The first half of Indiana football’s 38-0 victory Saturday against Western Kentucky University at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington wasn’t pretty. The Hoosiers were held scoreless in the opening quarter for the first time at home since Sept. 28, 2024, before tallying 14 points in the second.
When Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti was interviewed at halftime by NBC Sports' Caroline Pineda he said, “We’ve got to play better.”
Indiana did play better in the second half. The Hoosiers tallied 308 yards over the final two quarters, running away with the contest. Still, it’s fair to critique the performance for what it was — far below expectations for the then-No. 4 team in the nation against a Group of Six roster.
This week’s report card reflects Indiana’s uneven afternoon. There were flashes of dominance mixed with stretches that won’t be good enough against Big Ten opponents.
It reminds me of my freshman year high school grades: mediocre. Not good, not great. Just average. But it got the job done.
Quarterbacks: B
Redshirt senior Josh Hoover was efficient once again but had four inaccurate passes in the first half. The Heath, Texas, native finished the contest 18 for 24 with 273 yards and two touchdowns, including a 79-yard score to junior wide receiver Charlie Becker in the third quarter.
It was the first time in three games Hoover had more than 17 pass attempts. He also holds a 72.5% completion percentage — the 18th-best mark in the country. If Hoover’s able to cut down the number of missed throws, he could establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
Running Backs: B+
In its first two games of the year against the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of Georgia, Western Kentucky surrendered an average of 279 rushing yards per game. But Indiana’s rushing attack, surprisingly, struggled in the first half, tallying 53 yards on 13 carries. In the second half, the running backs found holes as the Western Kentucky front began to wear down.
Between four running backs, the Hoosiers had 180 yards in the second half. Junior Turbo Richard paced Indiana with 149 yards and one touchdown, averaging 9.9 yards per carry. If not for a lackluster opening half, this unit’s grade could have been in the A range.
Receivers: A
After having only four catches in two games, junior Nick Marsh finally broke out Saturday. Indiana made a concerted effort to get him involved. The Detroit native had 10 targets, reeling in seven receptions for 81 yards.
On the other side of the field, Becker brought in five catches for 127 yards, including the 79-yard touchdown that put Indiana ahead 24-0. Hoover has a perfect passer rating — 158.3 — when targeting Becker this year. Three other receivers combined for six catches that yielded 70 yards.
If Hoover had been more on point with a couple throws in the first half, Indiana's receivers could have produced a bigger performance.
Offensive Line: B+
The trenches for Indiana were important coming into the game, as it tried to control the run game. To some extent, the Hoosiers offensive line performed well. They didn’t allow a quarterback hurry on Hoover, giving him time to sit in the pocket and go through his reads. However, Indiana gave up two sacks, four tackles for loss and the offensive line wasn’t able to generate any push in the run game in the first half. During the second half, gaps began to open for Indiana’s running backs as the line performed better. Overall, the underwhelming start to the game brings the offensive line’s grade down.
Defensive Line: B-
After earning an A- grade last week, the defensive line followed it up with relatively average performance. Graduate student Tyrique Tucker and redshirt senior Tobi Osunsanmi both had one tackle for loss. Osunsanmi also had a forced fumble and the only sack for the Hoosiers. Yes, Indiana recorded a shutout, but its defensive front generated only one sack and failed to consistently disrupt Western Kentucky’s backfield. The Hoosiers will need their unit to step up by closing gaps and plugging the run against a potent Northwestern rushing attack when it begins Big Ten play Friday night against the Wildcats.
Linebackers: A-
Through the first quarter and a half, the linebacker group had its fair share of issues. Indiana’s zone coverage had holes Western Kentucky redshirt junior quarterback Brock Glenn found. But the turning point of the game was an interception by redshirt senior Isaiah Jones at the 1:07 mark of the second quarter. Jones jumped in front of a Western Kentucky receiver and returned the interception 21 yards to the Hilltoppers’ 3-yard line, setting up a touchdown that gave Indiana momentum heading into halftime. The unit continued to excel as the contest went on, holding Glenn to 33 passing yards in the second half after 87 in the first two quarters. Junior Rolijah Hardy led the Hoosiers with nine total tackles, two TFLs and one quarterback hurry.
Secondary: B
Redshirt senior Jamari Sharpe returned to the lineup after exiting during the first quarter against North Texas in Week 1 and missing the contest against Howard. Sharpe made an immediate impact, blowing up a bubble screen in the first quarter for a seven-yard loss and forcing a pass breakup in the second.
The rest of the secondary played well, with seventh-year Preston Zachman and graduate student Ryland Gandy combining for 14 total tackles. Gandy forced a fumble as well. Senior Amare Ferrell and sophomore Byron Baldwin both had 0.5 TFLs.
Indiana’s secondary was without senior A.J. Harris, who’s practiced “only 20%” in both fall camp and during the regular season due to injuries, according to Cignetti, but it still held the Western Kentucky passing attack to 120 yards on 17 catches. Although the secondary prevented explosive plays, the early openings in Indiana’s zone coverage keep the unit outside the A range.
Special Teams: C+
It was another rough week for the special teams. After earning a B- grade last week, the special teams failed to perform at a high level once again. Senior Nico Radicic was out again, leaving redshirt senior Paddy McAteer as the No. 1 kicker again. McAteer missed his first field goal attempt — a 54-yarder — in the first quarter that set up Western Kentucky with a short field. The 6-foot-2 kicker made a 21-yard field goal later in the contest. Even with the lack of opportunities, the Hoosiers’ return game wasn’t anything special. Becker had one punt return for 17 yards.
Indiana will finish its four-game home stretch by beginning conference play Friday against Northwestern. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Memorial Stadum in Bloomington and the game will be televised on FOX.
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
