Kicking the Bucket
Ben Chappell was hit from behind on the third play from scrimmage. He fumbled and the ball 
was picked up by the Boilermakers. At that point, I think everyone in the stadium was thinking the same thing: "Here we go again." Purdue capitalized on poor play from the Hoosiers and jumped out to a 21-0 lead. That stretch included two missed field goals (one was blocked). IU was able to score at the end of the first half to cut the lead to 21-7. However, the Boilers returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown and never looked back. The final was 38-21. On the positive side, Indiana ran the ball for nearly 200 yards. Darius Willis was the difference maker and he should be a force next season. The offense is going to be very good next season. Nine starters return and the offensive line has the depth to replace the two guys they will lose from that unit. Willis, Tandon Doss, Damarlo Belcher and Mitchell Evans will be joined by redshirt freshman Duwyce Wilson to give IU a lot of weapons. The bad news is that IU's defense is going to be dreadful.
was picked up by the Boilermakers. At that point, I think everyone in the stadium was thinking the same thing: "Here we go again." Purdue capitalized on poor play from the Hoosiers and jumped out to a 21-0 lead. That stretch included two missed field goals (one was blocked). IU was able to score at the end of the first half to cut the lead to 21-7. However, the Boilers returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown and never looked back. The final was 38-21. On the positive side, Indiana ran the ball for nearly 200 yards. Darius Willis was the difference maker and he should be a force next season. The offense is going to be very good next season. Nine starters return and the offensive line has the depth to replace the two guys they will lose from that unit. Willis, Tandon Doss, Damarlo Belcher and Mitchell Evans will be joined by redshirt freshman Duwyce Wilson to give IU a lot of weapons. The bad news is that IU's defense is going to be dreadful. There was a lot of progress made this season. They were very competitive in most of their Big Ten games. The next step is to turn competitive games and close losses into wins. They need to capitalize on the chances they have to pull off upsets and make plays at the end of games. It is way too early to start projecting what will happen next season. Bill Lynch will be coaching again and I look for more positive strides from the football program.
0-For-3
I'll be honest, I did not expect Indiana to go 0-3 in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic. I was not surprised by the Ole Miss game but I thought they could beat Boston University. The game was not televised but I listened to it on the radio as the Hoosiers continually shot themselves in the foot. I cannot stand missed free throws and turnovers. Indiana got drilled on the glass and were absolutely horrendous from the foul line. Maurice Creek had 17 points in the first half but completely disappeared in the second. IU proved that they haven't learned how to win games yet and they were beaten by an experienced team. That loss really hurt and it was another reminder of the long winter that lies ahead. The Hoosiers were then matched up against George Mason, a team that had played Villanova and Georgia Tech to the wire. I didn't expect much of a game here. GMU had played two good
games and Indiana hadn't even put together a quality half of basketball on the island. IU played well and hung tough. Jordan Hulls played his best game. Bobby Capobianco showed what he was capable of by pulling in 10 rebounds and scoring seven points in 17 minutes. Indiana had one fewer turnover, out-rebounded the Patriots and shot 75% from the foul line. However, a banked three with five seconds left gave George Mason a 69-66. So, what do we take from the tournament? Indiana played a good game against George Mason and still lost. I think the Patriots are an NCAA team but this slaps us in the face again with how far this program has fallen. The Boston game was horrible. Ole Miss is a much deeper and more athletic team. The good news is that the newcomers are proving their worth. Christian Watford struggled at times but Creek, Rivers, Hulls, Elston and Capobianco all have showed us what they can do. The bad news is that Verdell Jones is the only returning player who has played well. Devan Dumes has been absolutely worthless and Tom Pritchard gets in foul trouble every game. Tom Crean is going to shorten his bench and set some rotations soon. Right now, Pritchard and Dumes don't belong in the mix. IU needs to rebound with a good week of practice and a win over Northwestern State on Saturday. After that, tough tests against Maryland and Pittsburgh.
Coming up, I will preview the Indiana-Northwestern State game and take a look at the college basketball season as we head into Feast Week. Until then, Happy Thanksgiving!
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