Virginia at IU, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, BTN

BLOOMINGTON – Donavan Hale snagged Peyton Ramsey’s top-shelf bullet of a pass for Indiana's first touchdown against Florida International because that’s what he was supposed to do. Hale reached back across his body at a gallop later in the half, caught another pass from Ramsey at his hip and made his quarterback look right on a second score, because that’s what he was supposed to do.

So says coach Tom Allen. So says offensive coordinator Mike DeBord. So say wide receivers coach Grant Heard.

The 6-4, 229-pound Floridian’s role for the Hoosiers isn’t up for debate. Hale slaps on his shoulder pads and wears No. 6 for IU to be a playmaker.

“If I’ve got to tell him we’re playing in Florida every week to get him to play like that I’ll get some oranges and put them in his room,” Heard joked.

In Hale’s first game back since a season-ending injury last year, the redshirt junior grabbed four passes for 60 yards and those two touchdowns. There were times between his last snap in 2017 and Saturday when he got down on himself, times he saw his teammates playing and wished he could be on the field, too. But Sept. 1 he didn’t have to wonder what could have been, and each play he made came in front of a crowd packed with friends and family.

So many Heard couldn't help but joke that his count capped out around 800.

“Honestly it felt just like high school,” said Hale, smiling.

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Just as in 2016 when IU traveled to Miami to play FIU, the contingent of Florida high school products who play for the Hoosiers talked incessantly during the lead-up to the game about what it would feel like to be back under the lights in South Florida. Hale and senior safety Jonathan Crawford, cousins and former in-state talents at Largo High School, combined for three of IU’s touchdowns.

Hale felt a boost from the crowd, so much so his play inspired Crawford to go for his pick-six, and Ramsey and others understand why.

“I think him being home helps a lot,” Ramsey said. “A lot of the Florida guys don’t get that opportunity to play in front of their family like that all the time.”

Hale approached this game with a newfound confidence, too. From his time learning from now-Washington Redskins receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr. to the coaching of Allen and Heard, Hale believes in himself more now than he did before.

There may not have been one moment, one practice or sit-down conversation where everything clicked. But the repetition of Allen’s and Heard’s coaching broke through.

“I’m a confident guy and I want my guys to be confident,” said Heard, who thinks Hale looks better this season than he did in 2017. “Beginning of the week I’m hard on them, but as the week wanes down I’ve got to build up confidence and let them know that they’re the best things out there. And they’ve got to have that mindset to be that way.”

Heard doesn’t want a group he sees budding with so much talent to play just average. So he goes out of his way to make players like Hale understand that.

Allen challenged Hale to assume a larger role, believe in himself and use his size and speed to be a nightmare for secondaries. Time remains before Hale is 100 percent healthy, as the coaching staff still has him on a “pitch count” of sorts to ensure he’s ready for each game. Hale doesn’t plan on missing any time this year.

He’s on a mission.

“Just going on the field and just believing nobody can stop me ever,” Hale said. “No matter who’s in front of me.”

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Jordan Guskey on Twitter at @JordanGuskey or email him at jguskey@gannett.com.