Last year, Head Coach Curt Cignetti and company opened up the season against Old Dominion as 23.5-point favorites. The Hoosiers came out with a shaky 27-14 victory over the Monarchs. Little did anyone know at the time that shaky season-opening victory would be the beginning of a historic run that ended with Indiana atop the college football world.
Hunter turned into the hunted
A year later, the questions surrounding Indiana are much different. The Hoosiers are no longer trying to prove they belong among college football’s best. Now, every team on its schedule has an opportunity to do something no one accomplished a season ago: beat Indiana.
But before the Hoosiers could turn the page to 2026, they had one final piece of business from 2025. Fifteen minutes before kickoff, Indiana unveiled its new 2025 National Championship sign, which was hung above the south end zone of Memorial Stadium.
On the first play of scrimmage last season, Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph broke open the score with a 75-yard touchdown run. This year, Indiana got first possession and exploded with a Lee Beebe 67-yard kickoff return. If that wasn’t enough to get the crowd fired up, TCU transfer Josh Hoover connected with former Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh on a 15-yard back-shoulder fade. Marsh made a spectacular one-handed grab for the first touchdown of the season.
Indiana sold out its entire 2026 home slate for the first time since 1969, and the Hoosier faithful made their presence known right away. Earlier in the week, linebacker Isaiah Jones spoke about taking in the atmosphere at Memorial Stadium before kickoff.
“I take a look before the game and kind of look around and take it all in,” Jones said. “But it’s a blessing to play in front of those fans. Those fans, you know, cheer their hearts out.”
New Faces, Same Standard
Indiana spent Saturday morning celebrating the greatest season in program history. By noon, Cignetti wanted nothing to do with it. For the new Hoosiers in Bloomington, Cignetti made the standard known during fall camp: “Fast. Physical. Relentless.”
Hoover, Marsh, and Boston College transfer Turbo Richard wasted little time making their mark. In the second quarter, Hoover was taken down by the facemask in the backfield. Despite blood dripping down past his chinstrap, he stayed in the game and delivered a strike to wide receiver Charlie Becker on the very next play, resulting in a touchdown.
In a deep running back room, Richard split snaps with Beebe but took advantage of his opportunities. On Indiana’s second drive, Richard got four touches, including a 38-yard grab and a 2-yard touchdown run. Richard led the way for the Hoosiers with 81 total yards on nine touches as Indiana entered the halftime break with a 24-6 lead.
“You know, it feels good,” Richard said. “Knowing the preparation I put in before the game starting in the winter, spring, then in fall camp. It just feels like it’s paying off.”
A New Chapter?
One of the biggest questions coming into the season was how well the Indiana offense could perform without the trio of Fernando Mendoza, Elijah Sarratt, and Omar Cooper Jr. Against North Texas, Hoover, Richard, and Becker began to provide an answer. Hoover ended the game 13-for-16 with 231 yards and four touchdowns. Richard contributed 58 yards on the ground and 38 through the air with two touchdowns. Becker picked up where he left off last season with four catches for 64 yards and two touchdowns.
“I think my goal today was to come out here and just execute our offense,” Hoover said. “All we had to do is just do our job, do our one out of 11 as coach says.”
The defense ranked second in scoring defense and fourth in total defense last season, allowing 266 yards per game. Against North Texas, Indiana gave up 367 yards and 16 points. Indiana was forced to adjust early after losing both of its starting corners to injuries in the first half. Jamari Sharpe left with a head injury, and Penn State transfer A.J. Harris exited with a foot injury. Despite that, Cincinnati transfer Quan Sanks came in and intercepted a pass from former Indiana quarterback Tayven Jackson in the fourth quarter, highlighting the depth of the team.
One game won’t determine whether this team can replicate what Indiana accomplished a season ago, but it offers a glimpse into what could be in store. The 2025 National Championship sign now lives forever at Memorial Stadium, but many of the players below it aren’t the ones who put it there. The sign may tell the story of 2025, but Saturday was the first page of what this new group hopes to write in 2026.
