Spring News Notes

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana football team opens spring practice this afternoon and will hold the Cream & Crimson Spring Game on Saturday, April 13. The 15-practice schedule is listed below:

March 2, 3, 5, 7, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28


April 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13

Patton Joins Staff

James Patton joined the Hoosiers coaching staff as recruiting coordinator, special teams coordinator and assistant defensive line coach in the offseason.

Patton has 14 years of experience in the Midwest, spending seven as a player and coach at Miami (Ohio) University and seven as an assistant coach at Northwestern University. He coached the offensive line at the University of Oklahoma from 2006-12.

Patton has coached in 10 bowl games and on six conference championship teams. He spent six years with IU head coach Kevin Wilson at Miami (1990-94, 98), three at Northwestern (1999-2001) and five at Oklahoma (2006-10).

Returning Yards

Indiana fielded the youngest team in the country in 2012. Here is what returns:

• 1,595 of 1,570 rushing yards (101.6%)

• 5,329 of 5,304 total yards (100.5)

• all of IU's 21 rushing TDs (100.0)

• all of IU's 331 completions, 3,734 passing yards and 24 passing TDs (100.0)

• 394 of 399 rushing attempts (98.8)

• 960 of 973 kick return yards (98.7)

• 363 of 369 points (98.4)

• 6,291 of 6,473 all-purpose yards (97.2)

• 23 of 24 receiving TDs (95.8)

• 3,549 of 3,734 receiving yards (95.1)

• 308 of 331 receptions (93.1)

Let's Talk Offense

In his first season as offensive coordinator in 2012, Seth Littrell brought an aerial assault to Bloomington.

• The Hoosiers led the Big Ten in passing offense (311.2), which ranked 17th nationally. They finished second in total offense (442.0) and fourth in scoring offense (30.8) in conference play.

• Indiana set program records for passing yardage (3,734), total offense (5,304), completions (331), attempts (540) and total plays (939).

• IU improved by 9.4 points (15th most improved in FBS) and 111.8 passing yards per game (3rd) and threw 14 more TD passes (T-9th) vs. 2011.

Offensive Strikes

The Hoosiers offense lit up the scoreboard and did so quickly in 2012:

• Indiana had 12 TD drives under 60 seconds, 23 TD drives under 90 seconds, 11 of which covered at least 70 yards in six-or-fewer plays. IU also had 17 TD drives of five plays or fewer.

• The Hoosiers ran one play every 20.3 seconds.

• Thirty-seven of Indiana's final 44 scoring drives (29 TDs) and 44 overall (34 TDs) took three minutes or less.

• IU made significant strides in several categories from 2011 (2012 listed first):

• Points: 30.8 - 21.4

• Passing Yards: 311.2 - 199.4

• Total Yards: 442.0 - 360.4

• Completion %: 61.3 - 55.8

• Plays: 78.3 - 72.5

• Indiana had 24 passing touchdowns, which tied for second in the Big Ten, after throwing just 10 in all of 2011, and it had 46 total touchdowns after recording just 31 in 2011.

• The Hoosiers had 31 70-plus yard scoring drives in 2012 after totaling just 18 in 2011.

• Despite trailing its opponents in time of possession (26:31-33:29), Indiana led its opponents in plays per game (78.3-75.8) and was nearly even in first downs per game (22.8-24.0).

Climbing The Charts

Three Hoosiers sit in the school's career top 10 in several categories. Below is where they rank:

Mitch Ewald

• T-3rd - Field Goals (44)

• 4th - Extra Points (105)

• 6th - Points (237)

Stephen Houston

• 6th - Rushing TDs (20)

• 7th - Total TDs (24)

Shane Wynn

• 7th - Kick Return Yards (1,195)

Milestones

Five Hoosiers will have the opportunity to reach 100 receptions and 1,000 yards in 2013. Only 18 players have ever obtained both milestones in their Indiana careers.

• Senior WR Kofi Hughes (85, 1,217)

• Senior TE Ted Bolser (82, 1,017)

• Junior WR Shane Wynn (87, 857)

• Senior WR Duwyce Wilson (72, 935)

• Junior WR Cody Latimer (63, 946)

Bolser became the third tight end in school history and the 36th player overall to reach 1,000 career receiving yards in 2012, joining Bob Stephenson (1,252 from 1978-81) and Dave Lilja (1,045 from 1984-86). His 1,017 yards are 35th all-time, his nine TDs are an Indiana tight end record, and his 82 receptions are second to Stephenson (115) on the tight ends list.

Hughes became the 35th Hoosier to surpass the 1,000-yard career mark and is 24th all-time with his 1,217 yards.

All-Big Ten Honors

Indiana senior defensive tackle Adam Replogle and sophomore wide receiver Cody Latimer earned second team All-Big Ten honors in 2012.

Seven additional Hoosiers received honorable mention recognition. The nine honorees were the most for the IU program since 2001, when 12 Hoosiers collected league laurels.

Replogle earned second team accolades from the conference coaches and media, while Latimer was recognized as a second-teamer by the media and was an honorable mention selection by the coaches.

Junior tight end Ted Bolser (coaches and media), junior kicker Mitch Ewald (media), true freshman right guard Dan Feeney (coaches and media), junior safety Greg Heban (media), fifth-year senior center Will Matte (media), true freshman left tackle Jason Spriggs (coaches and media) and sophomore wide receiver Shane Wynn (media) were honorable mention All-Big Ten.

Indiana's six honorees on offense and three honorees on the offensive line were also the most since the 2001 team had eight and five, respectively.

2013 Signing Class

Twenty-two student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Hoosiers in 2013. Three members of the class, linebackers Steven Funderburk and T.J. Simmons, and defensive lineman Jordan Heiderman are enrolled.

IU signed 13 defensive players, five offensive players and four athletes. Indiana added six defensive linemen, four linebackers and three defensive backs on defense and two tight ends, two wide receivers and one running back on offense.

The class features players from eight different states, including five from Indiana, five from Florida, four from Georgia, four from Ohio, one from Illinois, one from Nebraska, one from Louisiana and one from New York.