So much came together on this past Saturday. The best thing to come together, for me, was meeting up with a couple guys that, on a hot August day in 1979, sat down next to the new kid from Brownstown in Mrs. Lambert’s 6th grade classroom.
Yes, even as a 6th grader I knew a worthy artifact when I saw one. In 2015, when I came to work at North-the first time- I put this name plate back where I had artfully acquired it on the last day of school in 1980.
The door, the classroom, none of that remains. The building is gone. The friendships forged in this room forty-three years ago are as strong as ever. Experience and appreciation will do that to you. To hang with these two for an afternoon and into the early morning was a cherished event.
I still marvel at the fact that these three, who met in 1979, would be playing on a high school football field together in 1985 and the guy in the blue shirt did the placekicking, the guy in the red shirt, Mick Rutherford, did the snapping, and the guy in the grey shirt, Kelly Samons, held the ball. No NH battery has put one through the uprights as far we did. Again, I fall back on the Van Zant line that “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.”
So this was my vantage point from the press box at Memorial Stadium. This is where I learned the 8 PM kickoff had been moved to 8:35 due to weather delay.
As the Marching Hundred played INDIANA FIGHT, it was pouring. At this point, being glad to be in the press box took on a whole new meaning.
My spot.
The Hoosiers ran onto the field in the pregame and this was about as good as it would get for Indiana before the third quarter started.
Look, Indiana played terrible in the first half. The visiting Idaho Vandals seemed to be much more delighted to be inside the stadium than the Hoosiers did. Be it poor blocking up front in the early going. Be it not finding receivers on pass plays in the early going. Be it whatever it was. Yes, the Hoosiers were a week and a day off a victory like that had not seen since 2020. A conference win. There were none of those last year. A victory over Illinois last week in dramatic fashion lingered. A storybook drive of 75 yards, as all but the last minute and a half were remaining in the game lingered. It was like quarterback Connor Bazelak had found Joe Namath’s “Magic Bean” for those of you old enough to know that reference.
The Idaho Vandal radio team of Chris King and Trent Cowan were LOVING the first half. And may I say they were fun to listen in on. Idaho was leading the Indiana Hoosiers 10-0 at halftime. These two teams played each other last year in Bloomington and IU put 56 on them. Lesson learned. Come out flat and you probably won’t be leading at halftime, whether you are playing the Idaho Tater Tots or the Michigan State Spartans. It won’t work out well.
The Hoosiers deserved that first half. When you are a BIG TEN team playing an FCS opponent and are getting beat down, you should not act like you are running for public office when you make a great play on defense. I saw that too many times. You don’t see Indiana offensive politicans because the Hoosiers run their offense at a fast pace. This elimates that nonsense. Don’t get me wrong! Go up 20 on Michigan and take a bow! Don’t take a bow when you are losing to Idaho. Terrible look. Terrible look.
The Trophy commemorating the 1967 Indiana Hoosier’s lone Rose Bowl appearance never gets old.
To see these old representatives of The Big Ten that actually played in The Rose Bowl is awe-inspiring to me. A couple years ago I featured Dave Kornowa on these pages. A defensive back and kicker from Toledo, Dave scored the Hoosiers 3 points with a square-toed shoe. Be still my beating heart.
In the second half, the Hoosiers got off the pot and played like a Big Ten Football Team. They scored 23 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter.
This team is going to be fun to watch moving forward. Shaun Shivers is a bowling ball at running back. If he can find a crease, he can go. The receiving corps is better than I expected. AJ Barner is the real deal at tight end. D.J. Matthews and Cam Camper on the outsides are special also. Connor Bazelak is a welcome addition from Missouri at quarterback. The o-line is large and will improve I think. Luke Haggard, Mike Katic, Zach Carpenter, Tim Weaver, Parker Hanna. They all push more than 3-bills. I don’t want to mention Donaven McCulley. Still, I must. Secret weapon for sure is what McCulley is.
If the defense can keep Cam Jones upright, he’ll help them like no other. This linebacker is all over the field. Tiawan Mullen at corner, Noah Pierre at “Husky”. The D has potential. That means it has potential to give up a big play also (wink).
Look, football at Indiana University is in the best place it has been in a long time. I thank former AD Fred Glass, current AD Scott Dolson, and Head Coach Tom Allen for bringing football back to Indiana. Not since Ralph Floyd was Athletic Director and brought on Bill Mallory has Indiana been serious about football. Times change. Even in Indiana.
Speaking the rights…
Danny Johnson