Friday, November 30, 2001
UK-IU focus falls on QBs
Lorenzen on rise; Randle El in finale
Enquirer news services
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Kentucky's Jared Lorenzen has enjoyed an impressive finish. Indiana's Antwaan Randle El has enjoyed an impressive career.
As a result, the always-intense focus on the quarterbacks will be especially sharp Saturday when Indiana (4-6) plays host to UK (2-8) in the season finale. The game was postponed from Sept.15 because of the Sept.11 terrorist attacks.
Indiana coach Cam Cameron knows UK will be a different team from the one IU would have played in September, starting with Lorenzen, who has regained his starting job.
In its last four games, UK has averaged nearly 34 points. In its most recent game, it almost upset Tennessee before losing 38-35.
“Lorenzen's last four games have been phenomenal,” Cameron said. “He will be as good or better than any quarterback we've faced this year. They've gone back to running the offense they had under (former coach) Hal Mumme. It's difficult to stop.”
Randle El has been a challenge for opponents, also, while becoming one of the nation's most exciting players.
The first time he played at Memorial Stadium, he set a school record for total offense.
Since then, his legacy has been written and rewritten game by game, chapter by chapter.
“I'm having all kinds of crazy emotions already,” Randle El said this week. “It's the excitement of playing your last game and I don't want to say it's sorrow, but there are a lot of old memories going through my mind right now.”
Randle El isn't the only one replaying his career in his mind.
In four years, Randle El has become one of the nation's most exciting players.
He has played four positions — quarterback, wide receiver, punt returner and punter. He has competed in three sports — football, basketball and baseball — and still managed to graduate in four years.
“However good people may think Antwaan is, he's better,” Cameron said. “However much anyone thinks he's given to the Indiana football program, he's given more.”
But after all that, Randle El still has one favorite memory.
“The Illinois game here a couple of years ago,” he said with a smile.
Randle El, then a sophomore, rallied his team from a 28-7 deficit in the final 20 minutes, forced overtime and then led the Hoosiers to a 34-31 victory over his home-state school in Bloomington. On one drive, Randle El amassed 100 yards in total offense and he seemingly willed the Hoosiers to victory.
He burst onto the scene, however, as an exuberant freshman and it didn't take long for Randle El to put his special skills on full display.
In his college debut, against Western Michigan, Randle El threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 82 yards and three more touchdowns in a 45-30 victory. His 467 yards in total offense broke a school record that had stood since 1943.
As he prepares to depart, Randle El finds himself near the top rung of virtually every school rushing and passing record.
And he's still setting records.
With 20 completions in his college finale, Randle El would become the school's all-time leader — giving him the No. 1 spot in every passing category. With 79 yards rushing, he would become the fourth Indiana player — and first quarterback — with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. He needs 148 yards rushing to reach 4,000 and 225 yards passing to reach 7,500 in his career, and he is major college football's only player to have thrown for 7,000 yards and rushed for 3,500.
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UK-IU focus falls on QBs
