More Indiana State pregame.

The Terre Haute Tribune Star isn't exactly going for saturation coverage of the hometown Sycamores: with the caveat that I may not be effectively navigating the website, an article from Wednesday, about kickers, is the most recent I can find.

IU has issued its standard game notes (.pdf). Some nice info in there, including the official depth chart. Here's the first team, with the eligibility year (rather than academic year) listed in parentheses. Nick Polk, recently converted from WR, will start at free safety. That's either really good or really bad news. Also, this team is still young. Only eight starters are in their last seasons of eligibility. Also, Michael Hines won the punting job over freshman Chris Hagerup. Anyway, the starters:

LT Rodger Saffold (So.)

LG Pete Saxon (So.)

C Ben Wyss (Sr.)

RG John Sandberg (Sr.)

RT Charlie Emerson (Sr.)

TE Nick Sexton (Sr.)

WR James Hardy (Jr.)

WR James Bailey (Jr.)

WR Andrew Means (So.)

RB Marcus Thigpen (Jr.)

QB Kellen Lewis (So.)

LE Jammie Kirlew (So.)

DT Joe Kremer (Sr.)

DT Greg Brown (Jr.)

RE Greg Middleton (So.)

WLB Will Patterson (So.)

MLB Adam McClurg (Sr.)

SLB Geno Johnson (Jr.)

CB Leslie Majors (Sr.)

SS Austin Thomas (So.)

FS Nick Polk (So.)

CB Tracy Porter (Sr.)

Also:

• Other than Graeme McFarland's 48 yards passing, every bit of IU's 2006 offensive production returns;
• James Hardy, with 20 touchdown catches in his first two seasons, is only 10 behind Jade Butcher for IU's career record;
• Hardy needs only 911 yards to become IU's all-time receiving yardage leader;
• Hardy, with 8 100-yard games, is only 2 behind Eddie Baety for the career record;
• With 10 career interceptions, Tracy Porter seems unlikely to catch Tim Wilbur for the IU record (19), but with just two more INTs will be in second place

As for the Sycamores, as noted, sometime starting QB Reilly Murphy and leading rusher Tony West return. Let's hope that for the first time since the 2003 ISU game, the Hoosier can play a I-AA team without a dramatic fourth quarter. This whole start-of-the-season thing seems to have snuck up on the ISU SID. The team's website includes no news releases since July 24 and still provides the 2006 roster and media guide. As an IU football fan, I thought I knew what apathy looked like.