Hoosiers control first half only to be blanked in second

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times for the Hoosier football team Saturday. If Charles Dickens himself could have written the script for a football game, it would probably look like IU's 30-20 loss against Michigan State as the Hoosiers played drastically different between the two halves. \nIn the first two quarters, IU put together a suffocating defense and a productive offense, producing 217 yards of total offense while keeping MSU at an anemic 103 yards. The Hoosiers put the clamps down on the Spartans' passing game as Michigan State only gained 37 yards.\nThe second half would be a different story. Michigan State was able to completely turn the game around, gaining 175 yards on the ground while adding another 135 yards in the air. While the Spartans' offense flourished, IU's offense withered, gaining a total of 41 yards in the second half, including a production of minus three yards rushing. \nSenior defensive tackle Jodie Clemons said he was pleased with IU's play during the first half. He said the Hoosiers didn't adjust well after halftime as Michigan State was able to put up 23 unanswered points in the second half. \n"There's two halves in a football game and in the first half we came out strong and we forced some turnovers," Clemons said. "In the second half, I think they did a really good job of adjusting and understanding what different kinds of defenses we were running and they exploited us." \nJunior linebacker Kyle Killion said he was simply bewildered by IU's discrepancy in play quality between the first half and second half. Killion himself made out rather well, logging 10 solo tackles and two assists, including one tackle for a loss. \n"I don't know what changed, we just went from heroes to zeroes," Killion said. "We can't do that. We've got to play two halves of football."\nMichigan State also used the option game to exploit the Hoosiers as Spartan quarterback Drew Stanton led all rushers with 134 yards and two touchdowns. While DiNardo credited Stanton's speed, he also said the wounds of Saturday's loss were self-inflicted rather than any adjustments the Spartans made during halftime. \n"I thought the greatest change was in their offense against our defense," DiNardo said. "They were able to get in their option game and get in the flow with it. I thought that our lack of offensive production -- us not executing -- was the problem, not them doing something to us."\nRegardless of the reasons, IU players remained respectful to their opponents after the loss. Hoosier senior wide receiver Courtney Roby said his team was simply outplayed by the Spartans in the latter half of the game. \n"We played a good first half and we just broke down in the second," Roby said. "That's really all I can say because they just took it from us because they just played a better second half than we did."\nWhile the loss is tough on the team's confidence, senior quarterback Matt LoVecchio said there were some positives in the game as the Hoosiers were able to dismantle MSU's game in the first half. \n"I think we have the ability to go out and compete with teams," LoVecchio said. "I think we just have to go out and play smart, efficient football on offense and we just didn't do that in the second half." \n-- Contact staff writer Dan Patrick at djpatric@indiana.edu.