Why Indiana Football Suspended Starting Offensive Lineman vs. Indiana State
Indiana football made a notable change to its starting offensive line in their 73-0 victory over Indiana State on Friday night, but the reason for this shift went beyond just on-field performance.
During pre-game warmups and the first half of the game, Zen Michalski filled in as the starting right tackle, while Kahlil Benson, who had started the first two games of the season, was placed with the second unit. Despite having won the starting role over Michalski in fall camp, Benson was sidelined for the first half due to a violation of team rules.
Head coach Curt Cignetti clarified after the game that Benson was not benched for performance reasons but was instead serving a punishment for the infraction. “Benson was not available for the first half,” Cignetti said. “Violation of team rules and regulations.”
Benson returned to his starting role at right tackle for the second half, while Michalski moved to left guard with the second-team offensive line.
Cignetti didn’t specify whether Benson would start against No. 9 Illinois in their next game on September 20, but the situation now leaves the Hoosiers with a decision to make heading into Big Ten play.
Benson, a transfer from Colorado, had performed decently in the first two weeks of the season, earning a Pro Football Focus grade of 76.8, including strong marks of 79.7 as a run blocker and 74.7 in pass protection during wins over Old Dominion and Kennesaw State.
The Hoosiers’ offensive line had been dominant throughout the non-conference games, not allowing a sack in the last two matchups and leading all FBS teams with over 300 rushing yards in each of their first three games.
In their win over Indiana State, Indiana piled up 680 yards of offense, averaging 10.1 yards per play. Quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza, Alberto Mendoza, and Grant Wilson combined for 379 passing yards, completing 26 of 30 passes, and the Hoosiers averaged 8.1 yards per carry on 37 attempts.
As they prepare for Big Ten play, the Hoosiers now face an important decision on who will start on the offensive line as they look to maintain their success.
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