The Hoosiers' game with Nicholls State, scheduled for Saturday, will proceed as scheduled. Nicholls, a Thibodaux, Louisiana-based school, has been impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Thibodaux is about 70 miles west of New Orleans and the Colonels were originally planning to fly out of the city. On Thursday, the team secured a charter flight out of Baton Rouge, with Indiana's assistance. Nicholls is receiving a $185,000 guarantee for the matchup.

The Hoosiers are anxious to keep their momentum after beating Central Michigan 20-13 in the season opener. MLB John Panozzo was named the defensive player of the week after recording six tackles, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one sack against the Chippewas.

Head coach Terry Hoeppner believes the award is a significant step for the Hoosiers program, which has not had many defensive heroes in recent years.

"What a tremendous honor for John as well as for our program" Hoeppner said. "When we asked John to move to linebacker in the off-season, it was a calculated risk for both of us. Once we started practice in the spring, it appeared to be the right move for John and the team. Obviously, being named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week in his first game puts the stamp of approval on the move for everyone. I couldn't be more proud of John."

The offense showed signs of coming to life against Central Michigan and should also be able to remain productive against Nicholls State. Hoosier QB Blake Powers connected on 17-of-35 passes for 276 yards and 3 TDs, and his confidence is much higher. If the running game can start to make progress, the Hoosiers could become a difficult team to defend.

The Colonels should not be able to stop the Indiana attack. However, after watching their home state get ravaged by the hurricane and its aftermath last week, which forced the cancellation of its originally scheduled opened against Utah State, Nicholls may want nothing more than to get back to the football field and take their frustrations out on a Big Ten opponent.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Terry Hoeppner wants to establish the running game and that did not happen in the season opener against Central Michigan. The Hoosiers averaged just 2.4 yards per carry on 45 attempts against a Chippewa team that is not known for its defensive prowess. The passing game could be quite dangerous. In addition to the passing of Blake Powers, WR James Hardy appears to be a very significant target after catching 5 passes for 107 yards and a TD against Central Michigan.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: This team has a shot at being very impressive on the defensive end. Big Ten defensive player of the week John Panozzo was a big-play machine vs. Central Michigan, but OLB Kyle Killion is also a stud. DE Victor Adeyanju had 5 tackles and 2 tackles for loss in the opener.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "He's a great player and he's only going to get better. That was a big-time play. There's not a lot of guys who can make that play." -- Powers on Hardy, who made a dramatic 54-yard reception against Central Michigan and figures prominently in the Indiana game plan the rest of the season.

THIS WEEK'S GAME: vs. Nicholls State, Sept. 10 -- Look for Indiana to work on its running game, which struggled against Central Michigan. The Hoosiers have the advantage of having a game under their belts, since Nicholls' scheduled opener against Utah State was cancelled due to Hurricane Katrina.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: WR James Hardy -- The Hoosiers may have a huge threat in Hardy, who caught five passes for 107 yards, including a touchdown. Hardy has spectacular playmaking ability and could become the go-to receiver for QB Blake Powers.

MLB John Panozzo -- The Big Ten defensive player of the week after a huge performance that included six tackles, three TFL, a forced fumble and a sack. Panozzo is a converted fullback and is very aggressive and smart.

QB Blake Powers -- He hit several big passes against Central Michigan. If he can improve his accuracy (17-of-35), the Hoosiers may be very productive at the QB position.

RB Yamar Washington -- He actually had a fine game against Central Michigan, rushing for 108 yards and averaging better than 5 yards per carry. He appears well ahead of Chris Taylor, who was held to 30 yards on 17 carries.

ROSTER REPORT: The Hoosiers should be relatively healthy when they face Nicholls State.