Indiana had a busy week across the board, but the headline item in Bloomington was still the same: the football team kept rolling, and the defense did the heavy lifting again.
At Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Indiana handled Western Kentucky 38-0, giving the Hoosiers back-to-back shutouts. The bigger conversation afterward centered on how the offense looked, and specifically on QB Josh Hoover, who was not sharp or accurate and missed several throws that stalled drives. Even so, Charlie Becker found a way to make the day look easy, hauling in a 79-yard touchdown on a less-than-perfect throw and further strengthening the case that he is arguably the best WR in the country.
After the game, IU coach Curt Cignetti spoke, and Inside the Hall posted a photo gallery from the victory.
Basketball news also filled the week, with the Big Ten releasing Indiana’s full conference schedule for the 2026-2027 season. The Hoosiers already knew their nonconference slate, but now every league date is set. Tip times and TV assignments are still to come.
Indiana opens Big Ten play against Rutgers in Assembly Hall and then heads to Iowa for the yearly December conference games. League action resumes in early January with USC visiting Bloomington, followed by IU’s west coast trips to Oregon and Washington. The Purdue games are late again, with the matchup in Bloomington on Feb. 16 and the trip to West Lafayette closing out Big Ten play on March 5.
The women’s schedule is out too. Indiana begins Big Ten play at Northwestern on Dec. 5 and finishes with Nebraska coming to Bloomington on Feb.
- The program also announced that its 10th annual Candy Stripe Crew will be held on Oct.
On the recruiting front, Indiana picked up another 2027 commitment. German big man Felix Kiehlneker became the second player in the class to pledge to IU coach Darian DeVries, joining Chase Branham.
The preseason chatter around the conference also included Indiana. With roster turnover sweeping across the Big Ten, the Hoosiers are expected to be better and are being projected as an NCAA tournament team again for the first time since the 2022-2023 season. Two publications picked Indiana to finish seventh in the league for 2026-2027.
There was also fresh audio around the program. Podcast on the Brink returned this week, with the IndyStar’s Zach Osterman talking IU football and a new book he co-wrote about the program’s turnaround to win a national title. The Back Home Network also had several shows on the air during the week.
Elsewhere in the IU sports world, field hockey turned in the week’s biggest upset by knocking off No. 2 Iowa and also beat Ball State.
Men’s soccer blanked Washington 1-0, volleyball beat Coastal Carolina and NC State, and women’s soccer lost to Ohio State. Cross country ran at the John McNichols Invitational, and baseball announced it will host Boo at the Bart on Oct.
In Other News...
IU Greek Life Faces Fresh Scrutiny After Another Fraternity Crackdown
Indiana Universitys Greek life is back under the microscope after the school placed Theta Chi on cease and desist amid hazing allegations. The action adds another chapter to a familiar pattern for a campus that has spent plenty of time dealing with fraternity discipline, and it comes after university police found drug paraphernalia at the house while responding to a fire alarm.
Theta Chi was already operating under disciplinary probation and had a voluntary agreement with the university tied to other policy violations, which only raises the stakes for what comes next. The case remains under investigation by university officials, leaving open the question of how far the school will go this time as it tries to reinforce its standards for fraternity conduct. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Fans Need To Know One Crucial Detail Before Saturdays Kickoff
Indiana will be back at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon with another chance to keep its perfect start rolling, this time against Western Kentucky in a 4 p.m. ET kickoff. The Hoosiers have looked the part of a team with bigger ambitions, pairing a strong offense with a defense that has helped them stay unbeaten, while their 17-game home winning streak remains the longest in the FBS.
For fans making weekend plans, the key detail is simple: this one streams exclusively on Peacock. Indiana is expected to handle a Western Kentucky team that has had a rough opening two games, but the broadcast setup means anyone hoping to watch will need to be ready before kickoff rather than counting on a traditional TV channel. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Heads Into Big Ten Play With Real Momentum After Statement Win
Indiana carried a shutout into the postgame handshake Saturday night and walked away from Memorial Stadium with the kind of win that can change the temperature around a season. The Hoosiers handled Western Kentucky 38-0, leaning on a defense that never let the Hilltoppers settle in and an offense that kept enough pressure on the scoreboard to make the outcome feel settled long before the final whistle.
Isaiah Jones helped set the tone with an interception that led to a touchdown, while Indiana's front repeatedly clogged up the lane and arrived in the backfield for tackles for loss and quarterback hurries. Turbo Richard and Charlie Becker also gave the Hoosiers important production on offense, and now Indiana heads into Big Ten play at 3-0 with Northwestern next on the schedule, carrying momentum into a much more revealing stretch. [Read more 🡒]