Indiana vs. Central Michigan
Indiana Hoosiers
SETTING THE SCENE
On Dec. 17, 2004, Terry Hoeppner was named the 26th head football coach in Indiana history. In the past nine months, Hoeppner has assembled a quality coaching staff, and collectively, they signed 24 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent and enjoyed a productive spring and fall camp. Furthermore, Hoeppner made more than 50 public appearances statewide, resulting in a 26 percent increase in overall season ticket sales and a buzz about the Hoosier football program that IU has not seen in more than a decade.
Nine months of eager anticipation culminates on Sept. 2, when Hoeppner and the Hoosiers open the 2005 season at Central Michigan (ESPNU and the IU Radio Network).
You will not find anyone more ready than IU’s first-year head coach.
“Three of my most favorite days are Signing Day, the first day of spring practice and the season opener,” Hoeppner said. “Not only do I give my guys an ‘A’ for effort and enthusiasm throughout camp, but we have made a lot of progress on both sides of the ball.”
THE CMU SERIES
Indiana heads to Mount Pleasant looking for its third straight series win against Central Michigan. The Hoosiers have prevailed in the first two meetings of the series. IU posted a 39-29 victory on Sept. 21, 2002, and followed that with a 41-10 victory on Sept. 4, 2004.
Terry Hoeppner is making his Indiana head coaching debut in familiar territory –
Kelly- Shorts Stadium. As a head coach,
INDIANA FOOTBALL The Central Michigan Game - Sept. 2, 2005 - 2
Hoeppner is 1-0 against the Chippewas after Miami’s 24-16 victory in Mount Pleasant on Sept. 25, 1999. As a Miami assistant coach, Hoeppner helped the RedHawks win four of their last five games against CMU.
RETURNING STATISTICAL
LEADERS
Here is a look at Indiana’s returning stat leaders:
Rushing - Chris Taylor, 329 yards, 4.0 avg.
Passing -Blake Powers, 9-22-2-98 yard s
Receiving - Jahkeen Gilmore, 23-308 yard s
Tackles - Kyle Killion 107, 16.5 TFL
SCOUTING CMU
Central Michigan returns 37 letterwinners and 16 starters from a 2004 club that finished 4-7 overall and 3-5 in the Mid-American Conference West Division. Head coach Brian Kelly is in his second season in Mount Pleasant after 13 seasons at the helm of NCAA Division II Grand Valley State.
The Chippewas return six starters each on offense and defense. The defense is anchored by 6-3, 257-pound defensive end Daniel Bazuin, a first team all-league pick who is also on the Watch List for the Lombardi and Nagurski Awards.
Offensively, senior quarterback Kent Smith directs the CMU attack. The 6-5,. 215-pound Smith threw for 2,284 yards and 16 touchdowns and ran for another 351 yards in 2004. The 2,635 yards ranks as the second-best single-season offense total in school history.
IU VS. MAC
Indiana owns a 26-4-1 (.855) mark against Mid-American Conference programs. In addition to a 2-0 re c o rd against Central Michigan, the Hoosiers are 2-0 against Ball State, 1-0 against Eastern Michigan, 10-3-1 against Miami (Ohio), 4-1 against Ohio, 3-0 against Toledo and 2-0 against Central Michigan.
HOOSIER OPENERS
This marks the second time in three years that Indiana opens the season on the road. Ironically, the Hoosiers’ last road lid-lifter marked the earliest season opener in school history - Aug. 30, 2003 at Connecticut. Indiana is looking to win its fifth season opener in the last eight years.
From the Indy star
Spread the word: IU excited about offense
Hoosiers believe they have the necessary 'weapons' to make new coach's scheme work.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- There are a lot of things "new" with the Indiana University football program.
New coach.
New quarterback.
New outlook.
There's also a new offense, one that at least should make the Hoosiers less predictable.
For first-year coach Terry Hoeppner, the spread offense is a staple. It was a big part of his success the past few years at Miami of Ohio, and he's hoping it has the same impact at IU.
In 2003, Miami led the nation in scoring (43 points per game) and ranked second in total offense (501 yards per game). The RedHawks scored 602 points in 14 games. IU has scored 603 in its past 31 games.
Hoeppner credits the spread offense with making the difference at Miami.
"It forces the defense to defend both the width and the depth of the field," Hoeppner said. "The true spread offenses operate from the shotgun all the time and rely on no-huddle as part of it, but they truly don't get the play-action pass where they fake the run, draw you in and throw the ball deep."
Hoeppner's offense will. He uses the spread with what he calls his "amigos" formation, which features three or four wide receivers. At the same time, he feels he can run or pass out of the "doubles" formation, which has two tight ends. Typically, there will be one running back.
"We think we can get some big plays out of our doubles formation," Hoeppner said. "We'll put two tight ends on the field, and the defense will have to come up in the box to guard against the run, which gives us single coverage on the outside.
"So we'll get in our two-tight ends formation and run the ball, then we'll do it again and run it again. And we'll do it one more time, fake the run, and throw the post, throw it deep. There's a lot of opportunities for big plays in both looks we'll show."
The logical question is whether IU has the personnel to make it work.
The spread is predicated on creating matchup problems and causing confusion. In 2003, Hoeppner entrusted the scheme to Ben Roethlisberger, the 2004 NFL Rookie of the Year for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Indiana will employ first-time starter Blake Powers, who inherits a unit that ranked ninth in the Big Ten a year ago in total offense (320.5 yards).
IU quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Matt Canada said IU has the necessary pieces to be successful.
"We have a lot of talent right now," Canada said. "Our wideouts are inexperienced as far as game-day playing, but you look at those guys and we have a lot of talent there. Our running backs are as good as anybody, and I think our quarterbacks are going to do a good enough job of getting us in the right plays.
"We just want to play smart, play fast and we want them to do what they're asked to do on a play. You don't have to be Superman. You have to do your job and play smart. Don't put our defense in a bad position, and just make plays. I think they'll be up to the challenge."
The players are excited about the new attack.
Powers called it "a quarterback's dream." Senior tailback Chris Taylor said it's an offense with "unlimited possibilities." Junior receiver Lance Bennett likes the potential for mismatches.
"For me, it exposes mismatches and it might give me the opportunity for a safety to be guarding me or a linebacker to be guarding me if I'm playing inside receiver," Bennett said. "I like the spread offense a lot, especially with the weapons that we've got. We've got a bunch of people who can flat-out make plays."
The overhaul impacts the offensive line, too, which now has more defenders to decode.
"The big change between a spread offense and playing tight is that you have to adapt however the defense chooses to play on any given play," starting right tackle Justin Frye said. "It changes the tackle position the most because you have a lot more reads. You have to look at your safeties and your linebackers, and not just your defensive ends. As you get further down the line, it's pretty much just life in the trenches."
Wide receiver Jahkeen Gilmore, second on the team a year ago in receptions with 23 for 308 yards, is looking forward to running in open spaces.
"I know we've got the weapons to be successful and I think this offense is the right fit for our personnel," Gilmore said. "Now it's up to us to make it work the way coach Hep has designed it."
JT
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