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
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — It’s fair season and a new law uncorks adult beverage sales!
The new Indiana law will go into effect July 1st, making it legal to sell alcohol at county fairs.
The Kosciusko County Fair is set to kick off in just a few weeks and Indiana is officially allowing alcohol to be sold.
The law is bringing back something that’s not necessarily new to this fair.
Here’s what you need to know
The new law will go into effect on July 1st. It officially allows county fairs to apply for fee-free permits to sell alcohol.
Officials with the Kosciusko County Fair say they are participating this year. They are implementing the same guidelines they used when they sold alcohol just at grandstand events.
The difference now is, you can walk around the grounds with your drink. But strict guidelines will be in place for purchasing a drink.
“Actually, we’ve never had any issues. Because we card everybody, so we take that seriously. We also got the ID guides so we can identify the different types of IDs,” said Sheal Dirck, Treasurer of Kosciusko County Fair.
The Kosciusko County Fair already have guidelines in place, so this was an easy transition for the fair.
They will be the only vendors selling alcohol, which will make it easier to control distribution.
The sales will also bring in more revenue.
“Hopefully it allows to keep our ticket prices where they are because right now, insurance, utilities and everything else is going sky high and it’s hard to make ends meet,” said Dirck.
However, some fairs cannot participate because of the July 1st start date, like the Pulaski County Fair, which is going on right now. Pulaski County officials said it is on the agenda for next year. Whereas other fairs are choosing to sit this year out.
“We wanted not spend some time to, to see what that really means for us. It was not a decision we wanted to rush into. But we are happy for the option of it,” said Shelly Steury, GM of Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds.
Leaders at the St. Joseph County and Elkhart County Fairs said neither of them are selling alcohol.
The Kosciusko County Fair is the only fair that will sell alcohol in our area this year.
Indiana
‘Foul play’ suspected in death investigation on Indiana-Ohio state line, Wayne County officials say
WAYNE COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — Police are investigating the death of a person who died in the emergency department of Reid Health in Richmond.
Wayne County Coroner Brent Meadows was notified of the death Wednesday evening, according to a media release. Evidence has reportedly indicated that foul play is involved.
Officials believe the incident may have occurred in the area of the Petro Travel Center in New Paris, Ohio, just across the Indiana-Ohio state line.
The coroner’s office said the deceased person has been transported to the Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, for a forensic autopsy and identification.
The office is still working the locate and identify the victim’s family.
This remains an active investigation.
News 8’s Michaela Springer contributed to this report.
-
Politics5 minutes agoMcCarthy says Trump will use ‘everything he can’ to force Senate action on SAVE America Act
-
Health8 minutes agoSwitching from cigarettes to vapes linked to higher risk of major eye diseases, large study finds
-
Sports13 minutes ago2026 World Cup Odds: Which Nations are Favored to Reach Semifinals?
-
Technology20 minutes agoWorld Cup ticket scams target desperate fans
-
Business23 minutes ago
Snap sued by parents of girl who was raped by man she met on Snapchat
-
Entertainment28 minutes ago‘The Bear’ at closing time: Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White reflect on five seasons
-
Lifestyle35 minutes agoL.A. Affairs: After decades of near-misses, I finally told him: ‘I’m not leaving here without you’
-
Politics38 minutes agoTrump budget request omits funds for L.A. fire relief, prompting criticism from senators
