From Junior College to Big Ten, Cam Camper's Breakout Game Helps Indiana Win Opener
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Connor Bazelak didn't hesitate to zip a swing pass to Shaun Shivers on his first snap as a Hoosier.
But before Shivers could haul it in and turn his eyes up field, Devon Witherspoon delivered a hit that flipped Shivers on his head and elicited an instinctual and communal gasp from the Memorial Stadium crowd.
Bazelak faked a handoff on the next play, but as soon as he pulled the ball from Shivers' stomach, he was spun to the ground for a six-yard loss. The new-look Indiana offense was off to a shaky start through two plays.
Bazelak would truly prove his poise later on, but he didn't panic on third and 16, either. Cam Camper took a few hard steps down the field, planted his right foot near the sideline and used a slick head fake to turn Witherspoon around.
Bazelak hit Camper in stride for a 40-yard gain, igniting Indiana's first drive of the season. Camper is used to playing in front of big crowds from his high school days Texas, but the 44,357 fans packed inside Memorial Stadium was a new high for Camper. And after his first catch, he was able to relax.
"It's a big relief, honestly," Camper said. "The play just happened for me. We caught them trying to sub. Just run. It was real easy, just like pitch and catch."
Charles Campbell drilled a 39-yard field goal a few plays later to give the Hoosiers a three-point lead, and Camper racked up 156 yards on 11 receptions in Indiana's 23-20 win over Illinois. After his first game of Division I football, Camper established himself as a go-to target for Bazelak.
Camper received praised from coaches and teammates throughout fall camp, and Tom Allen wasn't shocked by his performance on Friday night. When Camper first arrived in Bloomington, fellow receiver D.J. Matthews said he was impressed by Camper's size, hands, catch radius and how fluid he moves at 6-foot-2.
"That's almost like my best friend right there," Matthews said. "Me and Cam are always together, we have a lot of chemistry, we work a lot. That's my guy. He had a really great game today for his first game, too, so that was pretty sweet to watch him go out there and make a lot of plays and execute at a high level."
But it wasn't too long ago that Camper nearly stepped away from football. After graduating Lancaster High School in Texas, Camper was undersized and overlooked.
“I kind of just shut it down because I didn't have no offers," Camper said.
He spent a semester as a walk-on at Sam Houston State, but Camper felt undervalued in a role that he described as a ‘special teams dummy.’ He decided to go the junior college route at Trinity Valley Community College in Texas, and eventually landed a scholarship at Indiana. (To read the full-length feature on Camper's journey to Bloomington, CLICK HERE)
"When I put [Camper's] film in from junior college I was like 'How's this kid not a guy that everybody is trying to get?'" Allen said. "So we got to know him, loved him as a person, thought he was a great fit for us."
Camper had to overcome serious adversity in his Indiana debut, as well. Indiana clung to a one-point lead with less than five minutes left when Bazelak found Camper 10 yards down the field. But as Camper fell to the ground, Tahveon Nicholson jarred the ball loose and recovered the fumble on the Indiana 45-yard line.
Illinois gained 15 yards before kicking a field goal to take a four-point lead with just over two minutes to play. The Hoosiers' second half possessions consisted of an interception, four punts and Camper's fumble, and now, a touchdown was mandatory to win the game. Camper had to shake off the mistake.
"Just the next play mindset, the the ‘so what?’ mindset," Camper said. "You have to move on, there is nothing you can do about it."
With the game on the line, Bazelak went to his playmakers – Camper and D.J. Matthews.
Camper said he built strong trust with Bazelak this offseason, and told his quarterback on the sideline, 'I’m going to get to my spot, just get the ball out and I got you.' Orchestrating a 75-yard two-minute drill, Bazelak stayed calm under pressure and hit Matthews five times for 44 yards and Camper twice for 26. Camper said Indiana practices two-minute drills to the point where the final drive felt natural.
Shaun Shivers plowed ahead for the game-winning one-yard touchdown run, and Camper saw a new side of Bazelak on the drive that gave Indiana a 1-0 start to the season.
"Honestly, for the first time, that was the first time I’ve seen Connor talk for real, and I was kind of happy to see that." Camper said. "It was good to see him keeping us up after certain plays, telling us, 'We're good. We'll get the next one.' It brought out [Connor] being a leader, honestly ... He was pumped up, and that got me going."
Camper credits practicing against All-Big Ten cornerbacks Tiawan Mullen and Jaylin Williams for his rapid development and ability to make an immediate impact in his jump from junior college to the Big Ten.
"I think that was the biggest thing, they kind of make the game easy for me," Camper said. "They're so good at what they do, and they're probably the best I'm going to see this whole season. If I'm able to compete with them, I can compete with anybody."
Camper wasn't with the Hoosiers last season, but he could feel the importance of Friday's win from the reaction of the fans and the 'good vibes' in the locker room. It was Indiana's first win since Dec. 5, 2020 at Wisconsin and one that can build serious momentum for the 2022 season.
Indiana hosts Idaho and Western Kentucky the next two weeks, representing an opportunity to start 3-0 and surpass last season's win total. And if his first game with the Hoosiers is any indication, Indiana has two explosive playmakers on the outside with Camper and Matthews.
'[Camper] showed the world who he is," Matthews said. "There's a lot more in the tank. Y'all really ain't seen nothing yet."
Cam Camper Racks Up 156 Yards in 23-20 Win Over Illinois
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Related stories on Indiana football:
- CAM CAMPER'S JOURNEY FROM JUNIOR COLLEGE TO INDIANA: Cam Camper graduated Lancaster High School with zero scholarship offers, and he nearly stepped away from the game after being used as a 'special teams dummy' at Sam Houston State. But after grinding through junior college, 'Coach Cam' Camper is impressing his teammates and coaches at Indiana. CLICK HERE
- BAZELAK LEADS INDIANA ON GAME-WINNING DRIVE: In his first game in an Indiana uniform, quarterback Connor Bazelak led the Hoosiers 75 yards down the field, eventually handing the ball to running back Shaun Shivers for a 2-yard touchdown run to give Indiana a 23-20 win over Illinois in their season opener. CLICK HERE
- WHAT TOM ALLEN SAID AFTER INDIANA'S WIN OVER ILLINOIS: Indiana defeated Illinois 23-20 on Friday night in the Hoosiers' season and home opener at Memorial Stadium. Here's what Tom Allen said after the game in a press conference. CLICK HERE
- POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES FROM INDIANA'S WIN: Indiana football started its season with a 23-20 win over Illinois on Friday night. Tom Allen said it was a massive win for Indiana, but recognized areas of necessary improvement. Here's what went right and what went wrong in the season-opening win. CLICK HERE
