Fresh on the heels of an equally encouraging and discouraging week one loss to Ohio State, Indiana has a quick turnaround this week against an in-state FCS foe, the Indiana State Sycamores.
Indiana State will be looking for a rebound as well on Friday, as they opened their season this past Thursday with defeat, being shut out 27-0 by Eastern Illinois in Terre Haute.
The Hoosiers (0-1, 0-1 in Big Ten play) square off the with the Sycamores (0-1) this upcoming Friday night in Bloomington. The game is set for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff.
Here's a first glance at Friday night's visitors.
Key Players
– QB Gavin Screws: Now at his third stop in college football, the one-time Troy Trojan and Butler Community College QB is now the Sycamore starter in 2023. He struggled versus Eastern Illinois, completing just 13-of-24 passes and throwing two interceptions to end the first half, one of which being returned for a touchdown. The 6-foot-2 quarterback was a two-star recruit out of high school, and has struggled to find solid footing at the collegiate level.
– WR Dakota Caton: When the Sycamores did find success through the air last week, the eventual likely target was Caton, the redshirt senior wideout from Sullivan, Indiana. He hauled in six receptions for 70 yards last Thursday versus the Panthers and has a strong chance to be Indiana State's most effective weapon on the outside.
– RB Justin Dinka: A former San Diego State Aztec running back, Dinka was a second team All-MVFC selection last season. Now a redshirt junior, Dinka is one of the Sycamores' more dynamic options in the backfield.
– DB Maddix Blackwell: The redshirt sophomore led the Sycamores in tackles in week one, totaling 11 and adding an interception – Indiana State's only forced turnover of the season's first game. Originally from Bloomington, Blackwell's homecoming could bring out the best in him on Friday night.
– DL Lucas Hunter: The defensive force in the trenches was a 2022 MVFC All-Conference Honorable Mention last season, making 35 tackles, 4.5 of them being for loss and one being a sack. Despite having a quiet evening in week one, his name is the one to know on the Sycamore front seven.
Key Stats
– Under head coach Curt Mallory, the Sycamores are 19-38 dating back to 2017.
– Although early, the Sycamores offense was the worst of any team in the Missouri Valley last week – being the only team to be shut out and the third-worst offense by total yardage. 2022 wasn't much better, with the Sycamores only scoring 16.0 points/game last season and averaging just under 300 yards of offense per contest.
– The Sycamores defense struggled against the run last season, allowing 174.2 yards/game in 2022.
– Opponents converted on third down at a 47 percent clip against the Sycamores in 2022.
Key Notes
– Curt Mallory, the Sycamore head coach, is the son of famed Indiana head coach Bill Mallory.
– Indiana is 5-0 all-time versus the Sycamores, with the last meeting between the two coming in 2014. Each meeting between the two schools has come in Bloomington.
– The Sycamores 2-9 record in 2022 was the worst season under Mallory since his inaugural campaign in 2017, in which Indiana State went winless. The average margin of defeat in those nine losses? 23 points, and only four of their losses ended in one-possession outcomes.
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