The college football season is just over one month from kick-off, and training camp is even closer with the first whistle expected to start in the early days of August.
In preparation for the season, the Hoosier is previewing each of Indiana's opponents this season in order. The coverage is part of our expansive preview of the Hoosier's upcoming season under Tom Allen.
Up next is Indiana's week two opponent, Indiana State. (See Week 1: vs. Ohio State)
SEE ALSO:
Big Ten head coaching tiers entering 2023 season
Predicting the 2023 All-Big Ten defense
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, September 8th, 2023
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
TV: Big Ten Network
2022 RECAP
The 2022 season for the Sycamores was the most tumultuous under head coach Curt Mallory since his inaugural season in Terre Haute. In the first year in 2017, Indiana State's campaign went winless. Six years later in 2022, they only produced two victories – a season-opening win over North Alabama, 17-14, in overtime and over Western Illinois in the season's penultimate weekend.
Mallory has strong ties to the Indiana program, as his father Bill became the winningest coach in the history of Indiana's program during his stretch with the Hoosiers. In each of the previous six meetings between the two schools, Indiana has come out the victor.
The Sycamores were hardly competitive in the majority of their outings. Of their nine losses, only four of which were by a single possession – the average margin of defeat in those nine outings totaling out to just over 23 points/game.
Three different quarterbacks saw playing time last season, though none of the numbers are particularly inspiring. Redshirt sophomore Cade Chambers and redshirt junior Gavin Screws split the majority of the snaps on the year, but neither totaled over 1,000 yards through the air. Chambers threw for eight touchdowns as opposed to three interceptions, but completed just 44.5% of his passing attempts. Screws completion percentage was nearly 53%, yet his 1/6 TD-INT ratio didn't help the Sycamores' cause.
The most dynamic weapon in Indiana State's offense a season ago was San Diego State transfer running back Justin Dinka, who enters the 2023 season as a 5-foot-11, 195-pound redshirt junior. Dinka appeared in all 11 of the Sycamores' games last season, rushing for 895 yards and six touchdowns on 155 attempts – good for 5.8 yards per carry. His worst performance, however, came against their one FBS opponent in Purdue, only carrying the ball 12 times for 16 yards in a 56-0 loss.
Defensively, Gianini Belizaire and Geoffrey Brown had solid seasons for the Sycamores despite the team's lack of success. Belizaire was Indiana State's leading sacker, totaling five and adding 3.5 extra tackles for loss. Brown split the title for most total tackles with defensive back Rylan Cole, but Brown's 7.0 TFL, 3.5 sacks and four QB hurries made him a respectable force at linebacker.
RETURNING STARTERS
Offense: 7
Defense: 7
Analysis: As for the offensive skill positions, the Sycamores return a lot of youth who will bank on their previous year of experience to attempt to make a leap with their performance this upcoming season.
Leading receiver Dante Hendrix isn't in the fold this season, as he was the only Sycamore pass-catcher to record more than 24 receptions or 300 yards. Clearly the favorite target last season with his 50 receptions, 719 yards and four scores, Indiana State will rely on the likes of Dakota Eaton, Harry Van Dyne, Kevin Barnett and others to shoulder the load in the air attack.
Both running backs and quarterbacks are returning this season – the Sycamores toting a fun offensive backfield with Dinka and Tee Hodge lining up in the running and passing games.
Defensively, 2022 MVFC All-Conference Honorable Mention D-lineman Lucas Hunter is back alongside Belizaire in the defensive trenches. Hunter made 35 tackles in 2022, 4.5 of them being for loss and one being a sack.
Brown and Garret Ollendieck are back at linebacker this season, two of the Sycamores' leading tacklers in 2022.
Cole and Maddix Blackwell are back as Indiana State's likely top two defensive backs this season, as the duo hauled in four of the Sycamores' seven interceptions last season and were the second and fourth leading tacklers, respectively.
PRESEASON PROJECTION
It's well-documented up to this point that the Sycamores' 2022 campaign didn't go to plan. But the Trees were young and inexperienced in many positions, often relying on the couple of veteran options to overproduce to compensate while the younger options continued to develop in season.
With more experience under their belt, the Sycamores will look to improve upon their 1-7 conference standing last season and 2-9 overall season in the FCS' Missouri Valley Football Conference. Only Western Illinois was worse than Indiana State last season, who went 0-11. Consequentially, the Leathernecks accounted for the Sycamores singular conference victory a year ago.
But with more to prove this season and trust being shown in Mallory to turn the program back into the right direction in his seventh season in Terre Haute, look for the Sycamores to eye a return to winning four or five games this upcoming season, a mark they floated around after winning seven games in 2018.
Last year served as a foundation, but the Sycamores hope for a building block season this year.
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