Junior quarterback Blake Powers last season was ninth in the Big Ten in passing efficiency, completing just 56.4% of his pass attempts. Furthermore, he also threw a conference worst 16 interceptions in 2005. So, anyone know if Powers is showing any improvement thus far? Terry Hoeppner's team certainly could use better play out of the quarterback position in 2006.
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a guy I probably won't bet on, but I don't think I'll bet against him and Hardy either...Indy plays hard but is not extremely talented...Comment -
Blue Ribbon Yearbook.
Antwaan Randle El doesn't hold the Indiana record for touchdown passes in a season. The Super Bowl champion has been displaced in the Hoosier record books by junior Blake Powers (6-4, 224). The best thing for Hoeppner and the Indiana staff: They've got Powers for another two seasons.
Partly because of Indiana's losing record, Powers' standout season in 2005 got overlooked in the Big Ten. He hit 56 percent of his passes for 2,305 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was intercepted 16 times, a number offensive coordinator Bill Lynch wants to see reduced.
"Particularly early on, he had some really good numbers," Lynch said. "I thought he played well. As a group, as we kept going through the Big Ten, we fell off a little bit. But some of that was the competition we were playing."
Lynch saw the improvement he wanted from Powers during the spring.
"In a lot of ways," Lynch said. "Not only physically, but taking on more and more of a leadership role. You want your quarterback to be the guy the other guys can rally around and believe in. I certainly think we gained a lot in that area."
Lynch says quarterbacks often make big jumps between their first and second years as starters. That's a good sign for Indiana fans.
"You hope so," Lynch said. "It's not new to him anymore. He knows what to expect, the speed of the game and the competition. He's a kid who really works hard and cares."Comment
