Paul Gable of TheHoosier.com was kind enough to swing by this week and break down Indiana's football team prior to its weekend showdown with the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium.
The analyst provided a preview of which Hoosier players fans should keep an eye on this Saturday, while also giving a final score prediction and a forecast of how he thinks the game will go.
Indiana's Projected Starters On Offense
• Redshirt sophomore QB Michael Penix Jr. — His 58.1 completion percentage through two games is underwhelming, but his 4-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 204 passing yards per outing are both respectable. Penix's successful two-point conversion run to take down then-No. 8 Penn State on Oct. 24 was not only the biggest play of the Hoosiers' season, but perhaps the most significant play in recent IU memory.
• Junior RB Stevie Scott — He has been one of the Big Ten's most productive running backs over the last two years, rushing for 1,137 yards as a freshman in 2018 and 845 yards last year. Scott is off to a slow start in 2020 though, averaging just 69 yards per game and a dismal 3.4 yards per carry.
• Senior WR Whop Philyor — His 1,002 receiving yards were the fourth most in the Big Ten last year, and the 5-11, 180-pounder has picked up in 2020 right where he left off last season. His 10 receptions and 173 yards both lead the team following a masterful 137-yard performance in last week's win over Rutgers.
• Senior WR Ty Fryfogle — He has reeled in just 82 yards through the club's first two contests, though that total is the second most on the roster behind Philyor's 173 yards. Fryfogle put together a stellar 45-catch, 604-yard campaign in 2019, and he is a physical presence at 6-2, 214.
• Freshman WR Javon Swinton — He has been thrust into action immediately as a freshman due to injuries to redshirt sophomore Miles Marshall and sophomore David Ellis at the position, reeling in three catches for 40 yards so far. Swinton played only 14 snaps in the opener against Penn State, but saw that number skyrocket to 44 last week against Rutgers.
• Redshirt junior TE Peyton Hendershot — He had an outstanding 2019 campaign, finishing second in the conference among tight ends in both receptions (52) and yards (622). Hendershot has pulled in eight catches for 47 yards so far in 2020, and he leads IU with two touchdown grabs.
• Redshirt junior LT Caleb Jones — He has struggled mightily this season according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), with the outlet tagging him with an overall mark of 47.3 through two games (64 is considered average). Jones' 47.3 grade is the second lowest of the 19 Hoosier players who have seen at least one snap on offense so far this year.
• Redshirt freshman LG Mike Katic — PFF has awarded him with a 65.1 tally through two contests, which is the second highest of Indiana's five projected starting offensive linemen. Katic has been most effective as a pass blocker, receiving a 68.9 mark in that department.
• Senior C Harry Crider — He is one of the most experienced players on Indiana's entire team, having played in 29 games over the past three years. PFF has him pegged as the team's best overall offensive lineman (66.2 grade) and the Hoosiers' top pass blocker (78).
• Fifth-year senior RG Mackenzie Nworah — Like Jones, Nworah has also struggled mightily in 2020, with PFF slapping a 40.3 overall grade on him through two games (the lowest of any IU offensive player who's seen the field). Pass blocking has been especially troublesome for the fifth-year senior, who has been given a 7.1 tally in that department.
• Sophomore RT Matthew Bedford — PFF has named him as IU's best run blocker so far (91), but on the flip side, he's struggled mightily as a pass blocker (17.5). That has equated out to an overall grade of 64.2 from the outlet, which ranks third among Indiana's starting offensive linemen.
