INDIANA IS BACK IN BLOOMINGTON: No. 5 Hoosiers Bring a New Quarterback, Heavy RPO and No “Warm and Fuzzies” Into Howard Game

TCU transfer Josh Hoover

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana is back at Memorial Stadium today for Game Two, and the defending national champions have a very different quarterback running the offense.

No. 5 Indiana hosts Howard at noon after opening the season with a 52-16 victory over North Texas. The Hoosiers moved up one spot in this week’s Associated Press poll, but Curt Cignetti spent very little time celebrating it. Indiana’s head coach came out of the opener talking about missed assignments, poor tackling and a defense that allowed North Texas to hold the football for 37 minutes. (AP News)

The biggest change from last year, of course, is at quarterback. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is gone, and TCU transfer Josh Hoover is now the man running the Hoosier offense. Hoover’s first start in Bloomington could hardly have gone much better statistically: 13 completions in 16 attempts, 231 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. His four touchdown passes were the most ever by an Indiana quarterback in his Hoosier debut. (Indiana University Athletics)

Hoover also brings a different feel to the offense. Indiana is leaning heavily into the kind of RPO — run-pass option — concepts Hoover became comfortable operating at TCU. The quarterback reads the defense after the snap and can hand the ball off, keep it or pull it and throw, forcing linebackers and safeties to make decisions in a hurry. With Hoover experienced in that style, Indiana can play fast, spread defenders horizontally and get the ball into the hands of its receivers without asking the quarterback to hold the football forever.

That transition matters because replacing a Heisman winner is usually supposed to feel like a rebuilding project. So far, Indiana has treated it more like changing drivers in a very fast car.

Cignetti, however, was far less impressed with what happened on the other side of the football.

There were no warm and fuzzies in Bloomington this week.

Cignetti said after reviewing the North Texas game that Indiana had “a lot of improvements to be made.” His main complaints were direct: the defense could not consistently get off the field, there were critical missed assignments and the tackling was not good enough. North Texas possessed the ball for roughly 37 minutes despite losing by 36 points, exactly the kind of statistic that irritates a coach whose program has become known for discipline and efficiency. (Indiana University Athletics)

The film apparently was not something Indiana’s players watched once and forgot.

Cignetti and his staff went back through it repeatedly, focusing on the mistakes underneath the comfortable final score. The message was familiar for anyone who has followed Cignetti’s rise in Bloomington: winning does not erase bad football. A missed tackle is still a missed tackle when you win by five touchdowns. A blown assignment remains a blown assignment even when the scoreboard makes it easy to overlook.

That may be one of the most interesting questions surrounding Indiana today. How does a team that won a national championship handle success after success?

Cignetti’s answer appears to be simple: by refusing to let his players enjoy it for very long.

Howard arrives in Bloomington at 1-1 under first-year head coach Ted White. The Bison opened with a 31-24 victory over Alabama A&M before losing 28-21 to Richmond. This will be the first meeting between Indiana and Howard, and the game is the second of four consecutive home dates to begin Indiana’s season.

On paper, Indiana should have a considerable advantage. The Hoosiers are nationally ranked, defending champions and loaded with talent. But for Cignetti, this game is probably less about Howard than about Indiana correcting Indiana.

Can the defense tackle cleanly in space? Can the front get off blocks and get the Bison offense off the field? Can the Hoosiers avoid the missed assignments that bothered the coaching staff last Saturday? And can they play with the same edge against an FCS opponent that they will need later against Ohio State, Michigan and the rest of the Big Ten schedule?

Offensively, Hoover gets another opportunity to become comfortable in his new home. The former TCU quarterback already showed that the moment does not appear too big for him, and Indiana’s RPO-heavy attack should continue giving him quick decisions and opportunities to distribute the football to a talented group of receivers and backs.

But do not expect Cignetti to be handing out compliments just because the scoreboard gets lopsided again.

Indiana football has reached a very different place. The Hoosiers are no longer hoping to surprise somebody. They are No. 5 in the country, defending a national championship and expected to dominate opponents such as Howard.

That means a 52-16 victory can still produce a difficult week of practice.

Today in Bloomington, Indiana gets another chance to show what happens when a demanding coach spends seven days reminding a championship team that good enough is not good enough.