Countdown to Kickoff: 40 Days (Tevin Coleman's 2014 Season)

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We are racing to kickoff with just 40 days left. Image: IndyStar.com

We are racing to kickoff with just 40 days left. Image: IndyStar.com

Written By T.J. Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

#40

It seems like only yesterday that the Hoosier Huddle Countdown began but, believe or not, we are now 60% complete with our countdown and only 40 days away from the season opener against Southern Illinois. Today’s countdown feature is a little bit different (well, a lot different). No current IU player is wearing the number so I’ve decided to take a look back at the outstanding season of Tevin Coleman by remembering each of the 40plus-yard rushes by the Hoosier great and current Atlanta Falcon.

Tevin Coleman’s 2014 Season

  • Height: 6’1”
  • Weight: 210 pounds
  • Hometown: Tinley Park, Illinois
  • Year/Position: 2012-2014/RB

Week 1 – Indiana State 

Coleman made it clear that he was ready to shine in 2014. He hacked through the Sycamores for 247 yards on 23 rushes and had one run of 40 yards (a 73-yard rush in the first quarter).

Week 2 – Bowling Green

The Hoosiers lost a heart-breaker but Tevin Coleman continued to assert his dominance with 190 yards on 24 carries. Coleman again busted loose for one 40-yard run as he scored on a 46-yard rush in the 3rd quarter to put IU ahead 28-26. A late fumble by Coleman proved costly but this was another outstanding performance.

Week 3 – Missouri

Coleman proved that he was capable of producing against a defense from the mighty SEC as he ran for 132 yards on 19 carries. IU’s star running back was forced to sit out large chunks of this game with a cramping issue. Still, he was able to breakthrough for a gain of 49 yards on a key drive that put IU ahead for good.

Week 4 – Maryland

This was ugly. In what was probably IU’s worst performance of the season, Coleman ran for 122 yards on 22 carries. He was able to extend his 40-plus yard run streak to four games as he took one 43 yards. Despite his efforts, IU was never competitive and fell to the Terps, 15-37.

Week 5 – North Texas 

The Hoosiers rebounded from the disappointing effort against Maryland with a dominant victory over North Texas. Coleman got the job done yet again as he tamed the Mean Green for 150 yards on just 17 carries. North Texas did a pretty nice job of containing him but Coleman broke loose in the 3rd quarter for a run of 74 yards.

Week 6 – Iowa 

As we all know, IU’s season took a turn for the worse when QB Nate Sudfeld was injured against the Hawkeyes. However, Tevin Coleman’s season kept on rolling as he ripped Iowa for 219 yards and 3 touchdowns on only 15 carries. Coleman had runs of 83, 45 and 69 to keep IU in the game but the lack of passing game would prove to be fatal, both for this game and for the remainder of the season. Still, Coleman had three more 40-plus yard runs, bringing his total through six weeks to eight.

Week 7 – Michigan State

Under Mark Dantonio, Michigan State perennially has one of the nation’s top defenses. 2014’s defense wasn’t quite as dominant as usual but it was still a very good unit and they knew the Hoosiers only weapon was Tevin Coleman. IU’s Heisman candidate was still able to scratch out 132 yards on 15 carries including a run of 65 yards to set up IU’s first score (a 27 yard FG).

Week 8 – Michigan

IU faced the Wolverines and Coleman was in the midst of a midseason “slump” (comparatively speaking). After 132 yards against Sparty, the Wolverines held Coleman to 108 yards on 27 carries. It was the first game of the season in which he did not have a run of more than 40 yards.

Week 9 – Penn State

As IU’s offense continued to struggle to find any kind of passing attack, the elite defense of Penn State smothered Coleman, holding him to a season-low of 71 yards and a 3.6 yards per carry average. For the second straight game, he was unable to break a run for more than 17 yards.

Week 10 – Rutgers

Just when we began to think Coleman’s season was petering out he erupted for a career-high 307 yards against the Scarlet Knights. IU lost 45-23 but Coleman eviscerated the Knights defense with carries of 67 and 68. The Hoosiers fell once again but Tevin Coleman reminded everyone he was still a threat to score on every touch.

Week 11 – Ohio State

 Indiana admirably battled the eventual National Champions but eventually fell to the Buckeyes, 27-42. Coleman shined in front of a national audience as he ran for 228 yards on 27 carries. He had three touchdowns including a run of 90 yards in the third quarter that put IU ahead 20-14.

Week 12 – Purdue

Tevin Coleman finished up his IU career with a win over the Purdue Boilermakers. The Hoosiers kept the Bucket for a second straight season behind 130 yards from Coleman. He was unable to break a long run (24 was his longest carry) but the Hoosiers got the win and Coleman headed to the NFL.

Tevin Coleman had a memorable 2014 season. He was one of the most explosive college football players in recent memory and he had an unbelievable 12 carries of more than 40 yards! I’m confident IU will have a very strong offense in 2015 and a very capable running game but that kind of game-breaking ability will be impossible for the Hoosiers to replace.

This version of the countdown was different but I hope you enjoyed taking a quick trip back to last season. We’ll return to our normal format tomorrow with #39!