Indiana got its new quarterback rolling Saturday, and one of the day’s biggest sparks came from a receiver making his debut look easy.
Josh Hoover, the TCU transfer now running the Hoosiers’ offense, threw for 231 yards and four touchdowns in Indiana’s 52-16 win over North Texas. Two of those scores went to Charlie Becker, but the play everyone will remember belonged to Nick Marsh.
On Indiana’s opening possession, Hoover found Marsh from 15 yards out with the Hoosiers working against single coverage in the slot. Marsh stayed inside his defender, turned his body, and reached back with his right hand to secure the low throw.
Officials first ruled it incomplete, but replay showed Marsh had the ball pinned against his body as he rolled onto the turf and into the end zone. That turned the play into Marsh’s first touchdown catch in an Indiana uniform.
Hoover didn’t hide from the fact that the throw asked a lot of his receiver.
“All I was trying to do was just give those guys chances, and they made plays,” Hoover said. “The ball to Nick wasn’t even probably the best throw I could’ve made in that situation, and he made me right. It was a great catch by him.”
Marsh, whose highlight-reel ability followed him to Bloomington from Michigan State, didn’t pile up huge numbers after that. He finished with one more catch for 17 yards.
Still, his afternoon wasn’t just about the grab. He also showed up as a downfield blocker, another trait that matters in a Curt Cignetti wideout room.
By the end of the day, Marsh was part of the bigger picture too: an Indiana passing game that helped Hoover settle into his new role and kept the Hoosiers moving throughout the win over North Texas.
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 🡒]