'09 Football Opponent Preview: Indiana State
July 15, 2009 | Football
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- As college football fans across the country gear up for another exciting season of action on the gridiron, UofLSports.com will give Louisville fans breakdown, analysis and things to watch for on each of the Cardinals' 2009 opponents leading up to the start of the season.
The staff of UofLSports.com kicks off its 2009 football season preview with an in-depth look at Louisville's season opener against Indiana State.
 | Game Buildup |
The University of Louisville football team will open its third season under head coach Steve Kragthorpe when the Cardinals kickoff the 2009 season against Indiana State at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. The game will be broadcast live at 7:30 p.m. on WHAS-TV and on the radio at WHAS 840 AM.
The Sycamores have a monumental challenge awaiting them in the form of a hungry UofL football team. The Cardinals return 15 starters and 48 letterwinners from last season's disappointing 5-7 team, including eight starters on the offensive side of the football. This will be the first game between the two teams since the 1984 season when Indiana State came away with a 44-21 victory. Despite the loss Louisville holds a 5-3-1 advantage in the all-time series and is 4-2-1 at home.
Despite the test that lies ahead for Indiana State, they have the hopes of the FCS nation riding on them as they look to become the next in a growing line of teams to knock off FBS opponents.
| Season Outlook |
Indiana State head coach Trent Miles will begin his second year at the helm of a team that is poised for a big turnaround after a 0-12 campaign a year ago. The Sycamores were ranked at just about the bottom of every offensive statistical category last season but hope to bounce back this year as they return 21 starters, including 10 on offense and nine along the defense. Their defense accounted for one of the lone bright spots as they held the ninth best passing defense in the NCAA.
The Sycamores are optimistic that a trip to the Ville and home game against Eastern Illinois will help prepare them for a daunting conference schedule that features two preseason FCS top 10 teams in Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois.
| Players to Watch |
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Darrius Gates | RB | No. 29 | Junior
Moving the offense forward should not be much of a problem for Indiana State as they return a solid contingent of tailbacks this season, led by junior Darrius Gates. Gates paced the team with 566 rushing yards and came out of the backfield to catch 18 passes for 131 yards. He reached the end zone three times last season on the ground. Gates saved his best for last by rushing for 237 yards in the season finale against Missouri State.
Other Key Players
| Scouting Opponent's Offense |
Indiana State used a total of four different quarterbacks in 2008.The lone returning quarterback that saw action at the position last season and actually started last fall's season opener is sophomore Matt Seliger. Seliger finished the year by completing 9-of-27 passes for 39 yards. Much of the preseason attention has been focused on Chris Stutzriem, who is transferring into the program this fall from Wyoming. The Lawton, Okla., native is a big-bodied signal caller who stands at 6-4 and a hulking 250 lbs. Stutzriem saw plenty of action under center for the Cowboys last season and led the team to a victory over Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.
The Sycamores put their fortunes in the hands of Ryan Roberts at the mid-point of the season. Roberts, who was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team, started his career on the defensive side of the ball and moved over to offense as the starting quarterback prior to the Western Illinois game. Now Roberts is no longer in the picture as a signal caller as the coaches made the decision that his talents would be best used as a wide receiver.
Joining Roberts at wide receiver will be the speedy Jeramie Gray, who at 12 pass receptions is the Sycamores' leading returning wide receiver from last season. Gray represents the Sycamores' lone returning receiving touchdown from last season.
Also back is senior Bryant Kent who had 10 pass receptions for 98 yards last year. Koby Kraemer returns as well after catching four passes one season ago. Kyle Toney is back for his junior season as well.
Moving the offense forward should not be much of a problem for Indiana State as they return a solid contingent of tailbacks this season, led by junior Darrius Gates. Gates paced the team with 566 rushing yards and came out of the backfield to catch 18 passes for 131 yards. He reached the end zone three times last season on the ground. Gates saved his best for last by rushing for 237 yards in the season finale against Missouri State.
Also in the tailback rotation will be junior Antoine Brown, who amassed 253 yards of rushing last season and scored twice.
Another tailback to watch for the Sycamores will be sophomore Reece Craig, who received 20 carries last season.
Additionally, the Sycamores will once again have the services of sophomore fullback Brock Lough who rushed for 167 yards last season and caught eight passes for 88 yards. Joining Lough will be Tyler Williams, who is back for his sophomore season.
The offensive line was dealt a blow in the spring when senior lineman Pat Burke suffered an injury that requires him to miss the entire season but will return for his senior campaign in 2010.
Returning and playing this season will be Evan Borchers, Corey Bichey, Josh Jellison, Jesse Wright, Mike Smith and Bill McGrath.
| Scouting Opponent's Defense |
Defensively, Indiana State returns nearly all of its players that made a positive impact last season.
The defensive line is anchored by senior Dan Millington who will play one of the defensive end positions for the Sycamores. Millington posted 26 total tackles last season and was credited with four quarterback hurries.
Also the Sycamores will return to services of Nate Brown and Rod Hardy as well as Lawrence Young who all saw significant time on the field last season. Jordan Bright will see action this season after spending his first season on campus as a redshirt while Milton Redwine, Jr., will also be a factor along the Sycamore defensive front.
The Sycamore linebackers will once again be in great shape led by the play of sophomore CJ Cook, who played in all 12 games last season and posted a total of 53 total tackles. A newcomer that caught the eyes of the coaches this spring is freshman Jacolby Washington who was one of the top high school players in the state of Florida but had to miss his senior year due to injury and has been impressive in drills so far for the Sycamores.
In the secondary is senior Donye McCleskey, who is a candidate for postseason All-America honors and has enjoyed a stellar career for the Sycamores. His is coming off a junior season in which he was named the team's co-Most Valuable Player and took home All-Missouri Valley Conference Honorable Mention honors. He tallied a total of 98 tackles, which was tied for ninth-best in the MVFC and ranked 73rd nationally.
Also back in the secondary are Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team selections Alex Sewall and Larry Carter. Sewall added All-MVFC Honorable Mention plaudits last year as well after recording 90 total tackles, which was the 12th-most by a single player in the league. Known as a hard-hitter, Sewall also posted three forced fumbles which was in the conference's Top 10 as well.
Carter garnered his All-Newcomer status after enjoying a freshman season that saw him record 34 total tackles, including 18 solos.
| Scouting Opponent's Special Teams |
The Indiana State special teams will be in capable hands this season without a doubt.
The Sycamores return Gabe Mullane who was a Missouri Valley Conference All-Academic Honorable Mention selection last season when he punted 82 times on the year for a total of 2,948 yards. He averaged 36.0 yards per kick and recorded a long punt of 66 yards. Mullane only had two touchbacks in 82 punts and forced 10 fair catches. He was able to pin the opposition inside their own 20-yard line a total of 17 times and recorded six punts of 50 yards or more.
The place kicking duties for Indiana State will be handled by sophomore Braulio Martinez who burst onto the scene last season and enjoyed a steady freshman campaign. Martinez was 4-of-7 on his field goal attempts and made a career-best 44-yard field goal against Illinois State. He made 12-of-12 PAT's on the year, and was one of just three kickers in the MVFC to make all of his point after attempts last year.
| Game Implications |
The Cardinals need to get off to a fast start in the 2009 season if they hope to end their two-year drought in post-season play. A win in the home opener would be a step in the right direction as the Cardinals will play four of their first seven games on the road.
The countdown to the start of the season continues as UofLSports.com provides and in-depth look at intrastate rival Kentucky in its next installment.
