Indiana University Athletics
Spring Practice Set to Begin March 21
3/19/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 19, 2001
Bloomington, Ind. -- The Indiana University football program will begin spring practice on Wednesday, March 21, at approximately 3:30 p.m. EST. The majority of the 15 spring practices are open to the media and the public. If a member of the general public wishes to attend practice on a particular day, he or she should contact the IU Football Office in advance at (812) 855-9618 to register and to be notified of any schedule changes.
Spring Football Schedule
March 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31 - Football Spring Practice Sessions
April 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12 - Football Spring Practice Sessions
April 6-7 - IU Spring Coaches' Clinic
April 12 - Women's Football Clinic
April 14 - Fan Fest and Spring Game
April 16 - Spring Football Banquet
April 17 - Indiana University All Sports Banquet
April 21 - Little 500 Race
April 23 - Spring Recruiting Begins
2001 Spring Football Preview
With 16 returning starters, a frontrunner for the 2001 Heisman Trophy, one of the nation's most explosive offenses, and a large group of contributing seniors, the Indiana University football program is certainly optimistic as it looks ahead to the 2001 campaign. The new season began in February with winter conditioning and will continue with 15 spring practices, which will begin on Wednesday, March 21. After spring football concludes, all eyes will be focused on a season opening tilt at Atlantic Coast Conference upstart North Carolina State on September 8. The remainder of the non-conference schedule will feature home games versus Kentucky and Mountain West Conference power Utah. Following the non-conference schedule, Indiana will enter a rugged Big Ten schedule that should be as wide open and exciting as ever before. It is likely that the 2001 Hoosiers will be making much of that noise.
In 2000, Indiana finished with a disappointing 3-8 record, marked by four losses that were decided in the final minute of regulation. With a 51-43 upset win over then 23rd-ranked Minnesota, a 42-6 dismantling of Motor City Bowl participants Cincinnati, and a 45-33 win over an improved Iowa football team, IU showed many observers that the Hoosiers can defeat some of the better football teams in the country. Four losses decided in the final minute of play -- vs. North Carolina State, Kentucky, Penn State, and Illinois -- certainly proved the same. In the four seasons since Cam Cameron's arrival, Indiana has at least one opportunity to defeat every team in the Big Ten with the exception of Ohio State, who the Hoosiers have not played since 1998. Three wins vs. Iowa, two against Minnesota and Illinois, and a 1-1 record vs. Northwestern, to go along with last second losses to Michigan and Purdue in 1999, an overtime loss at Michigan State in 1998, a last second loss to Penn State in 2000, and two narrow losses to Wisconsin in 1997 and 1998, proves that Indiana can play with anyone in the country. Now, it is time that the program takes its next step. The potential for Cam Cameron to field his best team during his tenure should make that happen.
In 2001, Indiana is expected to return eight offensive starters to a unit that averaged 30.6 points per game, the second highest total in school history. The Hoosiers recorded 439.5 yards per contest last fall, including a league-leading 266.4 yards per game rushing. Indiana also recorded a staggering 34 rushing touchdowns in 2000 and averaged 5.8 yards per carry, the second-best average in the country behind the University of Nebraska.
Indiana's offense in 2001 will feature Antwaan Randle El, college football's most exciting player and a frontrunner for the 2001 Heisman Trophy. Randle El is the most prolific dual-threat quarterback in Division I-A history and has recorded 5,805 career passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns to go along with 2,931 career rushing yards and 36 touchdowns. Amazingly, he is the active career passing leader in the Big Ten Conference and is second on the Big Ten's active career rushing list. He is also within 700 yards of becoming the NCAA Division I-A leader in rushing yards by a quarterback. Randle El is expected to play wide receiver during spring drills yet will still likely see action at both positions this fall. This experiment will likely depend on the success of junior quarterback Tommy Jones. A highly publicized and talented backup to Randle El, this Eaton, Ohio, product is expected to be the first-team signal caller during spring practice. Jones has been compared to some of the finest quarterbacks in the game. He has excellent size and arm strength and has displayed good mobility.
Protecting Jones will be an offensive line that is expected to return five starters. Amazingly, in 2000, first-year offensive line coach Hal Hunter molded a novice group into one of the Big Ten's most productive. Along with the impressive offensive production, Indiana quarterbacks were sacked only nine times in 11 games last fall. The offensive line featured left tackle A.C. Myler who had moved from defensive tackle to the offensive line prior to the season, Craig Osika who moved from tight end to center, right tackle Enoch DeMar who had only played guard prior to last season, and two redshirt freshman guards.
In the backfield, junior fullback Jeremi Johnson and tailbacks Levron Williams and Brian Lewis are expected to take center stage. Williams, a senior, will likely compete for All-Big Ten honors in 2001. He has great hands and is extremely effective in the option game. Williams has one of the top career yards per carry totals in the history of the Big Ten (7.1 yards per carry/1,694 rushing yards on only 240 carries) and has a chance to become one of only a select number of players who have rushed for 2,000 career yards and added 1,000 career yards receiving. In 2000, he played in nine games (seven starts) and rushed 116 times for 821 yards (7.1 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns. He also added 20 receptions for 116 yards
Lewis is a very impressive young tailback. A St. Louis product, he has displayed flashes of being a solid Big Ten ball carrier. One of the finest high school running backs in the country in the 1999 recruiting class, he played in 11 games (four starts) in 2000 and carried 67 times for 373 yards (5.6 ypc) and 3 touchdowns. He also caught 5 passes for 53 yards. One of the top fullbacks in the Big Ten Conference, Johnson has played in 22 games (5 starts) in his two season at IU and has rushed 89 times for 385 yards and 4 touchdowns. Very versatile, he has also caught 21 passes for 173 yards and one score.
If there is a question on the offense, it may be at wide receiver where the Hoosiers will feature a deep yet inexperienced group. Gone are Versie Gaddis, Jerry Dorsey, and Derin Graham who combined to record 1,353 of 1,424 receiving yards tallied by IU receivers (not including running backs) in 2000. However, senior Henry Frazier, junior Glenn Johnson, sophomore L.J. Parker, and redshirt freshman David Lewis and Travis Haney, in addition to Randle El, is a unit that should provide the Hoosiers with a solid, athletic, and talented corps.
At tight end, Bobby Brandt, who started all 11 games at that position in 2000, is expected to move to offensive tackle. He will likely be replaced by talented redshirt freshman Aaron Halterman and converted defensive end Stephen Anthony.
An impressive infusion of new talent on defense will be added to eight returning starters and IU's defensive personnel will likely take on a very new look in 2001. Indiana's most glaring weakness was in the secondary in 2000, however, the addition of Antonio Watson, Superprep's top-rated junior college defensive back in the country, and the return of gifted cornerback Michael Hanley, who sat out the 2000 campaign to concentrate on academics, should immediately impact in a positive manner the IU defensive backfield. In addition, Rico Lloyd, who sat out the 2000 campaign as a partial academic qualifier, redshirt freshman Herana-Daze Jones, and true freshman Damien Jones, who had scholarship offers from Oklahoma and Kansas State among others, have the talent to contribute this fall. Junior Ron Bethel, who started 11 games at free safety in 2000, along with senior Marcus Floyd, junior Joe Gonzalez, and sophomores Duane Stone and Clarence Young should all be improved.
At linebacker, Indiana returns a solid group of starters, including Justin Smith, a Butkus Award candidate and 2000 second-team All-Big Ten honoree. He will be joined by senior Devin Schaffer, junior Herman Fowler, sophomores Brandonn Baker and Robert Brown, and redshirt freshman Kevin Smith.
Smith, an Academic All-Big Ten recipient and one of four team captains in 2000, finished the 2000 season having started 11 games at outside linebacker and recorded 74 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss and 6 sacks. He also was credited with 4 passes broken up and 2 forced fumbles. He earned Big Ten Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors in a win over Iowa as he recorded 13 tackles, including 6 tackles for loss (-35 yards) and 4 sacks (-31 yards). He has started 31 career games.
Schaffer has good size and ability and has played in 33 career games (23 starts). He finished the 2000 campaign fourth on the team in tackles with 47, including 9 for loss and one sack. He also broke up two passes.
Baker is one of the most talented players on the IU squad and started three games at middle linebacker as a true freshman. He will be expected to retain that job in 2001.
Up front, Indiana has lost defensive tackle Paul Mandina, an honorable mention All-Big Ten recipient in 2000. However, the return of Sean Nelson, who missed the entire 2000 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, should ease the loss of Mandina. Also, senior Kemp Rasmussen and junior Derek Barnett, who have combined to play in 55 career games (33 starts), both return at defensive end. They will be joined by sophomore defensive end Steve Williams, one of the nation's most highly regarded recruits in the 2000 recruiting class, and senior defensive tackle Dominique Smith, the latter of whom started 10 games in 2000 and signed with the University of Tennessee as a prep before enrolling in junior college. Redshirt freshmen Jodie Clemons, the 2000 Defensive Scout Team Player-of-the-Year and Jason Fryar, a mammoth converted offensive tackle, should also make contributions.
On special teams, Indiana will need to replace All-Big Ten caliber kicker Andy Payne who finished his career as one of the finest placekickers in school history. Looking to replace him will be sophomore Adam Braucher, who handled IU's kickoff duties for most of last season, and high school All-America kicker Bryan Robertson. At punter, sophomore Ryan Hamre and senior Antwaan Randle El return.
