Indiana has spent the first two weeks looking every bit like a team that wants to make a statement before Big Ten play arrives. The Hoosiers are 2-0 after lopsided wins over North Texas and Howard, and Saturday’s Week 3 game against Western Kentucky gives them one more chance to stack another convincing result before the schedule gets tougher.
That matters for Curt Cignetti and company, who are trying to build momentum and stay healthy with conference play looming. If Indiana handles business the way it has so far, the Hoosiers would move to 3-0 and extend their win streak to 19 games.
A big reason for that optimism is the way Indiana’s offense has started the season. The Hoosiers put up 52 points against North Texas in Week 1 even though they controlled the ball for just 22:38, then exploded for 41 points in the first half alone against Howard on the way to a 55-0 win in Week 2.
The passing game has produced plenty of chunk plays, while the run game has also been churning out steady gains. With some final tuning to do before Big Ten play, Josh Hoover and company look built to keep attacking.
Western Kentucky’s defense only adds to the mismatch. The Hilltoppers gave up 49 points and 486 yards of total offense to Nevada in Week 1, then allowed 70 points and 493 total yards to No.
2 Georgia in Week 2. Those are the worst marks among all CUSA teams, and WKU’s 59.5 points per game allowed is the worst in the country so far this season.
That’s a rough place to be heading into a matchup with the defending National Champions.
Indiana’s top players have also been rolling early. Josh Hoover has completed more than 70% of his passes while throwing eight touchdowns and no interceptions.
Charlie Becker already has five receiving touchdowns, and Turbo Richard is averaging 6.4 yards per carry with three scores on the ground. On defense, Isaiah Jones leads the team with 17 tackles, Rolijah Hardy has 12 tackles and a pick-6 against Howard, and the Hoosiers’ best pieces are clearly off to fast starts.
Depth is another edge for Indiana. The second- and third-team players have already seen plenty of snaps in Weeks 1 and 2, and a comfortable lead on Saturday would give those reserves even more work. Western Kentucky is facing a major talent gap across the board, and Indiana can lean into that advantage if the game goes the way it expects.
The Hilltoppers’ schedule hasn’t helped either. This will be their third straight road game after trips to Nevada and Georgia, and they’ve already absorbed a 35-point loss to Nevada and a 50-point loss to Georgia. That kind of opening stretch is a grind, and WKU comes into this one after taking some heavy hits.
In Other News...
Darian DeVries Has A Chance To Change Indiana's Recruiting Buzz
Darian DeVries is already giving Indiana fans a reason to pay attention to the future, with the Hoosiers hosting 5-star 2028 combo guard Brady Pettigrew for an official visit. Pettigrew is one of the more coveted young guards in the country, and Indiana will have to make its pitch while he continues a busy recruiting calendar that includes official visits to other programs.
The visit matters for more than just one prospect, because Indiana is also in the mix for 5-star 2027 recruit Darius Wabbington as DeVries works to reshape the programs recruiting profile. The Hoosiers already have commitments from 4-star Chase Branham and Felix Kiehlneker, but landing elite targets like Pettigrew would go a long way toward changing the buzz around what Indiana is building next. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Title Run Just Raised The Pressure On Curt Cignetti
Indianas national title run in 2025 did more than change the conversation around the program, it also sharpened the expectations around how Curt Cignetti keeps it going. The Athletic estimated the Hoosiers NIL budget for 2026 at between $36 million and $40 million, a figure that would place Indiana fourth in the Big Ten and still below some of the leagues biggest spenders.
That gap matters because the championship showed Indiana can do more than keep pace with bigger brands, it can beat them with a disciplined, strategic approach to roster building. Now the challenge is sustaining that edge, because success has a way of raising the price of staying successful, and Indianas next step will test whether Cignetti can keep the programs spending sharp enough to match the standard it just set. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Gets A Chance To Pounce Before The Real Tests Begin
Western Kentucky arrives in Bloomington in an early-season rut, which gives Indiana a useful chance to keep building momentum before the schedule turns serious. The Hilltoppers have already taken two significant losses to open 2026, and the early returns have been rough on both sides of the ball. Rodney Tisdale Jr. has not yet thrown a touchdown, and after being benched in the second half against Georgia, the quarterback picture has at least shown a flicker of life with Brock Glenn stepping in.
For Indiana, the matchup comes at the right time, since Western Kentucky has given up plenty of points and yards and is still searching for answers ahead of conference play. These are the kinds of games where a home team can separate early, clean up execution and avoid letting a struggling opponent hang around long enough to make things awkward. The Hoosiers still have bigger tests waiting, but first they get a chance to make this one look comfortable. [Read more 🡒]