CNNSI.com - 2000 College Football Preview - CNNSI.com's Indiana preview

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Indiana Hoosiers

Anyone else but Antwaan?

College Football: The New Century

'99, 4-7, 3-5 Big Ten

Coach

Cam Cameron (fourth season, 10-23)

Key offensive players

Antwaan Randle El, QB, Jr.
Became the first sophomore in Big Ten history to reach 5,000 career total yards rushing and passing.

Levron Williams, RB, Jr.
Big versatile back who played wide receiver in '98 ran for 817 yards and caught 33 passes last year.

Versie Gaddis, WR, Sr.
Used his 38-inch vertical leap and excellent speed to catch 35 passes in '99.

Key Defensive Players

Paul Mandina, DT, Sr.
The 6-4, 310-pound Mandina followed up a solid season (40 tackles) with an excellent spring session.

Ivan Maisel's Player of the Century: Anthony Thompson, RB, 1986-89
"Two-time All-American should have won the '89 Heisman instead of Andre Ware."

Brightest Moment: The Hoosiers made their first-ever bowl appearance and only Rose Bowl following the 1967 season, losing to the O.J. Simpson-led USC Trojans 14-3.

Lowest Moment: There have been quite a few lows, including a 15-game Big Ten losing streak in the 1990s, but 10 consecutive losing seasons from 1948-57 gets the nod.

Justin Smith, LB, Sr.
Led the Hoosiers with 89 tackles (65 solos last season) in his first season as outside linebacker.

Key newcomer

Henry Frazier, WR, Jr.
One of the five fastest guys on the team, the juco transfer also sports a 50-foot triple jump and should make an immediate contribution to the receiving corps.

Throwback player

The 6-4, 280-pound tight end Craig Osika has the type of gritty mentality that one could easily envision him playing with a leather helmet.

21st century player

Antwaan Randle El is certainly the quarterback for the next century. He can run and pass and even caught a touchdown pass last season.

Fast Fact

Indiana scored 30 or more points in six games during the 1999 season, the second-highest total in school history.

Outlook

Randle El's athletic skills and escapability kept the Hoosiers in a lot of games last season. Save an embarrassing 59-0 loss to Wisconsin, the Hoosiers were in about every game, losing by three points to Michigan and six to Purdue. "We've had more opportunities than I think any other team in this league to win games and we haven't taken advantage of those opportunities," coach Cam Cameron said. Cameron loves Randle El's arm strength but wants him to improve his accuracy (53.8 completion percent). A better receiving unit should help as he was the victim of many dropped passes. The experience of seven returning defensive starters should make for an improved unit. The Hoosiers should be better, but the Big Ten's strength still might make it difficult to achieve a winning season.

-- Mark Ambrogi