Indiana University Athletics
IU/MSU Game Notes
9/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
HOOSIER HEADLINES
Indiana will return to action this weekend, in the Old Brass Spittoon game, against Michigan State. This is the fourth time in IU's history that it will open Big Ten play against the Spartans. MSU leads the all-time series 36-14-2. The Hoosiers look to win their Big Ten opener for the first time since the 2000 season (45-33) win at home over Iowa.
Indiana scored 30 or more points for the third straight game, marking the first time since 2000 that the Hoosiers opened the season with three straight 30-plus point outings.
Defensive end Victor Adeyanju scored his first career touchdown on a fumble recovery at 13:59 of the third quarter at Kentucky. Kenny Kendal forced the fumble by quarterback Shane Boyd, and Adeyanju recovered the ball and went four yards for the scores. It was the first IU fumble recovery for touchdown since safety Herana-Daze Jones (11/2/00, at Northwestern).
Quarterback Matt LoVecchio threw for two touchdowns for the first time as a Hoosier against Kentucky. LoVecchio and Courtney Roby connected on a 64-yarder with 1:39 left. It was the longest touchdown pass for the Hoosiers since Roby and Gibran Hamdan paired up for a 76-yarder against Central Michigan (11/21/02).
Roby had a season-high seven receptions and a season-high 184 yards receiving against the Wildcats. He also caught two touchdown passes in a single game for the first time in his career. BenJarvus Green-Ellis had a season-high 115 yards rushing in Lexington. It was the first time IU had a 100 yard receiver and a 100 yard rusher since 10/19/02 vs. Iowa (L, 24-7). In that game, Roby had a career-high 198 receiving yards and Brian Lewis had 121 rushing yards. It marked the fifth time in Green-Ellis' career that he ran for 100 yards or more in a game. Roby finished with the fourth-best single-game receptions and second-best reception yardage single-game totals of his career.
The Old Brass Spittoon has been awarded to the winner of the Indiana-Michigan State football game since the trophy's inception in 1950. The trophy was initiated by the junior and senior classes and student council at Michigan State and was quickly accepted by the IU Student Senate. The spittoon came from one of Michigan's earliest trading posts and is widely believed to be more than 100 years old. Legend holds that the spittoon was around when both institutions were founded. Indiana and Michigan State have been facing each other since 1922, and the trophy became a part of the series 28 years after the first meeting.
AMONG THE BIG TEN ELITE
Junior linebacker Kyle Killion is tied for first in the Big Ten Conference in tackles per game averaging 10.7. He is also tied for second in the league with three solo sacks. Killion ranks in the top-five, fourth overall, in tackles for loss with 4.5. Senior safety Herana-Daze Jones and junior linebacker Paul Szczesny rank 14th and 15th on tackles at 7.7 and 7.3 per game, respectively. Sophomore defensive end Kenny Kendal is tied for the Big Ten with a pair of forced fumbles. Junior defensive end Victor Adeyanju is tied with two other players for the conference lead in fumbles forced with two.
HOOSIERS RANKED AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
According to the latest NCAA Division I football statistics as of Sept. 19, the Hoosiers rank third in the country in kickoff returns, with an average of 38.56 yards per return. IU ranks 21st in the country with a turnover margin of 1.33. Indiana also ranks in the top-35 in net punting (27th; 39.76 yards) and scoring offense (28th; 34.33 points per game). Lance Bennett ranks fourth in the country in kickoff returns (34.50 per return) and Courtney Roby is 19th in the county, averaging 95.33 receiving yards per game. BenJarvus Green-Ellis is ranked 27th in the country in rushing average (101 ypg.).
OPPONENTS RANKED AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
The Hoosiers have five teams that are ranked or have been ranked in the top-25 this season on their schedule.
Date - Rank - Opponent - Result
9/11 - No. 24/24* - Oregon - W, 30-24
10/2 - No. 18/18# - Michigan
10/23 - No. 6/7# - Ohio State
10/30 - No. 19/19# - Minnesota
11/20 - No. 15/15# - Purdue
*ranking at time of game
#current ranking
First ranking listed is the ESPN/USA Today Poll;
second ranking listed is the Associated Press Poll.
MILITARY HEROES
Indiana's Sept. 25 game against Michigan State has been designated Hoosier Military Heroes Day. Any active or retired military members can get a free ticket for themselves and up to four $10 tickets for their family by showing their military ID.
ROBERTSON, DEAD ON
Place kicker Bryan Robertson has connected on 16 straight field goals from 40-yards or under. For his career, he has hit 26 of his 38 attempts, with a career-long of 50-yards at Purdue in 2002. He is one of eight kickers in the history of IU football to connect on a field goal of 50-yards or more. Currently, Robertson leads the Big Ten in accuracy, connecting on all four of his field goal attempts this season.
LOOKING BACK ON HISTORY
The last time the Hoosiers opened the season with a 2-1 record and won their Big Ten opener was in 1987. IU opened with a win over Rice (35-13), then lost at Kentucky (34-15) and upended Missouri (20-17). Indiana kicked-off its Big Ten campaign with a 35-18 win at home against Northwestern.
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
The Hoosiers have combined to score 103 points in their first three games this season. The last time IU opened the season with over 100 points in its first three games was the 2000 season.
Indiana will return to action this weekend, in the Old Brass Spittoon game, against Michigan State. This is the fourth time in IU's history that it will open Big Ten play against the Spartans. MSU leads the all-time series 36-14-2. The Hoosiers look to win their Big Ten opener for the first time since the 2000 season (45-33) win at home over Iowa.
Indiana scored 30 or more points for the third straight game, marking the first time since 2000 that the Hoosiers opened the season with three straight 30-plus point outings.
Defensive end Victor Adeyanju scored his first career touchdown on a fumble recovery at 13:59 of the third quarter at Kentucky. Kenny Kendal forced the fumble by quarterback Shane Boyd, and Adeyanju recovered the ball and went four yards for the scores. It was the first IU fumble recovery for touchdown since safety Herana-Daze Jones (11/2/00, at Northwestern).
Quarterback Matt LoVecchio threw for two touchdowns for the first time as a Hoosier against Kentucky. LoVecchio and Courtney Roby connected on a 64-yarder with 1:39 left. It was the longest touchdown pass for the Hoosiers since Roby and Gibran Hamdan paired up for a 76-yarder against Central Michigan (11/21/02).
Roby had a season-high seven receptions and a season-high 184 yards receiving against the Wildcats. He also caught two touchdown passes in a single game for the first time in his career. BenJarvus Green-Ellis had a season-high 115 yards rushing in Lexington. It was the first time IU had a 100 yard receiver and a 100 yard rusher since 10/19/02 vs. Iowa (L, 24-7). In that game, Roby had a career-high 198 receiving yards and Brian Lewis had 121 rushing yards. It marked the fifth time in Green-Ellis' career that he ran for 100 yards or more in a game. Roby finished with the fourth-best single-game receptions and second-best reception yardage single-game totals of his career.
The Old Brass Spittoon has been awarded to the winner of the Indiana-Michigan State football game since the trophy's inception in 1950. The trophy was initiated by the junior and senior classes and student council at Michigan State and was quickly accepted by the IU Student Senate. The spittoon came from one of Michigan's earliest trading posts and is widely believed to be more than 100 years old. Legend holds that the spittoon was around when both institutions were founded. Indiana and Michigan State have been facing each other since 1922, and the trophy became a part of the series 28 years after the first meeting.
AMONG THE BIG TEN ELITE
Junior linebacker Kyle Killion is tied for first in the Big Ten Conference in tackles per game averaging 10.7. He is also tied for second in the league with three solo sacks. Killion ranks in the top-five, fourth overall, in tackles for loss with 4.5. Senior safety Herana-Daze Jones and junior linebacker Paul Szczesny rank 14th and 15th on tackles at 7.7 and 7.3 per game, respectively. Sophomore defensive end Kenny Kendal is tied for the Big Ten with a pair of forced fumbles. Junior defensive end Victor Adeyanju is tied with two other players for the conference lead in fumbles forced with two.
HOOSIERS RANKED AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
According to the latest NCAA Division I football statistics as of Sept. 19, the Hoosiers rank third in the country in kickoff returns, with an average of 38.56 yards per return. IU ranks 21st in the country with a turnover margin of 1.33. Indiana also ranks in the top-35 in net punting (27th; 39.76 yards) and scoring offense (28th; 34.33 points per game). Lance Bennett ranks fourth in the country in kickoff returns (34.50 per return) and Courtney Roby is 19th in the county, averaging 95.33 receiving yards per game. BenJarvus Green-Ellis is ranked 27th in the country in rushing average (101 ypg.).
OPPONENTS RANKED AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
The Hoosiers have five teams that are ranked or have been ranked in the top-25 this season on their schedule.
Date - Rank - Opponent - Result
9/11 - No. 24/24* - Oregon - W, 30-24
10/2 - No. 18/18# - Michigan
10/23 - No. 6/7# - Ohio State
10/30 - No. 19/19# - Minnesota
11/20 - No. 15/15# - Purdue
*ranking at time of game
#current ranking
First ranking listed is the ESPN/USA Today Poll;
second ranking listed is the Associated Press Poll.
MILITARY HEROES
Indiana's Sept. 25 game against Michigan State has been designated Hoosier Military Heroes Day. Any active or retired military members can get a free ticket for themselves and up to four $10 tickets for their family by showing their military ID.
ROBERTSON, DEAD ON
Place kicker Bryan Robertson has connected on 16 straight field goals from 40-yards or under. For his career, he has hit 26 of his 38 attempts, with a career-long of 50-yards at Purdue in 2002. He is one of eight kickers in the history of IU football to connect on a field goal of 50-yards or more. Currently, Robertson leads the Big Ten in accuracy, connecting on all four of his field goal attempts this season.
LOOKING BACK ON HISTORY
The last time the Hoosiers opened the season with a 2-1 record and won their Big Ten opener was in 1987. IU opened with a win over Rice (35-13), then lost at Kentucky (34-15) and upended Missouri (20-17). Indiana kicked-off its Big Ten campaign with a 35-18 win at home against Northwestern.
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
The Hoosiers have combined to score 103 points in their first three games this season. The last time IU opened the season with over 100 points in its first three games was the 2000 season.
Tuesday, August 11
Tuesday, August 11
Monday, August 10
Thursday, August 06