IU flounders in opener

RALEIGH, NC - The experiment didn't work. Coach Cam Cameron admitted it. Tommy Jones knew it. And Antwaan Randle El's statistics revealed it. \nCameron's fledgling idea -- moving Randle El to wide receiver and Tommy Jones to quarterback -- sputtered in front of a sellout crowd of 51,500 fans at North Carolina State's Carter-Finley Stadium Thursday night as the Wolfpack (1-0) rolled to a 35-14 victory.\nRandle El touched the ball 23 times -- 11 at quarterback, four at receiver, three on punt returns and three at punter -- netting 104 yards of total offense, well short of last season's average of 277 yards per game. On the same night, IU's offense managed just 276 yards.\n"It doesn't matter who your quarterback is, you have to execute," Cameron said. "We took a gamble, but we still believe in Antwaan Randle El. We'll get him back on track. I have confidence in both (Jones and Randle El)."\nConfidence aside, it became apparent quickly Thursday that N.C. State would handle whatever Cameron and Randle El threw its way. During the Hoosiers' first drive, an eight-play possession, Randle El replaced Jones at quarterback on two occasions. \nThe result? A buzz around Carter-Finley stadium, but little substance; Randle El gained six yards on two runs. After fumbling on the Hoosiers' second drive, Randle El ran just two more plays at quarterback in the first half. The Hoosier offense managed just 74 yards on 24 first-half plays. \nRandle El made his biggest splash at quarterback on IU's first drive of the second half. IU employed a two-man rotation, using Jones and Randle El. Randle El ripped off runs of 17 and nine yards, but Jones misfired on two passes, ending the IU (0-1) drive inside the Wolfpack 25-yard line. \nRegarding the flip-flopping of quarterbacks, Cameron said he "roughly" stuck to the game plan he had in mind before the Wolfpack stormed in front 21-0 at halftime. The constant switching -- Jones even moved to wide receiver on several occasions -- seemed to shake Jones, but he indicated otherwise. \n"We've been doing the (alternating) in practice," Jones said. "We're capable. We just have to put this aside and start to execute."\nJones finished 18 of 31 for 163 yards, many of which came on IU's two scoring drives late in the fourth quarter. Randle El threw only two passes, completing one for seven yards.\nJones' only touchdown pass came on a fling to junior tight end Kris Dielman with 5:42 remaining. Jones looked as if he had developed a rhythm with Randle El in the second quarter, connecting three times in four plays. But a busted play and penalty halted IU's drive, and the Hoosier offense never recovered, failing to come close to its staggering numbers from a year ago: more than 30 points and 439 yards of offense per game. \nCameron said a number of times he would "look at the (game) tape" and make the appropriate offensive adjustments. But, the ineffectiveness doesn't have Randle El rattled. \n"I feel all right," he said. "I have no doubts (about our offense). Whatever (N.C. State) did, they did a good job. We just didn't execute"