December 25, 2015

Avoiding a Blue Christmas: Numbers that Matter against Duke

December 25, 2015/ Hoosier Huddle

For the first time since the 2007 season, my freshman year at IU, the Hoosiers are taking part in the postseason, in one of the most storied venues of all-time, Yankee Stadium. And while it may not be the same one that Babe Ruth, Yogi Berra , Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio made famous, the stage is no less impressive.

Coach Wilson and his resilient squad enter their match up with the Duke Blue Devils in the Pinstripe Bowl on a two-game winning streak. On paper, this looks like a very even match up , the Hoosiers at 6 and 6 and the Blue Devils 7 and 5. The teams played one common opponent this season, Wake Forest, who the Indiana defeated by 7 and Duke beat by six.

October 02, 2015

Bucking the Trend: Numbers that Matter vs. Ohio State

October 02, 2015/ Hoosier Huddle

The talk all summer, by both Hoosiers players and fans alike, was making it through the out-of-conference portion of the schedule unscathed, potentially setting up a match-up of undefeated teams during week five of the season. Well, both the Hoosiers and the Buckeyes held up their end of the bargain, as both enter the game at 4-0. Neither team has yet to play to their full ability, but I think it's safe to say that IU will need to come closer to a perfect performance than OSU will to get the win.

September 29, 2015

Q&A With Buckeye Writers Alex Gleitman (Bucknuts.com) and Eric Seger (Eleven Warriors)

September 29, 2015/ Hoosier Huddle

The Indiana Hoosiers open up Big Ten play with the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeye. This week we reached out to two Buckeye writers, Alex Gleitman of Bucknuts.com and Eric Segar of Elevenwarriors.com. I want to thank both of them for their thoughtful answers and agreeing to do this question and answer.

September 19, 2015

Is the Return of Tegray Enough to Tip the Scales in Favor of the Hoosiers?

September 19, 2015/ Hoosier Huddle

Written By: Nick Holmes (@HoosierHolmes)

When Western Kentucky announced last December that senior quarterback Brandon Doughty had been a granted a sixth-year waiver, you could almost hear the audible groan coming from Bloomington. One of the most prolific passers in NCAA history was set on a collision course with the Hoosier for a week three match up.

September 12, 2015

It Starts on First and Second Down, Getting the Panthers Off Schedule

September 12, 2015/ Hoosier Huddle

Written By: Nick Holmes (@HoosierHolmes)

Kevin Wilson and every other football coach talks about getting their opponent off schedule on offense. Why is this so critical for defensive success and how can it be leveraged into getting your offense back on the field more quickly? Well if you have watched a lot of football, and I’m assuming you have, otherwise I doubt you would be here reading this story in the first place, you know that a team’s success rate is largely a product of how well their defense does of getting off the field, and I’m not talking about giving up a touchdown.

September 02, 2015

Indiana Football Writers make their Big Ten Preseason Picks

September 02, 2015/ Hoosier Huddle

Written By: Nick Holmes (@HoosierHolmes)

It's nearly impossible to believe, but the long awaited 2015 college football season gets underway tomorrow. It will have been 233 days since we saw the Buckeyes knock off the Oregon Ducks down in Arlington, Texas in the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship. But before the season gets underway, we at Hoosier Huddle thought it would be interesting if we brought together some of the biggest names covering Indiana Football today and got their predictions for the upcoming Big Ten season.

In addition to myself and fellow Hoosier Huddle writer TJ Inman and Hoosier Huddle founder Sammy Jacobs, we also have picks from AllHoosiers.com staff writer Stu Jackson, IU Football Reporter for the Indiana Daily Student Brody Miller, Inside Indiana's Alex McCarthy, and seasoned veteran from Peegs.com, Matt Weaver. Never before have writers from the three biggest recruiting websites came together in such a collaborative way, so we are excited about bringing you such an exclusive piece. So without further adeu, we present to you everyone's all-conference selections, offensive and defensive player of the year, the top conference newcomer, and the East, West, and overall conference champion. Let the banter begin and here's to another exciting college football season!

September 02, 2015

Know Your Opponent: Week 1 Southern Illinois

September 02, 2015/ Hoosier Huddle

This Years Record: 0-0 (0-0 T-1st in MVFC East)

Head Coach: Dale Lennon (8th Year)

Overall: 150-67 (.691)

At Southern Illinois 48-34 (34-22)

Playoff Appearances: 2

Last Years Record: 6-6 (3-5 T-7th in MVFC)

Playoff Appearances Since 2000: 7 Appearances (5-7 Record)

Mascot: Gray Dawg and Brown Dawg

Colors: Black and Maroon

Outfitter: Under Armour

National Titles: 1 (1983)

Conference Titles: 8

August 30, 2015

2015 Position Preview: Defensive Line

August 30, 2015/ Hoosier Huddle

Written By: Nick Holmes (@HoosierHolmes)

For the second straight day we are spending some time in the trenches, but now on the opposite side of the ball, looking at the many athletes responsible for helping this defense meet its potential this fall.

It's year two in the 3-4 alignment and the defense looks to continue its rise towards respectability, which starts with the team's defensive line. It's been quite sometime since the Hoosiers could really boast about a talented, experienced group upfront on defense, but this fall it appears they'll be able to do just that. Despite the graduation of the team's sack leader in Bobby Richardson, this group will not only continue to improve against the run, but should also increase its effectiveness of getting to the quarterback, improving upon its 23 sacks from last fall which were good for No. 82 nationally.

August 29, 2015

2015 Positional Preview: Offensive Line

August 29, 2015/ Hoosier Huddle

Written By: Nick Holmes (@HoosierHolmes)

It’s not really a surprise when I say that the offensive line will be a strength for the Hoosiers, as it has been for the last three seasons. Coach Frey has done a masterful job of molding and making these young men into a formidable force, capable of taking on any defensive front they come up against in the trenches. When injuries attempted to threaten the depth of the group, it was just a case of next man up, the unit barely missing a beat. For the last three seasons the Hoosiers have set numerous offensive records and the guys upfront have been a big reason for that. Whether it was protecting one of the team’s prolific passers or opening up holes for Tevin Coleman, these guys have done it all and at a high level.

While the team did bid farewell to some talented contributors up front, including senior Ralston Evans, whose career was short due to injuries, the 2015 iteration of the Indiana offensive line has the potential to be the best yet.

August 24, 2015

Top 5 Series: Opposing Defensive Lines

August 24, 2015/ Hoosier Huddle

Our Top 5 Series continues on the defensive side of the ball as we take a look at the top five defensive line units that play Indiana in 2015. The Big Ten has some nasty units on the defensive front and any coach would be giddy to have any of our top five. The much-talked about Hoosier offensive line will have their work cut out for them as they get into the meat of the 2015 season.

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