TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State hits the road for the first time in the 2022 season as the Sycamores make the trip to West Lafayette, Ind. and Ross-Ade Stadium for a Saturday afternoon contest against Purdue. Kickoff between the Sycamores and the Boilermakers is set for 4 p.m. ET and will be carried live on the Big Ten Network and 105.5 The Legend.
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Weekly Notes
At a Glance
- Indiana State is 0-5 all-time against Purdue dating back to the series opener in 1926. The Sycamores and Boilermakers last took each other on in the 2015 season with Purdue winning at Ross-Ade Stadium, 38-14.
- Indiana State and Purdue have two more games on their current scheduling agreement. The Sycamores are scheduled to return to West Lafayette in both the 2024 and the 2026 seasons.
- Indiana State last started 2-0 in the 1986 season with the Sycamores starting the year with wins against St. Cloud State (W, 27-18) and Missouri State (14-10). The Sycamores have started 2-0 in 14 different seasons in program history.
- Indiana State has lined up against six current members of the Big Ten Conference. The Sycamores are looking for their first win and currently sit 0-17 against the Big Ten all-time.
- The Sycamores lined up against Northwestern last season starting a stretch of seven consecutive seasons ISU will line up against a Big Ten school. Indiana State will take on Purdue (2022, 2024, 2026) and Indiana (2023, 2025, 2027) to continue their stretch against the Big Ten.
Scouting Purdue
Purdue was among the teams that are receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches' preseason Top-25 poll. The Boilermakers were coming off a 9-4 season that included a 48-45 win in the Transperfect Music City Bowl over Tennessee. Purdue finished the 2021 season receiving voted in both the Associated Press and USA Today postseason polls.
Indiana State and Purdue have met five times over their respective program histories dating back to the inaugural contest in 1926. All five games have occurred in West Lafayette with Purdue holding the 5-0 series edge.
Quarterback Aidan O'Connell was on multiple preseason watch lists this season including the Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List, Preseason Big Ten Honors List, Davey O'Brien Award Watch List, and the Maxwell Award Watch List.
First Starts
Indiana State's offense featured a multitude of new faces on the field on Thursday against North Alabama with six players making their Sycamore starting debut. The ISU offense underwent an overhaul in the offseason after losing seven starters to graduation or eligibility expiration.
The six Sycamores that made their first official starts were Kevin Barnett (WR), Jackson Byrne (OL), Ethan Chambers (WR), Tee Hodge (RB), Spencer Schneider (OL), and Gavin Screws (QB)
Quarterback Play
Gavin Screws took all the snaps from the backfield in his starting debut at Memorial Stadium. The Butler Community College transfer went 16-of-30 through the air for 141 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Tyce Ferrell in the ISU win. Screws won the starting quarterback nod after a tough preseason battle with redshirt freshmen Evan Olaes and Cade Chambers. Olaes transferred in from Colorado State and posted 3,693 yards and 29 touchdowns over his final two season at Legacy High School in North Las Vegas, Nev. Chambers saw action in two games in the 2021 season with snaps against South Dakota and Western Illinois.
The Sycamores welcome back the addition of Michael Haupert to the mix this weekend. The quarterback has lined up all over the field throughout his Indiana State career and has been utilized in the ISU wildcat package. He's posted nearly 400 rushing yards and three touchdowns over his two seasons on the field.
In the Trenches
The Sycamores' offensive line continues to develop and flourish under the leadership of 2022 captain Jose Vazquez IV. The Carol Stream, Ill. native was nominated by the ISU coaching staff to the Missouri Valley Football Conference for Offensive Lineman of the Week consideration following a standout game against North Alabama. Vazquez gradated out at 87% according to the ISU coaching charts and posted two pancakes against the Lions on the afternoon.
The offensive line featured several newcomers making debuts at their positions in the opening game against UNA. Jackson Byrne made his first start at center, while Spencer Schneider made his debut at left guard. Additionally, Keagen Trost and Joel Stevens manned the tackle positions together for the first time opposite each other. Vazquez remains the most experienced player in the group with 21 career starts on the O-Line with Stevens (6) the next highest among the starting group.
Carter Herrin and Tate Parker were also in action for Indiana State this past Thursday with the duo both seeing time on the Sycamores' special teams units. Michael Ross is expected to be back in action this week and will serve as the team's primary backup at both guard positions.
Taking It Out Wide
All-Conference wide receiver Dante Hendrix sat out the first game of the 2022 due to injury, but the Sycamores unit had a productive game throughout the opener against North Alabama. Overall, four different receivers combined to haul in 10 catches for 86 yards in their first game under new offensive coordinator Mike Bath.
With Hendrix out, Screws and the Sycamores' passing game looked to East Mississippi Community College transfer Kevin Barnett throughout the game. Barnett delivered with team-highs in receptions (5) and yards (38) in the contest while pacing seven different pass catchers. Daijon Collins (2) and Ethan Chambers (2) both added multiple catches in the contest. Collins bounced back from an injury-filled 2021 season where he finished with just seven catches for 65 yards to sit among the team's leading receivers in the opener. Chambers' two receptions were the first two catches of his collegiate career as the redshirt freshman drew his first start.
Dakota Caton was also back in the receiving mix on Thursday night. The redshirt junior missed the entirety of the 2021 season due to an ACL injury, but he looked explosive throughout the night in both the receiving and return game. Caton posted his lone catch early in the second quarter to set up an Indiana State field goal.
Unleash the Mules
The Indiana State offensive package highlighted the tight end group over the opening week against North Alabama and the group affectionately known as the "Mules" delivered. Tyce Ferrell and Henry Woodcock both posted two catches apiece with Ferrell hauling in the Sycamores' lone touchdown pass of the game in the fourth quarter.
The entirety of the tight end room brings size to the field which will be key in both the passing and rushing games. The Sycamores' group stands at least 6-3 and averages 238-pounds as Indiana State utilizes a number of sets that feature multiple tight ends this year. Ferrell and Woodcock remain the more established options in the room with the duo seeing action in all 11 games in the 2021 season. Lance Rees is also expected to be among the mix for playing time this upcoming weekend with a 6-4, 250-pound frame expected to eat space over the middle.
Multi-Headed Run Game
Indiana State's run game was a two-pronged attack in the opener against North Alabama with Tee Hodge and Justin Dinka combining for 30 carries and 135 total yards in the opening win over the Lions.
Hodge set up Indiana State's first score of the 2022 season with a 46-yard carry in the first quarter against the Lions. He finished the game with a team-high 20 carries for 78 yards, while averaging 3.9 yards per carry. Dinka was effective in both the run and passing games finishing with 98 total offensive yards on Thursday night. Dinka broke free on a 29-yard carry in the second quarter and added a 30-yard reception later in the half on his way to posting 12 touches. The San Diego State transfer added a speed component to the ISU offense and averaged 6.5 yards per carry.
SACK Party
It took just five plays into the 2022 season for the Indiana State defense to record their first sack as Kris Reid Jr. and Casey Miller both combined to take down the UNA quarterback on the Lions' opening possession. From there, the defense continued to pile on recording a Curt Mallory-era record 8.0 sacks in the game with seven different players recording quarterback takedowns.
Kris Reid Jr. posted a career-high 2.5 sacks to lead the defensive effort on the game. His total marked the second-most among the Sycamores under Coach Mallory and left him just behind Inoka Moala's 3.5 sack effort last season against Western Illinois. Juju Williams (2.0) and Gianini Belizaire (1.5) made their debuts on the defense one to remember as the duo both posted multi-sack games in their ISU opener. Williams transferred in by way of MTSU, while Belizaire was a Southern Illinois transfer on the interior of the line.
The Sycamores currently lead the entire NCAA FCS with 8.0 sacks following the first game of the season, sitting one sack ahead of both Missouri State (7.0) and Portland State (7.0) for the national lead.
Behind the Line
In addition to getting after the quarterback, the Sycamores defense also set a Curt Mallory-era mark in tackles for loss in the 2022 season opener. Indiana State posted 15.0 tackles-for-loss in the opener against the Lions with 11 different players recording at least a half-tackle over the opening game.
The Sycamores' 15.0 TFL shattered the previous high under Mallory of 12.0 tackles for loss set back on September 30, 2017, against Illinois State. Indiana State has posted five total double-digit TFL games under Mallory, including an 11.0 TFL game against Kansas back on August 31, 2019.
Indiana State's 15.0 tackles-for-loss also tied for the FCS lead over the first game of the season. The Sycamores picked up their 15 stops against North Alabama, while Incarnate Word matched ISU's total with 15.0 TFL's this past weekend in UIW's win over Southern Illinois.
Rylan Cole (2.5) and Kris Reid Jr. (2.5) led the charge for the Sycamores with 2.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage apiece to lead five players that posted multiple TFLs in the opener. Juju Williams (2.0), Johnny May (1.5), and Gianini Belizaire (1.5) also posted multiple tackles-for-loss in the season opening win.
Tackling Machine
Geoffrey Brown wasted little time in establishing himself as one of the top tacklers to watch in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this season. The sophomore middle linebacker was constantly around the ball in a big way on Thursday in setting a new personal-best with 15 tackles, while adding 1.0 tackles-for-loss and a quarterback hurry.
Brown, a 2021 Phil Steele Freshman All-American and MVFC All-Newcomer selection, wrapped up his 2021 season as the Sycamores' leading tackler with 61 stops and second on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss.
Brown is currently on track for a 165-tackle season in 2022 which would put him second all-time in the ISU record books behind just Dietrich Lapsley (171, 2002). Overall, 35 Indiana State players have posted 100 tackles in a single season. Former ISU great Jonas Griffith picked up 106 tackles in the 2019 season as one of three 100-plus tackle seasons in his career.
Newcomers All Over the Special Teams
Indiana State's special teams unit was one of the hardest hit due to graduation and eligibility expiration heading into the 2022 season. The Sycamores lost their starting placekicker, punter, and long snapper following the 2021 season and expected a variety of newcomers and returners to fill the gaps.Â
In the season opener against North Alabama, the Sycamores had five different players make their Indiana State debuts including Ryan O'Grady (PK), Harry Traum (P), Stephen Ruiz (KO), Anthony Beacom (HO), and Jayden Perry (LS). Of the five players listed above, only one was on the roster in 2021 (Beacom) after transferring to Indiana State by way of Northern Illinois prior to the 2021 season.
Punting It AwayÂ
Freshman Harry Traum has been given the first opportunity to replace former Sycamore punter Travis Reiner in the starting role. Traum, an Adelaide, Australia native, appeared in his first-ever football game against North Alabama after previously playing Aussie-rules football over his career.
He made his first punt on Indiana State's opening possession, putting the ball 41 yards down the field and out-of-bounds at the UNA 23. He added a personal-best 55-yard attempt just before the half that pinned the Lions at their own six-yard line. Traum finished the game averaging 39.4 yards over his eight attempts with two balls being downed inside the UNA 20-yard line.
It's Up, It's Good
Similar to the punting battle, the placekicking battle between Stephen Ruiz and Ryan O'Grady was also one to watch heading into the 2022 season. O'Grady won the battle and the opportunity to kick in the 2022 season opener against North Alabama where he promptly went 3-for-3 and nailed the game-winner against the Lions in overtime. For his efforts, O'Grady was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference's Special Teams Player of the Week.
O'Grady's three field goals were the most by an Indiana State kicker dating back to the 2019 season when former Sycamore Jerry Nunez converted three field goals on two separate occasions, the last coming on November 9, 2019, against Northern Iowa.
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