The "Cardiac Kids" of '67 were seniors in 1969. Their Rose Bowl season heroics and 9-2 record had raised expectations for '68 and their 6-4 record could have been 8-2 with a few more points against Michigan and Purdue. Thus, 1969 was a year of hope and anticipation for the Hoosier faithful but there were snags in the road. The trio that had carried the offense for three seasons, Gonso, Isenbarger, and Butcher set almost every school offensive record. The team was 4-3 heading into November and playing well until November 5th when political unrest that had festered on campus spilled over to the football team. In the spring of '68 seventy-five Black students had staged a sit-in to disrupt the well-known IU Little 500 Bicycle Race. Rain postponed the race, defusing the situation. Following the Hoosiers' 16-0 victory at Michigan State, preparations for the Iowa game were interrupted three days prior to the game when fourteen African-American players staged a boycott of practice. The harmony of the team was disrupted and Pont hastily tried to pull the squad together. Four players returned immediately after a list of grievances was presented to the athletic department but ten others, five of them seniors, did not and the Hoosiers limped through the homestretch with three losses, finishing at 4-6. Isenbarger played four years with San Francisco and two more with Hawaii of the WFL and he remains a legend in Bloomington for his daring escapades on fourth down. Gonzo served the Governor Of Indiana as his Chief Of Staff and in 2006 returned to private law practice. To recognize the one hundred year anniversary of football, Indiana maintained their red helmets with one-inch white flanking stripes and white block "I" on each side, but added one of the standard "100" decals that were used by a number of teams, placing it in the rear of the helmet.

The 1-9 record of 1970 was a return to what had been the IU football standard but it was made worse by the fallout of the Black boycott of the previous year and its effect on recruiting, the use of three soph QB's and a terrible offense. With the introduction of artificial turf for 1971, the excitement level was higher, Pont was optimistic, and there were a few decent players on board. Mammoth DT Carl Barzilauskas at 6'6", 269-pounds teamed with senior LB Chuck Thomson to turn in a few good defensive performances but the offense again was a problem. Tough QB Ted McNulty had only soph HB Ken St. Pierre as a reliable weapon and the Hoosiers were shut out in three games and scored but seven points in two others to finish the season with a victory and major brawl against Purdue and a 3-8 record. The successful close of '71, thirty-six returning lettermen, and a 4-1 early season record gave hope for the 1972 but when QB McNulty went down with a leg injury against Ohio State in the October 21st 44-7 drubbing, the season went with him. Stacking against the runs of RB's St. Pierre and Ken Starling the team finished at 5-6. Dwindling attendance and alumni support gave Pont the reason he needed to bolt for the AD and head coaching job at Northwestern and once again, it was time to introduce another new coach.

If interested in any of these Indiana helmets please click on the photos below.