Saturday, September 19, 2009

IU takes lead back at end of half

The Hoosiers offense retook the lead late after an otherwise forgettable second quarter. A late touchdown gave IU a 17-14 lead over Akron.

The special teams big plays now are even. Akron blocked an IU punt and recovered in the end zone to go up 14-10. IU responded with a 12-play drive to retake the lead with about 30 seconds left.

Quarterback Ben Chappell lost his rhythm in the second quarter, throwing an interception and completing no passes until the final drive. But he had five completions on that last drive, including the touchdown pass to Mitchell Evans.

IU coach Bill Lynch threw in a new wrinkle by using Evans at quarterback in the first half. He played pretty well, completing two passes for 12 yards. He also has four catches for 43 yards.

Overall, the offense looked pretty good. The running game has been exceptional and has sustained most of the Hoosiers' drives. IU running backs are averaging 4.3 yards per carry, which is really impressive.

The defense also has largely clamped down on the Zips, with the exception of the one touchdown catch by Deryn Bowser. Akron had 100 total yards in the half and 49 came on Bowser's touchdown catch. The IU defense allowed only four yards rushing in the half.

The halftime adjustments once again will be crucial. The last two weeks, IU's opponents have been successful at controlling the Hoosier offense in the second half. The IU offense has to be prepared to score some more points to hang on.

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