Indiana’s Week 2 demolition of Howard left almost no room for complaints in the box score. The Hoosiers rolled to 505 yards, held Howard to 57, gave up only four first downs and no points, and were flagged just twice.
Still, the game wasn’t spotless. The defense looked dominant from start to finish, but the offense had one spot that didn’t quite match the rest of the machine: quarterback Josh Hoover.
Hoover finished 6-of-11 for 145 yards and four touchdowns, a line that looks strong on paper. The bigger issue was how those completions came. The accuracy wasn’t consistently there, and there were a few throws that could have turned into real problems against better competition.
Early in the first quarter, Hoover underthrew a sideline pass intended for Tyler Morris, and the ball bounced off the helmet of a Howard defender. That goes down as an incompletion here, but in Big Ten play it could just as easily become an interception.
On Indiana’s first touchdown, Hoover put a similar ball up for Charlie Becker. Becker, who may be the nation’s best 50/50-ball receiver, made a huge play to haul it in anyway. The catch was impressive, but the throw asked for more than it should have.
The second touchdown came on a slant to Becker, and Hoover handled that one better, slipping the ball over a Howard linebacker’s reach. He later connected with a wide-open Shazz Preston for another score.
The other blemish came in the second quarter on a deep shot to Davion Chandler. Chandler had a step, but Hoover left the ball in a tough spot and Chandler never had a chance to make a play on it.
Curt Cignetti and his staff clearly leaned on the run game Saturday, so Hoover didn’t get a full runway to show everything he can do. Even so, the moments when he was asked to push the ball didn’t always land cleanly. He also had a fumble, though Indiana recovered it.
That matters because the biggest question around Hoover heading into the 2026 season was turnovers. He led the Big 12 with 13 interceptions last year. He hasn’t thrown one through two games with Indiana, but the Hoosiers also haven’t been tested the way they will be in league play.
Against defenses like Ohio State and Michigan, some of the throws he got away with against Howard may not survive. It’s hard to look elite against lesser opposition, but Hoover has to clean up the accuracy issues or Indiana could end up in dangerous spots once the schedule tightens.
The encouraging part is that he looks comfortable in the system and in control of the offense. Cignetti has called him “very accurate,” and Hoover clearly has the tools. Now the challenge is making that show up snap after snap.
Indiana would love to see that happen next week against Western Kentucky, so the offense can be humming by the time Week 4 arrives against Northwestern.
In Other News...
Indiana Suddenly Has A Real Opening In The Big Ten Race
Week 2 in the Big Ten brought a little more clarity and a lot more chaos, and Indiana had to like what it saw from the rest of the league. Ohio States collapse after building a strong start against Texas, Oregons second straight stumble after its earlier loss, and Michigans defense holding up against Oklahoma all fed into a race that suddenly feels less tidy than it did a week ago. USC also kept building momentum behind quarterback Jayden Maiava, another reminder that the leagues top tier may be deeper and less predictable than expected.
For Indiana, the value in that disorder is obvious. The Hoosiers do not need the Big Ten to get easy, but they do need the field above them to keep taking turns giving ground, and that is exactly what the opening stretch delivered. With the conference already showing signs of volatility and some of its biggest names still sorting out who they are, Indiana can see a path to mattering in a race that looked more crowded than competitive just days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana's Defensive Rotation Just Put A New Spotlight On Its Depth
Indiana leaned heavily on its defensive depth in the 55-0 win over Howard, and the snap counts told the story just as much as the scoreboard did. The Hoosiers spread the workload across a long list of contributors, with Mario Landino and Chiddi Obiazor standing out among the pressure players and Rolijah Hardy turning in the kind of splash play that can change the feel of a game in a hurry.
What makes the rotation worth watching now is how many different pieces were involved, including freshmen and players still chasing more eligibility. Early in the season, that kind of distribution can be a luxury if everyone stays productive, but it can also become a real evaluation tool as Indiana learns who can hold up once the competition tightens and the game plans get more demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Waits On Court Fight That Could Cost Two Key Veterans
Indiana football is still waiting on the legal wrangling that could shape the rest of its season, with the eligibility case involving veterans Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt ending in court Wednesday without a ruling. The two players are challenging the NCAA over its five-for-five eligibility rule, and the absence of a decision leaves the Hoosiers in a holding pattern as the week moves toward Saturdays game.
The temporary restraining order that had allowed Daley and Wyatt to keep playing has now expired, which means they are ineligible unless the judge acts before the weekend. Attorneys have until Thursday to submit final documentation, but for now Indiana is left watching the calendar as much as the depth chart, hoping the legal process catches up in time to avoid losing two experienced pieces. [Read more 🡒]