Indiana Hoosiers Football

The Virginia Cavaliers travel to Bloomington, Indiana for the first time tonight for a 7 pm kickoff in Memorial Stadium.

This is the second meeting between the two schools as Virginia torched Indiana 47-7 in 2009 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Tonight's matchup kick's off the 52 season at Memorial Stadium.  IU is 35-16 in home openers and has won the last nine in a row.  The Hoosiers are 5-11 against ACC foes all-time.

This will also be head coach Kevin Wilson's debut in Memorial Stadium and he knows this is going to be a tough matchup.

Virginia, like Indiana, is in a rebuilding project as they finished 4-8 last season and are coached under second year coach Mike London.  This season looks to be a better one for the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers enter Memorial Stadium on the heels of a 40-3 season opening win against William & Mary. Virginia also returns 18 starters and have some real big playmakers on the defensive side of the ball.

Third team all ACC Cam Johnson could have a huge day for the Cavs.  The 6'4" 265 pound defensive end could get to Indiana Quarterback Ed Wright-Baker quite a bit.

Wright-Baker looked uncomfortable in the pocket last week against Ball State and scrambled into trouble.  If he does that again cornerback Chase Minnifield will surely snag an interception or two.  Minnifield was first team all ACC last year with six interceptions.

On the offensive side of the ball, Virginia is led by an inexperienced quarterback in Michael Rocco.  Rocco didn't see the field much last year as a true freshman and this is his first season as a starter.

The Hoosiers will need to get a better pass rush and try to rattle the inexperience of Rocco.  Last week the Hoosiers made Ball State quarterback Keith Wenning look like a pro.  He constantly threw to wide open receivers all night as Indiana was in a soft coverage.

Indiana will also need to do a better job of stopping the run.  Ball State rushed for 210 yards last week and pushed Indiana around all over the field.  Virginia will come out and run the ball a lot due to the inexperience of their quarterback.

The Cavaliers rushed for 240 yards last week in their win against William & Mary.  The rushing attack was led by redshirt freshman Kevin Parks as he rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns.

Virginia has a huge offensive line so if Indiana wants to have any chance the line on both sides of the ball will need to show up.

Keys to the Game for Indiana:

Indiana is going to have to come out and jump up on the Cavaliers early. 

Ed Wright-Baker will need to improve tremendously and hit wide receiver Demarlo Belcher more.  Belcher only had four receptions last week against Ball State after coming off of 78 receptions last season.  His 78 receptions ranks second all time for a single season in Indiana football history.

The experience of the Hoosiers offensive line will need to step up as well.  Virginia is definitely bigger and stronger so the Hoosiers will have to show a little finesse.

It will be a huge key if the offense can get on the scoreboard early and force the inexperience of Rocco to beat them.  If not, Virginia will run the ball at will. 

The defensive line will need to step up and stop the run if they want a chance at the win.

Key Match-ups to Watch

Demarlo Belcher vs. Chase Minnifield

Michael Rocco (Virginia QB) vs. Indiana defense

Virginia rushing attack vs. Indiana's defensive line

Prediction:

If Indiana can win any of those key matchups, they will have a shot.  However, I just don't see that happening. 

Indiana made Ball State look like an SEC school when they're a mid-pack MAC school at best.  Virginia is rebuilding but they are bigger, stronger and faster.

Look for the Cavaliers to have another huge rushing day and stop the Hoosiers offense often.

Virginia 52 - Indiana 17

Sports is, to a large degree, about expectations. Not the expectations of a team or coach, but that of its fans and the sporting community.

The New York Yankees are the most successful baseball team that ever existed. Since 1995, they have appeared in the playoffs every season except one. They have won five World Series in that time span.

The Yankees will finish the 2011 season with the second- or third-best record in baseball. Yankee fans are watching a team with three first-ballot Hall of Fame players in Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriquez and Mariano Rivera, one likely one in Jorge Posada and three others who, barring catastrophic injury, will be enshrined for eternity in Cooperstown.

Yet despite this fantastic success, which is the envy of every fanbase, all you have to do is ask any Yankee fan or read any Yankee message board and you'll find that only another World Series championship will meet the fans' expectations.

The United States Women's Soccer team did not need a championship to meet expectations.

Despite twice blowing a one-goal lead in the Women's World Cup final, an event most didn't even know was happening a month prior, the U.S. Women became national heroes.

This brings us to Indiana football and the Kevin Wilson era.

Expectations for this IU football team were very high from Hoosier Nation. Fans want to win. They want to win with a desperation that often blinds them to reality. Our expectations are rarely derived from an honest assessment of the situation.

Kevin Wilson stepped into a bad situation at IU.

He makes for a good sound bite, which inspires the fans. He comes from a winning tradition at Oklahoma and fans believe that success can be transferred to the Cream and Crimson.

But those kind of expectations are absurd to anyone who understands the challenges that Wilson and IU face. This isn't Wilson's team, at least in the sense that these are not the players he recruited. Wilson’s recruits won’t have an impact for at least a year or more.

The current crop of players come from a coach who ran a different system. Wilson is doing his best to fit round pegs into square holes. He can only “coach ‘em up” so much.

Wilson was not going to make a Sam Bradford out of the team's QB, or put up 60 points per game or add 200 pounds to the offensive and defensive lines. He can’t conjure a Gerald McCoy to play D-line or a Trent Williams to protect his quarterbacks out of talent that’s not there.

Maintaining reasonable expectations in sports is difficult. Heck, maybe it's completely impossible; we don't cheer for men and women playing games because it's the rational act of an educated individual.

Kevin Wilson and IU football 2011 are not a failure after losing to Ball State. IU football fans are not unreasonable for hoping to see a winner.

What is important is perspective.

Yankee fans should find some happiness that they get to cheer for a team that contends every season and is packed with once-in-a-generation talent. While the US Women's team played hard, they should have won a game they were favored in and twice had a late lead in. It's going to take time for Kevin Wilson to have an impact on IU football. There are a lot more bad losses and lousy performances coming down the pike.

It is all about meeting or exceeding expectations in sports. But since there's so much passion and love involved in sports, there's almost no chance those expectations are rational or given reasonable time to come to fruition.

Perspective is needed with expectations and patience needs to be a bigger part of being a fan. Those who keep these important qualities integrated into their fan-hood find an elusive joy that those who are blinded by unreasonable expectations are always searching for.

The Kevin Wilson era opened with a huge disappointment.

Indiana looked like they were well on their way to winning the game as they scored on their first possession.

They went 76 yards on 15 plays with the drive ending on Matt Perez's 9-yard touchdown run.

Their first possession in the second quarter ended up with touchdown as well. The Hoosiers needed only five plays for 80 yards to get in the endzone. The drive was capped with a 65-yard touchdown pass to Demarlo Belcher. That gave Indiana a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.

That was the last time the Hoosiers visited the endzone for the entire game.

They could only muster six total points the rest of the game and looked like a completely different team.

Ball State controlled the line of scrimmage and did whatever they wanted against the Hoosiers.

The Cardinals rushed for 210 yards and quarterback Keith Wenning looked like another quarterback that calls Lucas Oil home. Wenning was 23 for 29 for 179 yards with two touchdowns and zero Interceptions. He also ran eight times for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Wenning's first touchdown pass was to Barrington Scott on a 1-yard pass to start off the second quarter. He then tied the game at 14 when he did a QB sneak later in the second quarter.

In the third quarter Wenning threw a beautiful pass to receiver Connor Ryan in the corner of the end zone.  That gave Ball State a 24-17 lead and the Cardinals never looked back.

Ball State controlled the ball for most of the second half and sealed the game in the fourth by getting first down after first down.  The worn-out Indiana's defense couldn't get the Cardinals offense off the field.

Ball State ended a long drive in the fourth quarter with a field goal to the Cards a 27-17 lead.

Indiana drove down the field late in the fourth quarter but could only get a field goal to make the score 27-20 which forced an onside kick.

The Cardinals recovered the kick that gave Ball State their second win in a row against the Hoosiers.

It was also the first time in eight years that Indiana lost their season opener.

Ed Wright-Baker won the starting quarterback job for the Hoosiers but looked disappointing.  He ended up 20 for 32 on the game with 272 yards and a touchdown.

Wright-Baker tried to scramble too much and held onto the ball way too long. When he was forced to throw he was highly inaccurate.

The Hoosiers offensive line gave up four sacks which this unit only gave up 12 all of last season.  I credit most of the sacks to Wright-Baker for not getting rid of the ball or running into trouble.

If the Hoosiers don't fix the lines on both side of the ball and the quarterback situation they will be in for a long season.

The four sacks on Wright-Baker to Ball State giving up none and the run defense needing help with Ball State rushing for 210 yards while IU rushed for 103 was the determining factors in the game. That gave Ball State the time of possession edge with 36:33-23:27.

Indiana (0-1) hosts Virginia (1-0) next Saturday night in their home opener at Memorial Stadium.  The game can be seen on the Big Ten Network at 7:00 P.M.

Ball State and Indiana will kick off their season opener tonight in an instate matchup between the schools at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis.

This is technically a Ball State home game in a move to try and gain more fans. 

The Cardinals are dangerously close to losing Division 1 status due to low attendance figures.

The move the game to downtown Indianapolis is a smart move to gain more fans.  With it being Labor Day weekend and most kids at home with their families, there's expected to be 30-35,000 fans in attendance for tonight's matchup.

Tonight's game also opens a new era for both schools. 

Ball State hired new coach Pete Lembo in the offseason and Indiana hired Kevin Wright.

Both coaches are considered more offensive minded guru's and will run a spread no huddle offense. 

Look for this to be a very fast-paced game, but expect a lot of mistakes.  Both schemes are new to the respective schools and it will take some time for them to adjust to new the scheme.

Storylines:

Quarterback play:

The Indiana Hoosiers have yet to announce a starting quarterback for tonight's game.  They have three possibilities, but none of them have separated themselves enough to win the nod. 

Ed Wright-Baker is in my mind going to be the starter, but don't be surprised if Dusty Kiel or even freshman Tre Roberson get some playing time behind center.

Ball State on the other hand won't have a quarterback controversy. 

Ketih Wenning will get the start tonight.  Wenning threw for 1,373 yards last season with 14 Touchdown and 14 Interceptions.  He made bad decisions at times last year, and with Indiana switching up defensive schemes look for this to be a make-it-or-break-it scenario for both teams.

Indiana's O-Line vs. Ball State's Defense

Ball State is going to blitz a lot tonight due to their new scheme. 

What will win the game tonight for IU? 

If the O-:Line makes it hard for them to get to whoever's behind center. 

The Hoosier's line last year gave up only 12 sacks all season and was ranked 11th nationally.  All five return and will start tonight. 

If the Hoosiers line is as good as last year, look for Demarlo Beltcher to have a huge game receiving and the Hoosiers to control the game.

Prediction: Indiana 27  Ball State 14

The Indiana Hoosiers came close to making their first bowl appearance since 2007, but came up one game short finishing 5-7 overall and last place in the Big Ten for the third consecutive year with a 1-7 record in conference play during the 2010 season. 

A late game drop by wide receiver Damarlo Belcher in a heartbreaking 18-13 loss to Iowa, continuous defensive mishaps in a 42-35 shootout defeat at the hands of Michigan and several blown chances in the fourth quarter, were too much for the Hoosiers as they were bested 20-17 by Northwestern. 

All of this led to the firing of head coach Bill Lynch, who finished with a 19-30 record in Bloomington at the end of last year's campaign. 

Indiana's new head coach Kevin Wilson, who is coming off of a nine-year stint as the offensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Sooners, has a daunting rebuilding task ahead of him if he is to lead the Hoosiers out of the cellar of the Big Ten in the 2011 campaign. 

The Hoosiers will likely take a step backward this season after losing their top three offensive weapons and no signs of improvement in their secondary, which finished dead last in the Big Ten in passing defense a year ago. 

Offense:

The only reason Indiana had much success last season was because senior quarterback Ben Chappell, who completed his final year of eligibility in 2010, threw for close to 3,300 yards and 24 touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Dusty Kiel is a prototypical drop-back passer and will likely win the starting job for the 2011 campaign, but junior Edwin Wright-Baker will push Kiel during summer practices. 

The Hoosiers' talented receiving tandem of Tandon Doss and Terrance Turner, who combined for 130 receptions, 1,387 yards and 10 touchdowns, are also not returning for the 2011 season. 

There is good news for Indiana though: Damarlo Belcher is primed to have a breakout senior year and will be their best offensive player coming off of a season in which he made 78 catches for 832 yards and four touchdowns. The success of the Hoosiers offense will likely depend on whether or not Belcher is putting up big numbers. 

Indiana's leading rusher from a year ago, Trea Burgess, graduated as well. The Hoosiers hope junior running back Darius Willis can return from a knee injury last season and make an impact in the running game in 2011 and take some pressure off of their inexperienced quarterbacks. 

Sophomore tailback Nick Turner and true freshman D'Angelo Roberts have stood out in the first few practices and will get plenty of chances to tote the rock this season. 

The offensive line should be strong this season with senior offensive tackles Andrew McDonald and Justin Pagan, along with junior center Will Matte, all returning from last year's squad. 

Junior guard Marc Damisch has made seven career starts and will fill one of the spots left behind by James Brewer and Aaron Price, who combined for 31 starts in their careers at Indiana. 

Defense:

The Hoosiers' abysmal pass defense allowed 238 yards per game, 27 touchdowns and only managed to snag eight interceptions last year. Indiana finished 90th in the country in total defense and surrendered an average of 34 points per game, which was 102nd in the nation. 

The secondary will still have major problems in 2011, but the Hoosiers' front seven will be significantly better.

Look for senior linebackers Jeff Thomas and Leon Beckum to make a ton of tackles this season. Also, the defensive line returns three starters and junior defensive tackle Larry Black Jr. could be one of the best players on the defensive side of the ball in the entire country after dropping 25 pounds of fat and adding some muscle to his frame in the offseason. 

Senior defensive end Darius Johnson led the Hoosiers with 4.5 sacks in 2010 and will look to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks again this season coming off the edge. 

If Johnson and Black can apply pressure and slow down opposing running games this year, the Hoosiers' problems in the secondary may not be as apparent as they were a year ago. 

Prediction:

The Hoosiers will not have anywhere close to the same amount of firepower they had on offense last season and the defense will still struggle despite being better up front this season. 

Indiana's schedule is also very rigorous with road trips to Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State and Iowa. The only winnable games for the Hoosiers this year will come in non-conference play and the lone chance they will have at knocking off a Big Ten team is in their season finale against arch-rival Purdue. 

Indiana has only finished with a winning record once since 1995 and have not won the Big Ten since 1967. Do not expect any of that to change in Wilson's first season as head coach, but one thing that will change in 2011 is the team's mentality entering each and every game. 

"Our mindset is different," Belcher said. "All we're thinking about is winning."

Projected Record: 3-9 (0-8 Big Ten)

9/3 - Ball State* - Win

9/10 - Virginia - Loss

9/17 - South Carolina State - Win

9/24 - at North Texas - Win

10/1 - Penn State - Loss

10/8 - Illinois - Loss

10/15 - at Wisconsin - Loss

10/22 -  at Iowa - Loss

10/29 - Northwestern - Loss

11/5 - at Ohio State - Loss

11/19 - at Michigan State - Loss

11/26 - Purdue - Loss

* - at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

Zach Dirlam is a Big Ten Columnist for the new website Sports at Work. Check out his blog, Dirlam’s Dirty Dugout Sports Blog, which features this story along with other articles and video reports on the major sports. You can also follow his blog on Twitter, which will provide you with the latest updates about what will be posted on the blog!

Before coaching an official in-season practice, before taking the field, heck, before even winning a game, first-year Indiana Hoosier head football coach has already won the hearts of many fans.

Let's face it. Before Wednesday's major announcement, how many folks actually thought the top QB in the class of 2012, Gunner Kiel (Columbus, IN), would commit to play for the Hoosiers.

Sure, they were on his shortlist, but after years and years of poor seasons and neglect from the top brass in the athletics department, it was expected that he would choose to go south to Alabama, or west to Oklahoma or Missouri, all three being powerhouses in major conferences, and yearly national title contenders.

But the news, which thanks to social media spread like wildfire, has re-ignited a passionate though small Hoosier football fanbase. Bloomington may be a basketball town, but things are beginning to change.

The first catalyst was on November 28, 2010, just a day after beating the rival Purdue Boilermakers, that Athletic Director Fred Glass made the difficult but correct decision to fire Bill Lynch. In his three years as full-time head coach, the Hoosiers won just three Big Ten games (all at home), and were constantly at the bottom of statistical charts, as well as the standings.

Fast-forward nine days later, and at a press conference from the Henke Hall of Champions, in the brand new North End Zone of Memorial Stadium, at Indiana University, Glass introduced Kevin Wilson, formerly offensive coordinator with the Oklahoma Sooners, as the next head coach. Along with a reported seven-year, $8.4 million contract, Wilson spoke of waiting for the right school to open up, and jumping at the opportunity to coach in the Big Ten. 

"I was looking for the right place where we could win, where it would be a tremendous challenge and a place where my family could live," Wilson said at the press conference.

That was the second catalyst. And now, eight months after that, a massive shockwave has sent tremors through the college football landscape, alerting coaches, players and fans that the Indiana Hoosiers are on their way up, and the days of old where Indiana was a cellar dweller will soon be a thing of the past.

When Gunner Kiel finally suits up in the fall of 2012 for the Hoosiers, Indiana will be a team on the up. It's then going to be up to Kiel, Wilson and the rest of the squad to take the next step toward greatness.

Hey, if Barry Alvarez could turn around Wisconsin and make it into the powerhouse it is today, whats to say that it cant happen with Indiana?

Comment away.

Follow Dan on twitter @DanKarell15

Gunner Kiel has shocked the recruiting world by committing to Indiana University. The commitment to Indiana is considered one of the biggest recruiting upsets in the last 20 years.

Kiel, who is ranked as the No. 1 prospect by Prepstar.com and Prepstar Magazine, will join an Indiana program that has only 17 Big Ten Conference wins in the last decade.

The commitment by Kiel shows the brilliance in the coaching hire of first-year head coach Kevin Wilson.

Wilson came to Indiana after an impressive stint at Oklahoma, where he groomed several quarterbacks, including No. 1 overall draft pick Sam Bradford.

Gunner Kiel was dazzled by Wilson, which led to his decision to commit to the Hoosiers.

"There’s no question,” said Kip Kiel, Gunner’s father. “That was a huge part of it. Not just Bradford, but several quarterbacks. He’s done a tremendous job developing quarterbacks. That goes back to his time at Northwestern and even before that.”

Gunner, who had offers from every major program in the country, never named a list of schools he was considering.

"It came down to gut feel and where he felt most comfortable,” Kip said. “With Alabama there’s obviously a lot of tradition. But Coach Wilson has done a great job, and there’s a lot of excitement in Bloomington right now. I think Gunner felt that.”

Gunner, the 6'4", 220-pound pro-style QB, had a breakout junior year where he passed for 2,645 yards and 36 touchdowns at Columbus East. He added 238 yards on the ground with seven touchdowns.

The Hoosiers landed an absolute stud in Gunner Kiel. He shocked the recruiting world today and will likely shock defenses in the Big Ten for years to come!

Gunner Kiel (Columbus, IN), the nation's No. 1 pro-style quarterback and No. 19 overall prospect according to Rivals.com, committed to a perennial losing program on Wednesday afternoon.

The East High School star decided to stay close to home to play his college football and chose the Indiana Hoosiers over Alabama, Oklahoma, and Missouri. 

"It's the biggest recruiting upset since I've been covering recruiting since the 1990s," Rivals.com national analyst Mike Farrell said about Kiel's shocking decision. "The top quarterback in the country, with all these offers from all these major programs decides to stay home and doesn't have the facilities or winning tradition everyone around them is throwing at him? That's an absolute home run for them."

The 4-star prospect is one of the most highly touted prospects to ever commit to Indiana and is likely the best quarterback recruit since Antwaan Randle El back in 1998. Kiel will likely be the Hoosiers starting quarterback in 2012 as a true freshman.

The 6'4" and 220-pound drop-back passer is the 14th commitment and first commitment rated higher than 3 stars in the Hoosiers 2012 recruiting class. 

To put into perspective how big Kiel's commitment is, he is only the second 4-star prospect to commit to Indiana since 2002. 

"It's a tremendous thing for Indiana football," said long-time high school coach Dick Dullaghan, who has worked with Kiel since he was playing in elementary school. "Traditionally, we've had difficulty keeping the very, very top players in our state."

Kiel's commitment not only gives Indiana a great chance at a bowl game in 2012 and beyond, but will also help bring in some other top notch prospects to play alongside the Top 20 prospect. Indiana may have more than just basketball to celebrate in the coming years.

Check out my blog, Dirlam’s Dirty Dugout Sports Blog, which features this story along with other articles and video reports on the major sports. You can also follow my blog on Twitter, @DirtyDugoutBlog, which will provide you with the latest updates about what will be posted on the blog!