Indiana football capped the first half of its regular season Oct. 11 with a 30-20 victory over Oregon –– its first ever road win over an Associated Press top-five team. The historic win garnered a No. 3 ranking in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, marking the highest position in program history.
As the Hoosiers continue into the second half of the 2025 regular season, they will look to build upon their undefeated start. Indiana’s first opportunity arrives at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 18, when it hosts its Homecoming game against Michigan State at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
The Indiana Daily Student’s two football reporters and columnist provided their takeaways from the first six games, and predictions for the second half of the 2025 season.
Biggest surprise
DALTON JAMES: Is it fair to say I’m not surprised? I don’t know. One thing I do know is that nothing shocks me with Curt Cignetti’s squad anymore after 2024. He brought in “a few more dogs” in the offseason, a move that’s paid dividends. I didn’t see Indiana dominating Oregon the way it did, but I’m not surprised. Since Cignetti arrived, he and the Hoosiers were confident. They’re now backing it up, winning position battles and games against high-level teams this season.
CONOR BANKS: Indiana lost linebacker Jailin Walker in the offseason, leaving a gap at the position. While many expected sophomore linebacker Rolijah Hardy to fill the role, few foreshadowed the emergence of redshirt junior linebacker Isaiah Jones. Prior to this season, Jones had started just two games for Indiana. He now leads the Hoosiers with 4.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Jones’ rise has helped solidify one of the top defenses in the nation.
QUINN RICHARDS: Unlike my lovely co-writer Dalton, I am surprised. I didn’t think Indiana would come out of Eugene, Oregon, with a win. I certainly didn’t think the Hoosiers could match up with the speed and physicality of the Ducks’ loaded roster. That’s the thing, Indiana didn’t just win in a hostile Autzen Stadium, it controlled the game. Yeah, it surprised me and — unlike Dalton — I’m not afraid to say it.
Biggest question
JAMES: Can Indiana’s secondary hold up throughout the second half of the season? The Hoosiers have made some mistakes on the back end; specifically junior safety Amare Ferrell. He made two errors against Illinois and Oregon that led to touchdowns. Without cleaning those up, Cignetti previously said the Hoosiers will get “fractured.” Plus, heralded freshman defensive back Byron Baldwin Jr. missed the first six games, and Cignetti hasn’t provided a concrete update on his injury status.
BANKS: This season has clearly been full of positives for Indiana. But the back end of the defense has allowed explosive touchdowns, and the lack of secondary depth showed against Iowa in junior defensive back D’Angelo Ponds’ absence. With Byron Baldwin Jr. likely facing an extended absence after missing Indiana’s first six games, the health of the starting secondary and preventing big plays through the air will prove critical down the stretch.
RICHARDS: Indiana’s offensive line bolstered its trio of returners with a pair of proven veterans in redshirt senior center Pat Coogan and redshirt sixth-year senior right tackle Khalil Benson. While Coogan has shined, Benson has struggled at times in pass protection. Combine that with redshirt junior right guard Bray Lynch’s inconsistencies and the Hoosiers have a real problem up front. The unit mostly cleaned up those mistakes against the Ducks, but it’s one of the few places Indiana’s shown vulnerability.
Most valuable player
JAMES: Cignetti explained Oct. 13 that the quarterback gets too much credit when his team wins and too much criticism when they lose. But for Fernando Mendoza, he’s earned the praise he’s received, throwing for 1,423 yards and 17 touchdowns — already a career high in a season. The redshirt junior tossed two interceptions and led game-winning drives after each. Mendoza has distributed the ball at an elite level and made NFL-caliber throws, solidifying himself as a top contender for the Heisman Trophy.
BANKS: In Weeks 1 and 3, senior wide receiver Elijah Sarratt was held under 50 yards. Since then, he has eclipsed 90 yards in all three of Indiana’s Big Ten matchups. Sarratt’s clutch performances have powered the Hoosiers to close victories over Iowa and Oregon, where he secured a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Since arriving in Bloomington last spring, Sarratt has already established himself as a top receiver in the nation.
RICHARDS: Coming off a team-high 13-tackle performance in the win over then-No. 3 Oregon, senior linebacker Aiden Fisher is the heart of an Indiana defense that holds opponents to a Big Ten-best 229 yards per game. The veteran linebacker leads the team with 39 tackles and is seemingly involved in almost every play. Fisher, a team captain, has been a vocal leader in the middle of the Hoosiers’ stout defense. If you’re asking for value, Fisher offers more than a Wendy’s four-for-four.
Biggest key to sustaining success
JAMES: Eliminating noise and clutter. Sure, it’s one of Cignetti’s dependable catchphrases, but it’s critical. During Cignetti’s tenure, the Hoosiers have ignored the noise around the program — positive and negative. For the Cream and Crimson to reach college football’s pinnacle,l they’ll need to continue with their one-game-at-a-time mindset. And Fernando Mendoza must continue to play “point guard,” as he described it, much like Tyrese Haliburton did during the Indiana Pacers’ playoff run.
BANKS: While the Hoosiers have allowed a few explosive plays on the ground this season, their defensive front remains dominant. The Hoosiers held the Ducks to a season-low 81 rushing yards in Eugene. Indiana’s defensive front has been one of the best units at generating tackles for loss, and this dominance at the line of scrimmage is primed to be a key component of a College Football Playoff run.
RICHARDS: I’m a firm believer in the statement “games are won in the trenches.” While the cliché has been restated on almost every college football broadcast — well — ever, it has merit. Indiana’s narrowest win was at Iowa and Fernando Mendoza struggled to find a rhythm in a crowded pocket. If the Hoosiers’ pass protection can handle its responsibility, good things will happen on offense. If another messy performance like that in Iowa City were to happen, Indiana’s spotless record could very well have its first blemish.
One bold prediction
JAMES: Evidently, Fernando Mendoza will somehow speak even more extravagant words after the Hoosiers’ six future regular-season victories. He uses words like conglomerate, fantastic, exponential growth, tenfold, etc. in his postgame media availability. He even spoke about academics after beating Illinois by 53 points. The only forms of social media on Mendoza’s phone, he said, are LinkedIn and iMessage — which isn’t even social media. He’ll continue to carve Big Ten defenses, speak like an intelligent businessman and win the Heisman Trophy.
BANKS: No Hoosier has ever won the Heisman Trophy, but Fernando Mendoza will change this when the winner is announced in December. The Miami native currently owns the third best odds to take home the award on FanDuel Sportsbook. Indiana faces an easy schedule the rest of the way, forging a clear path for Mendoza to dominate, as the Hoosiers finish the regular season undefeated. The trophy will propel Mendoza to the top of NFL draft boards.
RICHARDS: UCLA is the Hoosiers’ most challenging opponent left on the schedule. Look, I get it, with road matchups against a seemingly improved Maryland and the mystery that is Penn State, this seems crazy. But think about it, Indiana knows the power of a coaching change. The Bruins offense has been incredible since interim offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel took over play calling duties after the team’s 0-4 start. UCLA will give the Hoosiers a shootout 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.
