Hoosiers will have to wait for bowl eligibility

MINNEAPOLIS -- The IU football team had its season-long goal of bowl eligibility within its grasp Saturday.\nBut rather than clinching their first bowl game berth since 1993, the Hoosiers suffered one of their worst defeats of the season, a 63-26 loss on the road to Minnesota.\n"They out coached us and out played us in every tangible way and every intangible," IU coach Terry Hoeppner said. "That was an embarrassing performance."\nThe Hoosiers (5-5, 3-3 Big Ten) fell behind on Minnesota's opening possession and were unable to recover. \nOn the first play of the game, Minnesota quarterback Bryan Cupito used play-action and completed a 58-yard pass to wide receiver Logan Payne. Three plays later, Cupito converted a third-and-8 by passing to Eric Decker for an 18-yard touchdown. \nThe IU offense, which came onto the field with the Hoosiers trailing 7-0, could not reverse Minnesota's momentum. Freshman quarterback Kellen Lewis struggled, and the offense went three-and-out on each of its first two possessions.\nMinnesota (4-6, 1-5 Big Ten) scored almost immediately after getting the ball back for a second time, putting IU in a 14-0 hole before the team could stop the Golden Gophers.\nCupito capitalized on another stalled IU drive by hitting tight end Matt Spaeth for a 23-yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.\nThe Golden Gophers put up two more touchdowns in the second quarter, pushing their lead to 35-0 before the Hoosier offense was able to get on the board.\n"It's a little frustrating. The offense is supposed to score every time they get the ball, and the defense is supposed to stop them every time (the opponent) gets the ball," Lewis said of being down big early. "Neither side of the ball did their job today."\nIU started at its own 20-yard line and scored in two plays midway through the quarter. Lewis connected with sophomore wide receiver James Hardy for 37 yards on the first play, then hit freshman running back Demetrius McCray down the sideline for a 43-yard touchdown pass. \nThe touchdown catch was the first of McCray's career. He finished with 53 yards receiving and two touchdowns on the day and added 39 yards rushing, including one touchdown.\nAfter the late touchdown by McCray, IU trailed 35-7 at halftime. \nThe Hoosiers cut into the lead on the first drive of the third quarter. Lewis threw to Hardy for a 48-yard touchdown, making it 35-13 after sophomore kicker Austin Starr's extra point attempt was blocked. \nMinnesota came right back with Cupito's fourth and final touchdown pass of the day. He hit wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright from 37 yards out and finished his season-best day 22-for-33 through the air for 378 yards and four touchdowns.\nIU scored again on its next drive on a 2-yard run by McCray and closed the third quarter trailing 42-20. \nAfter play resumed in the fourth quarter, Minnesota scored another touchdown. IU followed with a touchdown from Lewis to McCray to make it 49-26. \nLewis threw for a career-high 321 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 75 yards.\nAfter that, IU did not score again. Minnesota scored again when running back Jay Thomas scored late in the fourth quarter. Then the Golden Gopher defense pitched in when safety Dom Barber returned a Blake Powers' interception 45 yards for a touchdown to make it 63-26.\n"I really didn't see that coming," Minnesota coach Glen Mason said of the 37-point victory. "But when you execute and keep the momentum, then sometimes the bottom falls out for the other team"