2009 Indiana Hoosiers Football Preview
2009 Indiana Hoosiers season preview from Maddux Sports. Below you can find our official Indiana Hoosiers football preview as well as the 2009 Indiana Hoosiers Football Schedule. Dont miss Maddux's free college football picks on the weekly college football odds from the #1 sports handicapping team.
Coach: Bill Lynch (3rd year at Indiana)
Team Name: Hoosiers
2008 Overall Record: 3-9
Returning Starters: 15
The Indiana Hoosiers (3- 9 overall, 1- 7 Big Ten) ended the 2008 season dead last in the Big Ten. That was after a solid 2007 season where they won seven games and earned an invite to the Insight Bowl. They lost their post-season appearance to Oklahoma State 33- 49. This season it will be considered a victory if the team can win two more conference games and two more non-conference contests than they did in 2008.
Junior QB Ben Chappell (153 ATT, 80 COMP, 1,001 YDs, 3 INTs, 4 TDs) gets the nod as starter. Kellen Lewis, an all-around athlete, was supposed to be starting, but he was kicked off the team in April. Chappell possesses a good arm but will need adequate protection from the O-line. Purdue goes with three wide. The starters include junior Terrance Turner (29 REC, 289 YDs, 0 TDs), sophomore Tanden Doss (14 REC, 186 YDs, 1 TD) and junior Mitchell Evans (9 REC, 129 YDs, 0 TDs). Sophomore wideout Demarlo Belcher (25 REC, 337 YDs, 2 TDs) offers sure hands and quick moves. The two top rushers, RB Marcus Thigpen (94 CAR, 631 YDs, 7 TDs) and QB Lewis (93 CAR, 500 Yds, 3 TDs) are gone. Redshirted freshman Darius Willis, who has fine speed and skills, will start at running back. QB Chappell is not a rushing threat. The offensive line returns four starters, and if they stay healthy, they’ll be difference-makers.
The defense was one of the worst in the nation, allowing 35.3 PPG (108th), 260.5 passing YPG (105th), 171.7 rushing YPG (91st) and 432.2 total yards per game (107th). The defense must step up if this club has any chance to win. Senior defensive ends Jamie Kirlew (74 TKLs, 10.5 SKs, 9 TFL) and Greg Middleton (18 TKLs, 4 SKs, 1 TFL) are charged with stuffing the run and rushing the QB. Senior MLB Matt Mayberry (89 TKLs, 5 SKs, 3.5 TFL) and senior OLB Will Patterson (55 TKLs, 1.5 SKs, 7 TFL, 1 INT) make the linebacking unit a real asset. The weakest link on defense is the secondary.
Indiana’s special teams include Demetrius McCray on kick returns. He averaged 22.8 yards per return. Senior Ray Fisher will run back punts. The placekicking duties go to nationally ranked freshman Mitch Ewald. Sophomore Chris Hangerup had a stellar freshman year, hitting 13 of his punts for 50-plus yards and averaging 42.4 YPP.
Head coach Bill Lynch (10- 15 in two years at Indiana) has been busy rebuilding the program. This year, he signed two quality QBs, a fine RB, another fine WR and some solid O-line talent. On the other side of the ball, corner Lawrence Barnett and tackle Adam Replogie are talented frosh. The September 26 game versus Michigan will be a testing ground for this team. Michigan State is not on the docket and that’s good news. The Hoosiers will continue to develop with the hope of making it to a bowl game next year. A last place finish looks like the best that this team can do in 2009.
Indiana Hoosiers Football Schedule
| Date | Team | Opponent | Site | Line | Total | Points | Opp Points |
| 9/3/2009 | Indiana | Eastern Kentucky | home | ||||
| 9/12/2009 | Indiana | W. Michigan | home | ||||
| 9/19/2009 | Indiana | Akron | away | ||||
| 9/26/2009 | Indiana | Michigan | away | ||||
| 10/3/2009 | Indiana | Ohio St. | home | ||||
| 10/10/2009 | Indiana | Virginia | away | ||||
| 10/17/2009 | Indiana | Illinois | home | ||||
| 10/24/2009 | Indiana | Northwestern | away | ||||
| 10/31/2009 | Indiana | Iowa | away | ||||
| 11/7/2009 | Indiana | Wisconsin | home | ||||
| 11/14/2009 | Indiana | Penn St. | away | ||||
| 11/21/2009 | Indiana | Purdue | home |
For more info on the 2009 Indiana Hoosiers football program, view their official website or read up on the rest of the Big Ten foes below.
