Never Daunted: An Indiana Hoosiers Dynasty (NCAA 14)

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Matchup Preview *|* October 16, 2021
	@
Purdue Boilermakers (2-4, 2-2 Away)		#3 Indiana Hoosiers (5-0, 3-0 Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison 401.0 Total Offensive Yards 377.8 317.2 Passing Yards 209.0 83.8 Rushing Yards 168.8 27.5 Points Per Game 33.6 Defensive Stats Comparison 406.8 Total Yards Allowed 313.2 217.7 Passing Yards Allowed 288.8 189.2 Rushing Yards Allowed 24.4 Injury Report Ben Richardson- LG Strained back (6 wks.) John Johnson- HB MCL sprain (Probable) Paul Terrell- HB Strained back (6 wks.) Bryan Cook- RG Bruised shoulder (Probable) Game Notes It's Old Oaken Bucket week again in Bloomington, and that hasn't been a good thing for the Hoosiers in recent years. The Boilermakers have pulled off huge upsets the last two times they've come to Bloomington, a trend IU is desperately looking to put to an end. Keys to victory Indiana: Pass defense. Sounds like a broken record, right? Well, for this game, stopping the pass is extra important. Purdue's pass game is ranked sixth in the nation, and will be key for them if they want to take the Bucket back home to West Lafayette. Indiana cannot afford to give the Boilers a good game through the air. Purdue: Defensive line. Kentucky shredded the Hoosier offensive line last week, and was probably the biggest reason the Hoosiers trailed at halftime. If Purdue can do what Kentucky couldn't and dominate in the trenches for the whole game, Indiana's offensive playbook suddenly gets a lot smaller. Prediction: Indiana 24, Purdue 20. Purdue matches up well with Indiana, and we should have a competitive game. Purdue had some ugly losses earlier in the year, and despite a 1-2 record in Big Ten play, have been playing much better recently. This should be another exciting chapter in this famous rivalry, but IU should just have enough to keep the Bucket. 8:00 PM, ESPN

This day in Hoosier history
October 16, 1976- Indiana defeated Iowa, 14-7, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. IU would go 5-6 that season, capped off with a win over Purdue in the Oaken Bucket game.

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17| 34
Memorial Stadium- Bloomington, IN- Partly cloudy, 43 degrees- Oct. 16, 2021

Not this time

Bloomington- Once again, Purdue came into Memorial Stadium on Saturday night the heavy underdog to the #3 ranked Hoosiers, and were once again looking to leave with a huge upset and the Old Oaken Bucket.

Purdue began the game with possession and worked into IU territory, but the Hoosier defense kept the Boilermakers out of the endzone, forcing a field goal to give Purdue the early 3-0 lead. Back-to-back three-and-outs would keep Indiana off the board in the quarter, and it remained 3-0 after one.

Indiana put up their first points of the game early in the second quarter, when Joe Long scored on a quarterback sneak from just outside the goalline to put IU up, 7-3. Later in the quarter, Purdue made something out of nothing with a screen pass touchdown to put them back in the lead. But, thanks to a good return by Lee Hurst, Indiana was able to get into field goal range right before the half, and the teams entered the locker room tied at 10.

Indiana's offense controlled the third quarter, with another Swan field goal and two touchdown passes from Long to Bret Rodriguez. Indiana held a 27-10 advantage after the third quarter.

Purdue would finally get another score on a short touchdown run in the fourth, but Indiana responded with another touchdown, this time a pass to Vince Pressley. IU's defense made sure Purdue could not claw any closer, and Indiana gets the monkey off their back with the victory, 34-17.

"I didn't like how we started the game," said coach Pate, "but I think once we settled down and got focused, things started going our way. It's always good to get a win, but to beat your biggest rival at home is really special. We're happy we're keeping the Bucket in Bloomington."

Quarterback Joe Long led the Hoosiers, going 16 of 21 passing for 141 yards, 3 passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown, and one interception. Danny Novak, despite not scoring a touchdown, still had an impressive showing, with 189 yards on 28 carries.

Purdue's offense was supplied by quarterback Jacob Price, who was 34 of 49 passing for 281 yards and a touchdown. Halfback Jarrod Hobbs had one receiving touchdown and one touchdown on the ground for the Boilermakers.

The Hoosiers will now look to keep another piece of hardware in their trophy case when they host Michigan State next week in the Battle for the Old Brass Spittoon. The Hoosiers' homecoming game gets going at 6 PM.

Joe Long had four total touchdowns against Purdue


Bret Rodriguez makes a catch in the endzone, one of his two TDs on the day

Purdue Boilermakers at Indiana Hoosiers
Oct 16, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Purdue Boilermakers (2-4)	3	7	0	7	17
#3 Indiana Hoosiers (5-0)	0	10	17	7	34

Team Stats Comparison
	PUR	IND
Total Offense	299	339
Rushing Yards	18	198
Passing Yards	281	141
First Downs	14	20
Punt Return Yards	11	54
Kick Return Yards	0	131
Total Yards	310	524
Turnovers	0	1
3rd Down Conversion	6/16	3/7
4th Down Conversion	2/4	0/0
2-Point Conversion	0/0	1/2
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	1/1	4/1
Penalties	2-25	0-0
Possession Time	13:09	14:50

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		PUR	IND
4:28	(PUR) FG: R. Blake, 26 yds.	3	0
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		PUR	IND
3:53	(IND) TD: J. Long, 0 yd. run (B. Swan kick)	3	7
0:38	(PUR) TD: J. Hobbs, 36 yd. pass from J. Price (R. Blake kick)	10	7
0:00	(IND) FG: B. Swan, 31 yds.	10	10
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		PUR	IND
4:38	(IND) FG: B. Swan, 44 yds.	10	13
2:12	(IND) TD: B. Rodriguez, 6 yd. pass from J. Long (2-pt. failed)	10	19
0:00	(IND) TD: B. Rodriguez, 10 yd. pass from J. Long (2-pt.)	10	27
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		PUR	IND
4:56	(PUR) TD: J. Hobbs, 1 yd. run (R. Blake kick)	17	27
2:29	(IND) TD: V. Pressley, 13 yd. pass from J. Long (B. Swan kick)	17	34

Purdue Boilermakers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Jacob Price 34/49 281 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Jarrod Hobbs 10 27 2.7 1 Jacob Price 7 -9 -1.2 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD James Smith 9 84 9.3 0 Jarrod Hobbs 7 65 9.2 1 Kevin Woods 6 53 8.8 0 Shaun Bright 4 23 5.7 0 Taylor Davis 3 33 11.0 0 Clint Kent 3 8 2.6 0 Clayton Rodgers 1 9 9.0 0 Ivan McAfee 1 6 6.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Daniel Morton 2 1 Corey Williams 1 0 Adam Newsome 1 0 Darrell Harrison 0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Antonie Sanders 9 0.0 0 0 Martin Goolsby 7 0.0 0 0 Derrick Jefferson 6 1.0 0 0 Isaac Anthony 6 0.0 0 0 Kevin O'Neill 6 1.0 0 0 Terrance McCoy 4 0.0 0 0 Cameron Hunt 4 0.0 0 0 John Walter 4 0.0 0 0 Duane Miller 4 0.0 1 0 Robert Chambers 1 0.0 0 0 Isaiah Daniels 1 0.0 0 0 Matt Anderson 1 0.0 0 0 Chris Lyles 1 0.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Ryan Blake 1/1 2/2 5 26

Indiana Hoosiers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Joe Long 16/21 141 3 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Danny Novak 28 189 6.7 0 Joe Long 6 2 0.3 1 Cody Wynn 2 7 3.5 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Bret Rodriguez 7 57 8.1 2 Greg Clark 4 48 12.0 0 Vince Pressley 3 33 11.0 1 Danny Novak 2 3 1.5 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Melvin Siegel 1 1 Thurman Armstrong 0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD C.J. Harrison 9 1.0 0 0 Brett Harris 8 1.0 0 0 Tyler Thomas 7 0.0 0 0 A.J. Hunter 5 0.0 0 0 Jerrell Silva 4 0.0 0 0 Scott Durbin 3 0.0 0 0 Roshaun Brant 3 0.0 0 0 Erik McCarty 2 1.0 0 0 Courtney Berry 2 0.0 0 0 James Richardson 1 0.0 0 0 David Burke 1 0.0 0 0 James Harris 1 0.0 0 0 Mike McGill 1 0.0 0 0 Vince Pressley 1 0.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Bryant Swan 2/2 2/2 8 44

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Top 25 scoreboard
Indiana 34, Purdue 17
Minnesota 42, Northwestern 14
Tennessee 38, South Carolina 14
Stanford 20, Syracuse 17
UCF 34, Connecticut 17
Florida State 28, NC State 25
Fresno State 36, Duke 10
Michigan 18, Maryland 14
LSU 38, Ole Miss 24
Ohio State 49, Arizona State 7
TCU 42, Iowa State 21
Texas 24, Texas Tech 13
Louisville 49, Boston College 25
Illinois 27, Idaho 13
Northern Illinois 20, Toledo 3
North Carolina 48, Miami (FL) 21
Virginia Tech 38, Pittsburgh 6
USC 35, Notre Dame 28
Georgia 51, Vanderbilt 7
Nebraska 35, Oklahoma 21
Clemson 42, Georgia Tech 25

Other notable games
Eastern Michigan 28, Western Michigan 10
Missouri 55, Texas State 13
UNLV 27, Hawaii 24
Marshall 26, Army 14
West Virginia 35, BYU 30
Alabama 35, Arkansas 21
Kentucky 35, Kansas 28
Navy 34, ECU 28
California 52, Washington State 21
Memphis 38, SMU 21
Iowa 34, Wisconsin 31
Florida 34, Mississippi State 22
Auburn 31, Texas A&M 28
Oregon State 27, Utah 26
Colorado 38, Temple 24
Tulane 45, Houston 24
Arizona 37, Washington 33
Oregon 31, UCLA 13
Cincinnati 31, Oklahoma State 26
Kansas State 44, Baylor 31
Rutgers 35, Penn State 27
San Diego State 42, Boise State 17



This week's headlines
Noles by a nose- FSU avoids upset against winless NC State
Crash landing- Toledo's offense nowhere to be seen in loss to NIU
Iowa's late touchdown enough to beat Wisconsin
Hokies stay perfect with route of Pitt
Trojans top Irish in hard-fought rivalry
Nebraska outscores old rival Sooners 18-0 in fourth quarter, giving OU first loss
Arizona scores a big first win with upset of Washington
Tigers roar in second half, easily top Georgia Tech

Heisman watch
Jared Butler- Junior (RS)- HB- Notre Dame
D.D. Cade- Junior (RS)- HB- Georgia
Kenneth Eaton- Senior (RS)- QB- Fresno State
Gerry Harrell- Junior (RS)- HB- Oklahoma
Richard Jones- Senior- HB- USC



This week's big games
Michigan State @ Indiana
Toledo @ Eastern Michigan
Notre Dame @ Pittsburgh
Iowa @ Northwestern
Navy @ UCF
Kansas @ BYU
Ohio State @ Rutgers
Utah @ UCLA
California @ Washington
Maryland @ Penn State
LSU @ Texas A&M
Missouri @ South Carolina
Wisconsin @ Arkansas
Army @ ECU
Texas Tech @ Iowa State
Virginia Tech @ Duke
Nevada @ UNLV
Arizona State @ USC
Stanford @ Oregon State
Hawaii @ New Mexico
Tulane @ Memphis
Connecticut @ Marshall
Nebraska @ Illinois (College Gameday)
Georgia Tech @ North Carolina
Florida State @ Louisville
Wake Forest @ Boston College
Texas @ TCU
Mississippi State @ Kentucky
SMU @ Houston
Oklahoma @ Kansas State
West Virginia @ Cincinnati
Minnesota @ Michigan
Virginia @ Syracuse
NC State @ Clemson
Tennessee @ Alabama
Washington State @ Colorado
Oregon @ Arizona
Boise State @ Fresno State
San Diego State @ San Jose State

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Top 25

1. Ohio State (6-0)
2. Stanford (7-0)
3. USC (7-0)
4. Indiana (6-0)
5. Louisville (7-0)
6. Fresno State (6-0)
7. Minnesota (5-1)
8. Virginia Tech (6-0)
9. Florida State (4-2)
10. LSU (6-1)
11. Oklahoma (6-1)
12. TCU (5-2)
13. Georgia Tech (4-2)
14. UCF (5-1)
15. Tennessee (4-3)
16. Nebraska (4-2)
17. North Carolina (5-2)
18. Michigan (4-2)
19. Clemson (3-3)
20. Notre Dame (4-3)
21. Georgia (5-2)
22. Toledo (5-1)
23. Texas (5-2)
24. Illinois (4-2)
25. Pittsburgh (3-3)

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Midseason report

Conference standings

ACC
Atlantic
Louisville, 7-0 (4-0)
Florida State, 4-2 (3-1)
Clemson, 3-3 (2-2)
Boston College, 3-3 (1-2)
Wake Forest, 3-3 (1-2)
Syracuse, 2-4 (1-2)
NC State, 0-7 (0-4)

Coastal
Virginia Tech, 6-0 (3-0)
North Carolina, 5-2 (3-1)
Georgia Tech, 4-2 (3-1)
Miami (FL), 4-3 (2-2)
Virginia, 3-3 (1-2)
Pittsburgh, 3-3 (1-3)
Duke, 1-5 (0-3)

American
North
Marshall, 5-2 (4-1)
Navy, 4-2 (3-1)
Temple, 3-4 (2-2)
Army, 4-3 (2-3)
Connecticut, 3-3 (1-2)
ECU, 2-5 (0-5)

South
UCF, 5-1 (3-0)
Memphis, 6-1 (3-1)
Tulane, 4-3 (3-2)
USF, 3-3 (2-2)
SMU, 2-5 (1-3)
Houston, 1-6 (1-3)

Big 12
North
Cincinnati, 4-3 (3-1)
Kansas State, 2-4 (2-1)
West Virginia, 2-4 (2-2)
Kansas, 2-5 (1-4)
Iowa State, 2-4 (0-3)
BYU, 1-6 (0-5)

South
Oklahoma, 6-1 (5-0)
Oklahoma State, 4-3 (3-1)
TCU, 5-2 (4-2)
Texas, 5-2 (3-2)
Texas Tech, 5-2 (2-2)
Baylor, 4-3 (1-3)

Big Ten
East
Ohio State, 6-0 (3-0)
Indiana, 6-0 (3-0)
Michigan, 4-2 (2-1)
Michigan State, 4-2 (2-1)
Rutgers, 4-2 (2-1)
Penn State, 3-3 (1-2)
Maryland, 1-6 (0-4)

West
Iowa, 5-1 (2-1)
Minnesota, 5-1 (2-1)
Illinois, 4-2 (2-2)
Northwestern, 2-4 (2-3)
Nebraska, 4-2 (1-2)
Wisconsin, 2-4 (1-3)
Purdue, 2-5 (1-3)

C-USA
East
FAU, 4-2 (2-0)
Southern Miss, 4-3 (2-1)
FIU, 2-4 (1-1)
Middle Tennessee State, 2-4 (1-2)
UAB, 2-4 (1-2)
Old Dominion, 2-4 (1-3)

West
Louisiana Tech, 5-1 (2-0)
Tulsa, 4-2 (2-0)
Western Kentucky, 2-4 (2-1)
North Texas, 3-3 (1-1)
Rice, 3-3 (1-2)
UTEP, 1-5 (1-2)
UTSA, 2-4 (0-2)

Independent
Notre Dame, 4-3

MAC
East
Miami (OH), 4-3 (2-1)
Akron, 1-5 (1-2)
Buffalo, 3-4 (1-2)
Ohio, 2-5 (1-2)
UMass, 2-4 (0-2)
Kent State, 2-4 (0-3)
Bowling Green, 1-5 (0-2)

West
Arkansas State, 6-1 (4-0)
Eastern Michigan, 6-1 (3-0)
Northern Illinois, 3-3 (2-1)
Toledo, 5-1 (2-1)
Western Michigan, 2-4 (2-1)
Central Michigan, 2-5 (2-1)
Ball State, 0-6 (0-2)

Mountain West
Mountain
Utah State, 6-2 (4-1)
Air Force, 4-2 (3-1)
Colorado State, 4-3 (2-2)
New Mexico, 2-4 (1-3)
Wyoming, 1-5 (1-3)
Boise State, 1-5 (0-3)

West
Fresno State, 6-0 (3-0)
UNLV, 5-2 (4-1)
San Jose State, 4-2 (2-1)
San Diego State, 3-3 (2-2)
Nevada, 2-4 (1-3)
Hawaii, 1-5 (0-3)

Pac-12
North
Stanford, 7-0 (6-0)
California, 6-1 (4-1)
Oregon State, 5-2 (3-1)
Washington State, 3-4 (2-3)
Washington, 4-2 (1-2)
Oregon, 3-3 (1-2)

South
USC, 7-0 (6-0)
Arizona, 1-5 (1-2)
Utah, 3-5 (1-4)
UCLA, 2-5 (0-4)
Colorado, 1-5 (0-3)
Arizona State, 0-6 (0-3)

SEC
East
Missouri, 5-2 (3-1)
Georgia, 5-2 (4-2)
Tennessee, 4-3 (3-2)
South Carolina, 5-3 (3-3)
Kentucky, 3-3 (2-2)
Florida, 4-3 (2-3)
Vanderbilt, 2-6 (1-4)

West
LSU, 6-1 (4-1)
Alabama, 5-2 (3-1)
Auburn, 3-4 (3-2)
Ole Miss, 5-3 (3-3)
Mississippi State, 3-4 (2-3)
Arkansas State, 3-4 (2-3)
Texas A&M, 1-6 (0-5)

Sun Belt
Georgia State, 3-3 (1-0)
UL-Monroe, 1-4 (1-0)
New Mexico State, 3-2 (0-1)
South Alabama, 3-2 (0-0)
UL-Lafayette, 3-2 (0-0)
Texas State, 2-3 (0-0)
Troy, 2-3 (0-1)
Idaho, 1-4 (0-0)


Longest active home winning streaks
Georgia Tech, 14
Indiana, 12
Ohio State, 11
Minnesota, 8
Alabama, 5
South Carolina, 5
Stanford, 5
Rutgers, 5

Longest active home losing streaks
Utah, 8
San Diego State, 7
Texas A&M, 6
UTEP, 5
UL-Monroe, 5

Indiana season stats
Passing
Joe Long, 95/136, 1,143 yards, 11 TD, 6 INT
Danny Novak, 1/1, 43 yards.
Mario Watson, 0/1

Rushing
Danny Novak, 155 ATT, 823 yards, 5 TD
Joe Long, 40 ATT, 78 yards, 3 TD
John Johnson, 14 ATT, 57 yards, 2 TD
Cody Wynn, 16 ATT, 46 yards, 1 TD
Lionel Barrett, 10 ATT, 38 yards

Receiving
Bret Rodriguez, 31 REC, 494 yards, 6 TD
Vince Pressley, 27 REC, 417 yards, 3 TD
Danny Novak, 18 REC, 83 yards, 1 TD
Greg Clark, 14 REC, 149 yards, 1 TD
John Johnson, 1 REC, 11 yards
Carlos Coley, 1 REC, 15 yards
Pete Dixon, 1 REC, 4 yards
Lionel Barrett, 1 REC, 3 yards
Cody Wynn, 1 REC, 1 yard
Thurman Armstrong, 1 REC, 9 yards

Pancake blocks
Melvin Siegel, 3
Greg Clark, 1
Tim Whitaker, 1
Jeremy Hill, 1

Tackles (top 5)
C.J. Harrison, 34 (#2 in NCAA)
Tyler Thomas, 29
Jerrell Silva, 29
Brett Harris, 26
A.J. Hunter, 25

Sacks
Erik McCarty, 8 (T-#1 in NCAA)
Deon Jackson, 3
A.J. Hunter, 3
James Richardson, 2
Courtney Berry, 2
C.J. Harrison, 2
Scott Durbin, 1
Mike McGill, 1
Brett Harris, 1

Interceptions
A.J. Hunter, 2
Roshaun Brant, 2
Jerrell Silva, 2
Tyler Thomas, 1
Courtney Berry, 1

Kicking
Bryant Swan, 9/10 FG, 23/23 XP, 39 kickoffs, 32 touchbacks, longest FG= 45 yards

Punting
Bryant Swan, 8 ATT, 381 yards, 1 touchback, longest punt= 56 yards

Kick return
Lee Hurst, 12 returns, 358 yards
John Johnson, 1 return, 3 yards
Carlos Coley, 1 return, 0 yards
Robert Medlock, 1 return, 1 yard

Punt return
Lee Hurst, 18 returns, 208 yards
Tyler Thomas, 1 return, 3 yards

The season so far
6-0 at the midpoint is impressive, even more so as this is the second year in a row the Hoosiers have accomplished that feat. Offensively, the Hoosiers have been solid. As expected, the passing game has been much more important to this team than previous seasons, and Danny Novak is putting up some good numbers on the ground. The O-line could use some work, though, but that was to be expected.

What wasn't expected is how poor the Hoosier pass defense has been. Indiana is allowing far too many yards through the air, and the crazy thing is, there's no reason for it. IU's secondary is stacked, and C.J. Harrison is a defensive anchor at linebacker. Whether the Hoosiers aren't getting pressure like they'd like, or the team is slow to adjust to their new defensive coordinator, or something else, Indiana has got to step their game up when it comes to stopping the pass. IU's rush defense, on the other hand, is as strong as ever, and has all but eliminated the opposing ground game for most of the season.

The season to come
Indiana now gets ready for the tougher part of their schedule, including some big road games with Michigan and Ohio State. IU has their hands full, but has shown that they're not going to let go of the division crown easily. Once again, we should be in for an exciting second half of the season.

Indiana recruiting
Committed
Paul Edwards- DT- 62 OVR (3*)- Hamilton, OH- Hamilton HS
Mark Jenkins- DT- 66 OVR (3*)- Palmetto Estates, FL- Miami Palmetto HS
Cory Jacobs- DT- 71 OVR (3*)- Hartselle, AL- Hartselle HS
Nick Page- DT- 67 OVR (3*)- Leesburg, VA- Heritage HS

Considering (currently have IU at #1)
Bryant Silva- WR- 80 OVR (5*)- Plymouth, MI- Plymouth HS
Ryan Smith- WR- 69 OVR (4*)- Marion, OH- Marion Harding HS
Kevin Morris- SS- 75 OVR (4*)- Ferndale, MD- North County HS
Cory Allen- DE- 71 OVR (4*)- Hamtramck, MI- Hamtramck HS
Brian McKeon- WR- 72 OVR (4*)- Portland, TN- Portland HS
Craigh Harris- ATH- 70 OVR (4*)- Murfeesboro, TN- Oakland HS
Jeremy Dorsey- SS- 69 OVR (3*)- East Cleveland, OH- Shaw HS
John Thompson- HB- 70 OVR (4*)- Wapakoneta, OH- Wapakoenta HS
Andy Collins- DT- 74 OVR (4*)- Farmington Hills, MI- North Farmington HS
Ryan Cobbs, DE- 65 OVR (3*)- Merrydale, LA- Glen Oaks HS
Robert Whitlock- HB- 65 OVR (4*)- Vero Beach, FL- Vero Beach HS
Tyler McKenzie- FS- 68 OVR (4*)- Dublin, GA- Trinity Christian School


National top 10 recruits
1. Ben Ruffin- ATH- Yerington, NV- Yerington HS- Considering:
2. Bryant Silva- WR- Plymouth, MI- Plymouth HS- Considering:
3. Aaron Davis- ATH- Paterson, NJ- Paterson Catholic HS- Considering:
4. Drew Glover- TE- Swissvale, PA- Woodland Hills HS- Considering:
5. Sam Porter- DT- Grandview, MO- Grandview HS- Considering:
6. Freddie Francis- WR- Santa Barbra, CA- Bishop Garcia Diego HS- Considering:
7. Pete Waller- HB- Carencro, LA- Carencro HS- Considering:
8. Richard Blanco- ATH- Dishman, WA- Gonzaga Prepatory School- Committed:
9. Tra Gray- DE- River Ridge, LA- Riverdale HS- Considering:
10. Michael Moore- ATH- Newport Beach, CA- Newport Harbor HS- Committed:

The good, the bad, and the ugly
The good
The SEC- The teams of the Southeastern Conference have been in and out of the top 25 all season, seemingly on rotation. At a glance, that might not seem like a good thing, but when you look closer, you can see how tough this conference really is, from top to bottom. These teams have beating up on each other all season, and it's still up in the air as to which teams will be heading to Atlanta for the conference championship. LSU seems to be the favorite right now, but Missouri, the surprising leader of the East, Alabama, who after a rough start to the year and two down seasons after their national title seem to be on the upswing, Georgia, and Tennessee all still have real shots at the conference crown. Even teams outside the title picture are tough competition, like Florida, Auburn, Ole Miss, and South Carolina. Other than LSU, no team has a record that really jumps out, but make no mistake, the SEC is once again making its case for the best conference in America.

The ACC- We included them on this list last year, and it seems the ACC has actually gotten better. Two of the remaining 7 unbeaten teams reside in the ACC (Louisville and Virginia Tech), 5 others are in the top 25 currently, and several others have been ranked at some point this year. Entering the second half of the season, we could be in for some thrilling games with big implication from this conference.

The color red- Of the top 10 teams in the country, 9 have some shade of red as one of their primary colors. Only 3 red teams make up the rest of the top 25. What does this mean? Maybe nothing. But if you're of the superstitious persuasion, you might want to stock up on some red shirts as soon as you can.

The bad
Arizona- The Wildcats continue their rebuilding stage following their national title two years ago, and things aren't showing signs of improvement any time soon. Arizona is actually doing worse this year than they were at this point a season ago, with just one win, an upset over Washington, to their credit. What saves them from "the ugly" category is that somehow, they aren't the worst team in the state of Arizona (we'll get to that later).

West Virginia- The Mountaineers were supposed to be the favorite to win the Big 12 North. And then they started the season losing 4 straight and are now in jeopardy of missing a bowl game altogether. They've since won two in a row, though one of those wins came against a rebuilding BYU squad at home, but the chances of getting to Houston for the Big 12 Championship appear to be fading pretty quickly. Their upcoming game at Cincinnati will likely go a long way toward deciding the division, but even a win might not be enough to put WVU on top of the weaker division of the Big 12.

UCLA- Boy, the Pac-12 South is struggling this year, huh? UCLA started the season comfortably in the top 25, and have since done absolutely nothing impressive. Wins over an FCS school and ULM (by 5 points) aren't anything to brag about, and it looks like the Bruins' season ending matchup with crosstown rival USC could easily be over long before it begins. Fortunately for UCLA, they play in a pretty weak division, so there's still hope they can salvage something from what has thus far been a massive letdown of a season.

The ugly
Notre Dame- Is it harsh to put a ranked defending champion on this list? Maybe, but the post-title hangover seems to have finally caught up to Notre Dame and the Irish have hit a rough patch that deserves mentioning. After steamrolling their way to a 4-0 start, the Fighting Irish have lost 3 straight, kissing their hopes of a repeat goodbye. To be fair, those 3 losses came to good teams (yes, even Louisiana Tech), but for a team with so much promise to hit this kind of snag, you can't deny things have taken a sudden turn for the ugly in South Bend. The season doesn't get any easier for Notre Dame, with 4 of their remaining 5 opponents in the top 25. ND can still turn things around with a good showing in these games, but if things don't get going quickly, they could see any hope of a respectful season go out the window.

NC State- The Wolfpack are one of three winless teams in the nation this season, which hurts even more when you consider that they had a pretty solid season a year ago, with 7 wins and a bowl birth. We can cut them a little slack since the ACC is a stacked conference this year, but at the end of the day, that goose egg in the win column speaks pretty loudly.

Arizona State- The Sun Devils and Arizona seem to be playing a game of "who can be the worst team in the state", and ASU seems to be winning. One of the other teams without a win this year (Ball State is the other, by the way, left off the list because the MAC is...the MAC), which is extra bad when you consider the weak division in which they reside. Arizona State might be able to scratch out a win or two before the season ends, but right now... ASU is U-G-L-Y.

[apate93]

The magnificent seven

For the second year in a row, seven teams remain unbeaten at the midpoint of the season. Today, we'll look at who among the group is most likely to stay perfect, and who is most likely to stumble before year's end.

Ohio State- Ohio State has done well for themselves to this point, but something stands out about their schedule: it's been a bit easy, and the Bucks haven't exactly dominated. Their best win was against Minnesota, but after that, their opponents with the best records are only at .500. Narrow wins against Wisconsin and Oregon have kept OSU unblemished, but how long can they keep it up?

Remaining schedule
@ Rutgers
vs Maryland
@ Michigan State
@ Penn State
vs Indiana
vs Michigan

Chances of a perfect season- Not great. Again, it's hard to say just how good Ohio State really is. Regardless, they'll be tested in the second half of their season, with meetings with Michigan State, Indiana, and Michigan. If they're really the #1 team the polls say they are, they could do it. Only time will tell for sure, though.

Stanford- Give Stanford credit for making this far unbeaten, something not easily done in the Pac-12 and something Stanford's struggled with over the past seasons, despite having some pretty good teams. But like Ohio State, it's hard to really judge them based on their performances so far.

Remaining schedule
@ Oregon State
vs Oregon
@ Northwestern
@ California
vs Notre Dame

Chances of a perfect season- Doable, but not easily. The toughest part of Stanford's schedule is ahead of them, with Oregon, California, and Notre Dame still on the schedule. Fortunately for them, the won't meet USC until the Pac-12 Championship should they both make it there. The Pac-12 is a tough conference with a lot of parity, and if the Cardinal can make it through without a loss, it will be well deserved.

USC- The Trojans have had their share of close calls, but have managed to keep their heads above water every time. Could this be the year the Men of Troy restore their former glory?

Remaining schedule
vs Arizona State
@ Arizona
vs Tennessee
vs UNLV
vs UCLA

Chances of a perfect season- Very good. The Trojans' toughest game remaining is Tennessee, who they have at home and has been all over the place in terms of consistency. And considering USC's weak division has basically paved the way for them to make it to San Francisco for the conference championship, USC could be poised for a season they haven't seen in Los Angeles in about 15 years.

Indiana- IU shares a lot of similarities with Ohio State. They've had success against a mediocre schedule, and now have their real tests coming up. The next few weeks will show us if the defending national runner-up is really a threat to make it back to the BCS Championship.

Remaining schedule
vs Michigan State
vs Rutgers
@ Maryland
@ Michigan
@ Ohio State
vs Penn State

Chances of a perfect season- Doable, but not easily. That meeting with Ohio State in Columbus could again be a classic, but they have to get there in one piece first. But, if they can avoid falling behind like they have in recent games, it's definitely possible IU could find themselves eyeing the crystal ball once again.

Louisville- The Cardinals have probably been the most impressive unbeaten team so far, with wins against Virginia, Miami, Notre Dame, and Clemson. That's an impressive résumé, and UL is definitely worthy of their top 5 ranking.

Remaining schedule
vs Florida State
@ Syracuse
@ Pittsburgh
@ Wake Forest
vs NC State

Chances of a perfect season- Good. That is, if they can get past Florida State. If they can do that, the Cards should be the heavy favorite in the rest of their games. They do have 3 straight road games, though, so an upset isn't completely unrealistic.

Fresno State- Our cinderella this year is the Bulldogs from Fresno, who have taken the nation by storm on their way to a #6 ranking. But other than a win against Alabama, Fresno State hasn't really had serious competition, which could hurt them as the season goes on.

Remaining schedule
vs Boise State
@ UNLV
vs San Jose State
@ San Diego State
vs Nevada
@ Hawaii

Chances of a perfect season- Pretty good. This is the thing about mid-majors. Yes, they are unbeaten, which is impressive, but the Mountain West isn't the SEC or ACC, so it's hard to say the Bulldogs are as good as their unbeaten brothers. They should win out, but the real question isn't "will they win", but rather, "what happens when they win?"

Virginia Tech- The Hokies have come from nowhere this season, and, thanks in part to a soft schedule, have kept a perfect record alive. But will the rest of their schedule be as kind?

Remaining schedule
@ Duke
vs Boston College
vs North Carolina
vs Miami (FL)
@ Georgia Tech
@ Virginia

Chances of a perfect season- Not great. The second half of the schedule for VT is much harder than the first half, with games against UNC, Miami, Georgia Tech, and Virginia. That's a tough slate, and one that will make an undefeated season very difficult to attain. And that's not even including the possible trip to the ACC Championship.

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Matchup Preview *|* October 23, 2021
	@
Michigan State Spartans (4-2, 2-1 Away)		#4 Indiana Hoosiers (6-0, 4-0 Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison 419.5 Total Offensive Yards 371.3 218.5 Passing Yards 197.7 201.0 Rushing Yards 173.7 30.3 Points Per Game 33.7 Defensive Stats Comparison 430.5 Total Yards Allowed 310.8 246.7 Passing Yards Allowed 287.5 183.8 Rushing Yards Allowed 23.3 Injury Report Marcus Lyles- MLB ACL sprain (Questionable) Game Notes Indiana and Michigan State square off for the Old Brass Spittoon this week, and since these two will be moving to different divisions next year, this could be their last meeting for a while. All the more reason to want to come out with the victory. Keys to victory Indiana- Slow the run. MSU doesn't have an offense that'll blow you away, but they can do some damage, especially on the ground. Indiana's focus this week will likely be on taking away the Spartans' main offensive weapons. Michigan State- Don't be one dimensional. Michigan State can't allow the Hoosiers to succeed in making MSU a one-trick pony. They'll need to have some diversity on offense to keep the IU defense from getting the upper hand. Prediction: Indiana 30, Michigan State 21. Michigan State is better this year than they've been in recent seasons, and even though they haven't been dominating their opposition, they're still a dangerous team who should give Indiana a close game. 6:00 PM, ESPN2

This day in Hoosier history
October 23, 1920- Indiana defeated Minnesota, 21-7, for their third win of the year. Indiana would go 5-2 that season, 3-1 in the Big Ten.

[apate93]

21| 47
Memorial Stadium- Bloomington, IN- Partly cloudy, 61 degrees- Oct. 23, 2021

Hoosiers dominant in homecoming win

Bloomington- Indiana celebrated homecoming on Saturday, as they hosted the Michigan State Spartans in the Battle for the Old Brass Spittoon.

Michigan State began the game with a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead. Indiana responded with a field goal of their own, and the game was even at 3 after the first quarter. It appeared that this game would be a battle of defenses.

And then the second quarter started. Indiana took their first lead with a field goal to begin the quarter. MSU answered with the game's first touchdown on their next possession, regaining the lead. The Spartans would kick another field goal, extending their lead to 7. Indiana would score the final two touchdowns of the half, however, first on a long pass to Vince Pressley, and then a short pass Danny Novak to end the half. At the break, the score read 20-13 in favor of Indiana.

IU kept up the pace in the second half, starting with a touchdown run by Danny Novak, and later, a Bryant Swan field goal. IU had stretched the lead to 31-13 after the third.

Michigan State would finally score again early in the fourth on a short run from quarterback Taylor Miller. But Indiana wasted no time with their response, as Lee Hurst returned the kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Later in the quarter, Indiana would turn the ball over via an interception inside the Spartan five yard line, but made up for the mistake on the very next play, when Scott Durbin sacked Miller in the endzone for a safety. Indiana would add one more Novak touchdown, and the Hoosiers take the victory with ease, 47-21.

"We had a pretty good game today," said IU's coach Pate. "We had some adversity early on, and I thought we responded well and were able to overcome that. The mood out there was really good tonight."

Joe Long was 14 of 22 passing for the Hoosiers, with 220 yards, a pair of touchdowns, and an interception. Danny Novak rushed for 128 yards on 23 carriers for two rushing touchdowns and also had a receiving touchdown.

Michigan State's Taylor Miller led the way for the green and white, going 20 of 37 for 262 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions.

IU now gets ready for next week when they host Rutgers. Action at The Rock gets going at 6 PM.

Vince Pressley outruns the MSU defense for a long touchdown


Greg Clark gets his feet down to make a catch


Lee Hurst makes a defender miss, allowing him to score on a kick return


Scott Durbin sacks Spartan QB Taylor Miller in the endzone for a safety

Michigan State Spartans at Indiana Hoosiers
Oct 23, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Michigan State Spartans (4-2)	3	10	0	8	21
#4 Indiana Hoosiers (6-0)	3	17	11	16	47

Team Stats Comparison
	MSU	IND
Total Offense	294	390
Rushing Yards	32	170
Passing Yards	262	220
First Downs	16	18
Punt Return Yards	0	37
Kick Return Yards	11	253
Total Yards	305	680
Turnovers	2	1
3rd Down Conversion	4/10	5/11
4th Down Conversion	0/0	0/0
2-Point Conversion	1/1	1/1
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2/0	3/1
Penalties	1-5	0-0
Possession Time	12:13	15:47

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		MSU	IND
4:25	(MSU) FG: K. Coles, 49 yds.	3	0
1:41	(IND) FG: B. Swan, 48 yds.	3	3
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		MSU	IND
6:56	(IND) FG: B. Swan, 46 yds.	3	6
4:47	(MSU) TD: C. Wheeler, 7 yd. pass from T. Miller (K. Coles kick)	10	6
2:25	(MSU) FG: K. Coles, 50 yds.	13	6
2:00	(IND) TD: V. Pressley, 54 yd. pass from J. Long (B. Swan kick)	13	13
0:03	(IND) TD: D. Novak, 8 yd. pass from J. Long (B. Swan kick)	13	20
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		MSU	IND
5:08	(IND) TD: D. Novak, 12 yd. run (2-pt.)	13	28
0:30	(IND) FG: B. Swan, 35 yds.	13	31
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		MSU	IND
5:21	(MSU) TD: T. Miller, 2 yd. run (2-pt.)	21	31
5:09	(IND) TD: L. Hurst, returned kickoff 98 yds. (B. Swan kick)	21	38
2:30	(IND) Safety	21	40
1:06	(IND) TD: D. Novak, 3 yd. run (B. Swan kick)	21	47

Michigan State Spartans PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Taylor Miller 20/37 262 1 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Phillip Thorne 11 46 4.1 0 Taylor Miller 6 -19 -3.1 1 Lonnie Parker 1 2 2.0 0 Nathan Bell 1 3 3.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Harrison Bradley 4 62 15.5 0 Brian Jackson 4 66 16.5 0 Phillip Thorne 4 45 11.2 0 Jason Kirby 3 48 16.0 0 Nathan Bell 3 17 5.6 0 Cedric Wheeler 1 7 7.0 1 Joe Rouse 1 17 17.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Andrew Corbett 0 1 A.J. Wilson 0 1 Brian Jackson 0 1 Willie Walker 0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Eddie Jackson 7 0.0 0 0 Trey Cannon 7 0.0 0 0 Joe Powers 5 0.0 0 0 Danny Adams 5 0.0 1 0 Nick Callahan 4 0.0 0 0 Jeremy Harrington 4 0.0 0 0 Justin Johnson 4 0.0 0 0 Brian Thomas 3 0.0 0 0 Shannon Lowery 2 0.0 0 0 Toby Porter 1 0.0 0 0 Doug Cox 1 0.0 0 0 Demetrius Horne 1 0.0 0 0 Patrick Rhodes 1 0.0 0 0 Travis Haynes 1 0.0 0 0 Ryan Anderson 1 0.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Kevin Coles 2/2 1/1 7 50

Indiana Hoosiers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Joe Long 14/22 220 2 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Danny Novak 23 128 5.5 2 John Johnson 6 25 4.1 0 Joe Long 5 18 3.6 0 Cody Wynn 2 -1 -0.5 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Vince Pressley 4 86 21.5 1 Bret Rodriguez 4 71 17.7 0 Greg Clark 2 42 21.0 0 Cody Wynn 2 10 5.0 0 John Johnson 1 3 3.0 0 Danny Novak 1 8 8.0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Jerrell Silva 6 0.0 0 0 Tyler Thomas 6 0.0 0 0 Roshaun Brant 5 0.0 0 0 C.J. Harrison 4 0.0 0 0 Scott Durbin 4 1.0 0 0 James Richardson 3 0.0 0 0 Erik McCarty 2 1.0 0 0 Brett Harris 2 1.0 1 0 A.J. Hunter 1 0.0 1 0 James Harris 1 0.0 0 0 Courtney Berry 1 0.0 0 0 Mike McGill 1 0.0 0 0 Deon Jackson 1 0.0 0 0 Marcus Thomas 1 0.0 0 0 John Wood 1 1.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Bryant Swan 3/3 4/4 13 48 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Lee Hurst 4 236 59.0 1 Bret Rodriguez 1 17 17.0 0