"I'm here for one reason: to turn this team into a winner," said Hoeppner, an Indiana native. "I think it's possible to get this team to the Rose Bowl."

Hoeppner said that in all earnestness, even though the Hoosiers have not been to the Rose Bowl since January 1968 when the Hoosiers were coming off a 9-1 regular season. They fell to O.J. Simpson and USC, 14-3.

Hoeppner believes the Hoosiers do not have to build from the bottom up. Former coach Gerry DiNardo may have been pushed out at the end of the season, but he leaves some talented players.

"I made quite a few calls to coaches I respect," Hoeppner said. "This team beat Minnesota earlier this year. They had a good chance at beating Northwestern and Penn State. There are tools to work with."

Indiana players welcomed the news of Hoeppner's hiring.

"I think it's a rebirth for the team as a whole," quarterback Blake Powers said. "I had heard rumors of different coaches, but when I heard that (Hoeppner) wanted the job, I was hoping he would get it. I think it's good for me as an individual, but more importantly, it's good for the whole team."

Hoeppner's greatest success came during the 2003 season, when he led Miami to a 12-1 record. After losing their opener at Iowa, QB Ben Roethlisberger and the RedHawks reeled off a dozen wins in a row.

"That was something special," Hoeppner said. "Ben was terrific and so was the entire team. Obviously, it' s something you would want to repeat, but it will take a lot of hard work to get there."

Hoeppner may be an optimist, but the realism of a Big Ten schedule will soon hit him right between the eyes. He welcomes the challenge, but it will take a while before he can reach his goals.

GAME OF THE YEAR: Indiana 30, Minnesota 21 -- The Hoosiers defeated the Gophers the day before Halloween, but the Hoosiers were not able to capitalize and ended up losing their remaining three games. This proved to be Indiana's lone Big Ten victory. Indiana registered seven tackles for loss and held Minnesota's outstanding rushing attack to 169 yards.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: QB Matt LoVecchio -- He showed significant improvement this season and completed 153-of-271 passes for 1,951 yards with 13 TDs and seven interceptions. Instead of overshooting open receivers as he did regularly last year, LoVecchio did a good job of finding them. He built a great rapport with WR Courtney Roby, who had 55 catches for 810 yards and seven touchdowns, finishing on the All-Big Ten second team as voted by the media.

RAPID REVIEW: The Hoosiers started the year with two victories in a row, but they fell apart after their huge upset at Oregon. The big problem was a soft defense that simply couldn't stop anyone. The Hoosiers allowed 453.8 yards per game.

FAST FORWARD: With LoVecchio graduating, Blake Powers figures to be the man behind center. He has size, strength and a big arm, but he did not get much experience as a freshman and needs to perform well in spring practice. RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis figures to do a steady job running the ball, but he averaged just 3.4 yards per carry in running for 794 yards in 2004.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Terry is innovative, emotional and well-grounded in family values. Terry's team plays exciting, winning football. As he told me, we are going to put pressure on you offensively and we are going to be coming downhill after you defensively." -- Athletic director Rick Greenspan on the style the team will play under new head coach Terry Hoeppner

WR Jahkeen Gilmore -- He made the switch from defensive back to wide receiver this season and finished second on the Hoosiers with 23 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns. At 6-0 and 215 pounds, Gilmore has the size and strength to make key plays over the middle.

ROSTER REPORT: The Hoosiers did not suffer any key injuries heading into the offseason.