‘Locked In’ – Carter Smith Fills Big Offensive Line Shoes
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Pressure is part of it. Carter Smith knows it, feels it, embraces it.
He’s a redshirt left tackle still growing into the position, although at 6-5 and 305 pounds, growth isn’t all about size.
Smith is a first-time starter for Indiana with a big upside (he’s athletic enough to have played volleyball as well as earn all-state football honors at Ohio’s Olentangy Liberty High School), which helped him win the right to replace Luke Haggard, a multi-year Hoosier starter who signed as an undrafted free agent with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers last spring.
“I know I have big shoes to fill,” Smith says. “The upperclassmen expect a lot out of me. I have to show them I’m ready.”
That’s where the pressure comes from. IU needs a winning performance from all its offensive linemen, experience be darned.
Smith only played in two games last season as a true freshman, but made a big impression in practice and earned a couple of co-offensive scout team honors for the Michigan and Penn State games. He wasn’t ready for a big role then. He is now, with the next opportunity on Saturday night when the Hoosiers (1-2) host Akron (1-2).
“I’m still a new guy,” Smith says. “I’ve only been here for one and a half years. I feel there’s a lot of pressure on me.”
What causes the pressure?
“Luke Haggard was a starter for three years. I need to fill his shoes. I feel I’m filling it pretty well so far. I’ve had a lot of support from the guy on my right (veteran Mike Katic). He’s a captain. He’s been my mentor since I got here. There’s a lot of help there.”
As for the pressure, Smith says it “pushes me to be better.”
“There are things I need to improve on with my game. That pressure helps me to improve. I’m out there with my buddies. They tell me a lot. That gives me a lot of motivation when I’m on the field, in the weight room, or in the meeting room. It keeps me more locked in.”
Offensive line coach Bob Bostad’s rep-heavy approach also helps.
“Reps get me going the best,” Smith says. “That’s what’s great about Coach Bostad. He believes reps are what get you ready for a game.”
Smith’s first college game came last year at Ohio State. It was a big deal for a guy who grew up 20 minutes from the Buckeye campus.
“It was a blessing to play my first game at that stage in front of all my hometown friends,” he says. “It was like, ‘This is why I came here. This is what I came here to do.’ Getting it out of the way was the best way for me to do that.”
IU’s quest for an improved running game starts with the offensive line. A lot of work has gone into it, with more required given the Hoosiers average just 114.3 yards a game. That ranks 12th in the Big Ten.
“Every day we work on the sleds, work on our footwork, work underneath the chutes,” Smith says. “We know it’s something we need to execute and get better. It’s something we will execute better. We have to keep putting the time in, keep working.”
That hit home last Saturday against Louisville. IU had a chance to force a late-game tie, but its fourth-and-18-inches run was stopped by a swarming Cardinal defense.
“That’s something we have to execute,” Smith says. “It’s something we work on every day. We learned our lesson. The next time, just punch the ball in.”
Beyond the line play, Smith has had a prime view of the evolution of quarterback Tayven Jackson, from his winter arrival after transferring from Tennessee to his growth as a first-time college starter after a nine-month battle with Brendan Sorsby.
“When Tayven got here, he felt more pressure,” Smith says. “Sorsby had been here for a while.
“I respect both of them. The pressure that was on both of them made them better.”
That includes the leadership factor, crucial for a quarterback. Jackson’s development in that area accelerated once he was named the permanent starter after the Indiana State game.
“The past few weeks,” Smith says, “Tayven has been able to step up in that leadership position. After he got comfortable in a game setting against one of the best teams in the country (Ohio State), he was able to find his groove.”
Jackson radiates enthusiasm, Smith adds.
“He's excited. When we were at Lucas Oil (before the Louisville game), he wanted to run out there right away. I had to pull him back into the huddle. That’s what I adore about him. He has great energy. He’s ready to step up and take that spot.”