BLOOMINGTON -
They bought tickets by the thousands, rushing to the box offices with their Crimson shirts at a volume that forced a new student section to be created.
A wall of red developed on side of the stadium opposite the press box, as hopeful undergraduate and probably a few graduate students flocked to Memorial Stadium in hopes of seeing something different from their inconsistent football team. After all, the Old Oaken Bucket Game can do that.
Indeed, things changed Saturday afternoon as Indiana faced Purdue. The heartbreak this time came early, rather than late.
Unlike many games in 2009 where big starts led to late collapses (see Michigan, Northwestern and Iowa), the Hoosiers this time watched their game slip away in the first 30 minutes, as the lost their eighth game of the season 38-21 to Purdue Saturday afternoon.
See: Read Bucket Game Recap For Purdue
Two early turnovers doomed the Hoosiers, as the Boilermakers jumped out to a 21-0 led and never looked back.
"Purdue, give them credit, especially in the first half they took advantage of the turnovers," said Indiana head coach Bill Lynch. "I do think our guys battled hard and our staff had a good plan on both sides of the ball. I thought we made some good adjustments at halftime."
But for the game-as well as the season-they were a little late. The loss to the Boilermakers puts IU at 4-8, two games out of bowl competition, though it's a one-game improvement from 2008.
"I think it all started last winter when we said that the character of this team has got to be much better," said senior running back Bryan Payton-and in the end it might have been.
But where the Hoosiers struggled was with consistency, and that was never more apparent than in their game in September in Ann Arbor, and their contests in Evanston and Iowa in October. In each of those games the Hoosiers held a lead going into the final 15 minutes, but watched their opponents outscore them by a combined 53-7 to turn three wins into three losses. Turn those losses around, and the "Bucket Game" might be for a better bowl game.
See: IU-Purdue Quick Wrap-Up
"We have had a lot of close losses that we should have pulled out," said receiver Mitchell Evans. "I think if we ended up pulling those out, everybody would be like this is a great senior class, so I hope nobody overlooks their impact."
In their final game, however, the Hoosiers were a microcosm of the season. Unlike their previous losses, however, the Hoosiers hit the wall in the first half, turning the ball over twice and allowing Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott to throw three touchdowns. Despite 108 yards rushing by tailback Darius Willis to set them up deep in Purdue territory, Nick Freeland failed to convert on two field goal kicks.
In the second half the Hoosiers allowed Al-Terek McBurse to return the opening kickoff 87 yards for the touchdown, but then rallied to cut the lead to 10 thanks to two touchdown passs by quarterback Ben Chappell. But when they got the ball back again, Chappell threw the ball right into the hands of defensive lineman Kewann Short.
"That's why I like this football team, they just keep playing," said Lynch of the second half rally. "We had a motto this year 'Play The Next Play' and I thought they held true all the way to the last play."
Now the question for Lynch is to measure how much improvement beyond the one extra victory that his team made during the 2009 season.
"That's tough," admitted Lynch when asked the question after the game. "I know we made great progress. I know how competitive we were. It's not always in comparing scores. Sometimes you can compare scores and it holds up."
See: Read "The Hawley Six" For The Bucket Game
While reflection might bring the answer for that, Lynch knows he'll have to replace a few standout departing seniors in defensive lineman Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton, cornerback Ray Fisher and linebackers Matt Mayberry and Will Patterson. The majority of the skill players on offense, including most of the receivers plus Chappell and Willis, will be back with the Hoosiers in 2009.
"The thing about this season is that we basically have been trying to put this team back on the right path after really being left in shambles last year," said offensive left tackle Rodger Saffold. "We wanted to make sure everyone knew how relentless and tough we were, and how we were willing to fight till the very end."
A wall of red developed on side of the stadium opposite the press box, as hopeful undergraduate and probably a few graduate students flocked to Memorial Stadium in hopes of seeing something different from their inconsistent football team. After all, the Old Oaken Bucket Game can do that.
Indeed, things changed Saturday afternoon as Indiana faced Purdue. The heartbreak this time came early, rather than late.
Unlike many games in 2009 where big starts led to late collapses (see Michigan, Northwestern and Iowa), the Hoosiers this time watched their game slip away in the first 30 minutes, as the lost their eighth game of the season 38-21 to Purdue Saturday afternoon.
See: Read Bucket Game Recap For Purdue
Two early turnovers doomed the Hoosiers, as the Boilermakers jumped out to a 21-0 led and never looked back.
"Purdue, give them credit, especially in the first half they took advantage of the turnovers," said Indiana head coach Bill Lynch. "I do think our guys battled hard and our staff had a good plan on both sides of the ball. I thought we made some good adjustments at halftime."
But for the game-as well as the season-they were a little late. The loss to the Boilermakers puts IU at 4-8, two games out of bowl competition, though it's a one-game improvement from 2008.
"I think it all started last winter when we said that the character of this team has got to be much better," said senior running back Bryan Payton-and in the end it might have been.
But where the Hoosiers struggled was with consistency, and that was never more apparent than in their game in September in Ann Arbor, and their contests in Evanston and Iowa in October. In each of those games the Hoosiers held a lead going into the final 15 minutes, but watched their opponents outscore them by a combined 53-7 to turn three wins into three losses. Turn those losses around, and the "Bucket Game" might be for a better bowl game.
See: IU-Purdue Quick Wrap-Up
"We have had a lot of close losses that we should have pulled out," said receiver Mitchell Evans. "I think if we ended up pulling those out, everybody would be like this is a great senior class, so I hope nobody overlooks their impact."
In their final game, however, the Hoosiers were a microcosm of the season. Unlike their previous losses, however, the Hoosiers hit the wall in the first half, turning the ball over twice and allowing Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott to throw three touchdowns. Despite 108 yards rushing by tailback Darius Willis to set them up deep in Purdue territory, Nick Freeland failed to convert on two field goal kicks.
In the second half the Hoosiers allowed Al-Terek McBurse to return the opening kickoff 87 yards for the touchdown, but then rallied to cut the lead to 10 thanks to two touchdown passs by quarterback Ben Chappell. But when they got the ball back again, Chappell threw the ball right into the hands of defensive lineman Kewann Short.
"That's why I like this football team, they just keep playing," said Lynch of the second half rally. "We had a motto this year 'Play The Next Play' and I thought they held true all the way to the last play."
Now the question for Lynch is to measure how much improvement beyond the one extra victory that his team made during the 2009 season.
"That's tough," admitted Lynch when asked the question after the game. "I know we made great progress. I know how competitive we were. It's not always in comparing scores. Sometimes you can compare scores and it holds up."
See: Read "The Hawley Six" For The Bucket Game
While reflection might bring the answer for that, Lynch knows he'll have to replace a few standout departing seniors in defensive lineman Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton, cornerback Ray Fisher and linebackers Matt Mayberry and Will Patterson. The majority of the skill players on offense, including most of the receivers plus Chappell and Willis, will be back with the Hoosiers in 2009.
"The thing about this season is that we basically have been trying to put this team back on the right path after really being left in shambles last year," said offensive left tackle Rodger Saffold. "We wanted to make sure everyone knew how relentless and tough we were, and how we were willing to fight till the very end."
