Midway through the first half, seats at Memorial Stadium began to empty out.
Indiana football’s defense was pitching a shutout for the second straight week, and the offense averaged nearly 14 points per quarter entering Week 3.
The Cream and Crimson held the lead against Western Kentucky University, but that's not newsworthy anymore for the No. 4 Hoosiers amid a 19-game winning streak.
The Cream and Crimson held the lead, but that's not newsworthy anymore for the No. 4 Hoosiers amid a 19-game winning streak.
Dominance is no longer a reason for fans of the reigning national champions to stick around. At least, not in the three-game nonconference slate head coach Curt Cignetti dubbed an "exhibition season."
The Cream and Crimson rolled to a 38-0 win over Western Kentucky on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. It was their third straight victory to open the season, and each game has resulted in an Indiana win by at least 36 points.
"Of course, we get criticized because we kind of play an exhibition season before we go into the Big Ten play,” Cignetti said postgame. “I can understand that. But those exhibition seasons have been real valuable for us. Last year we played 16 games. We were 16-0."
The Hilltoppers put up an impressive fight in the first half. They possessed the ball on the Hoosiers' two-yard line in the first quarter with a chance to take the lead. Any points on that drive would've represented Indiana's first deficit of the season and Western Kentucky's first lead. Instead, lockdown coverage and pressure on the redshirt junior quarterback Brock Glenn forced a turnover on downs.
Western Kentucky hasn't kept up with any of its opponents this season. In Week 1, the Hilltoppers surrendered over 300 yards on the ground in a 35-point loss to the University of Nevada. Nevada proceeded to lose to Football Championship Subdivision Montana State University in Week 2, while Western Kentucky fell by 50 points to No. 2 University of Georgia.
Despite their prior shortcomings, the Hilltoppers largely contained the Hoosiers for the first 30 minutes of action. Western Kentucky possessed the ball for 15:02 in the first two quarters, including 9:57 of the first 15 minutes.
It was the first time Indiana went scoreless at home in the first quarter in nearly two years. At halftime, Indiana had just 55 rushing yards, averaging 3.4 yards per carry.
On top of the struggles on the ground, redshirt senior quarterback Josh Hoover repeatedly missed targets early in the game.
In the first half, Hoover threw inaccurate passes intended for junior wide receivers Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh, as well as redshirt senior wide receiver Shazz Preston. The result was missed scoring opportunities and a turnover on downs deep in Hilltopper territory.
"There's a standard we're trying to play to. That standard is perfection," Hoover said postgame. "Today, there was a couple that I would love to have back."
With under two minutes to play in the second quarter, Indiana's lead was just seven points. An errant throw from Glenn soared into the hands of redshirt senior linebacker Isaiah Jones, who returned it to the Hilltoppers' three-yard line.
Jones' interception enabled redshirt senior running back Lee Beebe Jr. to punch in the Hoosiers' second score of the game and enter halftime up 14.
The two-score lead didn't impress Cignetti.
"I've said this before where we are maybe not where we quite want to be against a team that everybody believes we're better than, which we are," Cignetti said. "I just talked to them, like, 'Hey, let's play our game and relax and play like we can play.'"
In the second half, Indiana forced four three-and-outs and rushed for 178 yards. The Hoosiers tacked on 17 points in the third quarter before pulling their starters early in the fourth.
Junior running back Turbo Richard averaged 9.9 yards per carry, gaining 99 yards more than Beebe in two fewer carries. Richard notched six of Indiana's seven chunk plays on the ground.
"We just gotta play every game like it is a conference game," Richard said. "I don't feel like anything should really change."
Ideally, nothing would need to change. However, the Hoosiers will need to correct inconsistencies on the field to make another run to the Big Ten Championship game or beyond.
Despite posting back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1993, doubts will remain until the Cream and Crimson face tougher opponents. Next week's Big Ten opener against Northwestern is the first test.
"We might take a small step, but it wasn't a big one today," Jones said. "I think next week has to be a large step if we want to get to where we're going."
With wins against the University of North Texas, Howard University and Western Kentucky, it remains to be seen how the 2026 Hoosiers will fare in the Big Ten. Still, Cignetti remains confident in his track record.
"30-2," Cignetti said. "Not bad."
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and columnist Elakai Anela (@elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
