Hoosiers' view obstructed on Belcher's near-catch

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Everybody had a view, and nobody saw the ball fall incomplete.

Iowa defensive tackle Mike Daniels drilled Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell as he released the ball. Indiana receiver Duwyce Wilson leapt into the air. Indiana running back Trea Burgess stayed in to block. Hoosiers cornerback Greg Heban wondered if Iowa safety Brett Greenwood knocked it away.

For a split second everyone thought Indiana wide receiver Demarlo Belcher caught a last-second touchdown pass to beat Iowa on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. None of those players saw the ball hit the turf in the end zone on fourth-and-10, ending their upset hopes in an 18-13 Iowa win.

“I threw it as I got hit,” Chappell said. “I thought it had a shot. The safety was wide, and I knew got it over the backer.”

Wilson replaced Tandon Doss, who left the game with a concussion. In one second his range of emotions went from joy to pain.

“I was staring right at it,” Wilson said. “I jumped up when he caught it. Then, like as I was coming down, he was coming down and he dropped it. I was like, just unfortunate.”

Burgess helped double-team Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn and his view was obstructed.

“I couldn't see from back there,” Burgess said. “I just saw the ball go in. I don't know if it was caught or what. It looked like it was caught, I don't know if he secured it or not.”

Heban watched the play develop on the sidelines and thought the Hoosiers had won.

“I was on the sidelines and thought he caught it,” he said. “I didn't catch the very end. It was a great catch, and it was a great, last-second knockaway by that defender.”

Well, Greenwood merely ran past Belcher as he tried to secure the ball. The ball was thrown over Iowa linebacker Jeremiha Hunter and at Belcher's right shoulder. Belcher failed to secure it before it hit the ground. Belcher, who caught seven passes for 50 yards, did not attend the post-game interview session.

It was a tough final play for Indiana (4-5, 0-5 Big Ten), which needs to secure two more wins to earn a bowl bid. It was the final home game at Memorial Stadium, and the outcome was hard to digest for the Hoosiers.

“Every loss is a tough loss, but this one hurt us pretty bad,” Wilson said. “(Demarlo) knows he'll make the play in next week's game. He'll come back out and do his thing.”