Indiana’s first three games have been about as clean a start as a team can ask for. The Hoosiers are 3-0, their winning streak is up to 19, and they’ve rolled through North Texas, Howard and Western Kentucky by a combined 145-16. That kind of margin doesn’t leave much mystery, but it does give a pretty clear snapshot of where this team stands before Big Ten play begins.
With Northwestern coming to Bloomington on Friday, the non-conference report card is easy to sort through: the offense has been sharp, the defense has been suffocating, and special teams has shown a few cracks that need watching.
The offense earned an A, and for good reason. Indiana scored 52, 55 and 38 points in its first three games, with Josh Hoover doing exactly what you want from a quarterback settling into a new season.
He’s completed more than 72% of his throws for 649 yards and 8 touchdowns without an interception. That matters, especially after he led the Big 12 with 13 interceptions at TCU last season.
A turnover-free start was the reset he needed.
Charlie Becker has kept the momentum rolling after his breakout finish to last season. He already has 6 touchdowns, which is half of his catches and ranks second in all of college football. Nick Marsh has also been a real factor, posting 11 catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns.
Indiana has also leaned on the ground game in a big way. Behind a veteran offensive line, the Hoosiers have piled up 663 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns.
Turbo Richard has been the most explosive piece of that attack, averaging 7.7 yards per carry on 41 attempts. Lee Beebe Jr. has flashed plenty as well, and with Khobie Martin expected to miss at least a couple more weeks, his role should stay steady behind Richard.
Defensively, Indiana’s start has been even more impressive. The Hoosiers get an A+ after allowing 16 points in the opener and then blanking the next two opponents entirely.
Back-to-back shutouts have pushed Indiana to 5.3 points per game allowed, which ranks second in all of college football. The defense has also come up with five turnovers, including three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones have been at the center of it all. Hardy leads the team with 22 tackles, while Jones is right behind him with 21.
Hardy also returned an interception for a touchdown against Howard, and Jones came close to doing the same against WKU. Those two look like the backbone of this defense.
If there’s an area that still leaves room for concern, it’s pressure on the quarterback. Indiana has 7.0 sacks through three games, but it hasn’t consistently overwhelmed opponents up front.
Special teams is where the grade drops to a B. Nico Radicic has missed the last two games with a back injury, and that’s created some uncertainty at kicker.
Paddy McAteer has handled the job in his place, but he missed an extra point and a 54-yard field goal attempt. Radicic has been one of the most dependable kickers in the country, so Indiana will be watching that situation closely if he’s out longer.
The punt return job has also shifted around. Tyler Morris was the primary returner in Weeks 1 and 2, but after a pair of misplays, Becker handled punts against WKU. Cignetti still expects Morris to be the main option there, but it’s another spot worth keeping an eye on as conference play begins.
In Other News...
Indianas Big Ten Opener Just Got A Huge Eligibility Twist
The lead-up to Indianas Big Ten opener picked up an unexpected off-field wrinkle this week, as a Monroe Circuit Court judge granted a preliminary injunction that keeps three Hoosier athletes eligible for competition. IU football players Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley are among the athletes covered, along with IU basketball forward Sam Alexis, after the temporary restraining order in the broader lawsuit against the NCAA expired and left them waiting on the next court ruling.
For Indiana football, the timing matters most because the injunction allows Daley and Wyatt to play in the upcoming conference game. The case involves 97 athletes, so the decision reaches beyond Bloomington, but the immediate effect is on a Hoosiers team that suddenly has two more available pieces as it gets ready for league play. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Frontcourt Picture Just Changed As NCAA Faces New Fight
A Monroe County Circuit Court ruling this week has added another layer to the college basketball offseason, and Indiana is right in the middle of it. Judge Kara Krothe granted a preliminary injunction to nearly 90 athletes in the state, opening the door to a fifth year of eligibility and putting several familiar names back in the conversation for another season.
For Indiana, the ripple effects could matter in a frontcourt that is still taking shape as roster decisions continue to evolve around the sport. The ruling reaches beyond one program and could alter the late-summer landscape across the country, though the NCAA is expected to fight it on appeal and keep the issue tied up a while longer. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Receivers Delivered In The Win But One Bigger Concern Remains
Indiana football got the kind of result it needed at Memorial Stadium, rolling past Western Kentucky 38-0 while shaking off a sluggish first half with a much sharper finish. The offense leaned on quarterback Josh Hoover, who completed 18 of 24 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns, and the overall performance review showed a team that settled in as the afternoon went on. For a group that has been looking for steadiness, the second-half response offered a useful reminder that the pieces can fit when the tempo and execution are both there.
The receivers were part of that story, delivering enough to help Indiana turn a tight, uneven start into a comfortable win. Even so, the broader grading of the quarterbacks, backs, line play and defensive front pointed to one larger issue that still lingers beneath the scoreboard. Indiana showed it can overwhelm an opponent once it finds a rhythm, but the more important question is whether it can avoid the kind of early stretch that leaves bigger concerns hanging around for another week. [Read more 🡒]