Indiana Hoosiers Football

The Indiana Hoosiers and head football coach Kevin Wilson agreed to a new six-year contract worth $15.3 million on Monday.

Indiana's official athletics website confirmed the fresh deal through a news release, indicating Wilson would earn $2.55 million in annual salary.   

Wilson has posted a 20-41 record in five seasons but got the Hoosiers to a bowl game this year. He has made the program more competitive since starting 1-11 during his maiden season in 2011.

Director of athletics Fred Glass spoke about the decision to keep Wilson for the long haul, per the news release:

This contract reflects our commitment to Kevin, to continuity, and to Indiana University Football. Kevin has done a great job building our program into one that is competitive with the great teams of the Big Ten and the nation. We are confident that he will continue to lead us to sustained success on the field and in the classroom.

Wilson also commented on the situation and applauded the united administrative front that has allowed him to continue building the program:

Coupled with an already solid foundation, this ensures stability as we continue to build a winning program in the Big Ten East, one of the great divisions in college football. The administration has shown a total commitment to our program development, continuity, staffing, recruiting and facilities, and has invested heavily in the development of and experience for our students. We are excited for the opportunity and embrace the challenge ahead. My family and I love Indiana and we are all proud Hoosiers. Go IU!

Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com alluded to the difficulties Hoosier football has endured of late in Bloomington while assessing Wilson's extension:   

All you need to know about the history of Indiana football is a coach who is 20-41 just got a 6-year extension and we’re all cool with it.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) January 11, 2016

The Big Ten is a difficult conference with established powers such as Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan to contend with in the East Division alone. Thanks to an offense that ranked in the top 25 in scoring this year, though, Indiana put up a fight against some of the Big Ten's best.

Ohio State only managed to defeat the Hoosiers by a score of 34-27, which was Indiana's first loss of the season after a 4-0 start. Wilson's feisty bunch also lost by only eight points to Rose Bowl participant Iowa and by seven to the Wolverines.

Both Jordan Howard and Devine Redding ran for over 1,000 yards in 2015 for Indiana, while quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw for 3,573 yards and 27 touchdowns. In the Pinstripe Bowl, the Hoosiers scored plenty but couldn't get enough stops in a controversial 44-41 loss to Duke, dropping their record to 6-7.

The spread offense Wilson brought with him from Oklahoma has evidently started paying huge dividends. It proved effective this year even with the loss of star running back Tevin Coleman to the NFL.

If Wilson can recruit a bit more talent on the defensive side of the ball and continue helping the Hoosiers light up the scoreboard, a big step forward may be on the horizon.

So while the decision to extend Wilson's tenure may not seem logical based on his bottom-line results to date, there is considerable merit to keeping him in the fold.

Heading into the 2013 college football season, expectations for Indiana University’s football team were extremely high.

The team had finished 4-8 in 2012 despite losing starting quarterback Tre Roberson. The talent level returning for 2013 was believed to be the best since head coach Kevin Wilson took over before the 2011 season.

For anyone who followed IU football closely this year, you know what happened.

The Hoosiers had a top-10 offense in the country before abysmal performances in two of the team’s final three games of the year. Despite those performances, IU was still able to finish with the 11th ranked offense in the nation.

The defense was one of the worst in the nation, which hurt IU in a lot of games that they really should have won, specifically against Navy and Minnesota, allowing 41.5 points in those games.

After the 42-39 loss to Minnesota, a game where quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw a backwards pass to running back Tevin Coleman in the final minutes to seal the Hoosiers’ fate, IU’s bowl hopes quickly diminished.

After defeating Illinois at home, IU sat with a 4-5 record, needing to win at least one game against two of the Big Ten’s best teams, Wisconsin and Ohio State.

IU lost those two games by a combined score of 93-17, officially eliminating them from bowl contention.

Against Ohio State, the defense presented the offense with a lot of opportunities to make it a game. IU was unable to capitalize, managing zero points through three quarters.

Kicker Mitch Ewald didn’t help matters much. Ewald, who had not missed a field-goal attempt in the season’s first ten games, missed two against Ohio State.

In the final home game of the season against hated in-state rival Purdue, the team ended the season on a positive note. IU won 56-36; although, the game was not nearly as close as the scoreboard implied. IU, at one point, held a 49-9 lead over the Boilermakers before Purdue went on a scoring run in the last quarter and a half.

Ending a season with a 5-7 record after having such high hopes was no doubt a disappointment for the program. As IDS IU football columnist Robby Howard wrote in his column following the Ohio State game, “The kick, the game, the season, didn’t go as planned.”

IU fans will always remember 2013 as the season that was supposed to lead to a change in culture throughout the program. Despite this, not everything that happened in 2013 was negative. In Wilson’s third year as head coach, IU made great strides, falling one game short of bowl eligibility.

For 2014, there are already steady building blocks in place. Next year will likely define Wilson’s legacy at IU and give a definite look at where the program is heading in the future.

Offensively, there is a lot of talent returning to Bloomington.

Both starting quarterbacks from this year, Tre Roberson and Nate Sudfeld, will be back. This could either be a really good thing or a really bad thing as Wilson was unable to give one player the nod for the entire season. Sudfeld started eight games and played well, but Roberson played huge for the Hoosiers in a near-win against Michigan, and he had a six-touchdown performance against Purdue.

Wilson will need to provide stability to the offense by going with one quarterback throughout the year in 2014. Based on what he brought to the offense, Roberson should be the man to get the starting job, assuming he works out some of his accuracy issues.

Running back Tevin Coleman will be back for his junior season. Coleman, who I believe has the potential to be a running back in the NFL, would have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark this season if not for an ankle injury that held him out of the last three games of the season. Coleman finished this season with 938 rushing yards (7.3 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns.

IU is losing one of their top receivers from the last few seasons in Kofi Hughes. The loss of Hughes will be minimized assuming junior receiver and All-Big Ten candidate Cody Latimer returns for his senior season instead of declaring for the 2014 NFL Draft. They also have special teams stud Shane Wynn returning next year in the slot as well.

The offensive line will benefit from the return of guard Dan Feeney, who missed the entire season with a lisfranc injury. Feeney started every game as a freshman and was a member of the Big Ten’s all-freshman team.

On defense, the unit was extremely young this season and will improve (I guarantee this because it is hard to imagine them being any worse).

Whether or not defensive coordinator Doug Mallory returns next year remains in question. Mallory’s father, Bill, is one of the most prestigious coaches in IU football history.

The biggest loss on the defensive unit will be safety Greg Heban. Replacing a player like Heban is very difficult, especially considering that Heban has a shot at making an NFL roster as a late-round pick.

Hard-hitting and facemask-shredding safety Antonio Allen has the ability to minimize the loss. As a freshman, Allen was named a starter midway through the year before suffering a season ending injury.

The Hoosiers have some solid recruits entering the program as well.

The best of the class, Delroy Baker, a 6'6", 295-pound offensive lineman, will be sure to see time early. The 3-star recruit out of St. Petersburg, Fla., has elite size; the coaching staff will just need to mold him into a top-tier lineman.

IU has sent relatively unknown offensive linemen to the NFL in the past (specifically, St. Louis Rams lineman Roger Saffold). I think Baker will be another one of those players.

Patience is a virtue with the IU football program. Wilson has already shown that he is a unique offensive mind, he just needs to put together a defense that is capable of holding opponents under 40 points a game (seriously, the lowest amount of points scored by the unit this season was 35, which both Illinois and FCS team Indiana State were able to score).

It hasn't been a smooth season for the Michigan Wolverines. 

Despite starting 5-0, they barely beat Akron at home and narrowly escaped at UCONN, one of the worst teams in college football.

After rebounding against Minnesota, the Wolverines suffered a truly heartbreaking loss against Penn State in quadruple overtime. Brendan Gibbons missed two field goals in overtime, and the team as a whole was pretty sloppy.

No longer ranked, the team will get a chance to bounce back against the 3-3 Indiana Hoosiers. 

The Hoosiers have been better than expected this season and have an impressive win over Penn State. They even stayed somewhat competitive with No. 14 Missouri.

Indiana's strength is their pass offense and Michigan is going to need to stop it if they want to avoid another upset.

Led by quarterback Nate Sudfeld, who has thrown for 1,604 yards and 13 touchdowns, the Hoosiers score 41.7 points per game, which is 15th in the nation.

Michigan's pass defense isn't awful, but they're going to find it hard to stop Sudfeld and leading receiver Cody Latimer. The Wolverines give up 229.7 passing yards per game, but they did give up 305 yards and three touchdowns to Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg.

The Wolverines should be able to keep the running game in check. While Tevin Coleman has been outstanding this year rushing for 557 yards and eight touchdowns, the Wolverines have the ninth-ranked rush defense in the league, giving up just 89.5 yards per game.

If the Wolverines can stop Coleman, they can focus all of their attention on stopping Sudfeld and the passing game. The Hoosiers are explosive—as evidenced by their 73-point outburst against Indiana State—but the Wolverines defense might be good enough to keep it in check.

Assuming Michigan can at least contain Indiana's offense, the onus is on Fitzgerald Toussaint and the running game to pick up its production. Toussaint had an absolutely miserable game against Penn State, rushing 27 times for 27 yards. It's mind-boggling why Michigan stuck with the running game when it clearly was not working. Regardless, Toussaint has been on the decline. He averaged an impressive 5.6 yards per carry in 2011. This year? A pretty pedestrian 3.4.

It's incredibly important that the run game gets going, because Devin Gardner has been a disappointment this season. He's thrown 11 touchdowns, but along with 10 interceptions. Last year, he only threw five picks. Gardner is not good enough to carry a team on his own, and the Michigan receivers are nothing to write home about. If Toussaint can't get the job done, teams will be able to load up against Gardner. When he's pressured, he turns the ball over. 

On paper, Michigan is a better team. But their season has not gone as planned. Instead of competing with Ohio State for a Big 10 title, the Wolverines are trying to get back in the Top 25. They barely avoided two upsets and could easily be 3-3.

Indiana, while not a great team, is certainly improved, and the win over Penn State was impressive. This is easily a game that Michigan could lose. If they can't stop Sudfeld, then it will be a long day. Similarly, if the run game continues to be a large sinkhole, then Gardner will continue to turn the ball over.

I think Michigan hangs on, but just barely. If they can find some success in the run game, it will certainly be easier. But Michigan fans have to be on edge right now. This is certainly not how it was supposed to go. 

The Missouri Tigers and Indiana Hoosiers are set to continue the SEC versus Big Ten rivalry on Saturday from Bloomington as two prolific spread offenses collide.

The Tigers have a high-flying attack led by quarterback James Franklin, who has already thrown for 530 yards and four touchdowns in just two games. Behind the arm of Franklin, Missouri has averaged 48 points per game in wins over Murray State and Toledo.

Indiana touts an elite offense of its own with quarterback Nate Sudfeld and his ridiculous 917 yards and 10 touchdowns through three contests. The Hoosiers scored 73 points over Indiana State before being upset by Navy.

Expect a fireworks show from Bloomington. Here are the important details.

When: Saturday, September 21 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN

Television: Big Ten Network

Live Stream: ESPN3

Betting Lines (via Vegas Insider)

• Over/Under:  71 pts
• Spread: Indiana +2.5

Missouri Injury Report (via USA Today)

Indiana Injury Report (via USA Today)

Which Offense Will Prevail?

Both passing offenses are obviously elite, but the rushing attack will come into play as well. Missouri utilizes a committee approach and only averages 265 yards per game.

On the other hand, Indiana has a budding star at running back with Tevin Cole and his 332 yards and five scores while averaging eight yards per carry.

The deal breaker here may be Indiana's run defense, which allowed 444 rushing yards in a home loss to Navy. If Missouri chooses to take a grind-it-out approach following Navy's model, the Tigers can escape with a win.

Both offenses have shown well against lesser competition, but it was Indiana that struggled en route to this matchup. How both teams adapt to the knowledge gleaned from Indiana's loss to Navy will decide the game.

Prediction

At home Indiana is going to be tough to defeat, and Missouri is not a team like Navy that will run the ball 70 times even with a matchup against a potent offense.

Both teams run a similar style that makes it difficult to forecast, but the play of Sudfeld for Indiana through two games is hard to ignore. At the end of the day, Sudfeld is the star for the Hoosiers who will make all the difference.

Expect a shootout, but score one for the Big Ten here over the SEC as Sudfeld orchestrates an efficient aerial assault.

Final Score 

Hoosiers win 49-42

Follow B/R's Chris Roling on Twitter for more news and analysis @Chris_Roling

Braxton Miller, Taylor Martinez and Devin Gardner—those are the three quarterbacks in the Big Ten most were aware of on a casual level this offseason, as well as the guys garnering the most headlines. 

Miller was supposed to win the Heisman Trophy, Martinez has been around forever and has won a ton of football games and Devin Gardner was the answer to all that ailed the Wolverines' offense. 

However, everyone has overlooked the man who's shown himself over the last three weeks to be the best passing quarterback in the Big Ten—Indiana's Nate Sudfeld. 

You can be forgiven for not knowing this guy or not seeing what has transpired over the last three weeks. After all, Indiana had a three-way quarterback battle going on all throughout camp, and Sudfeld, who saw very limited action last year, was supposed to be the odd man out. 

Instead, he took the opportunity given to him in the season opener against Indiana State and has never looked back, demonstrating that he is the clear right choice to lead the Hoosiers' offense this season. 

Even if it took until this past Saturday for head coach Kevin Wilson to give the reigns to Sudfeld full-time, it was clear from the outside looking in who the right choice was all along. 

Sudfeld finished the season opener against Indiana State 12-of-17 passing for 219 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. 

A week later Sudfeld would complete 73 percent of his passes, again throwing for four touchdowns and one interception in a wild comeback attempt against Navy. 

However, on Saturday, it was his performance against the best defense the Hoosiers have seen to date that put him completely in the driver's seat. 

Sudfeld put on a 17-of-26 for 335 yard, two touchdown performance in the Hoosiers' 42-10 victory over the previously undefeated Bowling Green Falcons. 

Prior to this game, the Falcons allowed an average of just 193 yards to opponents through the air. 

It appears as though Sudfeld won the job once and for all, following that performance this past Saturday. However, to those paying attention, he's already proved he is the best passer in the Big Ten. 

No—I'm not saying the best quarterback; in this day and age, there is more to playing the position than just passing. 

However, what I am clearly stating is that there is not a single quarterback in the Big Ten that is a better passing quarterback than Sudfeld—at least not at this point in time. 

The numbers Sudfeld has put up through the season's first three weeks are staggering. He is first in the Big Ten in yards (917), average per game (305.7) and touchdowns (10), all while ranking just fifth in passing attempts in the conference.

He also tops the list in passer efficiency in the Big Ten (195.3) for quarterbacks that have attempted at least nine passes or more this season.

That number puts him in the same company of names that reads like a who's who of quarterbacks nationally—ranking seventh, behind the likes of Jameis Winston (Florida State), Zach Mettenberger (LSU), Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville), Blake Bortles (UCF) and Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M).

He ranks ahead of names like Aaron Murray (Georgia) and Chuckie Keeton (Utah State). Call me crazy, but those are all quarterbacks you want to be associated with. 

Sudfeld is also one of just 12 quarterbacks to throw for over 900 yards passing in FBS football.

While the Big Ten gauntlet may be a different animal for IU and its quarterback, the numbers and the company Sudfeld is keeping sure suggest he is the best passing quarterback in the conference and one of the better ones nationally too.  

*Andy Coppens is the Big Ten Lead Writer. Follow Andy on Twitter: @andycoppens.

Every top college football program looks to sign wide receivers with size, speed and athleticism, and Indiana will be thrilled that Taj Williams has chosen to spend the next four years with the Hoosiers, according to CBS' Bruce Feldman.

247Sports' composite rankings have Williams as a 4-star recruit, the 37th-best receiver in the 2013 class and the 36th-best prospect in Florida this year. He played for Lincoln High School in Tallahassee and helped lead his team to the brink of a Class 7A state title before losing in the championship game.

At 6’3.5”, he has ideal height for a deep threat. 247Sports lists his 40-yard-dash time at 4.40 seconds, and this suggests that he will be blowing by defensive backs at the collegiate level.

The only concern regarding his measurables is his current weight. At 166 pounds, he will need to add bulk in order to become a complete wide receiver.

If he makes it a point to focus on strength training while at Indiana, he has an exciting future ahead of him. 

Williams has displayed exceptional ball skills on both offense and defense throughout his high school career. He attacks the ball when it is in the air and flashes the ability to make spectacular catches.

His talent caught the eye of programs across the country. Florida State hoped to keep him in Tallahassee while Alabama, Louisville, South Carolina and Washington State also gave him an offer. 

Ultimately, he has chosen the Hoosiers, and he has the potential to be a potent offensive weapon for their offense. With all the physical tools to succeed, Williams is a player whose name may be popping up frequently once he works his way onto the field at Indiana.

2013 4-star wide receiver recruit Taj Williams has finally committed, and his decision may be a bit more than surprising when you take a look at it on paper.

Williams has committed to the Indiana Hoosiers—football, not basketball mind you. 

Matt Weaver of Peegs.com reports on the commitment:

Peegs.com has confirmed that wide receiver Taj Williams has committed to IU and will join the program starting this fall. The Rivals250 prospect is the 23rd commit for coach Kevin Wilson and his staff in the 2013 class, and the fifth one that is rated as a four-star recruit. The standout from Tallahassee (FL) Lincoln H.S. was in Bloomington this past weekend for an official visit.

Williams, who is ranked the 214th best player in the nation by Rivals.com, chose the Hoosiers over offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UCLA, USC, Kentucky, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Central Florida, South Florida, Florida Atlantic and Florida International. He told Peegs.com on Facebook that he has given the Hoosiers his verbal pledge and will be signing in a matter of days.

To be very clear, this is not meant to be a "let's make fun of Hoosiers football" article. I respect the fact that despite its struggles on the football field, Indiana does indeed field a Division I program in the Big Ten, so that's nothing to scoff at.

That said, as Weaver reported, Williams choose Indiana over the likes of some very notable programs like Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, USC and others—so this really is a coup for coach Kevin Wilson and his staff.

Williams projects to be a big-time receiver for the Hoosiers. He's 6'3.5'', 166 pounds and runs a 4.40 40 according to 247Sports. He has the height to be a good possession receiver, especially in the red zone, but he also has the speed to be a deep threat near the boundaries. 

He's deceivingly elusive for his size, and he displays great footwork, vision and ability to make defenders miss in the open field. Williams has the leaping ability and concentration to go up and high-point the ball, and he could also be utilized as an extremely effective kick returner on special teams.

The Hoosiers are getting a very talented receiver recruit—No. 37 overall wideout from the 2013 class according to the 247Sports Composite—and he has the potential to be the marquee player for Indiana's football program. Note: Weaver did also report that Williams has some eligibly concerns due to academics, but his high school coach expects him to be good.

This will go down as a major recruiting win for Wilson and the Hoosiers, but it needs to be said that no amount of recruiting success can replace wins and losses on the field. If Wilson wants to build Indiana football up in the Big Ten, he's going to have to translate the recruiting success he had during the 2013 cycle into actual football success.

Perhaps there will be a day where an elite recruit choosing Indiana football won't be surprising, but the Hoosiers have a lot of work to do to get to that point.

In any other season, Wisconsin vs. Indiana would not be a big game.  Wisconsin is a traditional football power that typically finishes in the Top 25 rankings each season and Indiana is...well, they're typically preparing for basketball season right around now.

This year's edition is very different.

The Hoosiers, thanks to ineligible Ohio State and Penn State, have a chance to play in the Big Ten Championship game this season, despite a current 4-5 record.

This is contingent upon the Hoosiers beating a tough Wisconsin team at home.  Wisconsin is coming off of a heartbreaker against Michigan State last week and faces an undefeated Ohio State squad at home the following week.

This puts the Hoosiers in a perfect position for an upset.

In only his second season, Kevin Wilson has invigorated the Indiana offense with a high-flying passing attack that currently ranks among the Top 25 in the country.  The Hoosiers have been throwing for nearly 300 yards per game on average and scoring 33.1 points per game.

Led by quarterback Cameron Coffman, running back Stephen Houston and receiver Cody Latimer, the Hoosiers have been frustrating opposing defenses with misdirection plays and their never-say-die playing style.

The Hoosiers have been in close games all season and nearly beat an undefeated Ohio State squad at home on October 13.  Four of their last five games, including the Ohio State one, have been decided by four points or less.

Coming off big wins over Big Ten opponents Illinois and Iowa in back-to-back weeks, the Hoosiers are rolling on offense and looking to continue that momentum heading into the final weeks of the season.

Indiana is also in a position to go to its first bowl game since 2007 with two wins in its final three (possibly four) games. This adds further incentive to win this game at home against the Badgers.

On the other side of the field, Wisconsin is employing the two-quarterbacks-if-necessary system that has been hit-or-miss lately.  Last week's game against Michigan State saw it fail miserably in a come-from-behind loss to the Spartans.

It is anyone's guess who will play for the Badgers against the Hoosiers this week.  About the only thing that will definitely happen is that Montee Ball and James White will get a ton of carries against a defense that is vulnerable to the run.

With that said, however, Wisconsin does run a more traditional style of offense and Indiana had great success beating a similar style of offense last week against Iowa.

Look for the Hoosiers to employ a similar defense to the one they ran last week in an effort to stop Wisconsin's rushing attack.

If Indiana can put points on the board early and force Wisconsin to throw the ball and abandon the run, the Hoosiers will be in a great position to pull off the upset.

Indiana football has been difficult to watch for quite some time now.  As a student at Indiana University, I can't describe how frustrating this season has been. To see us go up 17-0 on Michigan State only to fall in the fourth quarter was heartbreaking.

But there is still hope for this season.

Believe it or not, but if the Hoosiers can win the rest of their games this year, they will be able to play in the Big Ten Championship, a title that hasn't been won by IU since 1967.

Due to their ineligibility, Ohio State and Penn State are not able to go to the championship game.  This gives the rest of that side of the Big Ten a shot.

Regardless of if we win the Big Ten Championship or not, the fact that we could somehow make it would be incredible.

But there are four teams that the Hoosiers need to get through first.

November 3, vs. Iowa (4-4)

The Hoosiers are coming off their first win since September 8, and coming back home for the first time since the close game against Ohio State.

Iowa has lost to some smaller programs this year, including Iowa State and Central Michigan.  They have also lost two straight, and their confidence is not at its highest.

This is an opportunity for the Hoosiers to get two wins in a row, and that would be a major confidence boost for them.

November 10, vs. Wisconsin (6-3)

This will be a tough game for the Hoosiers, especially on Senior Night.

There is a chance for an upset, however.

Wisconsin's starting quarterback Joel Stave broke his collarbone and will miss the rest of the season, leaving Danny O'Brien with the starting job.

The Hoosiers will need to put all of their effort into stopping the run this week, as Montee Ball is one of the most talented running backs in the NCAA.

If they can stop the run, they have a shot.

November 17, at Penn State (5-3)

This will be another tough test for IU, as Penn State has been hot the past few weeks.  Penn State is 5-1 in their past six games.  However, they just lost against Ohio State.

Depending on how the next few weeks go, Penn State might lose its momentum, realizing that no matter what they do, they are ineligible for a bowl game.

Steven Houston will need to step up, just like he did against Illinois.  If Houston can get the running game going, it will open up the rest of the playbook for Coach Wilson.

November 24, at Purdue (3-5)

The battle for the Oaken Bucket would be bigger than usual if the Hoosiers were able to win their next three games. 

The Boilermakers have currently lost four straight games, three of them being blowouts.  Their early-season momentum has faded, and they are beginning to struggle significantly.

If the Hoosiers win their next three games, this one would likely not be close.  Wilson and company would be far too motivated to let this one slip away.

So the Hoosiers, against all odds, have a chance to play in the Big Ten title game.  While the odds may be incredibly small, there is a still a sliver of hope remaining.