The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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128 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY CLAYTON SAYFIE To preview where Indiana football is ahead of the 2023 campaign, let's take a look backward. The Hoosiers were ready to break through for so long — impres- sive, in a way, given how tough the Big Ten East is — hovering between five and six wins for four straight seasons from 2014-18. Then it came. In 2019, the Hoo- siers went above .500 in Big Ten play (5- 4) for the first time since 1993, then fol- lowed that up with a 6-1 league record in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Since then, though, seventh-year head coach Tom Allen and Co. have gone 2-16 against Big Ten foes. Allen, the 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year, is now on the hot seat, and expectations are low coming into a pivotal fall in Bloomington. There are question marks up and down the roster, too, following a mass exodus of players to the transfer portal (21 of them) and graduation. Two even ended up at Michigan this offseason — senior tight end A.J. Barner, a starter, and graduate backup quarterback Jack Tuttle. Line- backer Dasan McCullough — Indiana's highest-rated recruit of the rankings era (No. 97 overall) — is off to Oklahoma, another blow. Four starters, including former U-M center Zach Carpenter, a redshirt senior, are back on an offense that ranked 99th nationally with 23.3 points per game and 110th with 328.3 yards an outing. Red- shirt senior tackle Matthew Bedford missed all but one contest last season with an ACL injury but is set to come back too. There will be competition for the start- ing quarterback job, between redshirt ju- nior Dexter Williams II — who opened two outings a year ago, seizing the job from Missouri transfer Connor Baz- elak, who's since left for Bowling Green — and pair of redshirt freshmen in Ten- nessee import Tayven Jackson and Bren- dan Sorsby. Williams, a dynamic athlete who threw for 284 yards and 2 scores and rushed for 165 yards in 2022, suffered a major knee injury in last year's season finale. The timeline for his return is un- clear. Jackson has attempted just 4 passes and Sorsby 6, both in one season of col- lege football. The Indiana defense was hit more by even more departures than the of- fense, but Allen brought in some impact transfers to offset the losses and is mix- ing things up. He's delegated defensive play-calling duties to co-coordinator Matt Guerrieri. The Hoosiers really have nowhere to go but up, after checking in 120th in the country in points (33.9) and 119th in yards (449.3) allowed per game. Redshirt senior linebacker Aaron Casey topped the team with 86 tackles last season, 10.5 of them coming behind the line of scrimmage. Western Michigan transfer defensive end Andre Carter, a second-team All-MAC honoree in 2022, should help shore up a pass-rush unit that racked up only 20 sacks last fall. Se- nior defensive tackle Philip Blidi, a Texas Tech transfer, logged 18 tackles with 4.5 for loss and 2 sacks a year ago. Sophomore running back Jaylin Lu- cas is a weapon on special teams, hav- ing returned 2 kicks for touchdowns as a freshman, the only player in the nation to accomplish that feat. He's one of a few contributors at the skill positions coming back, including 2022 leading receiver and senior wideout Cam Camper (569 yards, 2 scores). Notes Former U-M and Wake Forest ball-carrier Christian Turner and redshirt senior Josh Henderson (398 yards and 4 TDs for the Hoosiers in 2022) join Lucas in the running back room … The Hoosiers allowed 8 tackles for loss per game last season, 125th in the country. ❑ The Tom Allen Era Is On The Rocks In Bloomington 2023 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2022 Result Sept. 2 Ohio State L, 56-14 Sept. 8 Indiana State — Sept. 16 vs. Louisville* — Sept. 23 Akron — Sept. 30 at Maryland L, 38-33 Oct. 14 at Michigan L, 31-10 Oct. 21 Rutgers L, 24-17 Oct. 28 at Penn State L, 45-14 Nov. 4 Wisconsin — Nov. 11 at Illinois W, 23-20 Nov. 18 Michigan State W, 38-31 Nov. 25 at Purdue L, 30-16 *at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis PLAYERS TO WATCH Offense: Cam Camper, Sr., WR — The 6-foot-2, 194-pounder played in just seven contests last fall but still ranked 14th in the Big Ten with 569 receiving yards. Defense: Aaron Casey, R-Sr., LB — Earned an honorable mention All-Big Ten nod from the media in 2022. Has totaled 16 tackles for loss in 44 games during his career. GAME 7 • INDIANA HOOSIERS • OCT. 14 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Michigan leads 61- 10 First Meeting: U-M 12, IU 0 (Nov. 3, 1900, in Ann Arbor, Mich.) Last Meeting: U-M 31, IU 10 (Oct. 8, 2022, in Bloomington, Ind.) Head Coach: Tom Allen, 30-40 at Indiana and overall (7th year) 2022 In Review: 4-8, 2-7 Big Ten (6th East) Final 2022 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 8 (4 offense, 2 defense, 2 specialists) Last Bowl Appearance: 2020 (Outback Bowl vs. Ole Miss, L 26-20) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Dexter Williams II (184 yards, 2 TD) Rushing: Josh Henderson (398 yards, 4 TD) Receiving: Cam Camper (569 yards, 2 TD) Tackles: Aaron Casey (86) Sacks: Noah Pierre (3) Interceptions: Myles Jackson, Josh Sanguinetti (1) Sophomore running back Jaylin Lucas compiled 944 all-purpose yards in 2021, ranking 18th in the Big Ten, and led the conference with 591 kick return yards. He was named preseason first-team All- Big Ten as a return specialist by Athlon Sports. PHOTO COURTESY INDIANA ATHLETICS