11 yard loss on a sack set up a 2nd and 21. Royster got 16 of them back on the next down but they couldn't get the last 5.

Kevin Kelly trotted out to the field but he channelled January 06 and couldn't bang it through.


Despite the miss, you have to be pleased with Kevin Kelly's career. He's knocking down records and he's been about as consistent as you could ask a kicker to be at the collegiate level.

After that, neither team could really put anything together. Both teams had drives of seven or eight plays but couldn't get deep enough into the opposition's territory to put points up.
After one of the drives ended, Indiana found themselves pinned at their own one.
The special teams guys were playing huge.

With little time left and the whole field to go, Indiana probably wanted to just play it safe and get the punt away. The Lion's forced a fourth down and Indiana was forced to punt.

Nate Stupar found his way into the backfield and got a hand on the ball, blocking the punt. The ball got past the line and ended up being downed at the Indiana 20, but it was still a huge play as it put the Lion's in position to score before the half ended.

So far the special teams had accounted for a blocked punt and on several occasions, had pinned the Hoosiers deep inside their own territory.

On a day like saturday when the weather is crap, you need that.

Unfortunately, they couldn't move the ball quickly enough and were forced to bring Kelly back out onto the field.

10-7

This time he got it down, and the Lions went into the half up by a field goal.

-Halftime-

LaVar enters Sports Cafe by jumping over 5 full grown men.

No really he was there. He looks like Predator.

3rd Quarter

As close as the first half was, we never really felt like this game was in doubt. And the Lions reinforced that notion by coming out and putting together a nice drive to start the second half.

After a 4-yard run by Royster and a completion from Clark to Williams, Williams added 12 yards on a carry. After a short run and an incompletion, Clark hit Mickey Shuler for 18 and a big third down conversion.

Go Mickey!

One play later, Royster broke 100 tackles on his way to the house.

Blue Royster Cult.

17-7

Indiana came out on their first drive determined to go three and out. And they did. The Lions took over at their own 41. The drive looked promising after a 16-yard strike to Butler and a 17-yarder to Norwood, but it stalled at the Indiana 19. This time, Kevin Kelly was money.

20-7

The Hoosiers thought that three plays weren't enough last time out, so this time they gave six a try. Josh Hull sacked Lewis on a third and five to force the punt.

However, Clark thought Indiana deserved another chance, so he tossed one up into double coverage on the first play of the ensuing drive and it was picked off by Brandon Mosley.

Not to worry, however, because a 2-yard rush by Ray Fisher was sandwiched in between two incompletions by Lewis and PSU had the ball back again. It was obvious that the defense was locked in for the second half.

After a 3-yard carry by Green and an incompletion, Clark converted a third and 7 by scrambling for 17 yards and the first. It was first and goal from the Indiana 9, and after a short run and an incompletion, Clark hit Butler on the slant for 6.

27-7

Another three and out by Indiana, and that was the end of the 3rd. Excellent quarter on both sides of the ball.

4th Quarter

Penn State came out in the 4th looking to extend the lead. But on a third and 10, Clark fumbled for the second time, and the ball was recovered by Indiana. However, satisfied with the trend they started in the 3rd, the Hoosiers went three and out... again.

On the next PSU drive, it was the Stephfon Green show, which is cool, because he can fly.

Green carried the ball 5 times (but only for 9 yards) and had a 13-yard reception. But on a third a seven on the Indiana 36, D-Will tells Green, "It's my turn, freshman." Hand-off to Williams, and he. is. gone.

Dude on the left is pumped.

34-7

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the game. Each team had two more drives, and no one did anything. If you're counting, Indiana had exactly one (1) first down in the second half.

Game.
34-7

3 Big Stat Lines

• Derrick Williams: 4 carries, 61 yards, 1 TD (rushing); 4 rec, 62 yards, 1 TD (receiving). Now that's consistent.
  
• Daryll Clark: 20-36, 240 yards, 2 TD (passing); 8 carries, 43 yards (rushing)
  
• LaVar Arrington: 1 appearance at the Sports Cafe.
  

Our Quick Thoughts On The Game:

• Maybe one of the more boring games we've ever witnessed involving a 10-1 team.
• Did the walk to the bar from the RV lot suck? Yes.
  
• Were we glad we weren't in the stadium? Double yes.
• Not a huge day for Royster, but a solid touchdown run.
  
• Fumbles on the opposing team's 2 won't fly against good teams.
  
• Nice catch by Williams on the touchdown pass with the defender flying by; the ball wasn't thrown all that well.
• We're extremely glad this game is over.
• Overall Clark played pretty decent, but he did make some mistakes. Still needs to tighten the screws against the Spartans.
  

Penn State Player of the Game: Derrick Williams
It's official: Derrick Williams is really good. We've knocked him in the past for not living up to the hype, but how much of that wasn't his fault? How many times in the last two years had he seen the ball as much as he has in the last two games? He's finally been given the reigns, so to speak, and he's stepping up big-time. It's great to watch. Another rushing/receiving touchdown day for him.

Indiana Player of the Game: Marcus Thigpen
His 57-yard touchdown scamper was the highlight of the day on offense for the Hoosiers.

Game 11 Preview: Indiana @ Penn State

Gametime: 12:00 pm

Records: Penn State: 9-1 (5-1), Indiana: 3-7, (1-5)

Series Record: Penn State leads, 11-0

TV: Big11Ten Network

Audio: Here

Weather: 52 degrees, 70% chance of rain.

We're not gonna lie, we're about 25 times less excited about this game than we were a week ago. But are we taking the RV to State College to brave the rain, support the team and have another solid tailgate? You bet your ass we are.

Sure, last weekend was a huge letdown, and the feeling may be a bit more morose than usual this weekend, but the team is still playing for a Big11Ten title, and what's more, they're playing to keep that title away from the hated Buckeyes. They control their destiny in terms of the conference crown, and that begins this weekend.

Of course, no one is expecting much of a game against the lowly Indiana Hoosiers, who, despite going to a bowl game last year, have won only one Big11Ten game so far this year. Way back in the summer when we were reviewing the stadiums of the Big11Ten, here's what we had to say about Indiana's home field:

Indiana does, in fact, have a football team. They're redoing the turf. John Mellencamp donates a lot of money to them. That's about all we could find. Some schools are just basketball schools.

Try writing a good song, Cougar.

Well, John Mellencamp is kind of a joke, and so are the Hoosiers this year. They're dead last in the conference in both pass and rush defense, and they've given up 38.7 points a game in conference play. The offense is sputtering as well, scoring only 16.5 points a game in their six Big11Ten games.

The Hoosiers could light it up on offense last year, mostly due to super-athletic QB Kellen Lewis. Lewis has been battling injuries all year after some off-the-field issues in the offseason. Unfortunately for Indiana, backup Ben Chappell got nicked up last week, and the starting spot is still up in the air.

Either way, we don't think it's going to matter. There's being cocky and there's being confident. Last week we were cocky. We're pretty sure the Lions won't have an issue in this game. Clark is going play well, Royster is going to run all over people, Williams is going to be a beast. Things will get back to normal.

It will be good to be back in Happy Valley.

Home sweet home.

Indiana Player To Watch: ???
Your guess is as good as ours.

Penn State Player To Watch: Daryll Clark
We all know that he had a bad game last weekend. A lot of columnists, bloggers and fans have been crushing him this week. Let's try to keep things in perspective and cut the guy a break. He's a first-year QB, and he's done an outstanding job leading this team. Sure, he made some mistakes, but he certainly wasn't the only reason Penn State lost the game. Believe us, we're not scared of ripping on our own players, but Clark deserves a little better than that. He's exceeded expectations this year and we hope he goes out and finishes the season playing up to his potential.

3 Bold Predictions:

• Evan Royster will have 120+ yards, and 2 touchdowns.
• Derrick Williams will tally both a rushing and receiving touchdown.
• Big11Ten officials will start to call holding this weekend. Haha, just kidding!
  

Other Notes

• There's still work to be done by the team.
• There's still two tailgates to be had by us.
  

Game Prediction: Penn State 41, Indiana 10

2008 Preview: Indiana

2007: 7-6 (3-5 in Big11Ten), Lost to Oklahoma State in Insight.com Bowl.

Things have changed in the Big11Ten. It used to be that you would see Indiana on your schedule and chalk the game up as a win in your mind, usually without much thought. But last year, Indiana gave us a healthy scare. While a couple key losses will hurt the Hoosiers, they have the pieces to make it back to a bowl game for the second straight year, a feat that was unheard of in years past.

Let’s switch things up from the norm and start on defense. The only reason we feel compelled to do this (other than the monotany of writing 10 team previews) is Indiana’s Lombardi and Bednarik award hopeful, defensive end Greg Middleton. Middleton led the nation with 16 sacks last year and the scary part was that he was only a sophomore. Middleton will command double teams this year as teams will try to stop him from collectively destroying their quarterbacks.

Other than Middleton, Indiana’s defense was hardly stout last year. In the conference, they ranked 9th in pass defense, 9th in rush defense, and yes, 9th in scoring defense. At least they were consistent. Two other starters will join Middleton on the line (Nick Polk and Christopher Phillips), while linebackers Will Peterson and Geno Johnson bring solid experience to try to shore up the run D. Junior strong safety Austin Thomas will anchor the backfield after a team-leading 112 tackles last season. However, the Hoosiers will have trouble replacing cornerback Tracy Porter who had 6 interceptions last season and was a second round draft pick this spring.

Now onto the offense, where things get a little interesting. Last year, mutli-threat quarterback Kellen Lewis had a breakout season, throwing for over 3,000 yards, tossing 28 touchdowns to just 10 picks, and rushing for over 700 yards and 9 touchdowns. Alone, that’s a helluva year. After watching Anthony Morelli for two seasons, it’s mind-bottling.

Did you just say mind-bottling? Yeah, we did.

While starting Lewis, a junior this year, seems like a no-brainer, coach Bill Lynch insists that there is a real QB competition between and pocket-passer Ben Chappell that likely won’t be decided until the season opener. That is because Lewis was suspended in the spring for an unknown team violation and wasn’t reinstated until July. Even with the suspension (something we know quite a bit about), we’d be shocked if Lewis wasn’t the starter for the first game. Given what he did last year, it would be insane not to start him.

Unfortunately for Lewis, one huge (literally and figuratively) part of the offense is gone this year, in 6’7” receiver James Hardy, currently a Buffalo Bill. You may remember what Hardy did to corner back and WWTL whipping boy Justin King last year:

Not quite tall enough.

Yeah, Hardy led the team last year with 79 catches for 1125 yards and a whopping 16 touchdowns. So obviously he’ll be sorely missed. But not all is lost. Ray Fisher returns this year at wideout, and was second on the team with 52 receptions last fall. The 6’3” sophomore Terrance Turner hopes to add some size in Hardy’s absence.

In the backfield, senior Marcus Thigpen will be the go-to guy (other than Lewis). Thigpen has serious speed, but he took a back seat to Lewis last year, rushing for only 568 yards and no touchdowns. On the O-line, Indiana has two solid returning starters on the left side in tackle Rodger Saffold and guard Pete Saxon. Young newcomers on the line must step in quickly to protect Lewis and open up more options for Thigpen this season.

While Indiana joins the likes of Purdue and Michigan State in offensive explosiveness, their defense is still a bit questionable. One thing that will help them overcome this, in our opinion, is their schedule. In fact, it is probably one of the easiest schedules we’ve ever seen.

A collection of Indiana's opponents.

Indiana has eight (8!) home games this year, including four against non-conference powers such as Western Kentucky and Murray State. And to top it off, they don’t play Ohio State or Michigan this year. While they should feast on their weak non-conference opponents, they will still struggle in the Big11Ten.

Our prediction for Indiana: 7-5 (3-5 Big11Ten).