An Indiana Football dynasty

[boog23]

Oh my god, I can't tell you how happy I am today. Today, a childhood dream has been realized when I was asked by Indiana athletic director James Shonta to take over the IU football team. I wonder to myself, am I ready for this? I've been preparing all my life for this moment, that's for sure. I consult with my wife who tells me to take it, it's my time. I call Shonta back and accept the job offer. I immediately get to work looking over the roster. There isn't much in the cupboard, so I'll have a long road ahead. I absolutely love the Run and Gun offense, so I set that up. I'm not a defensive guru by anymeans, but the way it looks, a 4-3 defense is probably the way to go. This season is gonna be a long one though, that's for sure. [b]Quarterbacks[/b] 18 QB Hugh Akins (S) 6-0 194 Sr 3.59 99 79 OK Shaker Heights (Shaker Heights, OH) 3.0 3.0 08 QB Chris Allotey 6-5 201 (So) 3.74 65 80 OK Cloverdale (Cloverdale, IN) 2.0 2.5 04 QB Shad Harrison 6-0 203 So 3.51 52 68 OK Medina (Medina, OH) 1.0 2.5 17 QB Marrio Pagliei 6-4 193 Fr 3.49 88 67 OK Linton-Stockton (Linton, IN) 1.5 3.5 [i]Well, I must admit, this isn't exactly what I would call Big Ten level quarterbacks. Atkins will get the first crack at things, although he doesn't have the arm strength that I usually like in my QBs. If he struggles, look for true freshman Marrio Pagliei to get a crack. Pagliei is molded in much the same fashion as Atkins, likes to use his feet more then his arm.[/i] [b]Running Backs[/b] 35 RB Patrick Goodwin 5-11 185 Fr 2.33 58 59 OK Tri-West Hendricks (Lizton, IN) 1.0 3.0 24 RB Lee Harris 5-10 192 So 1.92 53 59 OK Cascade (Clayton, IN) 1.5 3.0 45 RB Steve Livingston 6-0 191 Jr 2.02 82 40 OK Wheeling (Wheeling, IL) 2.0 2.0 46 RB Charles Murphy (S) 6-0 186 Sr 1.99 66 38 OK Perry Central (Leopold, IN) 2.5 2.5 21 RB Nate Wilkins 5-9 178 (Jr) 2.06 58 44 OK Swanville (Swanville, MN) 1.0 1.5 [i]Charles Murphy will get the start here. Once again, there isn't much to choose from though. More of a bruiser, Murphy won't win many 100 yard dashes that's for sure. Lee Harris will back him up.[/i] [b]Fullbacks[/b] 39 FB Tom Lynch 5-11 230 So 3.05 69 60 OK Two Rivers (Two Rivers, WI) 1.5 2.5 43 FB Greg Rome 6-1 211 Jr 3.64 71 99 OK Andrean (Merrillville, IN) 1.0 1.5 36 FB Mike Saffold (S) 6-1 233 Jr 2.18 54 36 OK Fenton (Fenton, MI) 2.5 3.5 [i]Well, I can't really say how often we'll use a fullback, but if we do, Mike Saffold will be the man. Not the best runner, Saffold is more of a blocking back then anything that has the ability to catch a pass or two out of the backfield.[/i] [b]Receivers[/b] 89 WR Steve Gray 5-11 171 Jr 2.24 62 53 OK North White (Monon, IN) 1.5 2.5 02 WR Grey Jenkins 6-5 176 Jr 2.39 99 68 OK Vincennes Lincoln (Vincennes, IN) 1.0 1.5 68 WR Craig Myers 6-1 182 (Fr) 3.83 75 72 OK Goodrich (Goodrich, MI) 1.0 1.5 83 WR Jim Nelms (S) 5-11 199 (So) 2.48 45 63 OK Frankfort (Frankfort, IN) 2.5 4.0 87 WR Greg Rather (S) 6-3 174 Sr 2.33 96 24 OK Assumption (Wisconsin Rapids, WI) 2.5 2.5 82 WR Tony Thomas 5-9 169 Fr 2.02 41 34 OK Madison Consolidated (Madison, IN) 1.5 3.5 88 WR Brian Tomlinson 6-5 201 So 3.24 67 90 OK T.A. Edison (Lake Station, IN) 1.5 3.0 85 WR Jack Whittle 6-4 191 (Jr) 3.27 99 79 OK Washington (Washington, IN) 2.0 2.5 [i]I'm really looking forward to working with Jim Nelms. Not the biggest reciever, he definately makes up for his lack of size with speed and heart. Rather, a 6'3 senior, will start at the flanker spot. He's a burner that provides size and knowledge of the game. Jack Whittle and Tony Thomas will also see major minutes.[/i] [b]Tight Ends[/b] 81 TE Lynn Mariscal 6-3 250 Sr 3.26 88 85 OK Seymour (Seymour, IN) 2.0 2.0 86 TE Jim Dawkins 6-5 226 Fr 3.04 73 72 OK Caston (Fulton, IN) 1.0 2.5 84 TE Freddie Thelwell (S) 6-1 237 Jr 2.68 88 70 OK North Vermillion (Cayuga, IN) 2.5 4.0 80 TE Kenny Garrett 6-6 233 So 1.87 67 34 OK Seeger (West Lebanon, IN) 1.5 3.5 [i]Freddie Thelwell is easily the best out of this bunch. He's not exactly the type of TE I like though. He's more of a blocking threat then a down the field threat. Don't get me wrong, Thelwell can catch the ball, although he'll never be a game changer. I look down the roster more and decide that Garrett will get the backup duties for now.[/i] [b]Offensive Tackle[/b] 70 OT Alan Jacoby 6-3 276 So 3.94 77 88 OK Mount Vernon (Fortville, IN) 1.0 1.5 65 OT Mike Jones 6-1 306 Jr 2.23 67 45 OK Benton Central (Oxford, IN) 1.0 1.0 78 OT Theo Marshall (S) 6-8 292 Fr 3.42 91 81 OK Bishop Dwenger (Fort Wayne, IN) 1.0 3.0 75 OT Fran Myers 6-2 313 Sr 2.83 83 70 OK Milan (Milan, IN) 1.0 1.0 73 OT Frank Richardson (S) 6-3 309 (So) 1.65 61 47 OK Plymouth (Plymouth, WI) 1.0 2.5 74 OT Matt Tilley 6-5 311 Sr 3.86 85 93 OK Jeffersonville (Jeffersonville, IN) 1.5 1.5 79 OT Rien Wright 6-6 303 Sr 3.31 68 99 OK Bishop Noll (Hammond, IN) 1.5 1.5 [i]Well, this is where I start to get worried. There really isn't much talent on the line. True freshman Theo Marshall will get the nod at one tackle spot. The other spot will got to sophmore Frank Richardson. Neither player is really impressive, so I'll have to look to upgrade the position during recruiting.[/i] [b]Offensive Guards[/b] 62 OG Josh Lachey (S) 6-3 300 Sr 1.83 54 56 OK Calumet (Gary, IN) 2.5 2.5 77 OG Bo Mack 6-2 279 Jr 3.51 59 77 OK Frankton County (Brookville, IN) 1.0 1.5 72 OG Roy Manning (S) 6-7 261 Fr 2.17 39 45 OK Detroit Lakes (Detroit Lakes, MN) 1.0 3.0 76 OG Derek Dilweg 6-0 277 Fr 2.22 82 46 OK North Decatur (Greensburg, IN) 1.0 2.5 69 OG Jim Williams 6-7 268 So 3.45 47 93 OK Century (Rochester, MN) 1.0 1.5 [i]The guard position has a little bit more talent, but not much. Josh Lachey is the best out of the bunch. Hopefully he'll be able to hold this group together. The other guard spot will got to Roy Manning, who will be the second true freshman on the line. Definately a little worried about Atkins health.[/i] [b]Center[/b] 58 C Derek Taylor (S) 6-2 289 Jr 1.89 67 60 OK Madison-Grant (Fairmount, IN) 2.5 3.5 52 C Jerry Blakley 6-4 274 So 2.55 73 69 OK Cambridge Community (Cambridge, IL) 1.5 3.0 63 C Lamar Willis 6-0 269 (Fr) 2.85 65 73 OK Gilman (Gilman, WI) 1.0 2.0 [i]Derek Taylor is clearly the best out of the bunch, that's for sure. If he goes down, I feel confident that Jerry Blakley will be able to step in and produce without missing a beat.[/i] [b]Defensive Ends[/b] 96 DE Troy Evans (S) 6-3 252 Jr 2.73 71 61 OK Eden Prairie (Eden Prairie, MN) 2.0 3.0 91 DE David Bryant (S) 6-3 277 (Jr) 3.51 78 68 OK Fraser (Fraser, MI) 3.0 3.5 98 DE Rashad Crosby 6-7 255 (Fr) 3.29 42 79 OK Roncalli (Indianapolis, IN) 1.5 3.0 90 DE Albert Lewis 6-8 256 Sr 3.73 80 87 OK East Richland (Olney, IL) 1.0 1.0 99 DE Donald Howard 6-2 239 Fr 2.91 85 63 OK Riverdale (Port Byron, IL) 1.0 3.0 [i]I'm actually a little excited about a couple of players on the line. David Bryant and Troy Evans will get the starting jobs. Both are juniors, so hopefully they'll be able to show the two freshman, Crosby and Howard how to do things.[/i] [b]Defensive Tackles[/b] 95 DT Odessa Evans (S) 6-5 294 Sr 2.24 50 64 OK Clinton Central (Michigantown, IN) 1.5 1.5 93 DT Jacoby Galbraith (S) 6-5 271 Jr 3.37 88 84 OK Lakeville (Lakeville, MN) 1.5 3.0 94 DT Donnell Culbreath 6-3 256 Fr 3.71 53 80 OK Concord (Elkhart, IN) 1.0 3.0 92 DT Fakhir Tolar 6-0 266 So 3.19 71 66 OK North Posey (Poseyville, IN) 1.0 2.0 [i]Once again, there really isn't a whole lot of talent in this group. Odessa Evans is the most expierenced, so I can't afford to keep him off the field. The second spot will go to Jacoby Galbraith, a undersized tackle for my liking. I'll also give Donnell Culbreath a look, although I'm tempted to shift him to end at the end of the season.[/i] [b]Inside Linebackers[/b] 50 ILB Brooks Scott 6-2 230 So 2.36 78 58 OK Mora (Mora, MN) 1.0 1.5 40 ILB Derrius Cappelletti 6-2 221 Sr 3.24 88 92 OK Waterloo (Atwater, OH) 1.5 1.5 55 ILB Monty Hope 6-1 218 So 3.88 92 84 OK Bentley (Burton, MI) 1.0 1.5 49 ILB Bob Alexander 6-2 226 Fr 3.07 56 74 OK Bluffton (Bluffton, IN) 1.5 3.0 54 ILB Bob Miller (S) 6-0 236 Jr 3.89 63 71 OK Turkey Run (Marshall, IN) 2.5 3.0 56 ILB Mark Williams 6-0 210 Fr 2.68 95 62 OK Eisenhower (Shelby Township, MI) 1.0 1.0 [i]Wow, this group needs a lot of work. Bob Miller is easily the leader of the group. A run stopper, I'll be looking at Miller to be a playmaker for us. Outside of him though, I really don't have a lot of confidence here.[/i] [b]Outside Linebackers[/b] 42 OLB Andre Pennington (S) 6-2 247 Sr 1.66 65 53 OK LaPorte (LaPorte, IN) 3.0 3.0 47 OLB Tim Pittman (S) 6-0 246 Jr 1.83 85 46 OK Centennial (Circle Pines, MN) 1.5 3.5 48 OLB Fred Allen 6-2 215 So 1.79 85 63 OK Chisholm (Chisholm, MN) 1.0 1.5 51 OLB John Green 6-0 210 Fr 1.80 94 62 OK Harrison (West Lafayette, IN) 1.0 3.0 57 OLB Joe Mitchell 6-1 233 Sr 3.78 98 92 OK Charlestown (Charlestown, IN) 1.0 1.0 [i]There are a few players here that I can work with. Andre Pennington, a hard hitting senior backer, leads the group. Tim Pittman gets the other shot at weakside backer. I don't expect either to slip up, but if they do, I've got another true freshman in John Green that I'm really excited about.[/i] [b]Cornerbacks[/b] 30 CB Gary Masters (S) 5-11 191 Jr 2.23 61 29 OK Princeton (Princeton, IN) 1.5 2.5 22 CB Mike Reed 6-0 175 Fr 3.75 81 79 OK Houghton Lake (Houghton Lake, MI) 1.0 3.0 23 CB Casey Shepherd 6-0 156 So 1.74 89 52 OK Rushville (Rushville, IN) 1.0 2.0 33 CB Brian Rembert (S) 5-11 177 Sr 1.98 36 39 OK Steubenville (Steubenville, OH) 3.5 3.5 27 CB Rodney Smith 5-8 178 Fr 2.35 63 33 OK McLeod West (Brownton, MN) 1.0 2.0 37 CB Jim King 5-9 158 Fr 3.21 55 88 OK Columbus East (Columbus, IN) 1.0 2.5 [i]We'll have to rely on a couple of seniors to lead the secondary. Brian Rembert will have to be that shutdown corner that we desperately need. Gary Master will be on the other side of the field. If either struggle though, I'll once again have to rely on a couple of true freshman. I'm really hoping I don't have to do that.[/i] [b]Free Safety[/b] 38 FS Damien Terrell 6-1 180 So 2.77 52 71 OK East Liverpool (East Liverpool, OH) 1.0 2.0 32 FS Bhawoh Henry 5-11 191 Fr 3.71 99 75 OK Clarksville (Clarksville, IN) 1.0 4.0 28 FS Carl Carter (S) 6-2 202 (Jr) 1.91 92 41 OK Carmel (Carmel, IN) 3.0 3.5 [i]I'll ask Carl Carter to step up here. He's got big hitting power and is able to stop the run. I'll let cover safety Bhawoh Henry get the backup spot.[/i] [b]Strong Safety[/b] 34 SS Travis Williams 5-10 189 So 1.70 56 56 OK Galesburg Augusta (Galesburg, MI) 1.5 3.5 44 SS Bill Douglas (S) 5-10 192 (So) 2.17 78 34 OK Castle (Newburgh, IN) 2.0 3.0 31 SS Jack Winborn 5-9 165 Fr 2.24 56 65 OK South Decatur (Greensburg, IN) 1.0 2.0 [i]Bill Douglas gets the nod here. He's got the ability to cover recievers, but can also come up to the line and stuff the back coming through the hole. Travis Williams will get the nod when we go to the nickle package.[/i] [b]Kickers[/b] 10 K Charlie Elwell (S) 5-8 180 Sr 3.75 57 99 OK Cloverdale (Cloverdale, IN) 1.0 1.0 01 K Dwone Herring 5-10 202 Fr 3.83 76 69 OK Big Foot (Walworth, WI) 1.0 1.0 [i]Not much to choose here, so I'll go with the senior Elwell.[/i] [b]Punters[/b] 09 P Orlando Thomas 6-2 207 So 2.23 36 55 OK Hammond Clark (Whiting, IN) 2.0 3.0 07 P Grant McGee (S) 5-10 167 Jr 3.07 65 63 OK Ben Davis (Indianapolis, IN) 2.0 3.0 [i]Once again, their really isn't much here to talk about, so I'll go with the older of the two, McGee.[/i]

[boog23]

Schedule / Reshirt Status Well, it's time to finalize my schedule. I'm gonna tell you the truth. I need to get this team as many easy wins as possible so I'm going after some "easy" wins. Week 1: @ Miami (OH) Week 2: @ Central Florida Week 3: Bye Week 4: Ball State Week 5: @ Michigan State Week 6: Iowa Week 7: Bye Week 8: NW Illinois Week 9: @ Illinois Week 10: #24 Wisconsin Week 11: @ Minnesota Week 12: #20 Ohio State Week 13: Bye Week 14: @ #14 Purdue Week 15: Arkansas State I've decided not to redshirt anyone this year. The way I'm thinking, we're gonna need all the help we can get this year, especially with the Big 10 schedule we have.

[boog23]

Indiana: 7 , Miami (OH): 3 Phew... This was a tough game. Miami (OH) turned out to be quite the tough opponent. We just couldn't get anything done on offense nor on defense. I start to look over the stat sheet and realize, holy cow, we got outgained in this game by a fairly large margin. The Miami (OH) quarterback was able to throw for over 300 yards. I'm fairly happy with the run defense, as we only gave up 80 yards to their feature back. On offense, Atkins had just a "OK" game. He completed 15 of 25 passes for 178 yards with 1 touchdown and ZERO picks. That's what pops out to me, no picks! Hopefully he can keep that up for the rest of the year. Nelsm, Thellwell and Gathers all had nice games as Atkins was able to spread out the ball pretty evenly. We have absolutely no running game. I mean, it's pretty bad when your starting quarterback is the leading rusher (Atkins had 28 yards on 7 carries). On defense, we had all our playmakers step up, which is always nice. Carl Carter got player of the game honors with his 6 tackles, 3 run stuffs and 2 pass deflections. Rembert had an awesome game as well. I'll take two picks anyday of the week. Andre Pennington lead the team in takles with 10 and also had 2 sacks. Bob Miller also stepped up with 8 tackles and 1 sack. Overall, I can't be to mad at how we played. I mean, a win is a win. With the team I inherited, I'm not sue how many of those we'll be able to get.

[boog23]

Indiana: 30, Central Florida: 27 Man, this isn't easy. I was favored in this game by 17 and end up only winning by 3. This team is gonna give me a heart attack. Atkins continues to play "OK" at the QB position. He completed 11-22 passes for 1 touchdown but also had 1 interception. Palgiei got into the game for a bit, but didn't fair very well, throwing an interception of his own. Whittle and Nelms both stepped up in the recieving game. Both players had over 80 yards with the lone touchdown going to Whittle, his first of the year. Charles Murphy finally showed signs of being a capable running back, gaining 56 yards on 16 carries. Lee Harris also chipped in with his first rushing TD of the season. On defense, Miller continued his domination in shutting down the run. 8 tackles and 1 run stuff work for me. David Bryant was also a disruptive force. I'll take a run stuff, two hurries and a forced fumble from him with a smile on my face. We also got two defensive TDs from Rumbert and defensive tackle Donnell Culbreath, both on interceptions. That makes 3 INT's for Rumbert on this young season. I've got to say though, I'm worried that we're giving up all this yardage to teams we should be beating with ease. For the second straight week, we've given up over 280 yards passing and we've now given up our first 100 yard rusher. This just won't due against the better teams that we'll face. [b]The following Indiana players are now suspended:[/b] RB Lee Harris OG Josh Lachey [i] I can't believe this. Lachey was being counted on to help solidify a offensive line that has been battered by injuries. And now Harris is done for a little bit which hurts especially since he was the one that has our lone rushing touchdown. They need to get their heads out of their asses and realize they are in school for a education. I'm not happy with them in the least.[/i]

[boog23]

Indiana: 31, Ball State 9 [b]Weekly injury report[/b] OG Josh Lachey is saddled with an injury to his Elbow (Complete Ligament Tear). His performance would certainly suffer if you played him so we recommend letting have a little more time to get back closer to 100%. OG Bo Mack is out a couple months with his Knee (Torn Cartilage). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Roy Manning will not be playing this week because of his Clavicle (Dislocation). We are making good progress, though, so keep monitoring him over the next few weeks. DT Jacoby Galbraith is recovering from an injury to his Head (Mild Concussion). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. FS Carl Carter is really hampered by an injury to his Head (Skull Fracture). He could play as an absolute last resort, but we would strongly advise against it. SS Bill Douglas is trying to play through an injury to his Spleen (Internal Injury). He seems willing to give it a go, but we would recommend giving him another week to recover. [i]This just keeps getting worse and worse. Not only is Lachey suspended but he's also hurt. I'm gonna have to resort to some desperate measures at the guard spot. I think I've only got three healthy ones now. I'm also worried because we're not gonna have either of our starting safeties for what sounds like a good long while. We'll have to see what the young guys can do now I guess.[/i] [b]Recuiting News[/b] We've got our first home game this week, so with that means I finally get to have a prospect on campus. I'm contracted by three very solid prospects but decide to go with RB Cary Murphy out of Oshkosh North, Wisconsin. Through 4 games this year, Murphy has 434 yards rushing with 3 touchdowns. I think he would be a fine addition to the IU roster. [b]Game Time[/b] Let me tell you, couldn't be happier with the way my guys went out and played today. We totally dismantled Ball State in almost every aspect of the game. We played solid on offense, shut them down on defense, and played solidly on special teams. Atkins continues to play well at QB. He picked apart Ball State, completing 17 of 25 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. I'm not happy with his pick, but hey, he's not perfect. He spread out the wealth to mainly four players. Jim Nelms picked up his first touchdown of the season to go along with his 76 receiving yards. Charles Murphy was actually the leading reciever for the team, 79 yards on 5 catches with a TD. Whittle and Rather also chipped in with four and three catches respectively. I've got to say, this was also the best running effort we've had since I've been here. 3 players rushed for over 70 yards, one of which was Atkins who picked up his first rushing TD of the season on a one yard scamper. Murphy had his second nice game rushing with 79 yards on 17 carries. Little used Steve Livingston broke out as well wit 74 yards on 16 carries, resulting in his first rushing touchdown of the year. Andre Pennington lead the team in tackles for the second time this year with 9 tackles. The outside linebacker is having a superb season thus far, I must say. David Bryant had his second nice game in a row as well, recording his first sack of the season while also forcing his second fumble of the year. Travis Williams stepped into the Strong Safety spot well I think, recording 8 tackles. He's having a very nice season as I look at his stats. 18 tackles for someone that only has one start is absolutely crazy. But hey, I'm glad he's on our team. Freshman Mike Reed also had a nice game filling in at the nickle back spot. He got his first career INT to go along with a forced fumble and a pass deflection. Nice debut kid. Overall, how can I not be happy with this performance leading us into the incredibly challenging Big 10. But with this recent performance, I'm feeling optomisitc we may win a game or two in conference.

[boog23]

Michigan State: 28, Indiana: 21 (3-1 record, 0-1 conf.) [b]Weekly injury report[/b] OG Josh Lachey is trying to play through an injury to his Elbow (Complete Ligament Tear). He seems willing to give it a go, but we would recommend giving him another week to recover. OG Bo Mack is out a couple months with his Knee (Torn Cartilage). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Roy Manning will not be playing this week because of his Clavicle (Dislocation). We are making good progress, though, so keep monitoring him over the next few weeks. DE David Bryant is struggling with an injury to his Head (Skull Fracture). He is able to play this weekend, but I don't think he would be anywhere close to 100%. The smart move would be to let him sit and check again next week. FS Carl Carter is saddled with an injury to his Head (Skull Fracture). His performance would certainly suffer if you played him so we recommend letting have a little more time to get back closer to 100%. SS Bill Douglas is recovering from an injury to his Spleen (Internal Injury). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. [i]Once again, the injury bug hits us at the worst possible time. David Bryant is the latest to get bitten, and at such a bad time. He had been playing so well the last couple of weeks. Oh well, I've got a freshman I've been wanting to get a look at. I'm really debating on whether to play Douglas this week considering Williams has been playing so well. I'll make up my mind by game time I guess.[/i] [b]Game Time[/b] Damn, we almost pulled this one out of our hat. Take away a bad stretch in the third quarter and we have a very, very good chance to win the game. But alas, we have to play all four quarters so we lost. Hugh Atkins really stepped up today. His play really inspired the team today. He went 18 for 36, gaining 264 yards and one touchdown. More importantly, and probably why we were in the game, he didn't throw an interception. Nelms had a career day for him recieving, gaining 119 yards on only 4 catches! Rather had another solid game with 4 catches for 61 yards and Jack Whittle had 2 catches for 41 yards, but more importantly caught his second touchdown of the season. The rushing game went back to mediocre at best. Hugh Atkins lead the team in rushing again, gaining 52 yards on 9 carries. Charles Murphy, who had been solid the past two weeks, was held in check with 27 yards on 17 carries. I had high hopes for the rushing game coming in but those were obviously dashed with this effort. Pennington continued his stellar play with 10 tackles and three run stuffs. Rembert actually accumulated six tackles as well. Miller played solid as well with seven tackles, which is good to see considering he hasn't played up to my expectations for the past few weeks. The game changer though had to be Michigan State running back Adam Lassic, who rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns. If only we could have held him in check, I think we would have won. Our run defense really needs to shape up and get things in order if we're gonna get a few more wins.

[boog23]

Iowa: 37, Indiana: 27 (3-2, 0-2 Conf.) [b]Team Recovery Report[/b] OG Roy Manning has fully recovered from the injury to his Clavicle (Dislocation). SS Bill Douglas has fully recovered from the injury to his Spleen (Internal Injury). [i]This is absolutey awesome news. Roy Manning is really needed to help on the line. I mean, I had a defensive tackle at one of the backup guard spots. Douglas coming back only gives us one more playmaker in the secondary. With Douglas' return, I'll shift Williams back to the nickle back.[/i] [b]Weekly injury report[/b] RB Steve Livingston is out a couple months with his Jaw (Broken). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. WR Tony Thomas is currently battling an injury to his Foot (Bone Spurs). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. TE Freddie Thelwell is out a couple months with his Neck (Spinal Compression). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Josh Lachey is recovering from an injury to his Elbow (Complete Ligament Tear). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. OG Bo Mack is out a couple months with his Knee (Torn Cartilage). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. DE David Bryant is currently battling an injury to his Head (Skull Fracture). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. DT Jacoby Galbraith is currently battling an injury to his Knee (Inflammation). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. FS Carl Carter is saddled with an injury to his Head (Skull Fracture). His performance would certainly suffer if you played him so we recommend letting have a little more time to get back closer to 100%. [i]Seriously, how much more can go wrong with this team. Now Thelwell is gonna miss virtually the whole season with a neck injury. Then Livingston goes down for at least a month with a broken jaw? I just can't believe this. What else could go wrong this year?[/i] [b]Recruiting[/b] With Iowa coming to town, this gives my staff and I another oppurtunity to have another recuit in town. Today, we have four star Athlete Inside Linebacker Gary Givens from Delphi, Indiana. Through six games, he's got 24 tackles, 3 sacks, two tackles for loss and a pick. He also plays fullback, rushing for 202 yards a game. I assume he's more of a blocking back then someone that they run the offense through. [b]Game Time[/b] If only we could play some defense. That's what I've been thinking these last two games. We have certainly all the offense that we need, that's for sure. We just can't stop anyone, period. Hugh Atkins continues to play like superman. This time, he threw for 324 yards. He completed 23 of 43 passes, resulting in three TDs and one INT. What's even more impressive is he rushed 9 times for a total of 90 yards. We definately aren't lossing because Hugh isn't trying. Outside of Atkins, we really didn't have a rushing threat. Murphy was absolutely abismal with 34 yards on 9 carries. We need to establish the running game more. Jack Whittle had another solid game receiving, catching 3 ball for 91 yards and one TD. Rather complemented him well with 7 catches for 107 yards. Nelms was the third threat with 5 catches for 64 yards and 2 touchdowns, although he dropped two balls that could have really helped us out. Pennington, Douglas and Miller lead us on defense as usual, with 10,9 and 8 tackles respectfully. Outside of those three, no one really stepped up and forced the issue. What I've been noticing is that we aren't forcing any turnovers. I'm happy we're not turning the ball over much, but when your forcing ZERO turnovers, it's hard to win.

[boog23]

Indiana: 23 (4-2, 1-2 Conf.), NW Illinois 20 [b]Weekly injury report[/b] RB Steve Livingston is out a couple months with his Jaw (Broken). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. WR Tony Thomas is currently battling an injury to his Foot (Bone Spurs). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. TE Freddie Thelwell is out a couple months with his Neck (Spinal Compression). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Bo Mack is out a couple months with his Knee (Torn Cartilage). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. FS Carl Carter is trying to play through an injury to his Head (Skull Fracture). He seems willing to give it a go, but we would recommend giving him another week to recover. [i]Once again, we've got a lot of key guys out, although there are no new injuries. At least we have that going for us.[/i] [b]Recruiting[/b] With NW Illinios coming to Bloomington, we get the chance to invite four star Outside Linebacker Travis Anderson from St. Vincent- St. Mary, Ohio. Anderson isn't having a huge season stat wise (35 tackles, 6 sacks, 5 tackles for loss and one INT) but we think he's got a lot of room to grow. [b]Game Time[/b] Today is a historic day for me. Today, I got my first career Big 10 win! It wasn't pretty or flamboyant, but it was a win and I'll take it. Hugh Atkins had a so-so game. He was only 13-23 for 139 with zero touchdowns and one interception. Not much else to say here. Atkins was productive in the running game though. He had the lone TD on an 8 yard run. Outside of that, the running game was really shut down. Jim Nelms was pretty much the leader in every recieving category in the game, but then again, when isn't he usually the leader? Bill Douglas and Andre Patterson were tops in tackles, again. Freshman Bhawoha Henry played an outstanding game, getting 7 tackles and 2 runs stuffed. Rembert decided he wanted to continue to be one of the best corners in the league by getting another pick. That's impressive, but he doesn't have anything on Carl Carter, who returned his first pick of the year 41 yards for the TD. Freshman Donnell Culbreath is quitely having a superb season. Against NW Illinois, he had two sacks, taking over the team lead with three for the season. I couldn't be happier with the freshman, especially when he's not starting. Like I said before, I'm really happy with the win. How can you not be happy getting your first conference win, especially when this is suppose to be a down year. Hopefully, things will be on the rise in Bloomington from now on.

[boog23]

[b]Indiana: 24, Illinois 13[/b] [b]The following Indiana players are now eligible to return from their academic suspensions:[/b] RB Lee Harris OG Josh Lachey [b]The following Indiana players are now suspended:[/b] OG Roy Manning OLB Andre Pennington CB Brian Rembert SS Travis Williams [i]I must say, things just keep going from bad to worse. We virtually traded one offensive lineman for another but then loses our best linebacker, our best corner and our nickle back. This is gonna be a long few weeks in Bloomington.[/i] [b]Weekly injury report[/b] RB Steve Livingston is out a couple months with his Jaw (Broken). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. WR Tony Thomas is currently battling an injury to his Foot (Bone Spurs). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. TE Freddie Thelwell is out a couple months with his Neck (Spinal Compression). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Roy Manning is struggling with an injury to his Foot (Stress Fracture). He is able to play this weekend, but I don't think he would be anywhere close to 100%. The smart move would be to let him sit and check again next week. OG Bo Mack is out a couple months with his Knee (Torn Cartilage). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. FS Carl Carter is trying to play through an injury to his Head (Skull Fracture). He seems willing to give it a go, but we would recommend giving him another week to recover. [i]Well, no news here. Everyone that was hurt last week is hurt this week.[/i] [b]Game Time[/b] Can anyone say two in a row! Yeah, we won, but it wasn't easy. We let up the first 13 points but then scored the next 24 unanswered. What a good win for our program. Hugh Atkins had just an "OK" game for us passing. He only went 13-32 with one touchdown and two picks. He made up for that inefficiency though with two scores running the ball (finishing with 38 yards on 6 carries). Charles Murphy, who didn't have a huge game, carried the ball 21 times for 64 yards. He didn't have a huge game yardage wise, but he was able to move the chains when needed. Greg Rather and Jim Nelms both had good games recieving. Nelms though continues to worry me a bit, as he's had a tendency to drop passes (two this game). Tightend Kenny Garrett caught his first touchdown pass of the season, replacing Thelwell. On defense, Bob Miller really stepped up his game (5 tackles and 1 PD). He's gonna have to if we're gonna have a shot at winning some games. David Bryant and Theo Evans were absolute beasts at the defensive end spots, getting 3 and 2 sacks in the game respectfully. Cole Carter recorded his second INT of the season. Speaking of turnovers, I said in an early post that we weren't forcing many. Well, that certainly changed in this one. In all, we forced 4 which clearly in my mind was the difference between us winning and losing.

[boog23]

Wisconsin: 24, Indiana: 9 (5-3, 2-3 Conf.) [b]Weekly injury report[/b] RB Steve Livingston is out a couple months with his Jaw (Broken). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. WR Tony Thomas is recovering from an injury to his Foot (Bone Spurs). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. TE Freddie Thelwell is out a couple months with his Neck (Spinal Compression). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Bo Mack is out a couple months with his Knee (Torn Cartilage). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Roy Manning is currently battling an injury to his Foot (Stress Fracture). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. FS Carl Carter is recovering from an injury to his Head (Skull Fracture). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. [i]Nothing new here to report.[/i] [b]Recruiting[/b] 3 Star Cornerback Jimmy Allison from Worthington Kelbourne, Ohio. He's not having an eye popping season stat wise (25 tackles, 5 pass deflections and 3 INTs) but he would surely help solidify the secondary in Bloomington for his stay here. [b]Game Time[/b] Well, as expected, this game just didn't go our way. We couldn't get anything going on either side of the ball. All our points came on field goals. You like to see your kicker get some work, but usually doing the PATs. Hugh Atkins had another so-so game. 18-39 with a pick isn't exactly what I've been accustomed to seeing from him. If we're gonna win any more games, Atkins is gonna have to really step up his play. Once again, Charles Murphy has just a "ehh" game. I'm starting to think that 68 yards on 18 carries is probably the best we're gonna get out of him. Jack Whittle and Jim Nelms did everything he could to try to get us a win. Whittle had 6 catches for 84 yards and Nelms chipped in with 5 catches for 60 yards. Thank god for those two, or else we would have lost by 40. Defense, their just wasn't anything spectacular going on. Bob Miller had a solid game with 8 tackles and a pick. Cole Carter also had a productive game with 8 tackles and a forced fumble. Outside of those two, their wasn't a whole lot going on. Once again, we aren't forcing enough turnovers for my liking nor were we getting any kind of pressure on the QB. Not enough TO's + no pressure = loss for IU. Hopefully we can step it up next week when we go to Minnesota.

[boog23]

Indiana: 27 (6-3, 3-3 conf.), Minnesota: 24 [b]Weekly injury report[/b] RB Steve Livingston is out a couple months with his Jaw (Broken). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. WR Tony Thomas is recovering from an injury to his Foot (Bone Spurs). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. TE Kenny Garrett is trying to play through an injury to his Elbow (Subluxation). He seems willing to give it a go, but we would recommend giving him another week to recover. TE Freddie Thelwell is out a couple months with his Neck (Spinal Compression). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Bo Mack is out a couple months with his Knee (Torn Cartilage). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Roy Manning is currently battling an injury to his Foot (Stress Fracture). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. OG Derek Dilweg is struggling with an injury to his Quadriceps (Strained). He is able to play this weekend, but I don't think he would be anywhere close to 100%. The smart move would be to let him sit and check again next week. FS Carl Carter is recovering from an injury to his Head (Skull Fracture). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. [i]Well, we have a couple of new additions to the injured list. We are now down to our third string TE and down to only two totally healthy guards. I knew this was going to be a difficult season, but damn, not like this.[/i] [b]Game Time[/b] Wow, even with all the trouble we've been having, we still manage to win our third conference game of the year! More importantly though, [b]we are bowl eligible[/b]. This was a total win. Every aspect of the team played well. This was probably the best conference win for us yet! Hugh Atkins snapped out of whatever was going on with him. 25-33 for 326 yard and one touchdown is absolutely phenominal! But that's not all he did. He helped with his feet as well, scoring his 6th rushing touchdown of the year on the ground. If Atkins doesn't get some form of all conference recognition, I'm gonna be really upset. Charles Murphy finally had a game that he can hang his hat on. 23 carries for 72 yards doesn't sound really impressive, but he was able to move the chains when we needed to. Couple that with a rushing TD (his second of the season), I call that a successful outing. Greg Rathers had easily his best game of the season, catching 8 balls for 137 and a TD. He was absolutely awesome. Nelms was solid once again (4 for 60 yards) and little used sophmore Brian Tomlinson had a great game, hauling in 4 balls for 49 yards. Overall, how can I not be happy with how the recieving game went. David Bryant continues to terrorize quarterbacks, this time with 3 sacks. Andre Pennington returned to record 7 tackles and a forced fumble. Travis Williams has been really quite the last few games. Well, he decided to do something about it and get himself his second INT of the season. Bob Miller didn't have a big game in the tackle department (only having 6) but he did recover a fumble in the 4th quarter. Overall, I'm really happy with how the defense stepped up in this one! We've got a big game coming up against #19 Ohio State. I'm realistic. If we stay within 30 of them, I'll be a happy camper. Who knows though. Maybe this team will surprise me.

[boog23]

Ohio State: 41, Indiana 26 (6-4, 3-4 Conf.) [b]Weekly injury report[/b] RB Steve Livingston is out a couple months with his Jaw (Broken). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. TE Kenny Garrett is trying to play through an injury to his Elbow (Subluxation). He seems willing to give it a go, but we would recommend giving him another week to recover. TE Freddie Thelwell is out a couple months with his Neck (Spinal Compression). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Bo Mack is out a couple months with his Knee (Torn Cartilage). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Derek Dilweg is currently battling an injury to his Quadriceps (Strained). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. FS Carl Carter is recovering from an injury to his Head (Skull Fracture). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. [i]No new injuries this week, thank god.[/i] [b]The following Indiana players are now eligible to return from their academic suspensions:[/b] OLB Andre Pennington CB Brian Rembert [b]The following Indiana players are now suspended:[/b] RB Steve Livingston WR Tony Thomas OG Roy Manning CB Gary Masters SS Travis Williams [i]Well, this sucks. Williams was just starting to play well. The other guys have been gone for so long that I don't think it really matters anymore. It's nice though to have Pennington and Rembert back![/i] [b]Recruiting[/b] We've decided to get four star Outside Linebacker Gannon Rhodes (from Minnesota State, Ohio). Besides having a cool name, Rhodes is a really productive player, producing 62 tackles, 7 sacks, 4 tackles for loss and 3 INTs. We as a staff believe that Gannon would be able to step in right away and contribute. Hopefully, he gives us a chance. [b]Game Time[/b] About what I expected. We gave a hell of an effort, but we just don't have the talent that Ohio State has. We didn't lose because of Hugh Atkins though. I know I've said that before, but it's true. 22-31 for 323 yards is nothing to be ashamed of. Add to that two TDs (one running and one passing) and you've got yourself a hell of a game. His pick thrown was one that was out of desperation, so I can live with it. Once again, outside of Atkins, our running game was non-existant. Charles Murphy was a non factor (only 43 yards on 23 carries). This isn't our strength, but it would be nice to be able to keep defenses honest. I'm proud of the whole recieving group. Jack Whittle had the lone TD of the bunch, but also had six catches for 97 yards. Jim Nelms was solid as usual, catching 7 balls for 115 yards. Greg Rather chipped in with 3 catches for 59 yards. What I'm most pleased with though was there were no dropped passes. We got everything we could out of this group. Pennington did all he could to keep their defense in check. 8 tackles, 2 sacks, one hurry and a run stuff is a good day at the office. Cole Carter chipped in with 7 tackles. Outside of that though, we didn't force any turnovers or put much pressure on the QB. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think we're walking away from this game with a moral victory. We kept the score respectful which was really, really needed. We've got a bye week coming up and then we play the Ol' Bucket game against our arch rival Purdue. Hopefully, the guys are ready.

[Aceshigh24]

Looks good man keep it up! Good to see someone still plays this game like me lol :D

[boog23]

Purdue: 24, Indiana: 19 (6-5, 3-5 Conf.) [b]Weekly injury report[/b] RB Lee Harris is currently battling an injury to his Toe (Torn Ligament). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. RB Steve Livingston is out a couple months with his Jaw (Broken). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. TE Kenny Garrett is recovering from an injury to his Elbow (Subluxation). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. TE Freddie Thelwell is out a couple months with his Neck (Spinal Compression). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Bo Mack is out a couple months with his Knee (Torn Cartilage). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Derek Dilweg is recovering from an injury to his Quadriceps (Strained). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. [i]Nobody major was added to the injured list, so that's a plus![/i] [b]Team Recovery Report[/b] FS Carl Carter has fully recovered from the injury to his Head (Skull Fracture). [i]Finally, Carl Carter is at full strength. He's been playing the last few weeks, but with the full week off, this gave him the time to heal completely.[/i] [b]Award News[/b] Hugh Atkins has been chosen as a finalist for the Golden Arm award! Good luck Hugh. [b]Game Time[/b] God damn it, I really wanted this game. We were so close, but once again, one bad quarter ruined it for us (this time being the 2nd where we were outscored 14-0). Atkins showed the world why he should be considered as one of the best QB's in the nation. 275 yards on 23-37 completitions isn't bad at all. 2 TD passes is awesome as well, but the one pick was costly. Good game Hugh, good game. For once, Atkins wasn't our leading rusher! Murphy decided he was gonna be a factor in this one, gaining 76 yards on only 15 carries. I think this is the first time all year where he's broke the 5 yard average for a game. To bad it had to come so late in the season. Once again, Jim Nelms shined. 7 catches for 78 yards and a TD is always nice. Jack Whittle continued his good play with 5 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown catch. Rather and Tomlinson both had 3 catches each, with 47 and 34 yards respectfully. Andre Pennington was an absolute beast in this one, recording a career high 11 tackles! Cole Carter was a disruptive force forcing one fumble and gaining 7 tackles. Tim Pittman is quitely having a nice season, recording another 9 tackles to go along with one hurry. David Bryant added his another sack to boast his team lead to 8. We were big underdogs coming into the game but we played hard. I've been saying that a lot, but hey, you can't win them all. I'm feeling optomistic though, because these aren't all the type of players I like to have. Give me a couple of years. Hopefully, I continue to build on the success this group of kids is having.

[Aceshigh24]

Question for you, Do you play out your games or do you just simulate them? What made you want to be Indiana?

[boog23]

Indiana 13 (7-5, 3-5 Conf.), Arkansas State: 3 [b]Weekly injury report[/b] RB Lee Harris is currently battling an injury to his Toe (Torn Ligament). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. RB Steve Livingston is out a couple months with his Jaw (Broken). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. TE Kenny Garrett is recovering from an injury to his Elbow (Subluxation). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. TE Freddie Thelwell is out a couple months with his Neck (Spinal Compression). We will do what we can to get him back into action as soon as possible, but we can't make any promises at this point. OG Derek Dilweg is recovering from an injury to his Quadriceps (Strained). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. OG Bo Mack is out for atleast a month with his Knee (Torn Cartilage). You need to look at other options while we continue his rehab. CB Jim King is currently battling an injury to his Eye (Fractured Orbital). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. [i]Well, it looks like we'll play Garrett and Dilweg this week. This is an important week as this could push us over the .500 mark for the season.[/i] [b]Recruiting[/b] We decide to bring in a 4 star Quarterback in for a visit, Sage Ellison from Ottawa Township, Illinois. He's got the ability to pass it downfield, passing for 3156 yards with 21 touchdowns and 10 INTs. His completion percentage could be better (58%), but hey, he's got time to get better. [b]Game Time[/b] Well, this wasn't the dominating performance that I was expecting, but it's a win! No matter how ugly we play, I'll take a win no matter how it comes. I'm starting to wonder if Hugh Atkins doesn't play up to the competition. He plays well against Ohio State and Purdue, yet struggles with teams like Arkansas State. 13-30 with one TD and two picks just isn't acceptable for a player with Atkins' skills. I guess he can kiss any shot of the top QB award bye bye. For the second time I can remember, we actually had a good running attack. Charles Murphy lead the team with 74 yards on 21 attempts. Lee Harris complemented Murphy well with 10 carries for 67 yards. Atkins then chipped in with 62 yards on 8 attempts. Pretty happy with how the backs did in this one. Jack Whittle did it all in this one. 4 catches for 93 yards with a TD pass. Nelms caught some balls, but didn't rack up the yards he usually does (6 for 32). What hurt was the 5 total drops that we committed. Just not very good. Brian Rembert had a nice closing game, picking two passes off, forcing a fumble and recording 6 tackles. Troy Evans chipped in with two sacks as well. Now that I think about it, Evans had a really good season, racking up a total of 7 total sacks. True freshman Mike Reed also picked off two passes. I couldn't be happier with how the D played in this one! With this win, we finish the season with a 7-5 record. I'll celebrate tonight and get back to work tomorrow, hopefully getting the team ready for a bowl game!

[boog23]

[QUOTE=Aceshigh24;532267]Question for you, Do you play out your games or do you just simulate them? What made you want to be Indiana?[/QUOTE] I sim them all out. I do all the settings and gameplanning myself though. I guess I'm sorta like a Joe Pa type of coach.... I live in Indiana. Where I come from, your either for IU or Purdue. You can obviously see what side I'm on ;)

[boog23]

No postseason for IU [b]Season Thoughts[/b] Well, we got shunned by all the bowls. Our easy schedule probably did us in, but hey, I knew that going in. We managed to win more games then I could have imagined this year, so in that aspect, I'll chaulk this year up as a success. We've got some talent coming back in the form of Derek Taylor, David Bryant and Donnell Culbreath. Hopefully, with a good recruiting class, we'll be able to improve on an already successful year. [b]All Conference Selections[/b] 1st Team: CB Brian Rembert 2nd Team: C Derek Taylor 2nd Team: OLB Andre Pennington 3rd Team: QB Hugh Atkins 3rd Team: OG Josh Lachey 3rd Team: DE David Bryant 3rd Team: DT Donnell Culbreath 3rd Team: Grant McGee [i]Wow, I wasn't expecting that many awards from this team. Rembert, Pennington, Atkins and Bryant were the sure bets in my mind. The others though were icing on the cake. What's sad though is that we'll lose Pennington, Atkins, Rembert and Lachey to graduation. Sad, sad day.[/i]

[boog23]

Offseason Report Well, Virginia Tech took home the championship with a 28-27 victory over Penn State. Personally, I was pulling for Penn State, being from the Big 10 and all. In the final rankings, Penn State finished at #5, Michigan (who I didn't have to play this year) finished #10, Ohio State #17 and Michigan State at #22. I look down the list at who recieved votes and who do I find? Indiana!!! That's right, we got 3 votes! I can't believe it. Hopefully, James Shonta (the IU AD) takes notice and rewards me accordingly. I talk to Shonta and he informs me that I more then met the boards expectations. He gives me a "B" in that regard. What hurts me is the team I inherited. The "D" grade brings down my overall rating. I'll take the "C+" that he gives me, although hopefully, that improves in a year or two. [b]Financial Constraints[/b] You will have $1,910,000 available for your athletic budget. This marks a change of $40,000 from last season. Remember, this money needs to go towards scouting, assistants, other staff and medical training. You will also have $54,000 to spend on recruiting actions each week. Your weekly recruiting budget may also be impacted by efforts put into bringing other college-level transfers and is based on the alumni funding, other outside donations (helped by our prestige) and the number of scholarships available. So, good luck and spend wisely. Your job may depend on it. [i]Thank god that we got rewarded for the season we just had. If not, I would have had some serious soul searching to do.[/i] [b]Job Oppurtunities[/b] Buffalo gives me a call about their head coaching job. I'm flattered, but graciously turn it down. I think I'm in this for the long haul. [b]Early Entries[/b] Thankfully, we don't have anyone right now with pro asperations. I didn't think we did, but you never know what some of these kids are thinking. I look down the list and see players from Iowa, Purdue, Michigan, Micigan State and Penn State all contemplating early entry. Secretly I'm hoping they leave, giving us a better chance next year. [b]Coaching Movement[/b] So I got a text today from our special teams coach. It seems like he's looking to cash in on the season we just had. Well, who can blame him? I wish him luck and start the search for our new ST coach. I look through the available coaches and come across 31 year old Jim Franklin. He's a young buck that has the motivational skills that every coach needs. He's got so-so talent at scouting ST, but his development of them leaves something to be desired. Welcome aboard Jim, I think you'll do a fine job!

[boog23]

Offseason: Week 4-7 (Transfers) [b]Transfers: Week 4 [/b] I got the list of transfers today and decide to offer a scholarship to a redshirt freshman Pat Murphy, a running back that played with Georgia Tech last year. I don't know if he's the younger brother of Charles Murphy, but he's already just as good and has the tools to get better. Hopefully Pat sees the light and decides to come to Bloomington. I continue to look down the list and notice there's a nice DE from Indiana. Ron Gaffney is a reshirt sophmore that played with Notre Dame that I think could really help us out. I decide to offer a scholarship to him as well. [b]Transfers: Week 5[/b] Well, we didn't get an answer from either Murphy nor Gaffney. I look over the list one more time, and how my gosh, have some guys taken a liking to our program. I talk it over with my coordinators and decide to stick with the plan of Murphy and Gaffney. [b]Transfers: Week 6[/b] Horay!!! I got great news today. Ron Gaffney has decided to transfer here! I'm so excited. After his year sitting out, he'll step in and hopefully fill the shoes that David Bryant will leave. [b]Transfers: Week 7[/b] Pat Murphy has officially joined the Indiana University Football Team! Finally, we'll have the back that we so desperately need. He's got all the skills in the world to be a productive back. Welcome abord Pat! We lost a couple of players to transfers. Tony Thomas decided to go to Alabama-Birmingham and Donald Howard went up to Bowling Green. I wish both players good luck in their future endevers and continue on to recruiting.

[Aceshigh24]

I know im kinda missing the point to this game by not doing the recruiting myself but how much do you like doing the recruiting? You do it all yourself right? I've never really got into it that much playing as Virgina Tech. I'm so used to TCY (The College Years) recruiting that i never botherd with this one.

[boog23]

Offseason: Recruiting (Weeks 8-9) [b]Recruiting: Week 8[/b] Well, I've got to tell ya, I'm pretty excited with the type players interested in playing at Indiana next year. We look at our "cheat sheet" and decide to go after mostly Midwest players, although I've decided their were a few prospects just to good to pass up not try to get. I'll review a couple of the prospects that I like. The best out of the bunch may be Harry Harris, a 5'8 4 star cornerback from Grove City, Ohio. A cover corner, Harris isn't afraid to come up and hit the back coming through the hole. He was really productive in high school, recording 74 tackles, 5 sacks, 14 pass deflections and 3 INTs. I decide I'm not gonna pitch anything yet, but I recruit him to the fullest. I offer a scholorship to him. Garland Franklin, a four star ILB, is another prospect I'm really high on. He's a balance ILB that is capable of making big plays. If he comes here, I'll expect him to step in right away and produce. A change to OLB for the time being maybe in order. A scholarship is offered. The lone exception to my Midwest plan is three star DT Kevin Smith. Smith hails from Elkart, Texas. He's undersized for a tackle, but that really doesn't worry me considering I'm fairly comfortable with the returning players we have. Smith was a force in H.S. though, recording 10 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. I obviuosly offer hima scholorship since I'm recruiting him hard. Hopefully, he'll be joining us soon! Joe Mrosko, a three star prospect, is the best reciever we're currently recruiting. Standing 6'3, Mrosko is an absolute burner with 4.47 speed. What worries me though is he's not book smart. 1.9 GPA is worrying me, so I'm currently rethinking Mrosko coming to Bloomington. Dave Gary is another 3 star DT that we're after. Gary is an absolute beast at 6'8 and 267 lbs. The #1 rated DT in the Midwest, Gary would be a welcome addition to the d-line. Gary absolutely abused his H.S. compitition, recording 43 tackles with 13 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. What I like though is he's got a knack for causing fumbles (4 total). Gary gets an offer from us as well. We're also after the 9th ranked Midwest reciever, Haven Ward. Playing for Bendle High in Benton Michigan, Ward is a tall, lanky reciever that has a knack for the end zone. He hauled in 53 balls for 894 yards and 9 TD catches. Ward would see instant playing time with us! Hopefully he takes us up on our offer. The top QB we're currently recruiting is Sean Adams. The three star quarterback is the 7th rated QB in the Midwest. He only completes 55.2% but threw for over 3600 yards. He's more of a west coast type QB so he's not gonna take off and run. Adams though has an arm I like so he gets an offer I hope he can't refuse. Anther QB we're after is Brian DelGaizo. DelGaizo is the 9th best quarterback in the Midwest who would get a warm welcome here in Bloomington. Much like the graduated Atkins, Brian is a mobile quarterback that likes to use his legs. His stats weren't anything special, but he was productive. He completed only 52.8% of his passes, but threw for over 3000 yards. His 21 TD passes would also be a warm welcome, although he can leave his 15 INTs at his home. I'm holding off on an offer on him though. Troy Angsman is a rough and tough three star tackle Munster, Indiana. Angsman has some skills, evident by his #9 ranking in the Midwest for his position. Right now, he's like a kitten with his toughness, but as he matures, I expect great things out of Angsman and his play. I'm inviting Adams, Smith and Angsman for a campus visit among others. Hopefully, they like us. [b]Recruiting: Week 9[/b] As expected, everyone is weighing their options at the moment. We're still failry high on all the players lists so I've still got some hope. I take a gamble and decide to pitch Harris on "Chance to Win". He stated that it was very important to him so I checked the recommended pitches and my staff stated he'd probably like it as well. I hope this works, we can really use Harris on campus. We've decided to offer a couple more scholarships. A.J. Moore is a three star TE from Piketon, Ohio. He's not a huge receiving threat, but he does enough to get by. 33 catches for 374 and 3 TD catches aren't exactly eye popping numbers, but hey, we'll just need him to block for the QB. We also offer three star OLB LaDainian Hunt from nearby Indinapolis, Indiana. Hunt is a cover LB that likes to fly around and make plays. LaDainian produced solid numbers last year, 78 tackles, 9 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. He's got a knack for the ball as well, intercepting 3 balls and forcing a fumble. Hopefully, he'll continue his playing career here in Hoosier Nation! We have also found an OLB that we like out of Chicago, Illinois. Bob Bronson is the 11th ranked linebacker in the Midwest. Characterized as a blitzing backer, Bronson had a total of 6 sacks last year for Kenwood Academy. He also recorded 87 tackles to go along with 6 tackles for loss. If Bronson comes on board, he should see some serious playing time right out of the gate! I invite Haven Wand to campus among others.

[boog23]

[QUOTE=Aceshigh24;532339]I know im kinda missing the point to this game by not doing the recruiting myself but how much do you like doing the recruiting? You do it all yourself right? I've never really got into it that much playing as Virgina Tech. I'm so used to TCY (The College Years) recruiting that i never botherd with this one.[/QUOTE] Haha, yeah, I was actually the exact same way. I do everything with recruiting. That's why I went with Indiana. Their a low prestige school so it's fun to me to see if I can find the "diamond in the rough". Personally, I think this game is much more in depth then TCY because you don't really do much except call and visit the recruit in TCY. Here, you have to decide what kind of pitch you want. But then again, this dynasty is making it much easier for me to get into the game again.

[Aceshigh24]

Yeah i know what you mean....i have to try to be another team cause I've been running with V Tech for the longest time and i think i need a challenge...I think reading your little dynasty here has made me want to get back into the thick of things again....thanks

[boog23]

Offseason: Recruiting Weeks 9-11 [b]Recruiting: Week 10[/b] Well, I missed the boat with a player I was interested in but didn't offer to. Defensive Tackle Dave Gary decided to take his services to Wisconsin. Oh well, hopefully Smith signs with us soon. I've decided to pitch Sean Adams with "Style of Play". Hopefully he comes here and flings the ball around a little. I've also pitched Ladainian Hunt on "Playing time". I hope that's what both players wanted to here. Defensive End Nate Maas from Cleveland, Ohio is the latest prospect to get a scholorship offer from IU. Maas is a big guy at 6'2 and 259 lbs who has some speed (4.68 in the 40). Considered a balanced type of end, Maas recorded 58 tackles with 10 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. We're the only team offering him a scholarship right now, so hopefully he takes us up on the offer. We've also reunited with a ghost from our past. Gannon Rhodes, the Outside Linebacker who came for a campus visit during the season, has peaked his interest in us once again. Rhodes is the #6 outside linebacker in the Midwest, so he's got skills. He's a junior college player, so his skills are more advanced then the average freshman coming into his college years. Despite that, I still decide to give him a scholarship offer. Gannon and Hunt are among those that get a campus visit this week. [b]Recruiting: Week 11[/b] No one has signed yet. I'm not worried yet because nobody is offering the guys I'm after any scholarships. I decide to search my watch list again and notice Mark Brooks, a 6'6 273 lbs tackle from Hubbard, Ohio. He's a balanced tackle that scouts think should develope into a fine pass blocking tackle. Hopefully Brooks excepts the offer and becomes a Hoosier! I've also decided to offer speedy wide receiver Antowain Shofner. Shofner has some serious skills, as proof by his #12 ranking in the Midwest. He's got some big play ability, catching 48 balls for 766 yards and 12 touchdowns. If he came here, he'd be a welcomed addition with the offense we run. Taz Stamper is a 6 foot, 183 lb back that our offensive coordinator would love to get. He's got good speed (4.59) and has some receiving abilities. He gained over 1100 yards and rushed for 10 touchdowns for Union H.S. in Dungar, Indiana. There are probably better backs out there, but Stamper I think fits the mold of a Hoosier. We've pitched a few players this week. I chose to go with "Style of Play" for both Gannon Rhodes and A.J. Moore. I'm still waiting to see what the rest have to say. Rhodes and Brooks are among those coming to Bloomington this week. [b]Recruiting: Week 12[/b] Still no signings to mention. A receiver that we scouted decided to go with Miami (OH) but we weren't very high on him. I'm concerned that we might lose out on Harris. Some teams have started to take notice of his skills, which has me a little sad. We also gave the wrong pitch to A.J. Moore, so we'll have to just wait it out and see how it goes with him. We've offered our last scholarship to 6'8, 274 lbs guard Andy Williams. Williams is a bruiser that likes to use his size to his advantage. He's got good strength and would be a welcome addition to Indiana. Maas, Stamper and Andy Williams are among those coming to visit this week! Hopefully, with some time, we'll start getting some answers so we can start planning for for the upcoming season.