Mellencamp to perform

In front of a homecoming crowd that IU coach Terry Hoeppner hopes will top 50,000, singer and Bloomington native John Mellencamp will perform his new hit song, "Our Country," before the start of IU's football game Saturday against Michigan State.\nKickoff is scheduled for noon at Memorial Stadium.\nHoeppner has challenged Hoosier nation to fill 'the Rock' with 50,000 fans for Saturday's game, and he hopes the Mellencamp performance will boost attendance. Hoeppner is close friends with the rock 'n' roll singer.\n"We appreciate my friend John Mellencamp helping us celebrate homecoming," Hoeppner said in a statement. "We want all of the Hoosier nation to arrive early, stay late and help us earn another victory."\nThe Hoosiers are 2-3 at Memorial Stadium this season with one more home game remaining against Michigan after this weekend's contest. IU upset then-No. 15 Iowa 31-28 in its last home game before 31,392 fans.