Ben Chappell News

An Indiana offense rich with talented football players might do more than carry the Hoosiers through the early part of next season, coach Bill Lynch said Tuesday.

I watched the Bucket game Saturday afternoon with a large throng of Indiana fans that took over one of the two restuarants on the island that had the Big Ten Network.

After kneeling to drain the final seconds off Purdue's 38-21 victory over Indiana, senior quarterback Joey Elliott tucked the game ball under his arm.

Last spring, the questions outnumbered the answers for both football teams. Today it might be easier to try to guess the number of stalks in a random cornfield in the state than predict the final score of the Old Oaken Bucket game.

Bryan Payton has a request. It's a small thing, really. The Indiana senior tailback wants officials for Saturday's Oaken Bucket Game to let the guys talk - as in the trash variety.

Last year, Purdue thumped Indiana 62-10. The game stuck with the Hoosiers. 'That was really the jump-start to the offseason,' senior defensive end Jammie Kirlew said.

This isn't the first time the Hoosiers have dominated in the first half, only to let the opposing team come back and win.A Yet, it is just as hard to take.

The Indiana football team closes out the 2009 campaign against Purdue at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov.

They are 4-7. They have fought the good fights and lost. They have been competitive.

Linebacker Navorro Bowman had a 73-yard interception return for a touchdown and Evan Royster scored twice as No.

Indiana will use option and misdirection plays in its bid to pull upset in State College.

Indiana University's sophomore tight end emerged from the locker room after last Saturday's 31-28 loss to Wisconsin a bit gingerly, though at least - unlike quarterback Ben Chappell - he didn't require a bag of ice around a knee.

Indiana head football coach Bill Lynch announced linebacker Will Patterson , quarterback Ben Chappell and wide receivers Terrance Turner and Mitchell Evans will serve as game captains when the Hoosiers travel to Penn State at noon on Saturday.

Penn State's Rose Bowl hopes are out the window, but the possibility of reaching a second consecutive BCS game is still in play if it can win its final two games.

Don't tell Bryan Payton he's a backup, an afterthought, a bit player in a football season of near misses.

Montee Ball looks like the next in a long line of top-notch Wisconsin running backs.

Indiana continued to take chances during the 10th game of the 2009 season, a 31-28 loss to Wisconsin.

Three Big Ten road games. Three fourth-quarter leads. Three losses. For the Indiana Hoosiers, it's the difference between bowl eligibility and another season on the outside looking in.

Indiana junior quarterback Ben Chappell , senior long snapper Brandon Bugg and junior running back Trea Burgess earned a spot on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V team, it was announced today by the College Sports Information Directors of America .

Iowa's A.J. Edds hit Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell from behind. The ball ricocheted off the left hand of Iowa's Chris Ballard, then the right shoulder of Indiana's James Brewer, Chappell's right arm, off the back of Edds and into the hands of Iowa's Tyler Sash, who returned the interception 86 yards for a Hawkeyes touchdown Saturday.