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Indiana Football Position Updates

Schedule Breakdown: Indiana Football's 2022 Big Ten East Opponents

The Big Ten East is loaded with tough opponents yet again, including three teams that won 11 or more games last year. Let's take a look at Indiana's 2022 Big Ten East Opponents: Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Maryland and Rutgers.

Week 6: Michigan

  • LAST MATCHUP: Indiana's offense gained just 195 total yards in a 29-7 loss at The Big House. Future No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson was in the Indiana backfield all night, finishing the game with four quarterback hurries. Indiana quarterback Donaven McCulley completed 10-of-24 passes for 88 yards and was sacked twice. Michigan's Hassan Haskins ran all over the Indiana defense for 168 yards and a touchdown on 6.8 yards per carry. Indiana's only score came on a one-yard touchdown from Chris Childers. 
  • 2021 RECORD: 12-2, lost to Georgia in College Football Playoffs
  • WHEN: Noon ET, Homecoming Weekend, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022
  • WHERE: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Ind.
  • THE SCOUT: Michigan loses leading tackler Josh Ross, as well as its two-headed pass-rushing monster Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo from last year's College Football Playoff team, leaving some questions for the front seven. The Cincinnati Bengals drafted cornerback Daxton Hill in the first round, but DJ Turner is back to lead the defensive backfield in his senior seaosn after All-Big Ten honors as a junior. Quarterbacks Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy will make for a dynamic and versatile duo, keeping opposing defenses guessing. Michigan didn't have one dominant receiver last season, but top-pass catchers Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson are back, as well as tight end Erick All to complete a trio that combined for nealry 1,500 yards last season. The running back duo of Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum wore defenses down in 2022, but Corum will take over lead-back duties with Haskins off to the NFL. Donovan Edwards will also be a solid complementary piece to Corum with his ability to catch balls out of the back field. 

Week 7: Maryland

  • LAST MATCHUP: In Donaven McCulley's first collegiate start as a true freshman, he threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns on 14-for-25 passing. His favorite target was Peyton Hendershot, who hauled in six receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns to set the all-time Indiana tight end receptions and yards records. Stephen Carr had his best game of the year, rushing 21 times for 136 yards and two touchdowns. But the Indiana defense had no answer for Maryland's aerial attack, as Taulia Tagovailoa threw for 419 yards and two touchdowns. The Hoosiers made a valiant comeback with 18 points in the fourth quarter, but ultimately failed to get consistent stops and ran out of time. 
  • 2021 RECORD: 7-6, defeated Virginia Tech in Pinstripe Bowl
  • WHEN: Time TBA, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022
  • WHERE: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Ind. 
  • THE SCOUT: Taulia Tagovailoa was third in the Big Ten in passing yards in 2021, and he should finish near the top of the conference again this season. With top receiving targets Rakim Jarrett and Dontay Demus returning, Maryland is shaping up to have one of the top aerial attacks in the conference. With the departure of leading rusher Tayvon Fleet-Davis, Colby McDonald and Challen Faamatau will compete for carries after rushing over 50 times last season. Sack leader Greg Rose is back, and Durrell Nchami returns to Maryland for his fifth season after posting three sacks in four games before a season-ending injury. In the secondary, Jakorian Bennett and Tarheeb Still return after leading the team in passes defended, but the Terrapins will be without Nick Cross, who tied for a team-high three interceptions. 

Week 8: Rutgers

  • LAST MATCHUP: Donaven McCulley fumbled on Indiana's first offensive play, and Rutgers punched in a touchdown four plays later. Rutgers defeated Indiana 38-3 in an embarrassing effort from the Hoosiers. Indiana salvaged a field goal at the end of the first half, but didn't score the rest of the game. Despite a 35-point advantage, Rutgers only out-gained Indiana by 61 yards. Indiana's four fumbles and two interceptions gave Rutgers optimal field position all day as the game spiraled out of control. McCulley, Grant Gremel and Jack Tuttle combined to complete 18-of-42 passes, and Charlie Spegal was Indiana's leading rusher with 14 yards. 
  • 2021 RECORD: 5-8, lost to Wake Forest in Gator Bowl
  • WHEN: Noon ET, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022
  • WHERE: SHI Stadium, Piscataway, N.J.
  • THE SCOUT: Quarterback Noah Vedral will be back under center in 2022 after staring all 13 games last season. He'll look to improve off a 59.5 percent completion rate, which ranked 10th among Big Ten quarterbacks. Vedral threw just seven touchdowns last season, and he'll be without his favorite target, Bo Melton. Leading rusher Isaih Pacheco is also off to the NFL, leaving Kyle Monangai as the top returning ballcarrier. On the defensive side, Mohamed Toure returns to Rutgers after leading the team with 4.5 sacks in 2021. The Scarlet Knights' defensive backfield projects to be a strong unit with Kessawn Abraham, Robert Longerbeam, Avery Young, Christian Izien and Max Melton each returning. However, there will be a big hole to fill in the middle of the defense with Olakunle Fatukasi's departure to the NFL. Fatukasi was a team captain, first team All-Big Ten selection and finished 12th in program history with 302 tackles. 

Week 10: Penn State

  • LAST MATCHUP: The first leg of an eight-game losing streak to end the season, Indiana was shutout 24-0 under the lights in Happy Valley. Michael Penix Jr. left with an injury after completing 10-of-22 passes for 118 yards and an interception. Jack Tuttle replaced Penix Jr. and completed 50 percent of passes for 77 yards and an interception. Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson burned the Indiana secondary for 84 yards and two touchdowns after top Indiana cornerback Tiawan Mullen was ruled out minutes before the game. Indiana managed just 2.8 yards per carry, while the Nittany Lions wore the Hoosiers out with five yards per rush. 
  • 2021 RECORD: 7-6, lost to Arkansas in Outback Bowl
  • WHEN: Time TBA, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022
  • WHERE: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Ind.
  • THE SCOUT: Quarterback Sean Clifford lost his favorite and most electrifying receiving target Jahan Dotson, but Parker Washington is one of the Big Ten's top breakout candidates after two seasons playing behind Dotson. Washington has already hauled in 1,309 yards from Clifford in two seasons, and he earned third team All-Big Ten accolades in 2021. On the defensive side, Ji'Ayir Brown returns after intercepting a team-high six passes last year, but fellow top defensive backs Tariq Castro-Fields and Jaquan Brisker are off to the NFL. First team All-Big Ten pass rusher Arnold Ebiketie became a second-round draft pick after 9.5 sacks last season, and leading tackler Ellis Brooks signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. Head coach James Franklin

Week 11: Ohio State

  • LAST MATCHUP: Inside a cold and rainy Memorial Stadium, Indiana was shredded by Ohio State's speed and overpowered by its front seven in a 54-7 loss. Indiana tied the game at seven after a 15-play, 75-yard opening drive that ended with a Peyton Hendershot touchdown, but the rest of the game was quite the opposite. Ohio State gained 539 total yards and 31 first downs, compared to Indiana's 128 yards and 10 first downs. The Hoosiers rushed for an abysmal 48 yards on 37 carries, and Jack Tuttle, Donaven McCulley and Grant Gremel combined for 80  yards on 8-for-17 passing. Buckeye quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 75 percent of passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns. TreVeyon Henderson racked up three total touchdowns, rushing for nine yards per carry. 
  • 2021 RECORD: 11-2, defeated Utah in Rose Bowl
  • WHEN: Time TBA, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022
  • WHERE: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
  • THE SCOUT: Even with the loss of 10th and 11th overall draft pick wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, Ohio State projects as the Big Ten's top team. Quarterback CJ Stroud returns after leading the Big Ten in passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage as a freshman. Jaxon Smith-Njigba hauled in 15 receptions for 347 and three touchdowns in Ohio State's Rose Bowl win over Utah, proving that he can step in seamlessly for Wilson and Olave. The Buckeyes lost two offensive linemen in the NFL Draft, but leading rushers TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams are both back, completing what could easily become the most dangerous offense in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes' top two tacklers return for another year, but sack leader Haskell Garrett is off to the pros. Look for Tyleik Williams to have a similar impact to Garrett after posting five sacks in nine games last season, en route to freshman All-American honors.

Week 12: Michigan State

  • LAST MATCHUP: Stephen Carr punched in an Indiana touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the Hoosiers failed to convert a game-tying two-point conversion. Michigan State took a five-point lead with just under five minutes left, and Indiana finished the game with a punt, fumble and turnover on downs in a 20-15 loss at home. Indiana intercepted Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne twice, but Jack Tuttle also threw a pair of interceptions – including a pick-six – and fumbled late in the game. Indiana finished with more rushing yards, passing yards, first downs and time of possession, and the Spartans even committed 12 penalties for 134 yards. But Indiana's lack of red zone execution and costly turnovers made its successes irrelevant in the end. 
  • 2021 RECORD: 11-2, defeated Pittsburgh in Peach Bowl
  • WHEN: Time TBA, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022
  • WHERE: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
  • THE SCOUT: The Spartan running game will likely take a step back in 2022 with the loss of 1,600-yard rusher Kenneth Walker III. Jalen Berger transferred from Wisconsin, which should help the replacement effort alongside running backs Jordon Simmons, Elijah Collins and Harold Joiner. Conversely, the Spartan passing game should take a step forward with Payton Thorne entering his third year under center. Jayden Reed, Thorne's favorite target, returns after a 1,000-yard season as one of the conference's fastest receivers. Defensively, sack leaders Jacub Panasiuk and Drew Beesley are gone, making way for Jeff Pietrowski, Maverick Hansen, Jacob Slade and Simeon Barrow to lead the defensive line. Leading tackler Xavier Henderson also returns, and Cal Haladay could be in store for a big season after earning freshman All-American awards in 12 starts at linebacker.  

  • SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN: BIG TEN WEST OPPONENTS: Indiana football opens its season with a Friday Night Lights matchup against Illinois. The Hoosiers will take on Big Ten West opponent Nebraska in week five, and finish the regular season playing the in-state rival Purdue Boilermakers in Bloomington. CLICK HERE
  • SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN: NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS: Indiana hosts Idaho and Western Kentucky in weeks two and three before completing its home-and-home series at Cincinnati in week four. Here's an early look at each non-conference opponent. CLICK HERE
  • DONAVEN MCCULLEY MOVING TO RECEIVER: Donaven McCulley appeared in seven games at quarterback for Tom Allen and the Indiana football team as a true freshman, but he could be making a positional change ahead of his sophomore season. Indiana play-by-play announcer Don Fischer said McCulley has embraced the move to wide receiver. CLICK HERE
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