Indiana University Athletics
RECAP:
Indiana vs. Wisconsin (Lost 26-27)
9/29/1997 12:00:00 AM | Football
RECAP:
Indiana vs. Wisconsin (Lost 26-27)
In front of 78,211 spectators at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisc., Badger K Matt Davenport spoiled head coach Cam Cameron's Big Ten debut when he connected on a 43-yd. FG with :06 remaining to give the Badgers a 27-26 win. It was a see-saw battle throughout, as Indiana had taken a 26-24 lead with :53 left in the game on K Andy Payne's 43-yard FG.
The Big Ten opener was the coming out party for true freshman RB De'Wayne Hogan (34-125-2TD). With a total of just 3 carries for 10 yards vs. Kentucky in his only other appearance of the year, Hogan tallied 85 yards on 19 carries in the first half alone. Hogan wasn't the only true freshman to play in key offensive positions for the Hoosiers. True freshmen WRs O.J. Conner (6-84-21LG) and Tyrone Browning (4-93-33LG) made plays for the Hoosiers all day long and along with Hogan, accounted for 301 of the Hoosiers' 345 yards of total offense.
Hogan opened the scoring midway through the first qtr. on a 7-yd TD run. Indiana gained possession after FS Kywin Supernaw placed a vicious hit on Badger TE Ryan Sondrup that caused a fumble that LB Jabar Robinson recovered. Wisconsin would knot the score at 7-7 on the very next series when QB Mike Samuel (26-13-157-1TD-1INT) connected with WR Tony Simmons (4-78-1TD) on a 47-yd. scoring pass. Early in the second qtr., Wisconsin would score again on a 12-yd. TD run by All-America candidate RB Ron Dayne (34-202-2TD-35LG) to take a 14-7 lead. However, on IU's next offensive possession, QB Jay Rodgers (23-13-203-0-0) found Browning on a 33-yd. pass play that helped set up a 35-yd. FG by Payne. Indiana would regain possession two series later after senior CB Joey Eloms intercepted a Samuel pass and returned it 42 yards to the UW-28. Hogan would carry 5-16 yards on the series, including a 1-yd. TD plunge that gave the Hoosiers a 17-14 lead. However, Davenport would tie the game at 17-17 when he connected on a 44-yd. FG with no time remaining in the first half.
Two more Andy Payne field goals (32 and 30 yds.) in the 3rd qtr., one of which was set up by an Eloms fumble recovery, helped set up what would be a wild finish. After Wisconsin took over at the IU-40 with 9:20 remaining in the 4th qtr., it took just two Dayne runs, (35 ydr. and 5-yd. TD run) to give the Badgers a 24-23 lead with 9:06 left. After punts by both teams, Indiana regained possession on the IU-24. Two 21-yd. passes from Rodgers to Browning helped set up a FGA from the UW-26. Payne would connect on his fourth field goal of the day to give the Hoosiers a 26-24 lead with just :53 left. Payne's four field goals tied him with Chris Gartner for the most field goals in a game by a Hoosier kicker. It is the first time that an IU kicker had ever kicked four field goals in a game on the road.
After a squib kick, Wisconsin took over the ball at its own 44-yd. line. On a 4th-n-15 from the UW-49, Samuel found Simmons again on a 22-yd. pickup that would set up the game-winning FG.
Notes: 301 of Indiana's 345 net yards were gained by true freshmen and every IU point in the game was scored by a freshman (12 by true freshman De'Wayne Hogan and 14 by redshirt freshman Andy Payne)
PRE-GAME NOTES:
Indiana vs. Wisconsin
GAME FOUR
Saturday's game at Wisconsin marks Cam Cameron's Big Ten head coaching
debut ... Kickoff from Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium is scheduled for
11:20 p.m. EST/12:20 p.m. EDT ... The Indiana-Wisconsin game will be
broadcast on ESPN Regional (the regional television package formerly
known as Creative Sports and before that, Raycom) ... Cameron and his
Indiana squad completed its non-conference slate this past Saturday with
a 49-7 home defeat at the hands of the University of Kentucky ... One
week earlier, Indiana opened its home campaign by disposing of Ball
State, 33-6. In doing so, sophomore quarterback Jay Rodgers completed 27
of 39 passes for 408 yards and 5 touchdowns ... Wisconsin earned a 36-10
decision over San Diego State this past weekend and enters Saturday's
contest with a 3-1 record ... This week's game marks the 46th time that
Indiana and Wisconsin have met on the gridiron. The Badgers hold a
27-16-2 lead in the series.
THE MATCHUP
Indiana and Wisconsin will continue a series on Saturday that began in
1907, when the Badgers defeated the Hoosiers, 11-8, in a game played in
Madison ... The two teams have met 45 times on the gridiron, with the
Badgers leading the all-time series, 27-16-2, including a 16-6-1
Wisconsin advantage in Madison ... Wisconsin has won the last two
meetings between the two clubs, including a 62-13 victory in 1984, the
last meeting between the two teams. Indiana last defeated the Badgers on
10/24/92 by the score of 10-3. In that game a 34-yd. 4th qtr. TD pass
from Trent Green to Thomas Lewis and a late-game goal-line stand gave
the Hoosiers a hard-fought 10-3 win. Wisconsin had 4 cracks from inside
the IU 5-yd. line with less than 3:00 remaining in the game but could
not score.
HOOSIERS INJURY REPORT
The following Indiana players are currently on the injury list: Junior
WR Jean Paul (abdominal strain; out), senior LB Mike Belu (dislocated
patella, strained MCL; out) redshirt freshman LB Ricky Nooft (abdominal
strain; out), freshman FB Kyle Enright (foot; out), junior DB Joshua
Stoffregen (broken ankle; out), freshman LB Nick Oleszcuk (blood clots;
out), sophomore RB Glynn Johnson (ankle, questionable), sophomore RB
Jason Spear (hip pointer; probable) and sophomore cornerback CB Curtis
Randle El (hip pointer; probable).
WHO ARE THESE GUYS?
With the addition of a new head coach and four new assistant coaches on
the offensive side of the football alone, even the most loyal Indiana
football fans will need a flip card to figure out who's playing on
offense for the Hoosiers this season:
- - Sophomore QB Jay Rodgers had started only four games prior to the 1997 campaign. Already in 1997, he has thrown for 408 yards and 5 TDs in game 2 vs. Ball State and for 288 yds. vs. Kentucky.
- - WRs O.J. Conner and Tyrone Browning are both freshmen and neither played receiver in high school. WR Dorian Wilkerson missed spring practice with a shoulder injury and Joey Eloms is playing both defensive back and WR. He had never played receiver in college prior to this season.
- - Sophomore RB Jason Spear had 1 career start prior to this season. He rushed for 120 yds. in the season opener at UNC and had 105 yds. receiving in game 3 vs. Kentucky. Sophomore RB Glynn Johnson was a redshirt in 1996 and had never played in a game prior to this season. The same goes for true freshmen running backs De'Wayne Hogan and Deion Grubbs.
- - Junior FB Chris Gall is a former walk-on. He had never played in a game on offense prior to this season and already has 20 catches and 2 TDs in just three games.
- - Sophomore TE Randy Maxwell had 1 career reception heading into the 1997 season.
- - Senior C Chris Lee had started one game prior to the 1997 season. He started at guard in the season finale at Purdue last season.
- - Senior OG Victor Allotey played defensive tackle for his first three years at Indiana and was switched to guard during the spring. Allotey is an All-Big Ten candidate.
- - Sophomore RT Craig Robeen had not seen any game action prior to this season.
- - Junior TE/FB Bryan Bobay played defensive line prior to this season. He had a TD catch vs. BSU.
- - Of the 51 players that played in Saturday's game vs. Kentucky, 29 were freshmen or sophomores.
QUOTES FROM CAM CAMERON ON THE WISCONSIN BADGERS:
"They played the
second week without Ron Dayne but he's been back the last two weeks and
everybody has had a tough time stopping him running the football. Their
quarterback, Mike Samuel, is throwing the ball extremely well. I think
he completed 12 out of 13 against San Diego State. So they'll give you
problems running the ball and with the play- action pass. But, Barry
Alvarez has built that program around defense. Any team that Barry
Alvarez coaches is going to have a good defense and that's why they are
one of the better teams in this league and that is why they won the Rose
Bowl. They won the championship with defense. We'll have our work cut
out offensively against them."
QUARTERBACKS
Sophomore Jay Rodgers, a product of Westlake High School in Austin,
Texas, earned the first starting nod of his collegiate career at
Michigan in Indiana's seventh game of the 1996 campaign. A redshirt
freshman in 1996, Rodgers held onto the first-team quarterback role in
games 8-10 (Penn State, Michigan State, and Ohio State), only to have a
concussion against the Buckeyes force him out of action for the season
finale at Purdue one week later.
First-year head coach Cam Cameron quickly ended any discussion of a quarterback controversy by naming Rodgers the Hoosiers' starting quarterback after the second day of spring practice this past April. "Jay separated himself in the spring," said Cameron. "Our offense will adapt to his skills as opposed to forcing him to adapt to the system."
A quick learner of Cameron's offensive system, Rodgers showed signs of being effective both as a runner and passer in 1996. Last year, he completed just under 50 percent of his passes and threw for 600 yards in limited action. He also ran for 177 yards and 4 scores.
Rodgers earned the starting nod at North Carolina and completed 12 of 23 passes for 53 yards and 1 INT. Rodgers' favorite receiver was junior FB Chris Gall who had a total of 8 receptions for 47 yards.
One week later, Rodgers had what you would call a break-out game in the Hoosiers' home opener vs. Ball State. Rodgers finished 39-27-408-1INT-5TDs passing. In doing so, he set a new IU individual school record for passing yards with 408. He surpassed Babe Laufenberg who threw for 390 yds. vs. Iowa in 1982.
Rodgers struggled at times vs. Kentucky but still finished 45-28-288-2INT-OTD passing. The 45 attempts and 28 completions were both career-highs.
Redshirt freshman, and Martinsville, Ind., native Earl Haniford is currently second on the depth chart at quarterback. Haniford, a high school Parade All-America selection and 1995 Indiana "Mr. Football" is the Indiana record holder and ranks 3rd all-time nationally with 11,100 career passing yards. He ranks fifth all-time nationally with 111 TD passes. "Earl just has a better look on his face [this fall], which makes for a better look on our face," said assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach Pete Schmidt.
Haniford saw action late in games 1 and 2. He did not play in game 3 vs. Kentucky. At UNC, he completed the first pass of his career to Gall for a total of nine yards and then threw three straight incompletions, including an INT on a "Hail Mary" pass to end the game.
Junior Jeff Kirn (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) played tight end throughout most of the 1996 season but was pressed into the backup role at quarterback in the season finale at Purdue. He took his only snap of the season on the game's final play. Kirn DNP in games 1-3.
RUNNING BACKS
This is a young, yet talented group of backs. Alex Smith, the 1994 UPI
Freshman of the Year, left IU after his junior season to test the waters
of the National Football League. In three seasons, Smith rushed for
3,492 yards and 21 TDs. The replacements for Smith have been sophomore
Jason Spear and redshirt freshman Glynn Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut
Hills).
The 5-11, 213-pound Spear is no stranger to filling Smith's shoes. In the Hoosiers' 1996 season opener at Toledo, the Logansport, Ind., product rushed 13 times for 73 yards and 3TDs. Smith also missed the Michigan State game with a thigh bruise and Spear stepped in and rushed for a career-best 103 yards on 26 carries.
Spear earned the starting nod in the 1997 season opener at North Carolina and rushed 29 times for a career-high 120 yards. His 120 rushing yards topped the total of any back who faced North Carolina last season. Only one back surpassed the 100-yard mark rushing against UNC in 1996 (Stephens, N.C. State, 15-106). Spear was 26-65-10LG vs. Ball St. In game 3 vs. Kentucky, had career highs in both recepts. and yards as he finished 8-105-51LG receiving. Left the UK game in the 3rd qtr. with a hip pointer ... Johnson looked impressive in training camp and has challenged Spear for playing time. He saw reserve action in games 1-2, but missed game 3 with an ankle injury ... Three freshmen, 6-1, 220-pound De'Wayne Hogan, 5-9, 181-pound Robert Smith and 5-9, 188-pound Deion Grubbs displayed Big Ten ability during training camp and Hogan and Grubbs have been given the opportunity to contribute immediately.
Hogan was a first-team all-state pick in Indiana last season as he rushed for 1,874 yards and 20 TDs for state runner-up Ben Davis HS in Indianapolis. He saw his first action of the season in the 2nd half vs. UK in game 3 and finished 3-10-1TD rushing, 2-3 receiving. Scored on a 1-yd. TD plunge early in the 4th qtr. ... Smith was a member of the Detroit News' "Dream Team" and was the Detroit city champion in the 100 meters at Martin Luther King High School ... the most valuable player in the Michigan All-Star game in 1996, Grubbs has run a 10.5 100 meters in AAU track. He is a product of Detroit's Cooley High School. Grubbs participated in practice this spring.
Grubbs saw special teams duty in games 1-3 and saw action at tailback in game 3 vs. Kentucky, going 5-0 rushing.
The fullback position is in the capable hands of former walk-on, junior Chris Gall (River Forest, Ill./River Forest). After a solid spring practice, Gall has been asked to do a little bit of everything in Cam Cameron's multi-dimensional offense. "The fullback position is critical in our offense," said Cameron. "Chris had a very impressive spring and we are expecting him to have a strong season for us."
Gall caught 8 passes for 47 yards against the Tar Heels. He also helped pave the way for Spear's 120 rushing yards. Versus Ball State, Gall was 5-34-2TD receiving. He caught a 12-yd. TD pass from Rodgers in the 3rd qtr. and a 6-yd. score in the 4th qtr. In doing so, Gall became the first Hoosier RB since 1979 to score two receiving TDs in one game (Lonnie Johnson at Iowa, 9/8/79). One week later vs. Kentucky, finished 7-68-18LG receiving. The 68 yds. receiving is Gall's career-high. He has 20 catches in the first three games of the season ... Junior tight end/fullback Bryan Bobay and redshirt freshman David Ballou (Indianapolis/Avon) will serve as Gall's backups.
WIDE RECEIVERS
The starting wide receiver slots have been left wide open throughout
training camp but several younger players have emerged to compete for
prominent roles.
Senior Dorian Wilkerson (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla./Ely) (40 catches for 490 yards and 1TD in 1996) has occupied one starting receiver spot after recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. His roommate, junior Jean Paul (Naples, Fla./Lely) only caught 3 passes for 29 yards last season, but has had a solid fall and, if healthy, will look to contribute opposite Wilkerson. Paul is also a member of the IU basketball squad ... Wilkerson's half-brother, Ernest Bynes, 22, died on September 1, of bone cancer. Wilkerson flew home for the funeral and met the team in Chapel Hill on Friday evening prior to the UNC game. Wilkerson was 1-9 receiving. One week later vs. Ball State, Wilkerson was 5-130-1TD receiving, including a 53-yd. reception from QB Jay Rodgers (a career-long for both players) ... Paul has missed games 1-3 with a stress fracture of his pubis. His status is still unknown but early indications lend to the notion that he could be lost for the season. ... Sophomore Versie Gaddis (Decatur, Georgia/Frederick Douglass) had offseason knee surgery and will likely miss the entire ^?97 campaign, although he has begun to participate in limited contact drills. Gaddis did not play in games 1-3 ... In Gaddis' absence, senior cornerback Joey Eloms (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia) was utilized as a wideout during the second half of spring practice and emerged as one of Indiana's top receivers. He has continued to play well at flanker throughout the fall and will be asked to play on both sides of the ball. Eloms' roll on offense will likely be determined by the continued emergence of three freshmen wide receivers ^?^? 6-2, 167-pound O.J. Conner (Gary, Ind./Westside), 6-0, 166-pound Tyrone Browning (Evansville, Ind./Reitz) and 5-9, 176-pound Marcus Floyd (Bartow, Fla./Bartow), who opened the fall at defensive back but converted to wideout. Although neither Conner, Browning, nor Floyd played wideout in high school, all three have been impressive in fall drills. Eloms played seven snaps on offense (1 rush for -4 yards) as Conner saw most of the action at the wideout opposite Wilkerson in the opener at Carolina. Conner did not make a catch, however, films later showed that he caught a touchdown that was ruled out of bounds during the first quarter. Conner was 6-140-43LG-1TD receiving vs. Ball State and 1-9 vs. Kentucky. He scored on a 15-yd. hookup with Rodgers in the 3rd qtr. vs. Ball St. to give the Hoosiers a 19-6 lead. A former high school quarterback, Conner completed a 33-yd. pass to QB Jay Rodgers vs. Ball St. ... Floyd and Browning did not play at North Carolina. However, Browning saw his first action as a collegian vs. Ball State. He was 2-21 receiving vs. the Cardinals and 2-16-12LG in game 3 vs. Kentucky.
TIGHT ENDS
At tight end, spring practice saw sophomore Randy Maxwell (Lawrenceburg,
Ind./East Central) move past returning starter senior Ben Klusmeyer
(Anderson, Ind./Anderson) and into the starting tight end role. Former
defensive end Bryan Bobay (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger) converted to
tight end during spring ball and has emerged as the second-team tight
end. Expect all three to see playing time ... "We have some flexibility
with three different types of tight ends. I envision all of them playing
at different times during the season." ... Maxwell missed the early
portion of the 1996 campaign with a strained knee but went on to play in
7 games. He caught his only pass of the season against Purdue. Although
not overly big, Maxwell has impressed coaches with his ability to catch
the football. He was 2-9 receiving at UNC, 1-8 vs. Ball St., and 2-25-16
LG vs. UK ... Bobay is a bruising 6-foot-1, 265-pounds, and also has the
ability to get down field and catch the ball. He played defensive end
the past two seasons and tallied 2 tackles for loss in 1996, including 1
quarterback sack. Bobay made the first reception of his career vs. Ball
State, a 3-yd. 1st-qtr. TD from QB Jay Rodgers ... Klusmeyer started 10
games in 1996 and caught 6 passes for 62 yards. Klusmeyer started vs.
Ball State as the Hoosiers opened in a 3-TE set.
OFFENSIVE LINE
One of the most pleasant surprises for Cameron and his staff during
spring practice was the development of the offensive line. Cameron fully
expects the Hoosiers to be among the Big Ten's best along the offensive
line of scrimmage ... "The offensive line is the strength of our team,"
said Cameron. "This line has a chance to be an excellent Big Ten unit.
We have the experience, with a number of seniors, and a nice blend of
younger talent."
The offensive line blends both size and experience. Left tackle Chris Liwienski (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson) (6-6, 304) has begun his third year as a starter and is considered an All-Big Ten honors candidate. Guard Khalfani Banks (Naperville, Ill./Central) (6-5, 324) started the first eight games of the 1996 campaign at tackle and guard Victor Allotey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Lincoln) (6-4, 316) showed enormous potential in the spring after converting from defensive tackle. Center Chris Lee (Anniston, Ala./Anniston) (6-3, 293) has been solid in a reserve role at guard during the past three seasons and is the starter at center, while sophomore Craig Robeen (Hardin, Ill./Calhoun) (6-5, 311) is the starter at right tackle. Liwienski, Allotey, Lee, Banks, and Robeen have all started games 1-3. The Hoosiers tallied 496 total yards of offense vs. Ball State ... Junior tackle/guard Greg Jenkins (Goshen, Ohio/Goshen), sophomores Jeremy Johnson (Newburgh, Ind./Castle), Jason Stealy (Marshall, Mich./Marshall), and Matt Snyder (Hartland, WI/Arrowhead), and redshirt freshman James Broyles (Rennselaer, Ind./Kankakee Valley) will all look to add depth to the offensive line. Both Snyder and Jenkins saw extensive action vs. Ball State and played well, according to head coach Cam Cameron. Both also saw action in game 3 vs. Kentucky.
The O-line enabled junior running back Jason Spear to rush for 120 yards at North Carolina. Liwienski, Allotey, Lee, Banks, and Robeen started vs. the Tar Heels. Jenkins was the only reserve offensive lineman to see action in Chapel Hill.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Former University of Michigan standout, and six-year NFL veteran Mike
Teeter inherited a young, and talented group of defensive linemen that
has a chance to be a special unit. Headlining the D-line is sophomore
defensive end Adewale Ogunleye (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville).
Ogunleye, who was named IU's Most Valuable Defensive Lineman in 1996,
headlines a group of returnees that started 29 of a possible 33 combined
games at left end and both defensive tackle positions last season.
Nathan Davis, a second-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons, filled the
right defensive end position in 1996 and will need to be replaced.
After moving into the starting lineup for the third game of the season, Ogunleye tallied 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 quarterback sacks, while emerging as one of the Big Ten's up-and-coming defenders.
Ogunleye picked up where he left off last season at North Carolina in the season opener. The sophomore tallied two sacks (-8 yds.) vs. the Tar Heels and put constant pressure on the UNC quarterbacks. He notched 6 tackles, including 1-(-2) for loss. Ogunleye notched 1 sack (-9 yards) and 2 tackles for loss vs. Kentucky ... Senior defensive tackle Benyard Jones (Kankakee, Ill./Kankakee), who started 11 games last season, returns and has looked impressive throughout the fall. Jones had 7 stops vs. BSU and earned the defensive game ball for his efforts ... Talent laden Damian Gregory (Lansing, Mich./Sexton), a part-time starter in 1996, started games 1-3 at defensive tackle. With Indiana trailing UNC 7-3, late in the 2nd qtr., Gregory intercepted a Chris Keldorf pass on a 2nd-n-8 from the IU-35. It was Gregory's first career INT. Gregory had 2 sacks (20 yards in losses) vs. Ball State ... Junior Aaron Williams (Brampton, Ontario/Bramalea) started at the defensive end slot opposite Ogunleye in the season opener at UNC as Jason Czap moved to linebacker. Czap, however, returned to the defensive end slot vs. Ball State and vs. UK. Williams tallied 1 sack vs. Ball State in game 2 ... Returning letterman, senior Al Haywood (Chicago, Ill./Corliss), will be looked to back up Jones at defensive tackle. He had a pass deflection at UNC ... Redshirt freshmen Paul Mandina (Rochester, NY/Webster) and Nick Abruzzo (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates) are running with the second unit behind Gregory and Williams, respectively. Mandina has seen action in games 1-3, while Gordon Bramel (Lebanon, KY/Marion County) has seen increased action, playing in games 2 and 3.
LINEBACKERS
Former Dallas Cowboy, Phoenix Cardinal and Los Angeles Raider, Ron
Burton is in charge of the linebackers in 1997, the position on defense
with the fewest returning starters. However, Burton does have several
players who should make his job a little bit easier. The leader of that
group is, without question, junior Jabar Robinson (Ft. Wayne,
Ind./Snider). Robinson, a two-year starter had 63 tackles, 9 tackles for
loss, 3 INTs, 5 passes broken up and 1 fumble recovery in 1996. An
All-Big Ten candidate, Robinson's versatility allows him to play either
inside or outside backer, although he will play inside in defensive
coordinator Jon Heacock's scheme. Robinson tallied 7 tackles at North
Carolina and led the Hoosiers in tackles with 11 stops, including 2-(-4)
vs. Ball St. He tallied 7 stops vs. UK ... There has been a battle for
the linebacker spots surrounding Robinson and sophomore Jason Czap
(Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central), sophomore Vince Lidy (Newburgh,
Ind./Castle), sophomore James Lamar (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti) and
freshman Joslin Goodman (Osceola, Ind./Penn) have stepped to the
forefront. Czap and Goodman earned the starting nods at Carolina.
Goodman tallied 5 tackles while Czap hit QB Chris Keldorf on a blitz
that enabled Damian Gregory to intercept a pass late in the first half.
Toward the latter part of training camp, Czap was moved from defensive end to linebacker and played well enough to earn himself a starting role. However, he moved back to DE vs. Ball State and will likely continue to play in both positions. Lidy had held that role through the early portion of camp and earned the starting nod at Ball St. as Czap started at DE ... The other outside linebacker position has been hotly contested between Lamar and Goodman. Both have the versatility to effectively defend both the run and the pass. Goodman started the season opener at UNC, while Lamar started vs. Ball St. and tallied 5 stops. Lamar also opened vs. Kentucky.
Senior Kevin Glaser (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) is the backup at middle linebacker.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
While inexperience may be the buzzword at linebacker, the secondary
should be a position of experience and strength in 1997. At the end of
the spring, three starting positions were solidified, with seniors Joey
Eloms (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Concordia) and Joe King (Ft. Lauderdale,
Fla./Coconut Creek) slated to start at cornerback and senior Kywin
Supernaw (Skiatook, Okla./Skiatook) penciled in at free safety.
Sophomore Patrick Shaw (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Dillard) had an impressive
training camp and has taken the starting strong safety job from
incumbent Aaron Warnecke (Fairland, Ind./Triton Central).
The Hoosiers' secondary intercepted two passes (in addition to one by DT Damian Gregory) at North Carolina in the season opener and added two more vs. Ball State.
All-Big Ten candidate Joey Eloms returns following a 1996 campaign that
saw him miss the final seven games of the year with a broken leg. He
also expects to see a significant amount of time at wide receiver.
Eloms will also return punts. On a 1st-n-10 from the IU-16 late in the
3rd. qtr. of game 1, Eloms intercepted a Chris Keldorf pass on the
1-yd.-line to thwart a UNC drive. Eloms had a fumble recovery that he
returned for 20 yds. vs. Kentucky.
... Supernaw is a 6-1, 209-pound, free
safety who has earned a reputation for his physical style of play. He
also intercepted a Keldorf pass, this one on the Tar Heels' opening
drive of the game. The pilfer helped set up a 35-yd. FG by Andy Payne
that gave the Hoosiers a 3-0 lead with 3:34 remaining in the 1st qtr. He
led the club with 10 stops vs. Kentucky in game 3.
... King started all
11 games as a junior and tallied 40 tackles, 2 INTs and 8 passes broken
up in 1996 ... Shaw started against Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan in
1996. He recovered a fumble against Illinois and had 10 tackles against
Iowa.
... With 32 career starts, Warnecke is IU's most experienced
player. However, he did miss spring drills when he reported to camp with
a stress fracture in his foot.
... Other defensive backs who will be
looked upon to contribute are sophomore Curtis Randle El (Riverdale,
Ill./Thornton) and redshirt freshman O.J. Spencer (Jacksonville,
Fla./University Christian). Both will play in the nickel and dime
packages. Randle El blitzed several times off the corner vs. Ball St.
and tallied 2 sacks for 18 yards in losses. He also notched an INT.
Started game 3 at Kentucky, but missed missed much of the contest after
suffering a hip pointer midway through the first half.
... True freshman
Brandon Rodgers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Withrow) had a solid camp and has the
tools to contribute at free safety.
... Junior Brian Coleman (Neptune,
N.J./Neptune), sophomore Michael McGrath (Downers Grove, Ill/South),
redshirt freshman Narlin Clancy (Fort Wayne, Ind./Harding), and true
freshman Justin Smith (Indianapolis/Warren Central) all have a chance to
contribute. Coleman intercepted Ball State QB Jake Josetti in the 3rd.
qtr. of the home opener and returned it 29 yds. to set up a 15-yd. TD
pass from Jay Rodgers to O.J. Conner to give the Hoosiers a 19-6 lead.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Hoosiers have one of the Big Ten's most productive punters in senior
Alan Sutkowski (Griffith, Ind./Griffith), a second-team All-Big Ten
selection last year. Sutkowski averaged 43.3 yards per punt last season
and is currently IU's career punting leader with a 42.9 average.
Sutkowski was 6-43.5-53LG punting at North Carolina and 4-43.3-53LG vs.
Ball State. He punted 4-47.3-56LG vs. Kentucky, including punts of 56
and 50 yards and 1-IN-20.
The place-kicking duties were a question mark in the spring and had yet to clear themselves up even hours prior to the season opener at North Carolina. Junior Michael Irving (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) and redshirt freshman Andy Payne (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) have battled for the job but the competition stiffened as Cameron brought in three walk-ons from IU's top-ranked soccer team to vie for field goal duties. Cameron had the kickers wage a kick-off during the week prior to the North Carolina game and waited until pregame warmups at North Carolina to make a decision on his kicker.
In addition to Payne and Irving, Cameron took freshman soccer player Brad Griggs (Indianapolis/Warren Central) to Chapel Hill.
Payne made the most kicks in pregame warmups at UNC and went on to make both of this field goal attempts (35 and 32 yards) during the game. He missed his only FGA vs. Ball St. Irving has handled the kickoff duties in games 1-3. Griggs earned the first playing time of his career vs. UK in game 3 when he connected on the Hoosiers' only extra point attempt. The kickoff team recovered a 3rd qtr. onsides kick vs. Ball State in week 2.
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