Indiana’s Week 3 trip through the 2026 schedule brings Western Kentucky to Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. on Peacock. And while the Hilltoppers have been steady enough under Tyson Helton to keep themselves in the bowl mix, this matchup looks like one where Indiana owns the clear edge.
Western Kentucky is coming off a 9-4 season in 2025, including a 6-2 mark in Conference USA and a 27-16 win over Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl. But the roster turnover is heavy.
By Bill Connelly’s ESPN numbers, the Hilltoppers return just 32 percent of their production overall, which ties for 133rd nationally. On offense, they’re back at only 37 percent, good for 118th.
That makes the quarterback situation especially important. Redshirt sophomore Rodney Tisdale Jr. is back after completing 65.6 percent of his passes for 1,432 yards with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2025.
His play earned him Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors. Around him, WKU is trying to rebuild on the fly.
Bodie Reeder steps in as both offensive coordinator and quarterback coach after spending the last two years in those same roles at Middle Tennessee. That MTSU offense finished 81st nationally in total offense in 2025, but it leaned heavily on the pass game, ranking 25th with 266.1 passing yards per game while finishing 121st in rushing at 105.5 yards per game.
The Hilltoppers do have a couple of pieces to work with. Redshirt senior Ajay Allen, a Tulsa transfer, and redshirt junior Kalib Hicks, who came over from Oklahoma State, look like the leading candidates in the backfield.
Allen averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season and scored five rushing touchdowns, while also catching 10 passes for 98 yards. Hicks, meanwhile, saw only limited action for the Cowboys.
At receiver, redshirt senior K.D. Hutchinson is back after finishing second on the team with 66 catches for 618 yards and three touchdowns.
After him, the depth chart gets thin fast in terms of proven FBS production. Up front, Western Kentucky brings back only one starter on the offensive line: redshirt senior right tackle Karsten Upchurch.
That group has real questions, with nobody in the room earning a Pro Football Focus grade higher than 61.3 last season and most of the line sitting in the 50s.
The defense is in a similar spot. Western Kentucky returns only 26 percent of its production on that side, which ranks 134th nationally. The Hilltoppers allowed 400.8 yards per game last season, 96th in the country, though they were more respectable in points allowed at 22.8 per game, tied for 47th nationally.
There’s also a new voice running that unit. Defensive coordinator Da’Von Brown left for a defensive backs job at Cal, and Davis Merritt was promoted from co-defensive coordinator to take over the full job.
WKU does have three starters back on defense, including a name Indiana fans will recognize. Former IU edge Venson Sneed Jr. is set to return to Bloomington with the Hilltoppers after spending three seasons with the Hoosiers from 2022 through 2024 before transferring. He started six games for Western Kentucky in 2025.
The other returning anchors are in the secondary, where safety Dave Herard and Jaylen Lewis are back. Lewis led the team with three interceptions and added five pass breakups, one forced fumble and 3.5 tackles for loss.
PFF gave him an 81 overall grade and an 89.5 coverage grade, which ranked 10th among all safeties in the country. Those marks were both better than where IU safety Amare Ferrell landed.
Special teams could also be a work in progress. True freshman Daniel Wall appears set to handle punting duties.
At kicker, redshirt sophomore Michael Buck or true freshman Karl Campbell will get the job, and Buck has not yet kicked in a college game. Cameron Flowers, who handled kickoff returns last season at 16.2 yards per return, is back, while punt return duties remain unsettled.
Indiana should have the talent advantage across the board in this one. Western Kentucky has enough individual pieces to flash, and Helton’s program has built a reputation for staying competitive. But on paper, this is a game the Hoosiers should control without much trouble.
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