Defensive lineup changes might be in store for IU

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The Hoosier defense couldn't have asked to start its afternoon any differently.\nOn Michigan State's first three offensive plays, IU's seemingly stout defense flew to the ball, gang-tackled and pushed the Spartans back eight yards into their own end zone, where a hurried MSU quarterback Drew Stanton was called for intentional grounding and a safety. \nIt was IU's last taste of defensive success all afternoon.\nWhile those first three Spartan plays garnered the Hoosiers their first points of the afternoon, the next 76 saw a fading IU defense yield five touchdowns and countless missed tackles in the 46-15 rout. "It's embarrassing to us and embarrassing to the program," senior defensive tackle Russ Richardson said. "It's not like we didn't know what we needed to do. We just didn't do it."\nSince the Hoosiers stonewalled Illinois at home Oct. 8, IU has given up at least 35 points and 425 total yards each game. The last two weeks have been the worst of IU's year. Last Saturday, Ohio State moved the ball at will in flashes, accumulating 240 yards rushing and 238 through the air. \nThis week, Michigan State attacked the Hoosiers with equal balance. Stanton spread the ball around, helping to compile 256 yards passing, and a variety of Spartan running backs combined for the team's 237 rushing yards. Even when the Hoosiers were in position to make defensive plays, their lack of focus allowed the Spartans to shake them off and keep compiling yards, senior linebacker John Pannozzo said. \n"We were there to make plays a lot of times," Pannozzo said. "But we didn't wrap up and finish the play. We've just got to focus and finish those plays off. It's definitely a mental thing more than us just not being able to do it."\nThe missed tackles are provoking threats of lineup switches, IU coach Terry Hoeppner said. \n"You've got to finish tackles, and you can't dive," said Hoeppner. "Some of it is fundamentals, some of it is very coachable and some of it is things that we can do better. Some of it we probably are going to look and see if we can find other people who can play.\n"If you repeatedly have opportunities to make plays and you don't make them, we're going to see if we can find somebody else who can make those plays."\nWith three games remaining and two wins needed to qualify for a bowl, Hoeppner plans to reassess his team in search of avenues to improvement.\n"In some areas we've improved, but in some areas we've deteriorated," he said. "We didn't finish plays, and we didn't finish tackles. We need to learn to finish. We'll continue to grow as a team."\nThe Hoosiers will have their next chance for team growth Saturday, when Minnesota visits Bloomington. The No. 22 Golden Gophers bring a steady offensive attack led by junior Lawrence Maroney, a former Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first team All Big-Ten honoree. Minnesota will look to bounce back from a loss to No. 12 Ohio State, in which the Gophers posted 578 yards of total offense. \nRichardson looks for his fellow seniors to make the most out of the team's last three games. \n"These are the last three games for us seniors," he said. "We want to make the most of that"