Josh Hoover stood near midfield along Indiana football’s sideline. The redshirt senior quarterback placed his hands on his hips and blankly stared toward Ohio State’s huddle.
The Buckeyes broke the huddle and lined up in victory formation, holding a 19-15 lead. Hoover dropped his head as reality sank in — the end of an unprecedented streak for Indiana.
Hoover led the Hoosiers into Ohio State territory during the previous drive. Facing a four-point deficit and a fourth-down in a top-five matchup, Indiana needed to meet the moment. Instead, the Hoosiers lost their first home game in the Curt-Cignetti era on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
Postgame, Hoover said football is a “game of inches.” That small margin for error cost Indiana against Ohio State. Junior wide receiver Nick Marsh streaked open down the left sideline. Hoover lofted the ball, but his throw led Marsh out of bounds with little space separating his left foot from the endzone.
Marsh threw his hands to the sides of his helmet while an official signaled incomplete. Indiana’s chance to knock off the No. 4 team in the country slipped away.
“I thought we had chances to win that game,” Hoover said postgame. “And we just didn’t make the most of those moments.”
Hoover isn’t new to obstacles. The signal caller absorbed scrutiny after throwing 13 interceptions at Texas Christian University last season. He stepped into Indiana’s starting quarterback role with high expectations set by Fernando Mendoza before him.
“I had ups and downs, and played four years before this,” Hoover said. “And I think I look back on those times and those times have prepared me for moments like this.”
Through seven games as Indiana’s starter, Hoover’s experience has shown. He scored the game-winning touchdown against Northwestern and rallied the Hoosiers back from an 11-point deficit at Nebraska with two fourth-quarter touchdown passes. One loss doesn’t define Hoover as a player.
“I know who I am as a competitor, as a person, as a leader,” Hoover said. “And I know I’m gonna bounce back. I know my best football’s ahead of me.”
Hoover wasn’t the only Hoosier who failed to capitalize. Sophomore wide receiver Davion Chandler secured a 19-yard catch to begin the third quarter but lost a fumble when he was tackled.
Indiana senior kicker Nico Radicic missed two field goals, including a 32-yard try in the second quarter. The Hoosiers also committed four penalties. A roughing the passer penalty moved Ohio State into the redzone, positioning the Buckeyes for their go-ahead touchdown to end the first half.
Still — as it did against Nebraska a week ago — the Hoosiers battled. Indiana trailed 19-7 after a Buckeye touchdown with 12:46 remaining in the game. Hoover fired a 19-yard touchdown pass to Marsh to bring the deficit to four.
Despite a tough loss in front of a sold-out crowd at Memorial Stadium, Hoover said they learned more about their identity.
“That’s just who we are as a team,” Hoover said. “We’re fighters. And we’ve got a lot of guys in that locker room who don’t quit. So, I think when you got a locker room full of guys that don’t quit, and they believe in each other...Anything is possible.”
With its defeat, Indiana’s consecutive Big Ten Championship hopes narrowed. The Hoosiers’ one loss places them below Ohio State, UCLA and Wisconsin — all of which own undefeated Big Ten records. With UCLA and Wisconsin playing Saturday night, one will leave Week 7 with a conference loss, leaving two unbeaten teams at the top.
But Indiana isn’t focused on conference standings yet; the Cream and Crimson head to Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Oct. 24 to face Michigan.
“It’s still all ahead of us,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said postgame. “We can accomplish anything we want, all of our goals, except going undefeated.”
In the offseason, Cignetti emphasized eliminating complacency — a common theme in his 22-game win streak as Indiana’s head coach.
While Cignetti’s win streak snapped after Saturday’s loss, his message remains the same.
“Sun comes up tomorrow,” Cignetti said.
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.
