Author: Patrick Felts

All offseason long, Indiana’s coaching staff mentioned freshman running back Jaylin Lucas as a breakout candidate to watch for during the team’s 2022 campaign. In Saturday’s 35-21 loss at Nebraska, Lucas broke out – literally – for a 34-yard run late in the first half, dashing and bouncing past multiple Nebraska defenders to set up the Hoosiers for one of their two offensive touchdowns on the night. The crowd at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln let out “oohs” and “aahs.” BTN color commentator and four-time Super Bowl champ Matt Millen has seen a lot of football in his lifetime, but he…

Through its first four games of the 2022 season, Nebraska struggled mightily on defense. The Cornhuskers entered this week 127th in the FBS in total defense, allowing 514 yards per game – the highest total of any Power Five team. After losing 49-14 to Oklahoma two weeks ago, the school fired defensive coordinator Erik Chinander. Against Indiana on Saturday night, Nebraska’s defense looked more like its legendary 1971 iteration than its previously underwhelming 2022 variant. The Huskers held IU to just 290 total yards in a 35-21 victory. For the Hoosiers, the defeat and inability to produce on offense is…

Four games into the 2022 season, Indiana’s offense has had a different look and feel compared to the 2021 vintage. Besides the fact that the Hoosiers already have won more games than they did all of last year, the year-over-year change that has been most noticeable for the team has been pace of play. In the offensive coordinator change from Nick Sheridan to Walt Bell in the offseason, Indiana also changed from its more traditional offensive pace in seasons past to a new, high-tempo scheme in 2022. A month into the season, and it has been one of the fastest…

High expectations are nothing new to Indiana men’s basketball – winning five national championships among a bevy of other achievements will do that for a program. But for a roster that saw limited success prior to last season, the opposite is also true. After going six years in between NCAA Tournament appearances, preseason expectations from outside the program were lower than in decades past. But now, after a March Madness win over Wyoming and returning most production from last season’s roster, the Hoosiers are entering the season as likely a top-15 team in the nation, Big Ten favorites and a…

With the game on the line on Saturday, Indiana’s Connor Bazelak turned to a fellow quarterback. Sort of. Donaven McCulley arrived in Bloomington in 2021 as Indiana’s highest-ever rated quarterback recruit. For four years at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, McCulley played the position. Last season for IU as a freshman, he started four games at quarterback and made appearances at the position in seven. But after years under center, a change came during spring practice this year, when at his own request, McCulley switched to wide receiver. While the newly-converted wideout had just 16 receiving yards in his…

Indiana kicker Charles Campbell struggled in last week’s win over Idaho. He missed a field goal and had a second miss negated due to a defensive penalty. His head coach likes to see you play how you practice, and he saw Campbell’s struggles coming. In practice before the Idaho game, Tom Allen said Campbell missed two more kicks, something the coach said his kicker “never does.” After the second miss against Idaho, Allen told Campbell he wasn’t afraid to bench him. Good thing he didn’t do that. With the game on the line in overtime, tied 30-30 with Western Kentucky,…

Indiana opened its 35-22 win over Idaho in a torrential downpour. Ponchos and rain jackets of assorted colors covered the normally crimson-clad stands, as the Hoosier faithful tried their best to stay dry in the midst of unbearable rain. While rain jackets covered the seats of the fans who toughed out the weather, empty seats covered the rest of Memorial Stadium – including an uncharacteristically sparse crowd in the student section.  While they had a strong showing last week against Illinois, an FCS opponent, delayed kickoff and inclement weather kept many of them away on Saturday night. Indiana went down…

Indiana defensive end Beau Robbins came to Bloomington in 2019 as one of the most heralded prospects in program history. A consensus four-star recruit, Robbins was IU’s second-highest rated recruit in the 2019 class per 247 Sports and the program’s sixth-highest rated ever when he enrolled. But in his first three seasons at IU, Robbins was rarely a part of the picture for the Hoosier defense. He made four tackles across three seasons, all in 2021, making zero appearances between the 2019 regular season finale win over Purdue and the 2021 season opener at Iowa. The former Carmel High School…

Indiana trailed 17-16 to Illinois for most of the second half of its season-opening contest in Bloomington Friday night, and several times, the Hoosiers were given chances to regain the lead. Everything from whiffed punts, turnovers and goal-line stands on fourth down provided the Hoosiers opportunities to take advantage, but the team failed to do so. Late in the 4th quarter, an Illini field goal put the visitors ahead 20-16 with just 2:16 to play in the game, leaving one last chance for the Hoosiers to make a statement and clinch a crucial opening night victory. With no timeouts and…

As kickoff nears for Indiana football’s season-opening game with Illinois Friday night in Bloomington, four of its most experienced players met with the media following practice Tuesday afternoon. Here is a sampling of what cornerback Tiawan Mullen, wide receiver D.J. Matthews and linebacker Cam Jones had to say ahead of the first contest of the season: Matthews eager to return For two-and-a-half games last season, wide receiver D.J. Matthews looked to be one of the most important and explosive players for Indiana, weaving through hordes of defenders for a punt return touchdown against Idaho and making several key grabs deep…