Just out of reach

EVANSTON, Ill. – Coming on the heels of arguably the most emotional win of the season, the Hoosiers dropped a back-and-forth affair to Northwestern 31-28, once again putting their season-long goal of “playing 13” in jeopardy. \nLosing at Northwestern (6-5, 3-4), the Hoosiers (6-5, 2-5) will need to win a seventh game next weekend, since 10 teams in the Big Ten are now bowl eligible.\n“It’s always difficult to lose,” said offensive lineman Charlie Emerson . “This one maybe more than others. But coach (Bill) Lynch gives us 24 hours to mourn about it, and then we move on to the next week. We have a long bus ride home, unfortunately, so we’ll have time to think and figure out what we need to do to get our seventh win.”\nBut the game was not without controversy.\nThe first quarter foreshadowed the game’s unpredictability. Despite having the ball for less than two minutes in the frame and only running three offensive plays, the Hoosiers entered the second quarter with a 7-3 lead thanks to junior wide receiver James Bailey91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.\nThe second quarter was just as unusual as the first. After IU pushed the score to 14-3, sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis took a shot that forced him to leave the game for one play. With Lewis on the sideline, the Hoosiers turned to freshman backup Ben Chappell. On his only pass of the game, Chappell threw the ball right at Wildcat linebacker Eddie Simpson, who outraced junior wide receiver James Hardy to the end zone to bring the Wildcats back within one possession. \nThe play was a momentum swing for Northwestern, but the Hoosiers insisted after the game no one questioned the pass.\n“I mean, it hurt, but we know we’ve got each others’ back,” sophomore defensive end Jammie Kirlew said. “We got to go out there no matter what happens and protect our team, protect our players.”\nIn the second half, the Hoosiers hurt themselves with penalties. Lewis hit sophomore wide receiver Ray Fisher for an apparent 70-yard pass, but the play was called back because Lewis stepped over the line of scrimmage. On the next play, the Wildcats were rewarded 15 yards after an IU punt because of a face mask penalty. The Hoosiers were flagged twice more on the drive for offside penalties, which led to a touchdown by junior running back Tyrell Sutton, giving the Wildcats a 17-14 lead.\nNorthwestern padded the lead on its next drive, which ended with a 15-yard halfback pass from Brandon Roberson to Wildcat receiver Kim Thompson.\nDown 10, the Hoosiers went to their bread and butter – Lewis to Hardy – to get them back in the game.\nFacing a third and long, Lewis found Hardy for a 38-yard completion. Later in the drive, Lewis threw a dart that Hardy grabbed before juking his way into the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown, pulling IU back to within three.\nAfter senior cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted his second pass of the game in the IU end zone, the Hoosiers went 80 yards, sprinkling the occasional run play with sharp passes from Lewis to his receivers. The Hoosiers took back the lead with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Hardy, his second of the game and 15th this year. \nBut as was the theme of the game, the Wildcats came back. The combination of Northwestern quarterback C.J. Bacher and Sutton marched down the field and back into IU’s red zone. Only this time, the drive ended with a touchdown. The Wildcats took a 31-28 lead with 44 seconds left.\nOn the ensuing kickoff, perhaps spooked by Bailey’s previous returns, Northwestern kicked the ball out of bounds, giving the Hoosiers the ball at the 35-yard line. IU completed a 17-yard pass from Lewis to sophomore wide receiver Andrew Means. With junior kicker Austin Starr waiting for his chance on the sideline, the Hoosiers felt they were going to overtime.\nStarr never got a chance.\n“You can ask me or any of the other receivers,” Lewis said. “After that first pass, it was like ‘Forget the field goal, we’re going to score a touchdown.’”\nAfter another quick first down, Lewis was sacked and apparently fumbled the ball. The ruling on the field was reviewed but upheld, sending the Northwestern faithful into a frenzy and a defeated Hoosier team into the locker room with its fifth loss of the year. \nThe fumble call by the referees did not sit well with Hardy.\n“I couldn’t believe it,” Hardy said. “I saw his arm going forward; I actually said to the ref ‘Are you serious?’ I don’t know what they were looking at, but I would like to see it myself.”\nWith a must-win contest up next against rival Purdue, Lynch suggested his team would be ready. \n“It’s real tough, but they’ll bounce back,” said a somber Lynch. “They’ll bounce back.”\nWith one game left and one win likely needed for a bowl berth, now they have no choice.