The Fightin’ Hoosiers
The 2015 edition of the Indiana University Big Red football team has shown some real teeth this season. Currently at 4-1, they are coming off a game in which they gave the 4th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes a real scare before falling 34-27 at the last minute. Head coach Kevin Wilson has put together one of the strongest offensive teams in recent memory. The 6’, 1”, 230 pound running back Jordan Howard is running at a record-setting pace. The junior from Gardendale Ala., has 709 on 122 carries with 4 touchdowns and a long run of 35 yards. He has added 84 yards on 8 receptions. Sophomore Devine Redding backs Howard up and has become the short yardage specialist. The 5’, 10”, 202 pounder from Youngstown, Ohio has 282 rushing yards on 95 carries for 5 touchdowns and 41 yards on 4 receptions.
Senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld is having a career season. The 6’, 6”, 240 pounder from Modesto, Cal. has passed for 1,277 yards and 7 touchdowns with only one interception. That’s on 87 completions on 147 attempts. He has a 71 yard completion. Redshirt junior Ricky Jones is Sudfeld’s favorite target. The 5’, 10” Sarasota Fla. native has 21 receptions for 446 yards and 3 touchdowns. He caught the 71 yarder. The Big Red has put up a lot of offense this year so far and may break some school records both individually and as a team. That makes them really exciting to watch.
Congratulations to Coach Kevin Wilson and his Fightin’ Hoosier football team. After years of disappointment they have given Memorial Stadium fans a bunch of reasons to cheer. Who knows, there may be a bowl game for them at the end of the season. How great would that be?
Colts Notes
I bet you thought I wasn’t going to write about the Colts, didn’t ya? Well I have a bit to say about them. Sunday they beat a really bad Jaguars team in overtime which makes them 2-2 and on top of the AFC South as usual. Matt Hasselbeck quarterbacked and the 40 year old was solid if not outstanding. Frank Gore had another goal line fumble. What gives? Adam Vinatieri won the game for the Big Blue. Andrew Luck has a deep bruise in the shoulder of his throwing arm. He is questionable for Thursday’s game against the Texans. Keep him on the bench at least another week, and let Hasselbeck absorb J. J. Watts’ hits. The feud between Pagano and Grigson has really hurt the team. Pagano has already said that this will most likely be his last year as the Horseshoe head man. The much talked-about free agent acquisitions Ryan Grigson made in the off season haven’t worked out. Only Gore is making anything like a contribution. I am sorry, that isn’t completely true — safety Dwight Lowery acquired from the Falcons is having a big year so far. He has been a good addition to the roster. It’s been another lackluster rookie draft class. None of the rookies have made any real impression on the team so far. As to No. 12’s performance, he is having the worst season of his pro playing career. Why? Some are saying that it is karma for Deflategate, and the football gods are punishing the Colts for disrupting things and causing trouble. Tom Brady fans say it’s the massive negative vibes they are sending because the Colts tried to bring down their hero. Still others, me included, think that it was because the sports media overrated them before the season began. Remember they were going to overtake the Patriots and go to the Super Bowl. Now everyone hates them because they aren’t living up to preseason expectations. The season is only one fourth done. The second half of the season will always bring some surprises.
Adam Vinatieri has become the first player to score 1,000 points with two different teams. At age 42, he is still among the best in the league.
NFL Notes
Losing Tony Romo, probably for the season, has shot down any hope for the Dallas Cowboys to make any kind of post season run. They may not even win the NFC East. This team has more bad luck than any team in the NFL. I’m definitely not a Cowboy fan and I tend to dislike their general whiney fans but I have to agree that if it wasn’t for bad luck they wouldn’t have any luck at all. Again this may be karma. The sports media loves the Cowboys and makes them a centerpiece each season and the ‘Boys always find a way to blow it.
NFL place kickers as a group are having a really bad year. Even Adam V has missed an easy shot. It may be due to the new extra point rule. It has thrown off everyone’s sense of perspective. Anyway, more kickers have been fired and new faces added than at anytime in recent memory. Don really knows what the problem is.
Most NFL fans are talking about the number of penalties being called, as if the refs were being paid by amount of times they throw the red flag. Several teams have see themselves set records for the amount of penalties called against them in a game. Rules are necessary to ensure fairness and safety but the refs should never get in the way of a game.
Tony Stewart is Retiring
The last several years have been pretty rough for Tony Stewart, so I wasn’t surprised when I heard this announcement that 2016 would be Tony’s farewell year as a driver. Tony established himself as one of Indiana’s most versatile and accomplished athletes a long time ago so he has nothing left to prove as a driver.
Also, he isn’t leaving racing. He will still be active as a NASCAR team owner and race commentator. We as racing fans will still have his personality and expertise to savor and enjoy. So let’s just enjoy Tony’s farewell season and remember all the exciting and wonderful moments he gave us as a race car competitor!