Indiana wasted little time setting the tone in its 2026 opener, and by halftime the No. 6 Hoosiers had already put North Texas in a deep hole.
At Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium, Indiana went into the locker room up 24 to 6 after a sharp first half that featured an efficient debut from Josh Hoover and a big lift from the special teams unit. The Hoosiers struck on their first two possessions and never let the Mean Green get comfortable.
Hoover, in his first start for Indiana after transferring from TCU, steered the offense to scoring drives in the opening quarter. By the end of the first, Indiana had already punched in two touchdowns and built a 14 to 0 lead.
North Texas finally got on the board early in the second quarter with a 47 yard field goal, trimming the margin to 14 to 3. Indiana answered right back in a hurry. Turbo Richard took the ensuing kickoff back to midfield, and the short field turned into another Hoosiers touchdown and a 21 to 3 cushion.
The Mean Green did manage to put together their most sustained drive of the half later on, going 9 plays and 60 yards to reach the red zone for the first time. Indiana’s defense stiffened inside the 20, though, forcing North Texas to settle for a 33 yard field goal with 1:57 left before halftime.
Indiana still had time to add more. Hoover and the offense moved back into North Texas territory in the closing minute, and after the drive stalled at the North Texas 31 yard line with 1:24 remaining, the Hoosiers sent out the kicking unit and knocked through a field goal to stretch the lead to 24 to 6 at the break.
In Other News...
Isiah Thomas Just Framed Curt Cignetti In A Way Hoosiers Fans Will Feel
Isiah Thomas spent his Indiana years learning under Bob Knight, so when he speaks about what coaching looks like in Bloomington, Hoosiers fans tend to listen. During an appearance on FOX Big Noon Kickoff, Thomas drew a direct line between Knights basketball approach and Curt Cignettis work with the football program, pointing to the kind of no-nonsense foundation both men build around.
Thomas framed the comparison around fundamentals, saying Knight and Cignetti both demand the basics done the right way, from avoiding turnovers to blocking and tackling. It is the sort of parallel that lands well around Indiana, where Knights influence still looms large and Cignetti is trying to carve out his own place by leaning into the same hard-edged standard. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Defensive Rotation Just Answered Two Early Questions
Indianas season opener against North Texas did more than pad the scoreboard in a 52-16 win. It also offered an early glimpse at how the defensive staff is sorting out its rotation, with snap counts and PFF grades helping clarify who is leading the way up front and on the edge. Tyrique Tucker, Mario Landino and Joe Hjelle handled the bulk of the work at defensive tackle, while Chiddi Obiazor and Tobi Osunsanmi were the first two names at end, giving the Hoosiers a clearer picture of their initial front-line plan.
The picture is a little messier in the secondary, where injuries forced changes in the cornerback mix and left some of the depth chart more fluid than Indiana would probably like this early. There were also tackling concerns to clean up, along with a mix of strong and uneven individual grades across linebacker, cornerback and safety, so the performance offered both reassurance and a few reminders that the rotation is still settling in. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Fans Just Got A Painful Reminder Of What Left
When Michigan State went through coaching changes, Marsh made the move to Indiana after spending the 2024 and 2025 seasons at wide receiver for the Spartans. It was part of a broader transfer influx for the Hoosiers, who have been busy reshaping the offense with new pieces at several spots as they continue building around a deeper, more flexible roster.
Indianas additions include quarterback Josh Hoover from TCU, running back Turbo Richard from Boston College and guard Joe Brunner from Wisconsin, giving the program a clear sign of how aggressively it has worked the portal. For Michigan State fans, Marshs departure is another reminder that the roster churn did not stop with the coaching transition, and the Hoosiers are among the teams ready to benefit from it. [Read more 🡒]