No. 5 Indiana wasted no time turning Saturday into a rout, rolling past Howard 55-0 to improve to 2-0 in the 2026 season.
The Hoosiers were heavy favorites - eight touchdowns, to be exact - and they played like it from the first snap. After a cloudy start in Bloomington, the sun came out about 30 minutes before kickoff, and Indiana’s offense promptly lit up Howard.
Turbo Richard nearly opened the game with a kickoff return touchdown, and the return game continued to give IU a short field early. Richard brought back the opening kick 36 yards, setting up the Hoosiers in prime position.
Josh Hoover made the most of it. After a few solid runs, he hit Charlie Becker on a 34-yard touchdown down the left sideline. Becker had to adjust to the throw and finish with a contested, acrobatic grab.
Becker wasn’t done. After Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. kept pounding the ball on the ground, Becker came free on a quick slant for his second touchdown of the season.
That score was part of a huge opening stretch for the receiver. Becker now has five touchdown catches on the young season.
Hoover kept stacking touchdowns, finishing with four passing scores on just six completions. He had also been sharp in last week’s opener, when he threw for 231 yards and four touchdowns.
Paddy McAteer missed the extra point, leaving Indiana up only 13-0 with 4:16 left in the first quarter. But the Hoosiers were already overwhelming Howard up front. Through three drives, Indiana had piled up 138 rushing yards on 14 carries, and it would finish with 296 on the ground.
With 1:34 left in the first quarter, Hoover found Shazz Preston wide open for a 39-yard touchdown. Hoover completed only three passes in the opening period, and all three went for touchdowns.
Indiana did punt on its fourth possession, the second punt of the season for the Hoosiers. Hoover had two incompletions on that series, forcing a fourth-and-long.
The offense slowed some in the second quarter, and the defense followed suit for a stretch, but Indiana still kept pulling away. Hoover connected with Becker again on a 9-yard pass, and Becker turned it into a 32-yard score for his third touchdown of the half. That made it 27-0 with 6:07 left before halftime.
Indiana then flipped the game even harder. On Howard’s third-and-eight, Josh Burnham came off the edge and hit Ja'Shawn Scroggins as he released the ball. Rolijah Hardy snagged the fluttering pass and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown.
After a series of penalties on both sides, Richard added another highlight, taking a draw handoff 14 yards while weaving through traffic for his third touchdown of the season.
Grant Wilson took over at quarterback to start the third quarter and led a 9-play, 68-yard touchdown drive. He finished it with a touchdown pass to Davion Chandler, who was moving toward the right side of the end zone.
After Howard’s seventh punt of the afternoon, Wilson struck again, this time finding Nick Marsh alone down the middle for a 51-yard touchdown. That pushed Indiana to 55-0 with 6:03 left in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was shortened to 10 minutes by agreement between the teams, a move that has become more common in blowouts around college football.
Tyler Cherry and Indiana’s third-string offense closed it out from there.
In Other News...
Indiana Suddenly Has A Kicker Question It Didnt Expect
Indianas kicking situation took an unexpected turn against Howard when Nico Radicic was ruled out because of back pain that started Thursday, according to the broadcast. With the Hoosiers suddenly needing a replacement, Paddy McAteer stepped into the role and handled the extra-point duties in his place.
McAteers night had a little of everything, missing an early PAT before later settling in and converting one. For Indiana, the bigger issue now is less about a single kick than how long it might have to manage without Radicic, with no clear return timeline yet available. [Read more 🡒]
Lee Corso Update Will Hit Florida State Fans Right In The Heart
Lee Corsos public appearances have become rare since he retired after the 2025 season, but a recent reunion with Kirk Herbstreit in Orlando offered a familiar reminder of why he remains such a beloved figure in college football. Herbstreit described the physical ailments Corso is dealing with at 91, while also emphasizing that the longtime College GameDay analyst is still sharp and fully engaged when the conversation turns to the sport he helped shape.
For Florida State fans, any Corso update carries its own weight, given how closely his voice has been tied to the broader history of college football Saturdays. Even after the final headgear pick in Columbus closed the book on his on-air run, Corsos presence still resonates, especially because he continues to stay mentally connected to the game despite a past stroke and the challenges that have limited his outings. [Read more 🡒]
Charlie Becker Is Becoming A Huge Factor In Indianas Title Push
Charlie Becker has quickly moved from promising receiver to one of the early reasons Indianas offense looks so dangerous again. The junior has opened the 2026 season in emphatic fashion, finding the end zone multiple times in the first two games and giving the Hoosiers another reliable weapon as they chase a second straight Big Ten title.
Against Howard, Becker did most of his damage before halftime, catching three touchdown passes in the first half and putting his name squarely in the middle of Indianas title conversation. For a team trying to defend its place atop the league, having another playmaker emerging this fast only raises the ceiling, and it is starting to look like Becker will be hard to ignore as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]