SPORTS
Triple threat Thigpen set for Big Ten action
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Also by Aaron Brenner:
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- Slow start kills chance of repeat (March 21, 2007)
- Wisconsin loses shot to defend title (March 19, 2007)
- Badgers survive do-or-die (March 16, 2007)
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- 5 Keys 4 UW (January 31, 2007)
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by Aaron Brenner
Thursday, September 28, 2006
During the Badgers' upcoming game Saturday against the Indiana Hoosiers, there will be a tailback running around, a little on the small side, sporting a red jersey with No. 2 on the front and back.
No, it won't be Brian Calhoun, and this player won't be competing for the University of Wisconsin. Indiana's Marcus Thigpen makes his first Big Ten start as a running back, and bears striking similarity to the ex-UW standout in terms of physical appearance, with respect to his size and the jersey.
With the Badgers entering Memorial Stadium as a heavy favorite, the Hoosiers may need Thigpen to look like Calhoun as a player in order to pull the upset. But in this particular circumstance, Thigpen and his teammates are just happy to have their coach, second-year man Terry Hoeppner, who will return to the field as head coach just 17 days after having surgery to remove a potentially recurrent brain tumor.
"Everybody's playing with more enthusiasm," Thigpen said. "Everybody's happy that he's back, happy to have him back out here coaching us again."
Thigpen — who hails from Detroit, where Calhoun is currently playing out his rookie season as a member of the Lions — made the switch from wide receiver to tailback for the 2006 season, and while he has struggled to find his niche (20 carries for 41 yards, a 2.1 yard per carry average), Thigpen has managed to find the end zone twice out of the backfield.
"I haven't changed my style on the ground, [I've] been an all-around player," said Thigpen of the transition. "But as far as me knowing the offense and the plays, it's going pretty good."
A standout track athlete for Indiana in the spring, Thigpen has made up for setbacks in rushing yardage by producing in other ways. He's lived up to his personal assessment as an all-around player, averaging just short of 100 all-purpose yards per game so far. He's done it by catching nine balls for 88 yards (including a 30-yard touchdown) and bringing two kicks back for touchdowns, the first Hoosier ever to accomplish the latter feat.
Thigpen, who runs the 40-yard-dash in 4.29 seconds, needed only three games to become the first Indiana player since Duane Gunn in 1981 to find the end zone on a rush, a reception and a kick return in the same season.
The sophomore has scored in each of Indiana's first four games, and will be hard-pressed to make it five in a row against Wisconsin's defense (12.8 points allowed per game). It could be especially difficult for Thigpen to do it via the unconventional way of a kickoff return; although the Badgers struggled last week against Michigan's Steve Breaston on punt returns, UW kicker Taylor Mehlhaff has forced opponents into 11 touchbacks on 20 kicks.
"We've been watching film, and it does seem like they kick it out of the end zone a lot," Thigpen said; he is the college football leader in kickoff return average at 52.6 yards a takeback. "It'd be a mistake to return any [end zone kicks], but if I have to, then I will."
As the Hoosiers set for their first Big Ten matchup of the year, Thigpen said Indiana has a chance to rebound from a disappointing 2-2 record coming out of the non-conference portion of the year.
"It's our opportunity to make a statement, [to] try to be 1-0 in the Big Ten," Thigpen said. "Forget the non-conference games that we didn't win, it's a fresh start, [and] that's just our attitude."
Thigpen could see more open opportunities, with the return of IU's No. 1 receiver, James Hardy, who is coming back from a two-game suspension.
"People try to double him, and that just opens up the running game, and when the running game opens up, it's back to him," Thigpen said. "It's good having Hardy out there."
At 5-foot-8 and 182 pounds, Thigpen's frame resembles Calhoun much more than that of Wisconsin's current back, P.J. Hill. Thigpen said he is preparing for a Wisconsin-style game, one that will test the physical resolve of the Hoosiers.
"Yeah, I think it's tougher, because they know what it's like," Thigpen said. "I think it's going to be a tougher game for us.
"I expect to play in a real physical game [come] Saturday."
Anonymous (September 28, 2006 @ 11:38am):
I am a student at IU. Don't worry about Thigpen or anyone of our other "football" players. I have one word to describe us...disgusting. We couldn't even stay with Southern Illinois or Connecticut, so we definitely will not be able to stay with the Badgers this Saturday. My prediction: Badgers 49 Hoosiers 14
