Close Menu
The Daily Hoosier
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • A look at IU football and the Big Ten in ESPN’s post-spring SP+ model
    • IU basketball will head to Puerto Rico for a foreign tour August 5-12
    • Class of 2026 IU basketball recruiting target profile: Center Arafan Diané
    • Clemson’s Brad Brownell confirms he had discussion with Indiana about job opening
    • Former IU basketball forward Race Thompson back for the 2025 Assembly Ball TBT squad
    • Updated: IU basketball’s 2026 through 2028 prospects (at least 19 offers by new staff)
    • IU basketball recruiting: Hoosiers offer 2027 wing Malachi Jordan
    • IU baseball loses Big Ten Tournament opener, postseason hopes dashed
    • Sign Up
    • About/Support
    • Jobs
    • Tickets
      • IUBB Tickets (Stubhub)
      • IUFB Tickets (Stubhub)
    • Shop
      • Official IU Store
      • IU Adidas Store
      • Amazon: Support TDH
      • IU Memorabilia
      • IU Press (Books)
      • The Daily Hoosier T-Shirt
    • Radio/Podcasts
      • East 17th Street
    • Pro IU
      • IUBB NBA
      • IUFB NFL
      • IUBASE MLB
    • Forum
      • Disqus Forum
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    The Daily HoosierThe Daily Hoosier
    Thursday, May 22
    • IU Basketball
      • Latest IU Basketball News
      • Offseason roster activity tracker
      • 2025-26 IU Basketball Roster
      • DeVries’ new staff
      • Scholarship Chart
      • Future Schedules
      • IU Basketball 2024-25 Schedule
      • 2024-25 Big Ten Standings
      • 24-25 IU Basketball Stats
      • Rankings & Bracketology
      • IU Basketball Media Guide
    • IU Football
      • Latest IU Football News
      • Roster updates by position
      • 2025 scholarship tracker
      • Current roster
      • Curt Cignetti’s staff
      • Future opponents through 2032
      • IU Football 2024 Schedule
      • 2024 B1G Standings
      • 2024 IUFB Stats
      • IU Football 2024 Record Book
    • IU Recruiting
      • IU Basketball Recruiting News
      • IU Football Recruiting News
      • IUBB 2026-28 Prospects
      • Recruit Interviews
      • Recruit Highlights
      • IU Football Recruiting Commits
    • IU Women’s Basketball
      • IU Women’s Basketball News
      • 24-25 Schedule
      • Big Ten Standings
    • IU Men’s Soccer
      • 2024 Schedule
      • Indiana Men’s Soccer: Program History
    • More Hoosiers
      • Fan and Business NIL options
      • IU Baseball
        • Baseball Schedule
        • Statistics
        • Big Ten Standings
      • IU Swim & Dive
      • IU Olympic Results
    • Hoosier History
      • March Madness Classics
      • Basketball History
      • Football History
      • IUFB Best Seasons
      • IUFB All-Time Top 10 Players
    The Daily Hoosier

    IU football QB rotation provided no answers vs. Michigan, Tom Allen says it won’t continue

    Mike SchumannBy Mike SchumannOctober 14, 2023 IU Football 7 Comments
    Photo - Michigan Athletics
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    It was former Indiana quarterbacks two, current Indiana quarterbacks zero on Saturday at Michigan.

    And that helps to explain why the IU football coaching staff seemingly cannot settle on a starter behind center.

    IU quarterback turned wide receiver Donaven McCulley threw a 44-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, and Jack Tuttle, who transferred from IU to Michigan during the offseason, threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter in a backup role for the Wolverines.

    In between was a whole lotta unconvincing play from IU redshirt freshmen signal callers Tayven Jackson and Brendan Sorsby.

    And unconvincing is not where Indiana had hoped to be at quarterback halfway through this 2023 season.

    You can forgive new offensive coordinator Rod Carey if he wanted to have a fresh look at Jackson and Sorsby in a game situation.  While both have had their moments, neither has done much to separate themselves.

    Let’s not forget, Jackson won the job based on his performance against FCS opponent Indiana State.  Since then, he’s had one good half against Louisville, and five uninspiring halves.

    So with Carey installed as the new play caller, the plan all week was to rotate Jackson and Sorsby — against perhaps the best defense in the country.

    Photo – Michigan Athletics

    Neither was up to that very tall task.  And the staff seemed to gain very little from rotating Jackson and Sorsby in the rain at Michigan Stadium.

    “I think there’s no question, today, neither one of them protected the ball very well,” IU coach Tom Allen said.  “We were just trying to use this as an opportunity to see who would step up and take it, and hopefully one of them would have done that.  That was the goal for today, just to be able to feel good about who is going to take over.”

    While Jackson and Sorsby knew the plan all week, it’s reasonable to question whether either of them were ever going to get into a rhythm on Saturday against an elite defense in poor weather conditions.  While neither was available to the media after this game, both of them said earlier in the season it was challenging to play while constantly looking over their shoulder in a rotation.

    McCulley of course understands the quarterback perspective, and he doesn’t envy the dynamic Jackson and Sorsby were dealing with on Saturday.

    “I think it’s really hard to get yourself in a routine, and get other guys in a routine (when you are rotating),” McCulley said during postgame interviews.  “I’m not sure why they were flip-flopping and stuff like that, but I think it’s hard to get into a routine when you’re doing that.”

    McCulley added that on some drives the other offensive players didn’t know who was the quarterback until they got in the huddle.

    Jackson looked promising on the second drive of the game, as he led IU to the Michigan 10-yard line before throwing an interception.  He finished 7-of-13 for 52 yards with two interceptions.  He also suffered an injury to his throwing hand according to Allen.

    Meanwhile Sorsby completed just 6-of-15 throws for 44 yards.  He ran the ball 13 times for 30 yards, but he was indecisive, sacked three times, and also lost a fumble.

    And now, with a make or break game coming next Saturday, and things even more murky at quarterback, the plan is to somehow settle again on one quarterback.  There is no plan to continue the two quarterback approach you saw on Saturday.

    “Obviously we’ve got to make a decision,” Allen said.  “We will not continue to rotate the guys in that manner moving forward.”

    Who that will be is anyone’s guess right now.  And there’s a wildcard in this mess.

    Last season’s starter at the end of the year, Dexter Williams III, was upgraded to questionable for the Michigan game.  Allen said he actually could have played in an emergency situation in Ann Arbor.

    It isn’t clear if Williams is really physically or mentally ready to go as a starter anytime soon.

    But one thing is clear.

    An emergency is exactly what both Allen and Indiana face next Saturday when they host Rutgers.

    Michigan 52 Indiana 7 — Tom Allen postgame, highlights, final stats


    The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

    • Find us on Facebook:  thedailyhoosier
    • You can follow us on Twitter:  @daily_hoosier
    • Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.

    Related

    Brendan Sorsby Rod Carey Tayven Jackson
    Mike Schumann

    Keep Reading

    A look at IU football and the Big Ten in ESPN’s post-spring SP+ model

    For 2026 IU football commit Jay Timmons, overcoming pressure became a necessity

    IU AD Dolson on football success: “We are paranoid, don’t want to be one-hit wonder”

    Latest Hoosier News
    • A look at IU football and the Big Ten in ESPN’s post-spring SP+ model
    • IU basketball will head to Puerto Rico for a foreign tour August 5-12
    • Class of 2026 IU basketball recruiting target profile: Center Arafan Diané
    • Clemson’s Brad Brownell confirms he had discussion with Indiana about job opening
    • Former IU basketball forward Race Thompson back for the 2025 Assembly Ball TBT squad
    • Updated: IU basketball’s 2026 through 2028 prospects (at least 19 offers by new staff)
    • IU basketball recruiting: Hoosiers offer 2027 wing Malachi Jordan
    Sign Up



    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    © 2025 The Daily Hoosier, LLC.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Ad Blocker Enabled!
    Ad Blocker Enabled!
    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please support us by disabling your Ad Blocker.