RUNNING WILD

Sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis said he simply took what Akron gave him. The Zips were generous.\nIn the first quarter, Lewis took off for a career-best \n64-yard run on a quarterback option – and he was just getting started. \nThe run was a microcosm of the game, as Lewis ran 18 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns in the Hoosiers’ 41-24 victory over Akron.\n“I didn’t know I had that many rushing yards until after the game,” Lewis said. “I didn’t know I was that close to 200. If I knew I was that close to 200, instead of taking a knee (at the end of the game) I might have quarterback-sneaked it.”\nLewis’ big day on the ground was in part due to Akron’s defensive scheme. The Zips dropped eight men back to defend against the pass, giving Lewis enough \nroom to run wild.\n“They dropped a lot of people into coverage,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “When you drop a lot of people into coverage, that gives Kellen a chance to run around. Once he finds a seam, he’s pretty dangerous.”\nWhile Lewis led the rushing attack, his running backs chipped in as well. With help from sophomore Demetrius McCray and junior Marcus Thigpen, IU ran for 338 yards.\n“We have an athletic quarterback and we run a spread offense, and that’s the key for your offense to work to have an athletic quarterback,” McCray said. “And (Lewis is) very athletic – more athletic than most quarterbacks – and once he gets going, it’s hard to catch him.”\nLewis, who earned the starting quarterback job nearly a year ago, said he feels comfortable running the ball more if that’s the best option \nthe defense gives him.\n“In high school, sometimes I felt like if I ran the ball that much, I wasn’t doing my job as a quarterback,” Lewis said. “Whereas now, I’m going to take what the defense gives me. If they want to give me rushing yards, then I can do \nthat every week.”\nEven with Lewis’ big day on the ground, he still managed to throw three touchdown passes to three different receivers. But ultimately, the more players Akron dropped into coverage, the more Lewis was able to run – and lead IU to victory.\n“If they’re trying to take away the pass, that’s the ability that he has and that’s why this offense has become so explosive,” said junior wide receiver James Hardy, who hauled in his fifth touchdown reception of the season Saturday. “With him using his legs and moving back and forth around the field, it’s hard for defenders to defend.”\nAlthough Lewis’ long runs electrified the crowd as well as his teammates, he said he would still prefer to have more standard quarterback statistics as opposed to more rushing yards.\n“I kind of know how (West Virginia quarterback) Pat White feels after every game,” Lewis said. “I like sticking around in the pocket and throwing the ball to guys taller and \nfaster than me.”