Like many of you, I didn't read much over the Labor Day weekend. So, here is a belated collection of Towson postgame coverage and more on the James Blackmon, Jr. commitment:
Big Ten power rankings: Week 2 (Big Ten Blog - ESPN)
"The outlook on defense remains much cloudier after the Hoosiers allowed 392 yards to Towson. If the defense doesn't get better by Big Ten play, Indiana will have a tough time winning games." No doubt about that.
Run defense could be key for IU (The News-Sentinel - Fort Wayne IN)
"IU struggled against the run in last week's 51-17 win over Towson. Specifically, it struggled against quarterback Chris Hart, who gained 123 of Towson's 227 rushing yards."
The Zeller Wait (Bulldogs Insider | The Indianapolis Star)
"You probably saw the report by The Star's Kyle Neddenriep last week on Zeller's schedule of campus visits: -- Oct. 9-11, Butler. -- Oct. 15-17, North Carolina (coinciding with Midnight Madness). -- Oct. 29-31, Indiana University."
15-year-old basketball star commits to IU for 2014 recruiting class (Indiana Daily Student )
"I’ve been to Bloomington a couple of times for a couple of visits, and every time I went there it kept getting better and better," Blackmon Jr. said. "I could go to another college in another state, but I’m from Indiana, and I grew up in Indiana. It was always one of my top places to go."
Big Ten Week 1 rewind/Week 2 preview (Big Ten Blog - ESPN)
"Indiana RB Darius Willis: Willis made the most of his limited action against Towson, rushing 14 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns. If he stays healthy, Indiana should finally have a consistent run game."
Hoosiers' offense awes rival coach (The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN)
"But I do know this: They’re going to score more than 30 points a game in the Big Ten this year," [Towson coach Rob] Ambrose said. "They are very, very tough to stop."
The Towerlight " Tigers stomped by Hoosiers
"Towson started the game strong, stunting the Indiana offense on the first series by making the Hoosiers go three and out. But on Towson’s first offensive possession, quarterback Chris Hart connected with sophomore wide receiver Alex Blake at the Tigers 37 yardline. Blake turned upfield, but lost the ball. He appeared to have fumbled, but the official ruling was an interception by Tyler Replogle because the ball never touched the ground."
Hoosiers' offense fine, defense needs work (Post-Tribune)
"For the first game, no turnovers, very few penalties, and almost no breakdowns in the kicking game, that's good," Lynch said Friday. "But there are some things we can correct. We can't overpursue (on defense), we can't give up long touchdown passes, and offensively, we weren't very good on third downs. That's something we've talked about a lot, and we're going to get that fixed."
C.P.'s Ernest has big night in Hoosiers' win (NWI Times)
"Ernest, a Crown Point native, returned his first career interception in his first career start for a touchdown that cemented what would eventually finish as a 51-17 Indiana win Thursday night."
Too early to tell what IU is all about (The Indianapolis Star)
Warning: Kravitz. But he nails this one pretty well.
Different field of battle (Philadelphia Daily News)
WHEN INDIANA defensive end Kevin Bush took the field against Towson last night, he looked like every other player. Until you looked closer. On his arm is a tattoo of a Bible verse - an indelible reminder of how he survived an Army stint in Iraq. On his wrist is a metal band, a tribute to a friend killed in the war.
Evans, Ernest look comfortable on defense (The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN)
Indiana football explodes for 51-17 win over Towson (The Courier-Journal/Indianapolis Star)
"Ben Chappell has talked throughout preseason camp about just how explosive the Indiana University offense could be. On Thursday night, he backed up his words with action."