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108 ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 24, ISSUE 6 f H ad its defense just played below average instead of bad, Indiana likely would have gone to bowl games the past two seasons. The Hoosiers are hoping new defensive coordinator Brian Knorr's 3-4 scheme can help them take that step forward after finishing 118th and 120th, respectively, in the FBS in total defense the past two seasons. "The good thing for IU is that when you run a 3-4, the big thing is having guys who can fit that," said Matt Weaver of Peegs.com, the Rivals.com site that covers Indiana. "Their personnel seems to fit the scheme. "Improvement-wise, they can't get any worse. It was historically bad. If their defense can make some baby Indiana Without multiple options at receiver, running back Tevin Coleman could see more of the offensive load. Last season, Coleman was productive when he got the chances, averaging 7.3 yards per carry. ern will have to do it without dynamic quarterback Kain Colter, now a household name in college football for his unionization efforts. He was a pretty good play- er, too, one the Wildcats must now live without. There might be a trade-off there. Colter will be missed, but the platoon he was part of with Trevor Siemian, who returns as the starter, might not be. Continuity at the position might not be a bad thing, it's hoped. No matter the quarterback, Venric Mark is getting the chance to carry both the ball and the Wildcat of- fense. The running back redshirted last season due to an ankle injury after running for almost 1,400 yards the year before. He'll need help from an offensive line that struggled last season, but returns everyone. And he'll need to stay healthy. But Mark has the makings of an All-Big Ten player and a key cog in Northwestern's historically fast-paced offense. Defensively, the front has some questions, but the secondary is rich with experience for a unit that will want to do better than the 27-plus points it allowed on average last season. Most importantly, the defense will have to keep Northwestern in games, not that it didn't have chanc- es last season. "Before, Northwestern was that team that always seemed to win close games," Vaccher said, "but lately, it's seemed like it's come up with the short end of the stick more often than not." — Brian Neubert OF NOTE: Nov. 22 is the latest in the calendar year Purdue and Northwestern have faced off since 1931, when the Boilermakers defeat- ed the Wildcats 7-0 at Soldier Field to com- plete a 9-1 season. Indiana Hoosiers 2014 OPPONENT PREVIEW • NOV. 29 • MEMORIAL STADIUM, BLOOMINGTON, IND. • TIME: TBA • TV: TBD