History made to be broken in Bucket game

With both teams suffering defeats last weekend, IU and Purdue will meet for their annual contest with nothing to play for but the Old Oaken Bucket. 

IU’s season will end regardless of the outcome, which is anything but unique. However, the 2009 Hoosiers are on the edge of breaking school records heading into Saturday’s contest with their most bitter rival.  

Chappell’s 1st starting season  

Records on the line: completions, attempts, completion percentage, yards

Junior quarterback Ben Chappell took control as the team’s undisputed starting quarterback with the dismissal of former IU quarterback Kellen Lewis in the spring. But questions remained about how he would perform. 

Not only has he put inquiries of his starting status to rest, but he has a chance to etch his name in the record books as one of the best seasons an IU quarterback has ever had.

Chappell is 369 yards away from breaking Lewis’ record for most in a season, but that would be a career-high, and Purdue ranks fifth in the Big Ten in passing defense. 

If he does hit that mark, he will probably have to drop back quite a bit, which might bring him another record. Chappell is 53 throws away from breaking Lewis’ attempts record, and while that seems high, he did chuck 51 last week at Penn State.

While he will be hard-pressed to break those records, several others are within easy reach. 

He is only 21 completions away from breaking another one of Lewis’ records, and he is on pace to be the first Hoosier quarterback to ever have a completion percentage above 60 percent.  

At 63 percent going into Saturday, he will need at least an average performance to stay on top.  

Doss running through the IU record books

On the line: receptions

The team’s best surprise and most dangerous weapon, sophomore wide receiver Tandon Doss, has benefited from Chappell’s great year as his No. 1 option.

It became evident Doss would be deeply involved in the offense from the start, as he hauled in eight receptions in a victory against Eastern Kentucky. Since then, he has never had a game in which he had less than five catches.

Doss, sitting pretty with 73 catches, is seven away from passing James Hardy on the team’s single-season reception list. His chances are good, considering he has had five games with at least that many catches.

He only has one record to break this year, but don’t be shocked to see him vying for more top spots next season.  

The Rock is (almost) packed  
 
On the line: attendance marks

While there won’t be any records set and there is no anticipation of the unknown, when the game is underway Saturday, IU will have broken the 40,000 mark in average attendance for the first time since 1992. 

The highest average attendance in Memorial Stadium was 53,319 in 1969, a far cry from the Hoosiers’ 40,478 thus far. But the highest average in 17 years is certainly worthy of recognition, especially given the team’s 4-7 record. 

Last season, when the team was 3-9, average attendance was just more than 31,000. And although the team has only one win in the last eight games, the rivalry with Purdue has allowed IU Athletics to expand the student section by more than 50 percent.

And if the home crowd fuels the team to victory, it will be the first time IU has taken home the Bucket in at least two out of three years since 1994-96.  

By a great margin

On the line: conference lead in turnover margin

Although it has been much-maligned for an inability to keep a lead in the fourth quarter, the IU defense has excelled in getting the ball back to its offense. 

At plus-11, the Hoosiers trail only Ohio State (plus-12) in turnover margin in the Big Ten. Since the conference began keeping the statistic in 1987, IU has never finished the season on top. 

The Hoosiers’ defense has done its part, leading the Big Ten in takeaways with 29, averaging a plus-one margin per game. The offense has been scrupulous with the ball itself, but just not enough to be in the lead.

If the defense keeps its ball-hawk mentality in check and the offense limits the turnovers, the Hoosiers might walk away with the title as the conference’s most careful and simultaneously theft-minded team in IU lore.