Lewis leads the Hoosiers to victory in opener

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Kellen Lewis Indiana Football

Indiana quarterback Kellen Lewis passes in the first half of a college football game against Western Kentucky in Bloomington, Ind., Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008. Lewis completed 17 of 27 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns in Indiana's 31-13 win. (AP Photo/Tom Strickland)

By WSBT Sports

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Indiana's Kellen Lewis made it look easy Saturday.

The junior quarterback ran for touchdowns of 75 and 62 yards and threw for two more scores to break the school's career record for TD passes, leading the Hoosiers to a 31-13 victory over Western Kentucky.

Lewis wasn't even sure he'd start until Tuesday. He had served a four-month suspension for violating team rules during the spring and summer, then had to fight off sophomore Ben Chappell to win back the starting job.

Clearly, coach Bill Lynch made the right call by choosing Lewis as the starter.

When the Hoosiers took the field Saturday, Lewis was clicking. He finished 17-of-27 for 144 yards and two TDs — Nos. 43 and 44, two more than Antwaan Randle El's previous record — and rushed nine times for 185 yards.

Western Kentucky simply couldn't stop Lewis.

On Indiana's second possession, the Hilltoppers were caught out of position when Lewis faked an outside handoff, then turned straight up the middle and sprinted 75 yards untouched to make it 7-0.

Indiana made it 10-0 on Austin Starr's 28-yard field goal, and Lewis broke Randle El's record on an 11-yard TD pass to Ray Fisher early in the second quarter.

After Western Kentucky kicked two short field goals to open the second half, Lewis struck again with a 5-yard TD pass to Demario Belcher with 17 seconds left in the third. That made it 24-6, and the Hilltoppers finally got into the end zone with a 32-yard TD pass from K.J. Black to Jake Gaebler early in the fourth.

But Lewis sealed it on Indiana's next play, sprinting 62 yards on the same call he scored his first TD.

The Hilltoppers were led by Black, who was 19-of-31 for 219 yards. He was also Western Kentucky's top rusher with 15 carries for 47 yards.

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