No. 23 Indiana football faced off against Kennesaw State University in its second game of the season Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers never trailed and remained in control throughout the game. Indiana secured a 56-9 victory over the Owls and improved to 2-0 on the season.
Both offenses got off to a slow start, going three-and-out in each of their opening drives. But the Hoosiers struck first with eight and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. spun out of a tackle after a completion from redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza to set the Hoosiers up inside the red zone. Three snaps later, redshirt sixth-year senior tight end Riley Nowakowski rushed up the middle for a one-yard touchdown.
Redshirt sophomore defensive back Clay Conner blocked the Owls’ punt on their next possession, which set up the Indiana offense at the Kennesaw State 48-yard line. Mendoza and senior wide receiver Elijah Sarratt took advantage of the field position, connecting on a nine-yard touchdown with just under four minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
While the Cream and Crimson scored two touchdowns across their three opening possessions, the Owls failed to gain a first-down in each of their ensuing drives.
Indiana’s defensive front controlled the line of scrimmage in the first half, collecting eight tackles for loss in Kennesaw State’s first 17 plays. The Owls did not gain a first down until almost midway through the second quarter, when they brought the score to 14-3 with a field goal by freshman kicker Daniel Kinney.
Redshirt junior running back Lee Beebe Jr. added an 11-yard rushing touchdown, granting the Hoosiers a 21-6 lead at halftime.
Following the break, the Hoosiers did not take their foot off the gas. Mendoza completed a three-yard touchdown pass to Sarratt on Indiana’s first drive of the second half.
Meanwhile, the Indiana defense limited the Owl’s opportunities in the red zone. Redshirt junior Jamari Sharpe forced and recovered a fumble, while redshirt sixth-year senior defensive back Louis Moore Jr. picked up an interception on the Owls’ next drive.
Cooper Jr. sprinted his way to the most explosive play of the afternoon for the Hoosiers, taking an end-around 75 yards for a touchdown with just over six minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Indiana finished the day with 593 total yards of offense, while Mendoza passed for 245 yards and four touchdowns in his second regular season game as a Hoosier.
The Hoosiers will end non-conference play next week when they take on Indiana State University at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 12 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
