IU-Minnesota: first quarter thoughts.

• White pants, crimson jerseys. Trying to beat the heat. Back to looking like Oklahoma, I guess, at least for today.
• 14:00 Nice up the middle run by Thigpen for the first down. Since I have questioned him as a traditional RB, I should point out that he looked good there.
• 13:50 If Thigpen keeps running like that, Minnesota is in trouble.
• 12:51 Ho hum, another nearly 50 yard connection Lewis-Hardy.
• Hey, play action in the red zone opened that up pretty well.
• 11:27 6'7". Just not fair. Jump ball, 7-0. Now the pressure's on that freshman quarterback.
• 11:27 Yesterday I questioned Brewster mania a bit. Is it fair, on the road, to put the nation's worst pass defense up against a dangerous QB and a 6-7 monster of a WR? Thiswould have been a better point ten minutes ago, of course, but now they are in a hole.
• 11:23. is it me or are there more touchbacks this year, despite moving the line back 5 yards?
• 11:18 Yep, that's what I was worried about. Easy run for UM. At least we got the early lead.
• Looks like a decent crowd on the west side. Students are late-arriving.
• 9:46 Big play by Weber. A punt there would have been bad for Minnesota.
• 9:22 bad throw, poor coverage. Should have been broken up.
• 8:23 As always, just hideous production by the BTN. That was a touchdown, apparently. Disappointing series by the IU defense.
• 7: 28 Great play on the second effort by Means.
• 5:46 Nice run, Bryan Payton. Right up the middle for a ~50 yard TD is always nice. Plays like that usually happen against IU (usually at the hands of Michigan or OSU), not for IU.
• Argh. I spoke too soon about touchbacks.
• 4:12. This young QB for Minnesota is going to be good. That's his second third down dagger, and he handles pressure well.
• 3:53 Two facemasks in three plays. Nice. Terrible call as a 15 yarder, but whatever.
• 1:47. Crap. Way to show up, defense.
• 1:39 Another nice run by Payton. Again, if IU can run the ball like this on such basic plays, we can score at will, but it doesn't matter if the D can't do anything.
• :00Important third down completion.

First quarter stats: IU has an edge right now (199 yards to 120), but it has more to do with IU's 3 possessions to UM's two than anything else. Neither team can stop the other. IU has been more efficient to date, with 10.5 yards per play to UM's 7.1. Both QBs have been great: 7-8 for Weber, 9-11 for Lewis. Two penalties by IU for 20 yards. Minny is 2-3 on 3rd down, IU is 4-4.