IU’s offensive line has been quite the jigsaw puzzle throughout this season, and senior offensive lineman Dan Feeney has been no exception to the maneuverable pieces.
The All-America right guard found himself at right tackle for the first time since high school as the Hoosiers defeated Rutgers on Saturday, 33-27. Feeney’s teammates used his miscues to have some fun with him.
“They were giving me a hard time,” Feeney said. “I kind of looked awkward out there sometimes. I’ll just keep working on it, get a little fluidity out there.”
The move was made after a slew of injuries hit the IU offensive line. Not suddenly, but unsparingly.
Senior right tackle Dimitric Camiel fell to an injury early in the season that required back surgery. He is likely out for the season but could make an appearance for a bowl game.
The same goes for sophomore Brandon Knight, who is credited by IU Coach Kevin Wilson as the most athletic tackle on the offensive line. He suffered a leg injury against Nebraska that, even though it doesn’t require surgery, will sideline him for the rest of the regular season.
Knight had been swapping in and out with freshman tackle Coy Cronk on the left side, but Cronk’s stable play allowed IU to move Knight to the right side of the line, then sophomore Delroy Baker played in place of Knight.
It was the injury to Knight that prompted the move to tackle for Feeney — who had recently come off of a concussion earlier this season — because of fifth-year senior and backup guard Jacob Bailey.
“Because Bailey is a good player, and even though Dan was injured and such a great player, when your backup is a fifth-year veteran with a bunch of starts, it’s kind of like your best-five combo,” Wilson said after the Rutgers game Saturday.
Bailey had been filling in for Feeney as the All-American recovered from his concussion.
Now Feeney is switching between right guard and right tackle to ease Baker into the right tackle position and allow for IU’s best rotation.
Fifth-year senior center Wes Rogers said Feeney’s move to right tackle was best for the offensive line, keeping its best player on the field as long as possible.
“We think Dan is the best guard in the nation,” Rogers said. “We have a standard on our offensive line, so even if we’re playing without Dan out there — whoever is in there, it doesn’t matter — we’re going to hold our offensive line to that standard.”
Rogers said Feeney, Bailey, Camiel and himself — all seniorvs on the offensive line — have talked about and hypothetically put themselves in as many situations as they can think of as a unit.
Feeney’s emergency move to tackle was one of them.
That’s why the move has been fairly seamless, Rogers said. That and Feeney’s talent as an all-around offensive lineman.
It even has its benefits, as Feeney can see more of the field in the half-standing, 2-point stance tackles begin in, rather than the crouched, 3-point stance guards and centers are in.
That helps with Rogers’ communication on the line, the center said. And it helps production-wise as well.
Since the Maryland game, when Feeney was able to play again without limit, the Hoosiers have rushed the ball for 561 yards after three consecutive games without 100.
Feeney is still working at perfecting his performance at the position he hasn’t played in four years, and he said he will continue to take reps in practice.
He will likely be switching between the two positions for the remaining three games of the regular season.
“I’m just doing whatever it takes to win, so if I’ve got to play right tackle, I’ll play it,” Feeney said. “Or right guard or center, whatever it takes. I’ll do whatever.”
