Chicago —
Both of Indiana’s Big Ten football teams have a question at quarterback. And both IU and Purdue have three prospective answers at the position.
For the Hoosiers, coming off a 1-11 season in Kevin Wilson’s first year as head coach, the starter would seem to be sophomore Tre Roberson. The 2011 Indiana Mr. Football started five games for IU last fall, completing 57 percent of his passes for 937 yards, three TDs and six interceptions.
But as Wilson noted on Thursday at Big Ten Media Days, no position is safe after last year’s disappointment.
“You’ve got to earn it every day,” Wilson said. “The conversation to Tre Roberson and the conversation to every quarterback, we’re not going to be a good team in the Big Ten with average quarterback play. That’s a fact.
“So Tre’s been challenged. We’re excited about Cam (Coffman). We’ll see what Nate Sudfeld does as well.”
Coffman, a junior college transfer from Arizona Western, looked sharp in the spring.
“You go through spring, and Cam Coffman’s team got in the end zone more than Tre’s,” Wilson noted on Friday. “Now that’s always a fair thing to say, because Cam, sometimes it’s two-on-two, so what’s the matchup? … But, if you were looking and judging just on efficiency, Cam Coffman was more efficient in spring than Tre. And that’s not a slight to Tre. But when you’re 1-11, and you’re double interception-to-touchdown ratio, yeah, you’re a good young talented quarterback, and I believe in Tre. But I also believe he better be a lot better. Because for us to start doing some things we need to do, we need to play very good at quarterback.”
And Wilson expects Sudfeld, a true freshman, to be in the mix as well.
“The other kid coming in, Nate, intrigued by him. Not that I want to go with a freshman again. But I do think we walk in Day 1 better than we were,” Wilson said. “But we’re going to walk in way better with a lot more stress, because that position needs to really take off. We can talk about better defense and all those things … the play at that position will impact our team more than anything.”
One of the Hoosiers’ offensive stalwarts, senior center Will Matte, said the quarterback competition still feels open.
“They’ve all worked really hard over the summer and had a great offseason,” Matte said. “It’s definitely going to be a great competition in camp.”
Purdue
There’s a little less concern with Purdue’s quarterback competition. Coach Danny Hope said Caleb TerBush enters fall camp as the No. 1 quarterback after he started all 13 games last season. TerBush completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,905 yards, 13 TDs and six INTs as the Boilermakers finished 7-6.
But Hope wants to get playing time and significant reps for backups Robert Marve — like TerBush, a fifth-year senior — and junior Rob Henry, who missed last season with a knee injury.
“We’ve had a plan the past two or three years to try and use a multi-quarterback system as part of our offensive plan,” Hope said. “That has been negated as a result of the inordinate amount of injuries at the quarterback spot.
“We’re going to play two quarterbacks to some extent always, so we can have the No. 2 quarterback ready to go in case something was to happen to No. 1. I’d hate to be in the situation where we’re in position to get a signature win, or win a championship, and the No. 1 guy goes down, and the No. 2 guy has no chance to get it in done. That’s not fair to your football team.”
TerBush said he’s not approaching the season with the idea that he might lose his spot at No. 1.
“It’s just like going into a game and thinking, ‘what do we have to do not to lose?’ A lot of times you’re going to come out on the losing end if you’ve got that mindset,” TerBush said. “So you’ve got to go in it to win it.”
Sports
Who will emerge as signal caller for IU, Purdue?
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Got it: Rex first baseman #29 Kurt Kudrecki fields a ball hit down the first base line during game action against the Quincy Gems Monday night at Bob Warn Field.
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TODD GOLDEN: Golf ... the beast within?
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Loss drops Rex into first-place tie
- Local Interest
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Score: Post 346 runner #6 Jacob Johnson scores after a collision with the Pate catcher in the fourth inning Sunday afternoon.
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Post 346 rebounds to win Terre Haute Invitational
It’s an interesting dance that Wayne Newton Post 346 and Evansville Pate Post 265 have developed in American Legion baseball’s Terre Haute Invitational, and the last waltz was saved for the host team Sunday.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Wayne Newton 2-1 on young season
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Rex looking to return to pitching dominance Sunday against Springfield
During a 7-1 start and franchise-best seven-game winning streak, Terre Haute Rex pitching was the catalyst. Through eight games, the Rex led the Prospect League with an earned-run average of 1.11.
Even after giving up 10 runs Friday night in a 10-6 loss to the Quincy Gems, the Rex (7-2) are still the league leader in ERA at 2.09. -
FROM TERRE HAUTE TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES: Former Scamore hurlers doing well in White Sox system
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Post 346 rebounds to win Terre Haute Invitational
- High School
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Goatee, Bertoli ran away with Spring Athlete of the Year
When honoring athletes after a season of excellence, the phrase “what might have been” doesn’t usually come up.
But in the case of Terre Haute South’s Jackson Bertoli and Terre Haute North’s TaPring Goatee – the Tribune-Star’s Athletes of the Year for spring sports – there’s an air of unfinished business despite obvious recent successes.
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- College
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Indiana starting pitcher Joey DeNato (23) celebrates throwing out Louisville's Coco Johnson (20) at first for the second out in the bottom of the ninth inning in an NCAA College World Series game in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 15, 2013 (AP Photo/The World-Herald, Ryan Soderlin) MAGS OUT; ALL NEBRASKA LOCAL BROADCAST TV OUT
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DeNato proves IU can pitch too
Joey DeNato dispelled the notion that College World Series newcomer Indiana is all about offense.
The junior left-hander threw a four-hitter and the Hoosiers looked mighty comfortable at TD Ameritrade Park while beating Louisville 2-0 on Saturday night. -
Etherington, Moore happy to be with ISU basketball
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ISU's Johnson invited to World University Games
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FROM THE PRESS BOX: Close, but no cigar, theme for ISU sports in 2012-13
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DeNato proves IU can pitch too
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RAMBLIN’ RECK: Catching up on some things
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RAMBLIN’ RECK: Catching up on some things
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Colts not standing pat in looking toward 2013 season
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Colts not standing pat in looking toward 2013 season
- Terre Haute Rex
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Got it: Rex first baseman #29 Kurt Kudrecki fields a ball hit down the first base line during game action against the Quincy Gems Monday night at Bob Warn Field.
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Loss drops Rex into first-place tie
In a battle for first place in the West Division of the Prospect League baseball standings, the Terre Haute Rex fell just short Monday night at Bob Warn Field.
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Loss drops Rex into first-place tie
- Colts
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Colts not standing pat in looking toward 2013 season
Indianapolis Colts second-year general manager Ryan Grigson has quickly earned a reputation as someone who isn’t afraid to shake things up a bit.
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Colts not standing pat in looking toward 2013 season
- Auto Racing
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Winner's kiss: Tony Kanaan of KV Racing Technology kisses the yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday. Kanaan won his first Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday and kissed the bricks as part of a tradition at the Motor Speedway.
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Kanaan can: Tony Kanaan finally wins Indy 500, ends heartbreak
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Kanaan can: Tony Kanaan finally wins Indy 500, ends heartbreak





