Indiana University Athletics
IU Football Notables
10/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 17, 2005
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana Hoosiers (4-2, 1-2) return to Memorial Stadium (52,354) for a showdown with the Ohio State Buckeyes (4-2, 2-1) on Saturday, Oct. 22. Kick off is set for 11 a.m. EST on ESPN Plus Regional and ESPN.
IU enters the contest with a perfect 3-0 mark at Memorial Stadium, including a 36-13 victory over Illinois in its Big Ten opener. The Hoosiers are looking for their fifth win in their last six games and are attempting to win their first four home games for the first time since the 1991 season.
• Indiana and Ohio State rank among the top five in the Big Ten in the following statistical categories: Ohio State leads the league in scoring defense (15.3), while IU is fifth at 25.0. The Hoosiers are second in the Big Ten in pass defense (196 yards per game), while Ohio State is fourth at 208.3 yards per game. The Buckeyes (274.5) and the Hoosiers (367.3) are first and fourth in the league in total defense, respectively. Ohio State and Indiana are first and second in the league, respectively, in opponent first downs (OSU 93, IU 102) and opponent third down conversions (OSU, 26.8 percent and IU, 31 percent). Finally, IU is second (75 percent) and Ohio State is fourth (78.6 percent) in red zone defense.
• James Hardy continued his campaign for Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors with 12 catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns at Iowa. With his 203-yard performance, Hardy became the fourth receiver in school history to record a 200-yard game and the first since Tyrone Browning racked up 258 yards against Western Michigan (9/12/98). He is the first player in school history to catch at least one touchdown pass in six straight games. Hardy's total is the fourth highest in school history. Hardy reached the 100-yard plateau for the fifth time in six games. He is the first Hoosier to ever reach the century mark in five of six games and his five 100-yard games is second only to Ernie Jones (7) for the most in a single season. Hardy also caught a career-high 12 balls, becoming the first receiver in IU history to record 10-plus catches in back-to-back contests (10 receptions vs. Illinois, 10/8/05). His 12 catches rank tied for third in a single game in IU history. Through games of Oct. 15, Hardy's 12 receptions match the seventh-best single-game effort in the nation, and the 203 receiving yards are third.
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Blake Powers set career highs with 37 completions, 57 attempts and 360 yards. He is also second in the nation with a school record 20 touchdown passes. His 37 completions not only set a new Indiana single-game record (34 Babe Laufenberg, 10/23/82, vs. Ohio State) but also broke the Kinnick Stadium record (36 Scott Mullen, 10/23/99). Additionally, Powers' 57 attempts set a new Hoosier single-game record. He was a master of efficiency early on, hitting 14 of his first 18 passes. Powers' 360 yards ranks sixth on the Hoosiers' all-time list, sitting behind Dave Schell's 378-yard total versus South Carolina (12/28/88). The last IU quarterback to throw for over 350 yards in a ballgame was Antwaan Randle El versus Western Michigan (385, 9/12/98). Powers now has two 300-yard games this season (307 vs. Nicholls State, 9/10/05).
• James Hardy is not the only redshirt freshman wide receiver making his name for the Hoosiers this season. Classmate James Bailey caught a season-high four passes in the first quarter alone at Iowa. Bailey finished the game with career highs in receptions (nine) and yards (65), and he added his third touchdown of the season. When Powers connected with Bailey for a six-yard score at 9:51 in the fourth, it capped an 80-yard drive, the eighth touchdown drive of 80 or more yards this season.
Bailey is one of the top comeback stories in college football this season. He was seriously injured in a March 24 auto accident that forced him to spend two weeks in the hospital and another 12 days in a wheelchair.
