Author: Mike Schumann

December 28, 1988 — On a frigid day in Memphis, Tenn., Indiana came out red hot at the 1988 Liberty Bowl. The Hoosiers took a 17-0 lead into halftime over South Carolina, and they had outgained the Gamecocks 301 yards to 53 at the break. But things would get interesting on the 22 degree evening in late December. Playing in front of just over 39,210 at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, South Carolina blocked an IU punt and returned it for a touchdown early in the third quarter, and a Gamecock field goal made it just a 20-10 Hoosiers lead…

Josh Sales is the latest Indiana player to jump ship and head to West Lafayette. After three seasons in Bloomington, the offensive lineman announced Thursday he’s transferring to Purdue. The 6-foot-5 and 305 pound Sales heads to the Boilermakers with two years of eligibility remaining. A product of Brownsburg (Ind.) H.S., Sales was unable to earn a starting role at IU this season under new position coach Bob Bostad, who returns with the program under head coach Curt Cignetti.  Indiana lost three starters up front to the transfer portal over the last month, but the Hoosiers have also added three…

Indiana got a significant boost along its offensive line on Wednesday evening. Starting guard Mike Katic announced he is returning to Bloomington for a sixth season of college football.  2024 will be his final season of college eligibility. “After conversations with Coach Cig, Coach Bostad, and my family I have decided to withdraw my name from the NFL draft and return to Indiana for my 6th year!! #GoHoosiers,” Katic posted on social media. The 6-foot-4 and 315-pound Katic has played in 39 games with 37 starts for the Hoosiers.  Most of his starts have come at left guard, although he…

The majority of Indiana’s offseason roster moves may be complete, but Curt Cignetti is not done putting the finishing touches on his first IU football team. But where does the new coach believe the Hoosiers still have needs? In an interview following the announcement of Indiana’s 2024 signing class, Cignetti touched on a few positions groups where his staff is still actively trying to land players. Perhaps the most obvious is the safety position, where IU’s three starters are all either in the transfer portal or out of eligibility. Cignetti’s defense utilizes a hybrid safety/linebacker role like Tom Allen’s –…

After a massive roster overhaul, IU coach Curt Cignetti said last week his team still had needs at the safety position. Jordan Grier is apparently not part of the answer for Cignetti’s Hoosiers going forward.  The Ellenwood, Ga. product has entered the transfer portal for the second time in the last month. The safety/husky played in all 12 games in 2023, including three starts.  He appeared in 29 games over three seasons with IU, and tallied 34 tackles with two tackles for a loss. Grier entered the portal on Dec. 5, announced his return to IU on Dec. 11, and…

Four different former Hoosiers with Indiana careers that spanned the last 15 years will play in nationally televised games on Christmas Day. Trayce Jackson-Davis will kick-off the IU related action at 2:30 p.m. ET when his Golden State Warriors face Denver on ABC/ESPN.  He has played in 19 games and is averaging 4.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 10.7 minutes, and the former Hoosier star has been particularly well of late. Fellow rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino will play at 5 p.m. ET when his Los Angeles Lakers host Boston on ABC/ESPN.  Dealing with some early season injuries, the point guard has…

Indiana has announced the signing of multiple transfers from James Madison on Sunday morning. The new Christmas Eve additions include: Defensive lineman James Carpenter was named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team after he finished the season with 48 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, four sacks, six QB hits, four pass breakups, two fumbles recovered and an interception. He has one year of eligibility left.  Appeared in 40 career games with 37 starts over five seasons at James Madison (2019-23).  Two-time All-Sun Belt Conference pick (2022-23).  Totaled 141 career tackles, 28.0 tackles for loss and 11.5 sack, two interceptions,…

Trayce Jackson-Davis said he had a chip on his shoulder after being passed up on NBA Draft night. Six months later, the former IU basketball star is on a roll. On Friday evening the Golden State rookie produced his second career double-double, joining Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren as the only rookies with consecutive point/rebound double-doubles this season. Wembanyama and Holmgren were the first and second overall picks in the 2023 and 2022 drafts, respectively.  Jackson-Davis was the 57th pick in 2023. He is also the first Warriors rookie since Anthony Randolph in 2009 to tally 15-plus rebounds in a game.…

Indiana has made a couple special teams additions to its 2024 roster. Louisiana Monroe transfer kicker Derek McCormick (pictured above) announced on Friday he’s headed to Bloomington for his final year of eligibility. In 2023, McCormick made 10 of 12 field goals.  One of his misses was blocked, and two of his makes came from 50 yards out and beyond.  He also made 16 of 17 extra points, with the lone miss blocked. McCormick achieved touchbacks on 23 of his 37 kickoffs. The 6-foot-3 and 215-pound McCormick earned CFN Third-Team All-Sun Belt honors this fall. Indiana’s 2023 starting kicker Chris…

What was that?  Indiana fans will spend the next week wondering if they just experienced an overnight sensation, or a brief illusion never to be seen again. The Hoosiers jumped on North Alabama early, had a double-digit lead seven minutes into the game, and for the most part were able to continue to expand their margin.  IU led by as much as 25 on multiple occasions in the second half. Let’s take a deeper look at how the Hoosiers won 83-66 with another edition of The Report Card. Indiana (9-3, 2-0) will next face Kennesaw State a week from today…