Indiana University Athletics
Inside The Wisconsin Game
9/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 29, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Prior to the Indiana football team opening its Big Ten schedule against Wisconsin, it's time to take a look inside the numbers. The Hoosiers host the Badgers in the third straight contest at Memorial Stadium. IU (2-2, 0-0) and UW (3-1, 0-1) meet at noon EDT on Saturday, Sept. 30. ESPN2 will televise the game with Pam Ward (play-by-play), Mike Gottfried (analyst) and Jimmy Dykes (sideline) on the call.
IU has won two of its last three contests against UW, including the last meeting between the two clubs in Bloomington on Oct. 12, 2002. The Hoosiers stormed back from a 29-10 fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the then-No. 23 Badgers, 32-29.
Scouting Wisconsin
After opening the season with three straight victories, Wisconsin dropped its Big Ten opener to Michigan, 27-13, in Ann Arbor on Sept. 30. The Badgers defeated Bowling Green (35-14), Western Illinois (34-10) and San Diego State (14-0) in non-conference action.
Redshirt freshman P.J. Hill leads a strong rushing attack with 469 yards and five touchdowns this season. Hill is averaging 117.2 yards per game (10th nationally) and 5.2 yards per carry. Under center is senior John Stocco. The veteran enters Saturday's game averaging 168.0 yards per game with four touchdowns and a 55.2 completion percentage.
The Badgers rank 17th nationally in total defense and 15th against the pass. Senior defensive back Joe Stellmacher leads the club with 35 tackles (22 solo) and has one interception, while senior linebacker Mark Zalewski is right behind Stellmacher with 33 tackles (21 solo) to go along with two sacks and an interception. Sophomore Allen Langford has recorded three of the team's six interceptions.
Wisconsin Connections
Indiana co-defensive coordinator Joe Palcic will see a familiar face on the Wisconsin sideline. His father, Bob Palcic, serves as offensive line coach under UW first-year head coach Bret Bielema.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Nick Polk (Milwaukee), freshman offensive lineman Mike Stark (Platteville) and sophomore quarterback Dustin Hass (Oconto) are the only three Hoosiers hailing from The Badger State.
Young Guns
In the last two games, sophomore defensive tackle Greg Brown and sophomore linebacker Geno Johnson have hit their strides. Brown has tallied 14 tackles in the last eight quarters with 2.5 tackles for loss, as Johnson has added 15 tackles, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one sack. The duo has contributed to the team's 7.5 tackles for loss per game, which ranks 18th nationally.
With his efforts, Johnson is tied for first in league and 11th nationally with .5 forced fumbles per game and has moved into second on the team with 25 tackles, while another underclassman - redshirt freshman Austin Thomas - holds the team lead with 27 tackles.
Big-Leg Beattie
Senior punter Tyson Beattie, who recently earned a spot on the Ray Guy Award Watch List, enjoyed his best day of the season against Connecticut. Battling a strong wind half the game, Beattie averaged 40.3 yards on nine punts, including a 71-yard bomb - the third-longest punt of his career and his third career punt over 70 yards. He also backed the Huskies inside the 20 three times with one landing at the 11-yard line and the spectacular 71-yarder getting downed at the 1-yard line.
Freshmen Starters
Redshirt freshmen Keith Burrus (defensive end), Demetrius McCray (running back) and Todd Newman (defensive tackle), along with true freshman Will Patterson (buck), made their first career starts against UConn, upping the Hoosiers' total of true or redshirt freshmen starters to eight this season. The aforementioned quartet joined redshirt freshmen Josh Bailey (buck), Austin Thomas (safety), Kellen Lewis (quarterback) and Nick Polk (wide receiver) as starters this season.
Seven Blocks Of Limestone
Seven of Indiana's 24 true freshmen reside on the offensive line, and head coach Terry Hoeppner refers to them as "The Seven Blocks of Limestone." Limestone is the Indiana state stone and primary building block of all the buildings on campus, including Memorial Stadium.
Rodger Saffold became the first "Block" to see action, playing at left tackle against Connecticut. Guard Pete Saxon has worked his way into the two-deep but has yet to see playing time. The remaining five - James Brewer, Cody Faulkner, Alex Perry, Jarrod Smith and Mike Stark - provide the Hoosiers with quality depth on the line. The average size of the freshmen is 6-6, 285 pounds.
Returns To Paydirt
Marcus Thigpen's 87-yard kickoff TD return vs. Connecticut marked the Hoosiers' fourth touchdown return this season, equaling the third-best total in school history. Thigpen has returned a pair of kickoffs, with his first coming on a 100-yard kickoff return at Ball State, marking the first kickoff return TD since Lance Bennett's 98-yarder at Oregon (Sept. 11, 2004). Sophomore cornerback Chris Phillips (66-yard interception) and junior cornerback Tracy Porter (86-yard punt) delivered touchdown returns in the team's opening victory against Western Michigan. The last time the Hoosiers recorded an interception and punt return for touchdowns in the same game came in 1980. Tim Wilbur accomplished the feat by himself, returning a punt 78 yards and an interception 40 yards on Sept. 20, 1980 at Kentucky.
Phillips' return was Indiana's first interception for a TD since Kyle Killion scored on a 46-yard return against Penn State on Nov. 13, 2004. It also was the longest interception return for a touchdown since Tracy Porter recorded a 96-yard return in IU's 41-10 season-opening win over Central Michigan on Sept. 4, 2004.
Meanwhile, Porter's 86-yard punt return was the team's first since Lance Bennett ran one back for 94 yards against Michigan State on Sept. 25, 2004.
Three's Company
Indiana has not started the same quarterback in consecutive games this season. Junior Blake Powers was back in the saddle against Connecticut after redshirt freshman Kellen Lewis became the third different Hoosier to start under center this season against Southern Illinois. The last time IU had three different starting QBs came in 1986 when Dave Kramme, Brian Dewitz and Dave Schnell did so for the Hoosiers. Powers started the opener against Western Michigan, and senior Graeme McFarland made his second career start at Ball State.
Each of the gunslingers have recorded at least one touchdown pass this campaign. The last season three Hoosiers threw at least one score came in 1974. Terry Jones (13), Bob Kramer (1) and Mike Flanagan (1) each recorded a touchdown that season. The last season three quarterbacks fired at least one TD came in 1956. Steve Filipowski (2), Tom McDonald (3) and Norm Mackin (1) each recorded a score with running back Jim Yore also adding one.
Spreading The Wealth
Ten Hoosiers have caught passes and six have recorded carries in Indiana's first four ballgames. Quarterbacks Blake Powers and Graeme McFarland combined to hit seven different receivers, each of who caught at least two passes, in the season-opening win against Western Michigan. Meanwhile, McFarland and redshirt freshman Kellen Lewis combined to find nine receivers at Ball State, while senior Lance Bennett hauled in a pass against UConn for his first reception. Seven Hoosiers have recorded receptions over 30 yards.
In the backfield, junior Josiah Sears, sophomore Marcus Thigpen and redshirt freshmen Bryan Payton and Demetrius McCray have recorded carries in multiple games. Redshirt freshman Nick Polk and true freshman Ray Fisher each have one carry.
The Start Chart
Senior Justin Frye has been an anchor on the offensive line since his insertion into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman in 2003. He has started all 37 games he has appeared in, missing only the season finale at Purdue his redshirt season. The most versatile Hoosier linemen - he has played all five positions on the line in his career - Frye has started all four games at left tackle this season.
New Faces
As the Hoosiers take the field in 2006, keep your roster close by. Seventy-two players on the 105-man roster (69 percent) are underclassmen and 49 (47 percent) are freshmen or redshirt freshmen.
Through the first four games, 20 players have seen their first collegiate action. Twelve redshirt freshmen and true freshmen Ray Fisher, Mandela Roberts, J.T. Owens, Will Patterson, Matt Mayberry and Rodger Saffold, have seen action.
Here is a breakdown by class of the 2006 Hoosiers:
• Seniors - 15
• Juniors - 18
• Sophomores - 23
• Redshirt Freshmen - 25
• True Freshmen - 24
By The Numbers
In his eighth season as a head coach, Terry Hoeppner teams:
• have never been shut out.
• are 40-12 when they score first.
• are 32-9 when they lead at the end of the first quarter.
• are 47-3 when they lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
• are 22-4 since 2003 when they score first.
