21-19. Homecoming. We win. Ben Chappell throws for an upset.
The final points shocked IU and Northwestern fans a like.
Although the shock wore off through the not-quite-up-to-par end of the season, Lynch & Co. is ready for a fresh start and another Homecoming victory. This time against the Fighting Illini and coach Ron Zook.
"I think that game last year was really the blueprint for what we need to do as a football team to win games," Hoosier quarterback Ben Chappell said. "You know, we didn't turn the ball over, our defense played great and that's what we need to do to win."
However, Zook knows this 11-team conference is full of surprises.
"One thing about the Big Ten Conference in my opinion, it doesn't matter who you're playing or when you're playing, when you walk up to the ball you better be strapped up and ready to go," Zook said.
But Zook has learned Hoosier lessons from the past.
"Two years ago, maybe three years ago, we won our first Big Ten game, we beat Michigan State," he said. "We're kind of off and running now, Indiana comes into our place and we're up 21-7 at one point and we get beat. Whether you're playing for Homecoming or whether you're playing Interstate-57, one thing you better do is be ready to play."
