'Crimson Crew' flag stolen Saturday

Amid the chaos and celebration of the Hoosiers' home opener Saturday, the "Crimson Crew" flag, carried onto the field by IU's senior captains, was stolen during the game. Student Athletic Board President Elizabeth Roush said the SAB and IU head coach Terry Hoeppner had intended for the flag to be taken out on the field by the senior captains and then be passed into the student section at Memorial Stadium.\n"Carrying the flag is just one of the new traditions we wanted to have at every game this season," Roush said. "We, along with coach Hoeppner, wanted it to be constantly passed around and waved in the 'Crimson Crew' student section."\nRoush said SAB members, along with several other fans, witnessed a small group of young males walking away with the flag during the game. She said SAB has ordered a new flag, however it will not be ready for Saturday's home game against Kentucky.\n"At this point, we are not interested in punishing whoever took the flag," Roush said. "A police report has been filed, but we would just like for the flag to be returned."\nIn only his second game as a Hoosier, redshirted freshman James Hardy turned in a record-breaking performance. Hardy became the first receiver in IU history to debut with two 100-yard receiving games in his first two appearances. Duane Gunn, who tallied more than 100 yards in two of his first five games at IU, was the last player to eclipse 100 yards. \n"When you have a player like James, it's great because you know he's going to make the plays, and he has," Hoeppner said in a statement. "As a quarterback, that's the type of receiver you need. He's a great, tall and athletic receiver that will catch the ball for you."\nHardy and senior receiver Jahkeen Gilmore each had more than 100 yards receiving in Saturday's win over Nicholls State University, making them the first dual 100-yard receivers in the same game since Sept. 17, 1997.\nHardy and Gilmore, along with the rest of the Hoosier squad, will put another streak on the line Saturday when they look to become the first IU team since 1994 to start the season 3-0.\nIU coach Terry Hoeppner's new nickname for Memorial Stadium took on a new dimension last week when the first-year Hoosier coach found a three-ton limestone rock.\n"I arrived at the stadium one morning during preseason camp at about 6:30 a.m., and (IU athletics facilities worker) Prentice Parker told me about a three-ton piece of limestone that was back in the woods between Mellencamp Pavilion and the Tennis Center," Hoeppner said in a statement. "We took a walk back there, and it turns out that was a remnant of the stadium construction from 1960."\nHoeppner said he got the idea for the nickname from a comment made by Malibu Grill owner John Bailey.\n"(John Bailey) saw the sun set on the stadium, and he said, 'You know, that looks like a big rock,'" Hoeppner said in the statement. "And he was right. Considering that Bloomington is in the heart of limestone country, it was a perfect fit. All along, I felt that this program needed a unique identity, something that the players and fans could relate to"