NOTEBOOK: For Jaylin Lucas, It Comes Down to This – ‘Get Him the Ball’
11/1/2022 4:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Jaylin Lucas is a dangerous man with a football in his hands. The numbers show it. His Indiana coaches and teammates know it.
You don't lead the nation in kickoff returns, as Lucas does with an average of 30.9 yards, including a 93-yard touchdown burst at Rutgers, without something special going on.
"He's another one we're continuing to find ways to get him the football," head coach Tom Allen says. "That's my charge to the offense. It has been for a while, since the first game.
"Since he's been here, I've thought, he's different."
How different? Consider the true freshman plays far bigger than his 5-9, 185-pound stature. He has rushed 24 times for 123 yards, a 5.1-yard-per-carry average. His long is 39 yards. He's caught nine passes for 76 yards, with a long of 25.
And then, of course, there are his nine kickoff returns.
"We're trying to bring him along in his understanding of what we're doing," Allen says. "You saw what he can do in the return game.
"You want to find ways to get him the football. His quickness, burst, and speed are elite. He's a hard-nosed, tough competitor. He needs to be a huge part of our offense moving forward."
Coaches must strike a balance between Lucas's big-play potential and his vulnerabilities. He's not physically ready to be an everyday back in the Big Ten. He lacks the pass protection consistency crucial to offensive success. He's still developing the experience and durability the position demands.
He is, after all, just over two months into his college career.
But get Lucas the ball in space, where his speed and elusiveness can buckle the knees of elite defenders, and watch out.
Offensive coordinator Walt Bell has done plenty of watching while expanding Lucas' role. Running back, receiver, and returner -- it's all on the table as the Hoosiers (3-5), coming off a bye week, host No. 16 Penn State (6-2) on Saturday.
"We're going to do everything we can to push him the ball," Bell says. "We'll give him as many reps as we can.
"There are still some things he has to mature on and learn, pass protection being a large part of that. When that gets to a certain point, (he'll play more)."
There's less wear and tear, and limited pass protection responsibilities, as a receiver, but more to learn.
"As a 17 or 18 year old freshman, we put him at wideout and move him around, that's a little bit of a learning process, too," Bell says. "Every week, he's been able to do a little more. Every week, we've been able to get him more involved."
*****
Will quarterback Connor Bazelak start against Penn State?
Maybe.
Allen is vague about the starting quarterback other than to say, "You'll have to wait till Saturday to see who our starting quarterback is going to be."
Bazelak completes 54.9 percent of his passes for 2,099 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Neither Jack Tuttle nor Dexter Williams II has played this season.
Bell says Bazelak, a transfer from Missouri, won the job after "a really close competition."
"There are things Connor does really well," Bell says. "At times, he's played really well. Other than three to four plays, he's played pretty good football."
While Tuttle has played before, Williams has never take a college snap. As a Georgia high-school senior dual threat, he passed for more than 1,500 yards and rushed for nearly 1,000 while totaling 29 touchdowns.
"Dexter is a young guy who continues to develop," Bell says. "He has great physical tools as a passer and as a runner."
IU coaches did a thorough evaluation of the position during the bye week.
"We will move forward with that position," Allen says. "We'll have to see how that plays itself out when it comes to game day."
Given the Hoosiers struggles, Allen says, "Every position is up for evaluation.
"We're trying to find the best combination to give us a spark on offense and allow our guys to be able to move the football and score points.
"We didn't do that in the second half (of the 24-17 loss to Rutgers). We've not done that well in the second half in several games recently. We need to get some different production, different output of our offense in the second half."
****
Penn State has lost to a pair of top-4 teams in No. 2 Ohio State 44-31 and No. 4 Michigan 41-17.
Quarterback Sean Clifford owns the school record for passing touchdowns (78), completions (754), and completion percentage (60.9). This season he completes 62.8 percent of his passes for 1,816 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Receiver Parker Washington had 11 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State. For the season, he has 41 catches for 567 yards and two touchdowns.
Five Nittany Lions have caught at least 11 passes for at least 162 yards. Nine have caught touchdown passes.
Tailback Nicholas Singleton leads with 606 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He averages 6.3 yards per carry. Kaytron Allen has 472 rushing yards and five TDs. He averages 5.2 yards per carry.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions have held five teams to less than 100 yards rushing, including Ohio State (98).
"This is a great opportunity to play against a top-25 team and get a win," tight end AJ Barner says.
Adds Allen. "We're very excited about this weekend. Any time you have a chance to play one of the best teams in the country, it's awesome to have them here at home.
"They are a very talented team in all three phases. We have to find a way to do our very best to come out with the win. I'm excited to see what they can draw out of us in a positive way."
*****
IU took a big offensive hit with the loss of leading receiver Cam Camper, who tore his ACL against Rutgers and is out for the rest of the season. Allen says Camper will have knee surgery, "in the near future."
Camper, who missed one game due to illness, has 46 catches for 569 yards and two touchdowns.
"We feel terrible for him," Allen says. "He's part of our team. He'll be on that long road to recovery. Our staff will do a great job of getting him back and ready for the fall."
*****
You never know when or where you can get new-play ideas. Bell explores all options, even while watching other teams play.
He says he'll consider using another team's play, or a version it, "as long as it's within the system." Teams such as Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Kent State also utilize up-tempo offenses.
"It's people who look like us, who play football the way we do," he says.
"You're always looking for something. You're always looking for a wrinkle, always looking for an edge.
"I watched two high school games. Football is football. Whether it's NFL, college or high school, there are a lot of good coaches. Anything that could help us, we'll take a look at."
You don't lead the nation in kickoff returns, as Lucas does with an average of 30.9 yards, including a 93-yard touchdown burst at Rutgers, without something special going on.
"He's another one we're continuing to find ways to get him the football," head coach Tom Allen says. "That's my charge to the offense. It has been for a while, since the first game.
"Since he's been here, I've thought, he's different."
How different? Consider the true freshman plays far bigger than his 5-9, 185-pound stature. He has rushed 24 times for 123 yards, a 5.1-yard-per-carry average. His long is 39 yards. He's caught nine passes for 76 yards, with a long of 25.
And then, of course, there are his nine kickoff returns.
"We're trying to bring him along in his understanding of what we're doing," Allen says. "You saw what he can do in the return game.
"You want to find ways to get him the football. His quickness, burst, and speed are elite. He's a hard-nosed, tough competitor. He needs to be a huge part of our offense moving forward."
Coaches must strike a balance between Lucas's big-play potential and his vulnerabilities. He's not physically ready to be an everyday back in the Big Ten. He lacks the pass protection consistency crucial to offensive success. He's still developing the experience and durability the position demands.
He is, after all, just over two months into his college career.
But get Lucas the ball in space, where his speed and elusiveness can buckle the knees of elite defenders, and watch out.
Offensive coordinator Walt Bell has done plenty of watching while expanding Lucas' role. Running back, receiver, and returner -- it's all on the table as the Hoosiers (3-5), coming off a bye week, host No. 16 Penn State (6-2) on Saturday.
"We're going to do everything we can to push him the ball," Bell says. "We'll give him as many reps as we can.
"There are still some things he has to mature on and learn, pass protection being a large part of that. When that gets to a certain point, (he'll play more)."
There's less wear and tear, and limited pass protection responsibilities, as a receiver, but more to learn.
"As a 17 or 18 year old freshman, we put him at wideout and move him around, that's a little bit of a learning process, too," Bell says. "Every week, he's been able to do a little more. Every week, we've been able to get him more involved."
*****
Will quarterback Connor Bazelak start against Penn State?
Maybe.
Allen is vague about the starting quarterback other than to say, "You'll have to wait till Saturday to see who our starting quarterback is going to be."
Bazelak completes 54.9 percent of his passes for 2,099 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Neither Jack Tuttle nor Dexter Williams II has played this season.
Bell says Bazelak, a transfer from Missouri, won the job after "a really close competition."
"There are things Connor does really well," Bell says. "At times, he's played really well. Other than three to four plays, he's played pretty good football."
While Tuttle has played before, Williams has never take a college snap. As a Georgia high-school senior dual threat, he passed for more than 1,500 yards and rushed for nearly 1,000 while totaling 29 touchdowns.
"Dexter is a young guy who continues to develop," Bell says. "He has great physical tools as a passer and as a runner."
IU coaches did a thorough evaluation of the position during the bye week.
"We will move forward with that position," Allen says. "We'll have to see how that plays itself out when it comes to game day."
Given the Hoosiers struggles, Allen says, "Every position is up for evaluation.
"We're trying to find the best combination to give us a spark on offense and allow our guys to be able to move the football and score points.
"We didn't do that in the second half (of the 24-17 loss to Rutgers). We've not done that well in the second half in several games recently. We need to get some different production, different output of our offense in the second half."
****
Penn State has lost to a pair of top-4 teams in No. 2 Ohio State 44-31 and No. 4 Michigan 41-17.
Quarterback Sean Clifford owns the school record for passing touchdowns (78), completions (754), and completion percentage (60.9). This season he completes 62.8 percent of his passes for 1,816 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Receiver Parker Washington had 11 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State. For the season, he has 41 catches for 567 yards and two touchdowns.
Five Nittany Lions have caught at least 11 passes for at least 162 yards. Nine have caught touchdown passes.
Tailback Nicholas Singleton leads with 606 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He averages 6.3 yards per carry. Kaytron Allen has 472 rushing yards and five TDs. He averages 5.2 yards per carry.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions have held five teams to less than 100 yards rushing, including Ohio State (98).
"This is a great opportunity to play against a top-25 team and get a win," tight end AJ Barner says.
Adds Allen. "We're very excited about this weekend. Any time you have a chance to play one of the best teams in the country, it's awesome to have them here at home.
"They are a very talented team in all three phases. We have to find a way to do our very best to come out with the win. I'm excited to see what they can draw out of us in a positive way."
*****
IU took a big offensive hit with the loss of leading receiver Cam Camper, who tore his ACL against Rutgers and is out for the rest of the season. Allen says Camper will have knee surgery, "in the near future."
Camper, who missed one game due to illness, has 46 catches for 569 yards and two touchdowns.
"We feel terrible for him," Allen says. "He's part of our team. He'll be on that long road to recovery. Our staff will do a great job of getting him back and ready for the fall."
*****
You never know when or where you can get new-play ideas. Bell explores all options, even while watching other teams play.
He says he'll consider using another team's play, or a version it, "as long as it's within the system." Teams such as Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Kent State also utilize up-tempo offenses.
"It's people who look like us, who play football the way we do," he says.
"You're always looking for something. You're always looking for a wrinkle, always looking for an edge.
"I watched two high school games. Football is football. Whether it's NFL, college or high school, there are a lot of good coaches. Anything that could help us, we'll take a look at."
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