Getting their chance

As the IU football team’s usual stars continued to fill up the stat sheet Saturday, the Hoosiers got a big hand from some unusual suspects on offense, defense and special teams.\nOffensively, while sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis found junior wide receiver James Hardy for an early touchdown, sophomore running back Bryan Payton was the one who finally established the IU rushing attack.\nPayton, third in the depth chart going into the game, was forced to carry the load when junior running back Marcus Thigpen and senior fullback Josiah Sears went down with injuries. \nThe first time his number was called, Payton burst through a hole and streaked 48 yards untouched for a score. It was the first of three rushing touchdowns for Payton on the day – a career high. He also set career bests with 13 carries and 90 yards.\n“Coach tells us every day that you’ve got to be ready, and it’s going to take everybody,” Payton said. “I truly believe that, and you just never know who’s going to go down and who’s going to be needed, so I always keep myself ready ... and I was perfectly ready today.”\nOn the other side of the ball, senior cornerback Tracy Porter added major contributions on defense and special teams, including a 71-yard punt return to set up a touchdown. But it was fellow senior cornerback Leslie Majors who stole the show on defense, coming down with an interception on Saturday.\nAfter junior linebacker Geno Johnson tipped Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber’s pass, Majors snagged the ball while his back was on the ground. It was Majors third career interception, but first from that position.\n“That’s the first one,” Majors said. “We have a little (joke) going around that I have the worst hands of the (defensive backs), but I’ll try to get that changed.” \nSpecial teams also made their plays when needed. Only instead of returning kickoffs for touchdowns like the Hoosiers did so well last year, junior kicker Austin Starr booted the ball through the uprights four times and from distances as short as 25 yards and as long as 47 yards. Starr’s four field goals tied a school record for most in a game.\n“I feel tired for one of the first times after the game in a long time,” Starr said. \nThe contributions of Payton, Majors and Starr complemented the play of several usual standouts, and each had some of the biggest plays of the game on their own. \nThe continued success of players lower in the depth chart has helped the Hoosiers to their best start since 1994, and Payton said he does not see any signs of his team \nslowing down.\nThe Hoosiers have a road date with Michigan State next week, and a win in East Lansing would make IU bowl eligible for the first time since 1994.