Indiana opened the season with a 52-16 win over North Texas and, even with the lopsided score, the afternoon still left a few things to sort through. The new sign for the 2025 National Championship was unveiled at Memorial Stadium, and the Hoosiers kept the momentum rolling. But the game also had the kind of uneven stretches that make week one feel like week one.
The biggest thing to watch coming out of the win is health. Indiana finished without three players who were expected to matter a lot in the second half: Khobie Martin, A.J.
Harris, and Jamari Sharpe all missed the final 30 minutes. The exact nature of those injuries is not known right now.
Harris and Sharpe are the more important names to monitor, especially since both corners were missing at the same time, while Martin’s absence was easier for the offense to absorb. Still, the run game also left something to be desired.
It was over 100 degrees at field level, so there’s a decent chance the staff was simply being careful with three starters at important spots. Even so, the health of Sharpe and Harris looks like the main week-one storyline to follow. If those two are out for any stretch, it would matter a lot for Indiana’s ceiling.
On offense, Josh Hoover made a strong early impression. The numbers were clean: 13 completions on 16 attempts, 231 yards, and four touchdowns.
He wasn’t flawless, but he didn’t need to be. Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh helped cover for the rough edges, combining for three touchdowns and a pair of highlight catches that are going to stick in the minds of Big Ten defensive coordinators.
The competition level makes it hard to draw any final conclusions, but Hoover still showed something useful. He also played through what looked like a broken nose after taking a face mask penalty in the first half.
Some of his throws and decisions were a little risky, and those kinds of choices could turn into turnovers once the schedule gets harder. Even so, Indiana seemed perfectly comfortable letting him attack downfield and give his receivers chances to make plays.
The defense, though, was the part that didn’t quite match expectations. North Texas was able to keep Indiana off-balance with the option, the pass rush didn’t get enough heat on Tayven Jackson, and the back end had issues in coverage. For a unit that many expected to look dominant right away, it was a softer start than anticipated.
That said, it did look a bit like last year’s opening act, when Old Dominion’s Colton Joseph popped off multiple explosive touchdown plays before Indiana settled in. Bryant Haines fixed things then, and he’ll get the same chance again this season.
There are also some reasonable explanations for why the defense didn’t look fully dialed in. The heat could have affected snap counts, North Texas had not put any offense on film before today, and the uncertain eligibility of Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley made preparation trickier than usual. None of that changes what showed up on the field, but it does help explain why Indiana’s defense didn’t look like its finished product.
In Other News...
Indiana Backfield Suddenly Faces An Early Concern Fans Didn't Expect
Indianas backfield took an early hit in the season opener against North Texas when Khobie Martin went down with an upper-body injury in the first quarter and never returned. The setback came before he had even logged a carry, an unfortunate start for a running back who was expected to be part of the Hoosiers rotation this fall.
Martins absence matters because Indiana had planned to lean on depth in the running game, and losing a projected contributor that quickly forces the staff to adjust on the fly. The bigger question now is how long hell be sidelined and what the Hoosiers will need to do to keep the backfield on schedule if his recovery takes longer than hoped. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana's Cornerback Battle Just Took A Brutal Week 1 Turn
A.J. Harris first night of the season at cornerback for Indiana turned sour quickly in the opener against North Texas, when the starter left late in the first quarter with a knee injury. Rylan Gandy was the next man up, stepping into a spot the Hoosiers had been counting on Harris to help stabilize after he spent part of fall camp sidelined by a knee issue.
Harris was later seen limping after exiting, leaving Indiana to sort through the ripple effect at a position where depth can disappear fast. For a defense trying to set a tone right away, the question now is not just how long Harris will be out, but how the Hoosiers reshuffle the cornerback rotation if they need to keep moving without him. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Landed A Huge Recruiting Chance In The Paint
Indiana has secured a major chance to make a splash in the 2027 class, with five-star center Darius Wabbington set for an official visit to Assembly Hall. The top-ranked big man brings the kind of profile that naturally turns heads in Bloomington, combining size with a shooting touch and the defensive presence that has made him one of the most sought-after prospects in the country.
For Mike Woodsons program, the visit is about more than simply getting Wabbington on campus. It is also a chance to sell the role Indiana can offer in the paint and show why the Hoosiers belong in the conversation with the other major programs pursuing him. In a recruiting battle that figures to stay crowded, every impression matters, and this one could be especially important. [Read more 🡒]