Indiana
Alabama defense gets big boost, has thoughts on facing Indiana’s Heisman winner
Alabama’s defense has a lot on its plate.
There aren’t many weaknesses that pop off the page when studying the Indiana offense they will face in Thursday’s Rose Bowl.
The Crimson Tide will get a boost with the return of a key piece of its front seven, who has been missing the last few weeks. Starting defensive end LT Overton is back at practice after missing the last two games with an undisclosed illness.
“I think it’s a tremendous blessing for our team,” defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said Sunday. “It’s awesome for us. He obviously needs to have a good couple of days here, but he’s certainly on track. To have him in this game, his experience and his excitement of wanting to get back on the field … he’s an ultimate competitor.”
Overton has four sacks — second most on the team — among his 35 tackles this season.
Wommack said Overton’s ability to stay in shape while missing the SEC title game and CFP opener was crucial in his ability to return.
“He looks great now,” Wommack said.
Alabama found success getting to the quarterback in the CFP first-round win over Oklahoma with a season-high five sacks, but Indiana will be a whole different beast. The Hoosiers allow just 1.39 sacks a game in an offense that’s balanced and explosive.
It has Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza and the nation’s No. 10 rushing offense, averaging 221.2 yards per game.
Wommack, previously a linebacker coach and defensive coordinator at Indiana from 2019-20, said this Hoosier offense is as disciplined and as detailed as any offense Alabama’s seen.
“Offensively, I think they’re highly efficient, very explosive,” Wommack said. “That starts with their quarterback. He knows where to go with the ball. He’s very decisive, makes great decisions with the ball and can. Can make all the throws and can make the explosive plays when it matters most … I think their physicality shows up on tape. They play the game physically from an offensive line standpoint.”
The efficiency is clear on paper.
Indiana’s No. 4 nationally in points per play (0.578), No. 6 in yards per play (6.7) and No. 1 in third-down conversions (55.8%).
Cornerback Zabien Brown noted the care Indiana takes with preserving possession.
“Facing an opponent that does a great job of taking care of the ball really puts more stress reading our keys,” Brown said, “and trusting being able to pull the trigger and make plays in that smaller margin when opportunities pop up.
The Hoosiers’ eight turnovers in 13 games are tied for the third fewest in the nation. That includes just one lost fumble that occurred in the season opener, Aug. 30, in a win over Old Dominion.
Alabama has 20 takeaways, the 32nd most, with 11 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries.
Facing Mendoza in the first game since winning the Heisman Trophy sounds like a motivating factor in Tuscaloosa.
“He’s a man, just like me,” defensive lineman Tim Keenan said. “But he’s a great Heisman winner. He put himself in the position to get the accolades, so we’re going to make sure we do what we need to do to play our game.”
Brown, who intercepted a pass at Oklahoma and returned it for a touchdown, said Mendoza “is definitely the best quarterback we’ve faced all year.”
And Keon Sabb, an Alabama safety, was brief in his remarks when asked about Mendoza.
“He’s a really good player, whether he won the Heisman or not,” Sabb said. “Congrats to him for winning that, but we’re going to play our game.”
Alabama and Indiana kick off in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal at 3 p.m. CT Thursday in Pasadena. The winner advances to the Peach Bowl semifinal on Jan. 9 in Atlanta.
CLOVERDALE, Ind. (WKRC) – Authorities in Indiana found a semi trailer loaded up with hundreds of pounds of suspected cocaine.
According to a statement issued by the Indiana State Police (ISP), 27-year-old Harmandeep Singh of Bakersfield, California was taken into custody after nearly 400 pounds of suspected cocaine were reportedly found in the trailer of a commercial truck.
Per the statement, an ISP trooper seized the suspected cocaine during a traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Putnam County, authorities said.
The stop occurred Tuesday morning near the 37-mile marker, just east of Cloverdale, after a commercial motor vehicle was observed exceeding the posted speed limit.
Police said Singh displayed several indicators of possible criminal activity during the encounter. After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, troopers discovered multiple duffel bags and cardboard boxes in the trailer containing approximately 392 pounds (178 kilograms) of suspected cocaine.
Authorities estimated the street value of the drugs at about $9 million.
Singh was taken into custody and taken to the Putnam County Jail, where he is being held on a $30,000 cash bond.
He faces the following preliminary charges, per the post:
- Possession of a narcotic drug
Formal charges will be determined by the Putnam County prosecutor.
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Indiana State Police said drug interdiction remains a priority, with troopers focusing on major highways to disrupt the flow of illegal narcotics into the state.
For many Hoosiers living in rural Indiana, accessing health care can mean driving 30 minutes or even an hour to see a doctor or reach the nearest hospital. As workforce shortages and financial pressures challenge rural hospitals across the country, ensuring access to care close to home has become one of the most important health-care issues facing our state.
About one in four Indiana residents live in a rural community, yet access to health-care services in many of these communities continues to shrink. Across the nation, rural hospitals and clinics report extremely thin operating margins and often say workforce shortages and rising costs make it difficult to sustain services such as primary care, maternity care and behavioral health.
When rural communities struggle to maintain health-care access, the impact doesn’t stay confined to small towns. It ripples across the entire health-care system, contributing to increases in chronic conditions, reduced preventative care for children, and worsening outcomes for the sickest patients.
Communities such as Greater Lafayette serve as a regional hub for care, with hospitals like IU Health Arnett caring for patients from surrounding counties across north-central and west-central Indiana. That role is something we are proud to fulfill. But when rural residents must travel long distances for care that should be available closer to home, it places increasing pressure on emergency departments, specialty clinics and inpatient services at larger regional hospitals.
In many cases, what might have been a routine appointment, preventive screening or early diagnosis in a local clinic becomes far more serious by the time a patient reaches a larger hospital. A missed screening can escalate into a medical emergency.
That reality makes strengthening rural health care more important than ever — not just for rural communities, but for the health of the entire state.
One of the most important steps we can take is investing in the next generation of health-care professionals who will care for these communities.
At IU Health, we are working directly with local schools and community partners to help build that workforce pipeline. Across the region, IU Health has partnered with the Greater Lafayette Career Academy and area school districts to introduce students to health-care careers earlier and provide hands-on learning opportunities that bring those careers to life.
Through these programs, students explore health-care pathways and earn certifications such as certified nursing assistant, medical assistant or emergency medical technician while still in high school. Many participate in job shadowing opportunities, clinical experiences and mentorship programs, giving them valuable exposure to the field before they graduate. In fact, since the first cohort in 2023, IU Health has extended job offers to more than 70 students.
The goal is simple but powerful: help students see that meaningful careers in health care exist in their own communities and create pathways that allow them to stay and serve those communities.
For rural health care, this approach is critical. Students who train and develop personal mentorship connections locally are far more likely to remain in the region after completing their education. By helping young people build skills and connections early, we can create a sustainable workforce that strengthens health-care access in both rural communities and regional centers, including Greater Lafayette.
Since launching the $200 million Community Impact Investment Fund in 2018, IU Health has invested more than $40 million in community grants supporting workforce development, education and school-based programs that build Indiana’s health-care talent pipeline. This includes funding for the Indiana Latino Institute, which placed Latino students in health-care internships, supported career pathways, and provided medical interpreter training and college coaching to communities across the state.
Our goal is to make Indiana one of the healthiest states in the nation, and this is one way we work toward that in partnership with our communities.
But workforce development is only part of the solution.
Strengthening rural health care will also require continued collaboration between health-care providers, educators, community leaders and policymakers. Expanding telehealth access, supporting rural hospitals and investing in primary care and behavioral health services are all critical steps toward ensuring patients can receive care close to home.
Greater Lafayette will always play an important role as a regional health-care center, providing specialized care and advanced services for patients across a broad region. But the long-term health of Indiana’s health-care system depends on maintaining strong local access points for care in rural communities.
When rural clinics and hospitals can provide preventive care, manage chronic conditions and connect patients with the services they need early, the entire system works better.
Patients receive care sooner, communities stay healthier and larger hospitals can focus on the complex cases they are designed to treat.
Healthy rural communities do not just benefit the towns where they are. They strengthen Indiana’s entire health-care system by ensuring that every Hoosier — no matter where they live — has access to the care and resources they need to live healthier lives.
When rural health care succeeds, all of Indiana benefits.
Gary Henriott is a lifelong resident of Lafayette and the retired CEO and Chairman of Henriott Group. He is the chair of the IU Health West Region board of directors and the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network, and president of Lafayette’s Board of Public Works and Safety.
INDIANAPOLIS (WKRC) — An Indianapolis mother is now facing criminal charges after her 2-month-old baby died in an apparent improper co-sleeping environment, according to investigators.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by FOX 59/CBS 4, police were called to an area hospital on Sept. 19, 2024, following the death of 27-year-old Brooklyn Davis’ son. The boy had been found unresponsive in his family’s home early that morning, and Davis attempted CPR before he was rushed to the hospital.
The affidavit says the boy had been sleeping on Davis’ bed with his 6-year-old brother. Davis later showed investigators a video showing the baby sleeping chest down on the 6-year-old’s chest.
An autopsy concluded the baby’s cause of death was “sudden explained death of an infant” with an intrinsic factor, which included being “placed to sleep in a queen-sized mattress being shared with a 6-year-old sibling, along with numerous blankets and other miscellaneous items; discovered unresponsive in a prone position with his face turned to the side and partially covered with a blanket.”
A report from the Department of Child Services (DCS) indicated the boy had no known health issues and that Davis ran an FSSA-licensed day care and has “extensive training on child care and safe sleeping environments.”
Davis had been known to DCS prior to the baby’s death. The boy had been born marijuana-positive and, on July 2, 2024, Davis had reportedly signed a “Safe Sleep Safety Plan,” acknowledging she understood that the safest places for her baby to sleep were in a crib, pack-and-play or bassinet and warned that co-sleeping places the baby at risk of suffocation and sleeping areas should be kept free of blankets, pillows and other items. The plan also included a provision that Davis not use marijuana while caring for her children, but she told investigators during an interview that, the morning of her baby’s death, she had gone downstairs to smoke marijuana and left the children alone upstairs.
Davis’ two other children were removed from the home, and interviews with them revealed that co-sleeping with the infant happened often.
Investigators say they attempted to contact Davis several times after talking to her children.
“She called me on February 18, 2025, and said she didn’t do anything wrong, her baby died of SIDS,” the detective wrote in the affidavit. “Brooklyn never came in for an additional interview.”
Court records indicate the case was filed in March 2026. Davis was booked into jail on April 1 on three counts of neglect of a dependent. An initial hearing was held on April 7, and a bail review hearing is planned for Monday.
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