Indiana
Indiana’s Carter Smith, Bray Lynch Among Nation’s Highest Graded Offensive Linemen in Week 1
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana’s offensive line experienced a few notable changes during the offseason, making it a position of interest in Week 1 against Florida International.
Indiana returned starting left tackle Carter Smith and moved veteran Hoosier Mike Katic to center after he started all 12 games in 2023 at left guard. But as starters Matthew Bedford (Oregon), Kahlil Benson (Colorado) and Zach Carpenter (Miami) transferred out, new head coach Curt Cignetti had spots to fill.
He brought two linemen with him from James Madison, Nick Kidwell and Tyler Stephens. However, Kidwell suffered a season-ending knee injury during fall camp, and Stephens was not one of the five starters against FIU.
That meant redshirt sophomores Drew Evans and Bray Lynch would be making their first career starts in college football at left and right guard, respectively. Evans and Lynch both committed holding penalties in the game, two of nine total penalties that cost the Hoosiers 90 yards.
Following all Week 1 games around the country, two Hoosiers graded out among the nation’s best by Pro Football Focus (PFF). Smith received an 88.5 pass blocking grade, which tied for seventh in the FBS, and PFF gave Lynch an 87.8 pass blocking grade, which tied for 13th.
Against FIU, Indiana’s offensive line helped generate 234 rushing yards on 40 attempts, good for 5.9 yards per carry. That included two rushing touchdowns from Ty Son Lawton and a 51-yard rushing touchdown from Elijah Green. Running backs Lawton, Green and Justice Ellison each had at least one rush for 14-plus yards.
In the pass game, Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke was sacked twice and hurried six times, according to PFF. Cignetti shared his thoughts on the offensive line’s performance in Week 1.
“We had some real nice chunks in the run game,” Cignetti said Saturday. “And most of the pressure I saw was coming off the edge in the pass game. So, you know, we would get the run game going in the second half in chunks, chunks, chunks, kind of breaking their will. Then we’d throw it, you know, and go backwards. Those guys are capable. We’re going to be okay there.”
“Pass pro, we had a couple issues, but nothing that’s not correctable there,” he said Monday after reviewing the film. “We’re not real deep there on the offensive line. We can go probably six deep with veteran guys, seven. So got to keep progressing.”
Here are the rest of the PFF grades for Indiana’s starting offensive linemen in Week 1. The first number is their grade, followed by their national ranking among offensive linemen that played at least 50% of their team’s offensive snaps in Week 1, and concluding with where that grade ranks among their career performances.
Carter Smith, left tackle
Drew Evans, left guard
Mike Katic, center
Bray Lynch, right guard
Trey Wedig, right tackle
Indiana
Indiana law enforcement takes up donations for Special Olympics
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — More than 50 Indiana law enforcement agencies are taking to the roof to help local athletes.
Police and safety officers will be stationed around various Dunkin’ Donuts, taking up donations for the Special Olympics. People who monetarily donate will receive a coupon for a free donut. Those who donate $10 or more will receive a coupon for a free medium hot coffee.
“Supporting the Special Olympics isn’t just an event for us — it’s a commitment to people who inspire us every day,” Sergeant Wes Rowlader said. “These athletes show what determination, courage, and community truly look like. Every dollar we raise helps transform that spirit into training, competition, and lifelong confidence.”
More than 20,000 Hoosier athletes train and compete for free within the Special Olympics. To date, Cop on a Rooftop has raised more than $125,000 for Special Olympics Indiana.
The Indiana State Police will be at the Dunkin’ Donuts at 9821 Lima Road in Fort Wayne from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday.
Indiana
Man shot by security guard in hospital emergency room waiting area in Gary, Indiana
A man’s family is demanding answers after he was shot by a security guard inside a hospital emergency room waiting area on Tuesday night in Gary, Indiana.
Methodist Northlake Hospital officials said, around midnight Tuesday night, its security staff responded quickly after a patient took out a gun. The hospital said he’d threatened to shoot himself or others.
The hospital commended the security guard who shot the man for “neutralizing the threat and helping ensure the safety of our patients and employees.”
Family members identified the man who was shot as Otis Brown. They said he is a kind father to a 12-year-old boy.
“Just a great person, a happy-go-lucky, always out there trying to do the right thing,” said his fiancée, Stacey Taylor.
Taylor said she was on a business trip when she got a call that Brown had been shot multiple times.
“Scared, uncertainty; you know, what story is right? You know, what happened?” she said.
After he was shot, Brown was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment.
Taylor said she had no idea why Brown went to Methodist Northlake Hospital in the first place. His family said he was trying to leave the hospital when the shooting happened, claiming that the hospital gave him his gun back after he was cleared to leave.
“We just want to get answers, just want to know what happened, particularly when people are defaming his name,” Taylor said.
She and Brown’s family hope the hospital has surveillance video footage that can help provide answers.
Gary police have not provided any details on the shooting. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department said it is investigating the shooting at the request of Gary police, but did not provide any further information.
Indiana
Indiana A.G. finishes Karl King Tower investigation, finalizes compliance order
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WSBT) — The Indiana Attorney General has finished its investigation into Karl King Tower and issued a compliance order.
This is coming after a months-long investigation into the unsafe living conditions for residents at the apartments.
From December 2025 to January 2026, there were prolonged failures with the heating and a lack of heat for residents during winter conditions at Karl King.
The property owner provided a 20% rent credit for affected tenants and documentation related to health and safety issues.
Below is the agreement from the Attorney General:
- The owner must complete boiler and heating system improvements by September 30.
- The property is subject to a monitoring period for multiple years.
- The owner needs to provide on-site security, including cameras in common areas and monthly incident reports.
- The building needs an on-site property manager to address resident concerns.
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The Attorney General has the authority to inspect the property and enforce compliance if commitments aren’t met.
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