No. 4 Indiana football improved to 3-0 with a 38-0 victory over Western Kentucky University on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
Despite the final score, the Hoosiers got off to a slow start. On its first possession of the game, Indiana's offense was halted at the Western Kentucky 36-yard line, forcing the Cream and Crimson to attempt a 54-yard field goal.
After a miss from redshirt senior kicker Paddy McAteer, the ensuing Hilltoppers drive lasted 15 plays, draining nearly seven minutes off the clock.
Western Kentucky faced a fourth down on the Hoosiers' goal line. Pressure from redshirt junior defensive lineman Chiddi Obiazor and redshirt senior defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker snuffed out the play, leaving the game scoreless at the end of the first quarter.
It was the first time Indiana didn't score in the first quarter of a home game since Sept. 28, 2024, against Maryland.
Taking possession from its own two-yard line, redshirt senior quarterback Josh Hoover engineered a 98-yard march to the end zone. The drive was highlighted by a tight-window sideline connection to junior wide receiver Charlie Becker and a 25-yard catch-and-run for junior wide receiver Nick Marsh.
On fourth down, Hoover found sophomore wide receiver Davion Chandler over the middle, and Chandler turned his fourth career catch into his fourth career touchdown to put the Cream and Crimson up 7-0 early in the second quarter.
After a dominant defensive drive that involved pressures from junior defensive lineman Mario Landino and redshirt senior defensive lineman Josh Burnham, Indiana moved the ball downfield quickly.
Marsh nabbed two first down catches while redshirt senior wide receiver Tyler Morris caught a third. But before the Hoosiers could enter the red zone, Hoover missed redshirt senior wide receiver Shazz Preston and Marsh on back-to-back plays to turn the ball over on downs.
Western Kentucky consistently moved the ball down the field but couldn't convert fourth down opportunities. On its next drive, redshirt senior linebacker Isaiah Jones stopped Hilltoppers redshirt senior running back Ajay Allen on a fourth-and-1 to get the ball back for the Hoosiers. Five plays later, Indiana punted it straight back to Western Kentucky.
With under two minutes remaining in the first half, Jones snagged a third-down interception off Hilltoppers' redshirt junior quarterback Brock Glenn and brought it back to the Western Kentucky three-yard line to set up a rushing touchdown for redshirt senior running back Lee Beebe Jr. After 30 minutes of action, the Hoosiers entered halftime with a 14-0 lead.
Indiana began the second half with an 18-yard completion to Becker. After a 31-yard gain on the ground from junior running back Turbo Richard, Morris couldn't haul in a contested grab in the end zone on third down. McAteer then drilled a 21-yard field goal to extend the lead.
On the ensuing Western Kentucky drive, sophomore safety Byron Baldwin Jr. broke up a pass and junior defensive lineman Daniel Ndukwe chased Glenn into a throwaway to force a three-and-out.
Indiana began its seventh drive of the game from its own 21-yard line. It took just one play to reach paydirt. Hoover found Becker deep downfield, and Becker raced into the end zone for a 79-yard touchdown. It was his sixth receiving touchdown in just three games.
Beebe and Richard each added another touchdown, and the Hoosiers rolled to a 38-0 victory over the Hilltoppers.
Despite missing on various throws, Hoover ended the game with a 75% completion rate, 273 yards and two touchdowns. Marsh's seven catches led the team, but Becker's 127 yards outshined the Michigan State transfer's most impactful performance as a Hoosier. Beebe and Richard combined for 199 yards on the ground, rolling through the Hilltopper defense.
Indiana will begin conference play with a matchup against Northwestern at 8 p.m. Friday night at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
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.
