Indiana Hoosiers
Overall Rank #79
#11 Big Ten
2010 Record: (5-7, 1-7)
Coach: Kevin Wilson (First Year)
Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Johns
Defensive Coordinator: Doug Mallory
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Darius Willis, RB, 298 Yards
Passing: Edward Wright-Baker, QB, 80 Yards
Receiving: Damarlo Belcher, WR, 832 Yards
Tackles: Jeff Thomas, LB, 82
Sacks: Darius Johnson, DE, 4.5
Interceptions: Jeff Thomas, LB, 2
Other Key Returnees: LB Leon Beckum, QB Dusty Kiel
Key Losses: QB Ben Chappell, WR Tandon Doss
The Hoosiers have suffered through many dreadful seasons the past few years and this year looks to be no different. However, they seem to be heading in the right direction now that they have hired a new head coach. Head Coach Mr. Kevin Wilson is an offensive juggernaut and seems to be a great fit for Indiana.
Strengths:
The linebacking core for the Hoosiers is probably their best position. They are returning Jeff Thomas for his senior season and he will look to anchor the defense. They also return Leon Beckum as a senior as well. This duo hopes to improve the run defense from a year ago. Offensively, this until boasts a few players at the wide receiver position. Damarlo Belcher will need to have another big year for this offense to put up some points.
Weaknesses:
The Hoosiers are losing many starters at key positions. These include quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. That, coupled with the fact that they need to learn a new scheme under a new head coach, does not bode well for them. Their offense will probably struggle this year as they try to juggle the pieces that they have. They lack experience at key positions and many players will have to step up. Defensively they were awful last year and have yet to show any signs that things will change this year. They lost a few leaders in the secondary, so this pass defense may have more holes then a pair of old socks this year. Things look pretty bleak on both sides of the ball for the Hoosiers this season.
Bottom Line:
Indiana will not be competing for a Big Ten title anytime in the immediate future. However they feel that they have hired a man who can get them to the top of the conference given time. He will need a few years getting this scheme in place and being able to recruit the players he wants. This year looks like a down year for the Hoosiers and they will have to suffer some lumps and bumps playing a rigorous Big Ten schedule. The silver lining is that Indiana is returning 15 starters from a team that won 5 games and lost several close games last year. That, combined with a new head coach, could provide a spark that could see Indiana winning more games than expected.
Projected Bowl: None
2010 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 100.33 (112th in Nation, 11th in Conference)
Passing Offense: 287.17 (14, 1)
Total Offense: 387.50 (54, 7)
Scoring Offense: 27.17 (56, 7)
Rushing Defense: 171.83 (80, 8)
Pass Defense: 238.33 (93, 9)
Total Defense: 410.17 (90, 9)
Scoring Defense: 34.00 (102, 10)
Turnover Margin: -.58 (101, 10)
Sacks: 1.25 (103, 9)
Sacks Allowed: 1.00 (15, 3)
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