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FS
Joe Gonzalez |
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2002
Statistics
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Coach:
Gerry DiNardo
3-9,
1 year |
2002
Record: 3-9
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WILLIAM
& MARY |
WON
25-17 |
at
Utah |
LOST
13-40 |
at
Kentucky |
LOST
17-27 |
CENTRAL
MICHIGAN |
WON
39-29 |
at
Ohio State |
LOST
17-45 |
WISCONSIN |
WON
32-29 |
IOWA |
LOST
8-24 |
at
Illinois |
LOST
14-45 |
at
Northwestern |
LOST
37-41 |
MICHIGAN
STATE |
LOST
21-56 |
PENN
STATE |
LOST
25-58 |
at
Purdue |
LOST
10-34 |
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2002 Final Rankings
AP-UR, Coaches-UR, BCS-UR
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2003
Outlook
|
It's
a process. That's what Indiana fans and
coaches and administrators are saying publicly,
and telling themselves. Gerry DiNardo is
entering his second year as the Hoosiers
coach after coming off a 3-9 season, which
included just one Big Ten victory, and getting
back to respectability is a process.
But
you can only have so many processes and
five-year plans and, for that matter, coaching
changes. Fortunately for the Hoosiers, this
is the year they turn the corner if two
pieces of the puzzle can fall into place.
If
IU can improve its rush defense, say from
sieve to slow leak, and if it can fill the
inexperienced holes on the offensive line,
a flirtation with .500 isn't out of the
question. The potential is there, on both
sides of the ball. But a battle with Northwestern
for the ignominious 11th spot in the Big
Ten is more likely.
Defensively,
there's no place to go but up. Three of
the four linemen return and all three starting
linebackers are in the fold - but it was
a group that finished last in the Big Ten
and 113th out of 117 schools in the country
in rush defense. The secondary put up better
numbers, placing fourth in the conference
and in the top third in the nation in pass
defense - but three of the four starters
graduated. All is not lost, however.
The
Hoosiers plan a switch to a 4-2-5 alignment
this season to help compensate, hoping the
returners and the bulk up front can improve
on the poor rush defense and allow the DBs
time to get into the new system.
Offensively,
optimism is at an all-time high. Last year,
Indiana set school marks for passing yardage
and for having a pair of 50-catch receivers.
And that was WITHOUT quarterback Matt LoVecchio,
the Notre Dame transfer who is eligible
to play this fall.
Assuming
LoVecchio plays to his potential, the onus
then falls on the offensive line, where
both tackles and the center must be replaced.
The
schedule is rough, at least in the early
going. Four of the first six games are on
the road - at an improving UConn, at Washington,
at Michigan and at Michigan State. If the
Hoosiers can somehow pull off an upset among
those four games and hold serve at home
against Indiana State and Kentucky, they're
3-3 going into the second half of the season.
Not a bad goal.
DiNardo
remains upbeat and he's building loyalty
in the program. Say this for DiNardo, too
- he's winning back the state's high school
football coaches that were once loyal to
Bill Mallory but strayed during the Cam
Cameron era. DiNardo vowed at his hiring
that he would visit every football-playing
prep school in the state of Indiana within
his first two years as coach. Earlier this
spring, he accomplished his goal. That's
311 schools done in basically what was a
three-month window over the two years. Did
it pay off? Well, 37 players from the state
of Indiana signed Division I-A letters of
intent in February, and seven went to Indiana.
It's a start.
Projected
2003 record: 2-10
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OFFENSIVE
MVP
RB Brian Lewis
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DEFENSIVE
MVP
LB Kyle Killion
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TOP
NEWCOMER
DE Kenny Kendal
|
|
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INDIANA
*POWER RATINGS
|
Offense
|
Defense
|
QB
- 3 |
DL
- 2 |
RB
- 1.5 |
LB
- 2.5 |
WR
- 3 |
DB
- 2 |
OL
- 1.5 |
.. |
|
RETURNING
LEADERS
|
Passing:
Glenn Johnson, 1-1-0, 26 yds., 0 TD
Rushing: Yamar Washington, 174 att.,
688 yds., 9 TD
Receiving: Courtney Roby, 59 rec.,
1039 yds., 4 TD
Scoring: Yamar Washington, 9 TD,
1 - two pt. conv., 56 pts.
Punting: none
Kicking: Bryan Robertson, 9-13 FG,
23-28 PAT, 50 pts.
Tackles: Herana-Daze Jones, 108 tot.,
74 solo
Sacks: Herana-Daze Jones, 7.5 sacks
Interceptions: Damien Jones, 3 for
11 yds.
Kickoff returns: Courtney Roby, 11
ret., 20.6 avg.
Punt returns: Glenn Johnson, 25 ret.,
6.5 avg.
|
|
|
|
WR
Courtney Roby
|
|
|
|
OFFENSE
- 7
|
----RETURNING
STARTERS----
|
DEFENSE
- 7
|
|
KEY
LOSSES
|
OFFENSE:
A.C. Myler-OL, Enoch DeMar-OL, Gibran Hamdan-QB |
DEFENSE:
Kris
Dielman-DL, John Kerr-LB, Antonio Watson-CB,
A.C. Carter-S, Ryan Hamre-P |
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2003
OFFENSE
|
written
by Rich Thomaselli
LoVecchio
will drive the bus, but it goes nowhere fast without
a revamped offensive line that needs to open some
holes.
LoVecchio
leads a solid group of skill players. After sitting
out his mandated season as a transfer, the former
Notre Dame signal-caller enters the fall as just
one of four returning quarterbacks who started
in a BCS bowl game, that being the Fiesta Bowl
loss to Oregon following the 2001 season. He decided
to transfer after it became apparent last year
that new coach Ty Willingham was going with Carlyle
Holliday.
But
DiNardo has made no promises here; sophomore Graeme
McFarland will push LoVecchio. "They both
have done some outstanding things since they have
been on campus, and that translates into they
both deserve a chance," DiNardo said.
But
figure on the transfer winning the job. LoVecchio
is a big, strong kid at 6-3, and has good mobility
in the pocket and a sense of where the trouble
is coming from. He'll need it. There is little,
if any, returning experience on the line. Three
of the five starters are gone. Now throw in OG
Anthony Oakley, who was booted off the team this
spring after failing a conditioning drill and
whose return remains up in the air, and junior
Chris Jahnke, who is learning a new position at
right tackle after starting every game at center.
Only RG Adam Hines, who started the last 10 games,
will be back at his regular starting position.
But as Hines is a strong run-blocker and if Jahnke
gives IU at right tackle what he gave the program
at center, the right side of the line becomes
the launching point for the Hoosier offense.
And,
really, it's not that bad an offense. Records
were set through the air last year, and LoVecchio
figures to improve upon those. WRs Courtney Roby
and Glenn Johnson became the first IU receiving
duo to each catch more than 50 passes in the same
season. They are perfect complements to each other.
What one lacks in size, the other has in speed.
What one might lack in natural playmaking ability,
the other compensates for with experience and
smarts. LoVecchio should have fun here.
The
backfield is good. Starters Brian Lewis and John
Pannozzo not only make a solid duo, but Lewis
will be spelled by sophomore Yamar Washington,
who excelled when Lewis was out with an injury
last year. And both Pannozzo and Washington are
excellent receivers coming out of the backfield,
giving IU even more options on offense.
But
in the end, it will all come down to the patchwork
offensive line.
|
|
OT
Adam Hines
|
INDIANA
2003 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters in bold
|
OFFENSE
|
QB |
Matt
LoVecchio-Jr |
Graeme
McFarland-Fr |
FB |
John
Pannozzo-So |
Alex
Stscherban-Fr |
RB |
Brian
Lewis-Sr |
Marlin
Lynch-Fr |
WR |
Courtney
Roby-Jr |
Tyke
Spencer-So |
WR |
Glenn
Johnson-Sr |
Jahkeem
Gilmore-Fr |
TE |
Aaron
Halterman-Jr |
Matt
O'Neal-Fr |
OT |
Isaac
Sowells-So |
Scott
Anderson-Fr |
OG |
Adam
Hines-So |
Jacob
Wagner-Jr |
C |
Brandon
Hatcher-So |
Chris
Mangiero-Fr |
OG |
Chris
Jahnke-Jr |
Brandon
Joyce-Fr |
OT |
Justin
Frye-Fr |
.. |
K |
Bryan
Robertson-Jr |
Adam
Braucher-Sr |
|
|
2003
DEFENSE
|
written
by Rich Thomaselli
Senior?
Senior? Anybody got a senior? Defensive coordinator
Tim Kish has seven returning starters from last
year's defense, but they're still fairly young
and not a senior among them. Worse, stud linebacker
John Kerr, who led the team in tackles last season,
decided to transfer.
So
Kish will have to make do with what's available.
There is some speed, there is some strength and
there is some experience. But it's just enough
to get by in the non-conference and not enough
to be a middle-of-the-pack contender in the Big
Ten.
On
the line, junior Jodie Clemons started all 12
games at one end and sophomore Victor Adeyanju
started 10 games at the other end. Word has it
that both made a serious commitment to the weight
room during the spring as IU attempts to get bigger
in order to improve its run defense. Junior Martin
Lapostolle is a former linebacker who has been
moved to defensive tackle in order to take advantage
of his size and quickness off the ball. Nose tackle
Russ Richardson played as a true freshman and
should only improve, although, compared to his
conference peers, he's a relative pup both in
age and size, weighing in at only 251 pounds.
The Michigans and Wisconsins and Ohio States have
ballboys that big.
Since
the Hoosiers are going to a 4-2-5 alignment, it
should offset the transfer of Kerr. Junior Kevin
Smith and sophomore Kyle Killion will man the
two linebacker spots but, again, here's where
the experience issue comes into play. Or lack
thereof. Smith played in 11 games in 2002, Killion
in seven, and they combined for only 56 tackles.
To be fair, however, Smith was coming off a knee
injury from 2001 campaign and Killion played hurt
for most of the season. Still, there is little
to no depth behind the duo - the top two backups
are a redshirt freshman and a walk-on - and that
could be a big problem. For the most part, the
Big Ten remains a punishing ground conference.
Last year, eight of the conference's 11 teams
ranked in the top 59 nationally in rushing yardage.
If the Hoosiers are counting on their LBs to be
run-stoppers, they're going to have a long season.
The
secondary should make up for some of that, however.
Herana-Daze Jones was a small linebacker (5-11,
205) who is about to become a big, hard-hitting
third safety in the 4-2-5 alignment. Along with
fellow safeties Joe Gonzalez and Will Lumpkin,
this should form the strength of the Hoosiers
defense. Cornerback Damien Jones is quick and
a good cover-man. He led the team with a modest
three INTs. Sophomore Leonard Bryant is also a
solid coverage guy on the other side of the field.
|
|
CB
Damien Jones
|
INDIANA
2003 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters in bold
|
DEFENSE
|
DE |
Jodie
Clemons-Jr |
Kenny
Kendal-Fr |
DT |
Martin
Lapostolle-Jr |
Chris
Beaty-Jr |
NG |
Russ
Richardson-So |
Adam
Tingle-Fr |
DE |
Victor
Adeyanju-So |
Eli
Radke-Jr |
SLB |
Kevin
Smith-Jr |
Andy
Halterman-Fr |
MLB |
Kyle
Killion-So |
Randy
Cate-Jr |
ROV |
Herana-Daze
Jones-Jr |
Luke
Stone-Jr |
CB |
Damien
Jones-So |
Duane
Stone-Sr |
CB |
Leonard
Bryant-So |
Buster
Larkins-So |
SS |
Will
Lumpkin-So |
Luke
Stone-Jr |
FS |
Joe
Gonzalez-Sr |
Ryan
Skelton-Fr |
P |
Tyson
Beattie-Fr |
Bryan
Robertson-Jr |
|
|
|
2003
SPECIAL TEAMS
|
Like
the rest of the units, this one has its share of problems.
Place kicker Bryan Robertson, a junior was 9-for-13
on field goal attempts. Sounds respectable, right? Well,
not until you consider the fact that he has trouble
with the chip shots. Robertson missed three of five
FGs between 30 and 39 yards, as well as five PATs, though,
to his credit, he banged six of seven 3-pointers from
beyond 50 yards. Robertson will battle Adam Braucher,
who suffered a knee injury last year that forced him
to miss the entire campaign.
Tyson
Beattie, a redshirt freshman from Australia, is the
only punter on the roster who participated in spring
drills. And punting was one of IU's few special teams
bright spots last year under the since-graduated Ryan
Hamre, who averaged 38.2 yards per kick. Beattie has
a strong leg, though, and coaches are optimistic.
On
the return side, Glenn Johnson runs well after the catch
as a receiver but he netted only 6.5 yards per punt
return, a figure that needs to be drastically improved.
IU will take all the yardage it can get.
|
|
The main focus this spring was to improve
the running game. They received an extremely
encouraging display from senior Brian Lewis,
who ran for 191 yards and 2 TDs on 28 carries.
He will need to carry a bit more of the weight
this year, now that his running mate, Yamar
Washington will be out for the year with an
MCL injury. Quickly inserted into his spot
is redshirt freshman Marlin Lynch. Lynch may
be the best-kept secret in the Big Ten and
will give the Hoosiers the back end of a powerful
1-2 punch at tailback. He is a big, physical
back, who can give the offense a great change
of pace. Look for these two to combine for
nearly 2,000 yards this season
QB Matt
LoVecchio used this spring as a learning tool.
Though he didn't play poorly, there were some
mistakes he made that he chastised himself
on. Count on him to get better as the season
lengthens
A backup WR to keep an eye
on is freshman Jahkeem Gilmore. Those close
to the program give him high praise and are
very excited for his addition to the duo of
Roby and Johnson. He has good size and speed
and will give them a great utility through
the air. Lance Bennett (who only stands 5'5")
is another one to watch. He had some eye-popping
catches and showed great ability to run afterwards.
Defense took its hits here and there, but
overall, had a satisfying performance. The
strength comes in the front six and they
are going to have to measure up in the rugged
Big Ten (especially against the run) if
they are to achieve high success this season.
DE Kenny Kendal had a terrific spring and
should contribute valuably in the front
four. I would not be surprised if he gets
the nod at DE, moving Jodie Clemons inside
to DT
The secondary is an area that
flashed its headlights onto the highway
of progress this spring. Leonard Bryant
(who has proved to be a hard hitter), Luke
Stone and returning senior Joe Gonzalez
are confirmed productive cogs in this five
DB set the Hoosiers like to run. Coaches
and players alike are very excited for Gonzalez's
return. They admire not only his style of
play, but maybe more importantly, his leadership
Kyle Killion has made a smooth transition
to MLB and looks to benefit from the 4-2-5
system the Hoosiers will run this season.
He and Kevin Smith should sit well in their
respective slots. It's the lack of depth
behind them that causes concern. Look for
junior Jason Cartwright to be added to the
LB mix when they go with three in the middle.
Tyson Beattie has been handling the punting
duties during the spring and will likely
get the nod. Ryan Hamre's status for 2003
is uncertain, but he will be in school.
Hamre punted for the Hoosiers last year
Soph Chris Taylor has been the best KR and
will likely be teamed with classmate Courtney
Clency, one of the fastest guys on the team.
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