Homecoming 2005

In its last four games against Illinois, the IU football team managed only one win and averaged 16 points per game. This year, in front of a Homecoming crowd, the Hoosiers hope to overpower the Illini defense with their offense -- one that has averaged nearly 30 points a game.\n"From what I have seen, they have that big athletic receiver on the outside who has made a lot of good plays," Illinois head coach Ron Zook said in a statement. "The quarterback is solid, they throw the ball real well and they have a nice scheme offensively."\nThe Illini have dominated the Hoosiers in recent years, averaging a two-touchdown margin of victory in the last four matchups. But despite IU's past problems, Zook spoke highly of the Hoosier offense, especially Hardy and Powers.\n"(Powers) is an athletic guy; he can throw the football anywhere," Zook said in a statement. "He can run, he can make things happen. He's an active passer, he's a leader, he's a winner. The tougher it gets, the harder and better he plays."\nWhile Powers is having a career year in his first season as a starter, Illinois quarterback Tim Brasic leads an Illini offense ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten in red zone conversions. Though statistics might be skewed toward the Hoosiers, IU head coach Terry Hoeppner said Zook's team should not be taken lightly.\n"You hear what they say and you watch them play, it is very evident," Hoeppner said. "The Rutgers game was a gut check. They executed down the stretch and won the game. They also went out on the road and jumped on top of California."\nThe Illini started the season 2-0, defeating Rutgers University and San Jose State University. Since then, Illinois has lost three straight games, two of which were against Big Ten opponents. It is ranked last in the conference in both scoring offense and scoring defense.\nIU senior running back Chris Taylor said the Hoosiers will take advantage of the Illini rush defense and get the ground game going.\n"As an offense, we have to get consistent running the ball," Taylor said. "We would have run the ball more (against Wisconsin), but we got behind and had to pass the ball more. Hopefully, we can get the running game going."\nWhile Taylor and the rest of the Hoosier offense hope to be successful running the ball, IU senior defensive end Victor Adeyanju wants to be prepared for Illinois running backs Pierre Thomas and E.B. Halsley.\n"The coaches point out specific things and we go off of that and play as hard as we can," Adeyanju said. "Our number one goal is to stop the run."\nRegardless of the numbers and both teams' records, Hoeppner said Saturday is still a Big Ten game, and he knows what to expect out of Zook and the Fighting Illini.\n"I kept saying it is a whole different game now," Hoeppner said in a statement. "We are into the conference. We are going into the deep water with the big fish"