SEP 12 · 12:00 PM
Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, IN)
ALL COMPLETED GAMES THIS SEASON
The Indiana football season is officially in full swing, and Week 1's performance against North Texas served as an encouraging first course. Josh Hoover and the Hoosier passing attack gave IU fans plenty to be excited about, but make no mistake: Curt Cignetti believes there's still plenty of work to be done.
Week 2 gives Indiana another chance to fine-tune before Big Ten play begins, this time against FCS foe Howard. Another week for the team to build confidence, clean up mistakes, and keep developing on both sides of the ball.
Despite the lopsided final score, plenty in the media were quick to point out IU's uneven defensive performance. While North Texas did find ways to extend drives, Indiana kept a lid on the scoreboard and shut down North Texas's ground game when it mattered most.
We think this narrative mainly comes from the fact that IU did struggle to limit explosive plays in this game, especially when it came to defending the pass. North Texas wasn't able to punish Indiana for it this time, but allowing a 15-plus yard completion once every six passing plays isn't going to be sustainable against tougher competition.
When looking at average PPA per play allowed, IU underperformed compared to its 2025 standard, especially in the passing game. It's worth noting that PPA can be skewed by just one or two explosive plays, so we also looked at North Texas's success rate. The charts below tell a more nuanced story: the run defense wasn't quite as staunch as last year's team by PPA, but it still held North Texas to a success rate five points lower than Indiana's 2025 average. Defending the pass was a different story with the defense allowing more PPA per passing play and a 50% success rate on top of it.
Josh Hoover had a stellar performance in Week 1, but Cignetti was quick to point out that there is still room for improvement. The IU quarterback made a few questionable decisions, including a risky third-down throw to tight end Brock Schott, along with a couple of slightly inaccurate throws to Charlie Becker on both of his touchdown receptions.
Luckily for Hoover, he will likely have plenty of opportunities to throw the ball against a Howard team that has struggled to defend the pass. In their two games against FCS opponents, opposing QBs both threw for 250+ yards. We expect Hoover and the passing attack to build off their strong outing against North Texas and continue to refine the details.
Indiana only got to the quarterback once against North Texas, but still generated real pressure, seven tackles for loss and four hurries on top of that lone sack. Howard's offensive line has had a rougher time in protection this season, allowing eight sacks combined across their first two games, an average of four a game. Expect Haines to lean on Indiana's size and athleticism advantage rather than a complex scheme this week. It's early in the season, and this coaching staff has historically preferred to keep its cards close, avoiding tipping too much on film for future opponents.
Against Howard, Indiana will look to sharpen its pass defense. If Jamari Sharpe and/or A.J. Harris are unavailable Saturday, it will be on Ryland Gandy and Jaylen Bell to step up in their absence. Howard's passing offense has been comparatively modest, averaging +0.283 PPA per play and a 31% success rate across their two games, so even without IU's top cornerbacks, the defense should have no trouble slowing down the Bison. Still, we'll be watching for fewer coverage busts on the back end this week.