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Three things to watch for in Indiana football’s spring game

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Three things to watch for in Indiana football’s spring game


Indiana’s spring game is here.

IU takes the field at Memorial Stadium at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, on Big Ten Network, in the first extended look at Curt Cignetti’s team. The Hoosiers have a little over four months before they kick off the 2024 season against FIU in Bloomington.

The spring game is, obviously, much different than a real game, and should be taken with a grain of salt. But it will be the first opportunity for fans to see the group Cignetti has assembled for the coming year and how much progress the team’s made through spring camp.

Here are a few things to watch for on Thursday night.

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Quarterbacks

The most important position on any football team is always worth keeping an eye on. But it’s particularly the case when the likely starting quarterback is new to Bloomington and playing for a new staff, in a new system.

Kurtis Rourke has had a good spring, by all accounts, while adapting to IU after transferring from Ohio. He’s building rapport with his receivers and making strides as a passer under Tino Sunseri and Mike Shanahan. The spring game will be the longest look we get at Rourke all spring, and potentially, at all before the season opener on August 31.

And while the redshirt senior appears likely to start for IU, the backup quarterback battle will also be noteworthy. Redshirt sophomore Tayven Jackson and true freshman Tyler Cherry are IU’s second and third-string quarterbacks, in some order. But it’s not yet evident who will be Rourke’s primary backup, and the spring game could provide an early look at who the favorite is to claim that job.

Pass rush

Indiana’s pass rush was inconsistent last season.

Andre Carter had a nice season, but opponents were sometimes able to key in on him and limit his impact. And IU just didn’t have enough other rushers who were consistently getting home and pressuring opposing quarterbacks. A more productive pass rush could’ve made a big difference for last year’s defense, and this year’s squad has a chance to improve in that area.

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Lanell Carr Jr. picked it up in the second half of the season, starting with the two-sack game at Michigan, and he’s back in the fold for the coming season. Jacob Mangum-Farrar is moving to the “stud” position in Bryant Haines’ defense, which will see him rushing the passer more often. IU would greatly benefit from his continued production in a new role.

Among newcomers, JMU transfer Mikail Kamara may be the most intriguing player in this group. He was named second-team All-Sun Belt last season, and though he finished third on the team with 7.5 sacks, that would’ve led Indiana. With three forced fumbles and 18.5 tackles for loss last season, he would’ve been one of IU’s top pass-rushers. If he can establish himself in the Big Ten, Indiana’s defensive front could be much improved.

Fellow JMU transfer James Carpenter is similarly promising, but he’s missed IU’s spring camp with an injury. But the spring game will be a chance for Kamara and others to prove their value to fans. It’ll be the first sign of whether Indiana’s pass rush can truly improve going into the 2024 season.

Old regime vs new regime players

This, obviously isn’t a specific position group. But it’s one of the biggest storylines of spring ball.

Cignetti has talked frequently about establishing his standards for the program and wanting to “eliminate the old Indiana” mentalities. It’s felt like when he’s publicly praised players, it’s mainly been for new players added by his staff this offseason, and when he’s publicly called out players, it’s been holdovers from the Tom Allen era.

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The spring game will give some insight as to how that dynamic is playing out so far. No, it won’t be 11 newcomers or returnees on either side of the ball; but do the new Hoosiers have an edge in Cignetti’s mind? How is that impacting roles and reps? Generally, who stands out the most from both groups of players?

For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.

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

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Indiana State Police arrest woman accused of helping man wanted for allegedly shooting deputy

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Indiana State Police arrest woman accused of helping man wanted for allegedly shooting deputy


FOX59/CBS4 has requested a mugshot of Victoria Howard, which has not been provided as of this article’s publication. The mugshot will be added once it is released.

FLOYD COUNTY, Ind. — Authorities have arrested a woman accused of helping a man flee from authorities after he allegedly shot an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy.

Indiana State Police announced the arrest of 35-year-old Victoria Howard of New Albany, alleging that she assisted Austin Schepers after he reportedly shot Deputy Zac Andry on Jan. 3 in Orange Count.

A previous booking photo of Austin Schepers provided by Indiana State Police.

ISP said the incident occurred after Deputy Andry stopped to check on a disabled silver 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix near US Highway 150 and State Road 56. During this interaction, Schepers allegedly shot the deputy several times. Previous reports indicate Andry was transported to a Louisville-based hospital in “critical but stable condition.”

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Schepers allegedly fled to a residence located in the 1800 block of Market Street in New Albany after the shooting.

Photo of Deputy Zac Andry courtesy of Indiana State Police.

Detectives believe Howard was aware that Scheper was wanted for his alleged role in the encounter and that police were searching for him.

ISP accused Howard of utilizing the ride-sharing app Lyft to assist Schepers as he looked for a ride from her apartment to the area of Craig Street and Wheeler Avenue in Louisville.

Schepers was found on Jan. 4 by investigators in the 3700 block of Wheeler Avenue where he was eventually killed during a shootout with police.

ISP said Howard was arrested without incident on Jan. 9 in Clarksville and taken to the Floyd County Jail where she was preliminarily charged with assisting a criminal (level 5 felony) and false informing (Class A misdemeanor).

ISP added that more individuals could face additional charges for allegedly helping Schepers while law enforcement was searching for him.

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Latest forecast: How much snow will Indiana get Friday? When will it fall?

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Latest forecast: How much snow will Indiana get Friday? When will it fall?


The Bloomington area will get more snow today. Here’s how much the National Weather Service now expects to fall and when.

How much snow will Monroe County get Friday?

Aaron Updike, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis said the Bloomington area is expected to get between 2 and 4 inches of snow.

Southern parts of Indiana could see even more, with Bedford projected to get close to 4 inches and areas closer to Louisville possibly seeing 6 inches.

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When will the snow fall today in the Bloomington area?

Updike said the NWS expects the snow to begin around 11 a.m. and end about 12 hours later. However, he said, the day will bring periods of lulls and peaks, though those are more difficult to predict.

Generally, Updike said, the heaviest accumulation will occur from mid-to-late afternoon, around 2 to 6 p.m.

He urged commuters to take extra time and care, as they may experience slippery roads and sidewalks on their way home.

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What kind of snow will be falling in Indiana on Friday?

Updike said the snow should be light and fluffy. The NWS expects only light wind, with gusts of 10 to 15 mph, which means the area should not expect to see much drifting snow.

How cold will it get in the Bloomington area tonight?

The NWS projects that the cloud cover will hang around the area for a while, which will contribute to temperatures falling only to about 20 degrees.

Is there a chance of snowmelt any time soon in Indiana?

Updike said temperatures should rise to near freezing on Sunday, and the area also might see some pockets of sunshine, which should help melt some snow especially on pavement and roads.

However, he said temperatures will not rise enough in the next few days to melt all of the snow.

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Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.



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Indiana Fever linked to trade for 2-time All-Star

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Indiana Fever linked to trade for 2-time All-Star


Satou Sabally was immediately linked to the New York Liberty after announcing that she has played her final game for the Dallas Wings during Unrivaled Basketball’s media availability on Thursday. However, the Indiana Fever are another team who were recently mentioned as a possible trade suitor for the two-time All-Star, via Chloe Peterson of indystar.com.

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Sabally’s announcement was the primary discussion swirling around the WNBA world on Thursday. The Wings will have the option to core Sabally, which will likely lead to a trade given her comments on Thursday. The chances of Dallas simply letting Sabally walk in free agency while passing on the option to core her are slim, but Sabally will likely still end up with a new team for the 2025 season.

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The question is which team will she end up with? The defending-champion Liberty have Satou’s sister Nyara Sabally on the roster, so that may catch Satou’s attention. Joining an up-and-coming team like the Fever may also entice Satou, though.

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There will be other candidates aside from Indiana and New York, of course. The Fever and Liberty both make sense as possible trade destinations for Satou Sabally, however. At only 26 years old, Sabally features the ceiling of a true superstar. If she can stay healthy, Sabally can significantly impact any team she joins.

Fever could trade for Satou Sabally

Sabally would add more star-power alongside Caitlin Clark in Indiana. Clark instantly became one of the most popular players in the WNBA in her rookie season during the 2024 campaign. Adding a star or two would help Indiana, though.

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The Fever reached the postseason but were quickly eliminated in the first round. Indiana’s future remains bright, but they need to upgrade the roster around Clark. Sabally would turn the Fever into serious contenders.

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If the Liberty find a way to acquire Sabally, however, the rest of the WNBA may be in trouble. With Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones already on the roster, the Liberty project to be a championship contender once again. Assuming Stewart returns, the Liberty will compete with or without Sabally, but adding her to the roster would turn New York into a super-team.

Sabally’s announcement on Thursday is already changing the landscape of the WNBA. Rumors will continue to swirl over the next few months. If Sabally is traded, which is seemingly expected at this point, whichever team acquires her will take a big step forward.

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