Haunted Homecoming?

Halloween is here, and for some it means costumes, pranks and festivities. While most IU students will be partying and dressing up as monsters, the 2-5 (0-4 in the Big Ten) IU Hoosiers will be facing a different sort of boogey-man in the No. 23 Minnesota Golden Gophers. \nThe Golden Gophers are coming into the contest with a 6-2 overall record and a 3-2 record in conference action and are fresh off of a 45-0 spanking of Illinois. As hot as the Gophers are, the Hoosiers are equally cold, as IU seeks to snap a five-game losing streak that includes last week's 30-7 letdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes. \nDespite the tough loss, the Hoosiers remain vigilant in their goal to win more games before the end of the 2004 season. Sophomore running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis said the team needs to correct on-field miscues that have plagued IU all season. \n"We've just got to fight back," Green-Ellis said. "We've got to stop making small mistakes and beating ourselves with penalties."\nHalloween isn't the only notable day in the cards for the Hoosiers, as this weekend also marks IU's Homecoming. While this weekend will be the last homecoming of his career, senior defensive tackle Jodie Clemons downplayed the event as just another game. \n"It's my last (Homecoming), and any game at home is special for me," Clemons said. "I just want to go out there and play hard."\nIU has been fighting through a disappointing ground game with Green-Ellis averaging 67.3 yards per game and an anemic 3.0 yards per carry on the ground. However, not all of the blame rests on Green-Ellis' shoulders as the offensive line has been riddled with injuries and has had its fair share of mental miscues, including six false starts against OSU. \nSenior lineman Chris Jahnke said one of the team's major goals for this week was to correct any miscues within the line to better protect the backs. \n"As a line, we've just go back to our basics," Jahnke said. "We're working on our footwork, our techniques, our aiming points and trying to correct the situation and just start firing off of the ball."\nAs much as the Hoosiers are plagued on the ground game, the Golden Gophers are robust with one of the strongest ground attacks in the country. Minnesota's impressive run game is carried by the legs of sophomore Laurence Maroney and junior Marion Barber III, who average 117.6 yards per game and 102.0, respectively. Maroney's average of 6.5 per carry is among the best in the Big Ten, while Maroney's own 5.9 yards per carry average also ranks him among the conference elite.\nIU coach Gerry DiNardo said one of IU's biggest concerns is Minnesota's running game, especially since the Hoosiers rank 10th in the 11-team conference in rush defense, giving up 213.1 yards per game on the ground.\n"I think that the running game starts with players," DiNardo said. "The offensive line is one of the best in the conference, perhaps in the country." \nClemons said one of the main reasons why the Gophers are so successful on the ground is their use of cut-blocking. \n"All we can do is practice against (cut-blocking)," Clemons said. "We've drilled it, and it's very important for us to contain this run. It's going to be hard for us because they've got one of the best offensive lines in the country."\nThe Hoosiers have been plagued by penalties within recent games. During the Ohio State game, IU gave up 10 penalties including seven in the second half. \n"Offensively, we need to work on holding penalties and procedure penalties," DiNardo said. "Our offensive line didn't play very well (against Ohio State) ... If they can't remember the cadence, or if they can't block someone without holding, then I'm going to get someone who can."\nRushing schemes and penalties aside, the Golden Gophers destroyed IU last year at Minnesota with a 55-7 lambasting of the Hoosiers. Clemons said one of the team's main goals is to never let such a loss happen again.\n"It was embarrassing to us and, we don't want that outcome to happen to us again," Clemons said. "They're coming into our house this time, and we're just going to come out there with a different mentality this year, and that's going to help us play better and play faster."\n-- Contact staff writer Dan Patrick at djpatric@indiana.edu.