@ Michigan

 

Josh Hoover had a 4-yard touchdown run in overtime and No. 6 Indiana kept Michigan out of the end zone in a 13-6 win for the Hoosiers. It was Brock Schott wo hauled in s 21-yard catch before Hoover scored the game-winning touchdown. 

The game was won by the defense. Michigan had 13 offensive possessions. On ten of those the Wolverines didn't move the ball more than 18 yards downfield. The Wolverines ran 72 plays, had 20 third downs and four trips to the red zone. They averaged 5.6 plays per drive, went 6-for 20 on third down and did not score a touchdown in the red zone. 

“There were a lot of discussions about Grant Wilson and Josh Hoover in the second half because Grant had a good week of practice and is really capable," Cignetti said. “At the end of the day, it’s been Josh's season and even though he’s not 100%, we’ve got to finish it out with him and he responded.”

Hoover helped the Hoosiers win at the Big House for the first time since 1967.

A week after being inches away from beating then-No. 4 Ohio State, the Hoosiers avoided losing two straight for the first time in three years with Cignetti. 

Sources:

The Helmet Project: http://nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/index.htm

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1145292-power-ranking-all-124-college-football-stadiums

espn game recap 

Ohio State

 

Ohio State got the victory it craved. It just came at a hefty price — the loss of starting quarterback Julian Sayin for several weeks with an injured right arm.

Sayin threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Smith on fourth-and-1 early in the fourth quarter before leaving, and the Buckeyes held on Saturday for a 19-15 victory over No. 5 Indiana when wide receiver Nick Marsh's left foot came down out of bounds on what would have been the go-ahead score for the Hoosiers with 1:02 to go.

Hoover got one last chance after Sayin's departure and quickly got the Hoosiers into position for a second straight fourth-quarter comeback. But as the wide open Marsh sprinted toward the front corner of the end zone for the catch, his left foot came down on the white paint. Marsh knew it, putting his hands on his helmet as the crowd roared and the stadium fireworks went off.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti suffered his first home loss in three seasons in the first top five game ever played at Memorial Stadium. “That was our blitz check,” Cignetti said. “We had it, we just didn't make it happen. This one is a tough one to swallow.”

The Hoosiers had won 22 straight overall and 19 in a row at home, the two longest active streaks in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The Hoosiers played uncharacteristically poorly Saturday. After losing no fumbles in 1,487 snaps since the 2025 season opener, they lost two early in the third quarter. They held Smith largely in check but still gave up the one score.

Sources:

The Helmet Project: http://nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/index.htm

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1145292-power-ranking-all-124-college-football-stadiums

espn game recap 

@ Nebraska

 

Josh Hoover surprised a Nebraska defense stacked to stop the run on a fourth-and-1, flipping the ball to a wide-open Nick Marsh for a 44-yard touchdown to give No. 7 Indiana its first lead in a 20-17 victory over Nebraska.

The Hoosiers were pushed to the limit by a Cornhuskers team looking for a program-turning victory under fourth-year coach Matt Rhule. Instead, the defending national champion Hoosiers won their 22nd straight game.

On fourth down at the Nebraska 44, Indiana brought in an extra lineman in a tightly bunched formation. The Huskers crowded the line as if they were expecting a run. Hoover faked a handoff, drawing in the defense, and Marsh got behind the secondary. He caught Hoover's floating pass and ran into the end zone with no one around him.

Cignetti said he stole the play from Kansas five or six years ago and used it against Northwestern two weeks ago.

The Hoosiers improved to 27-0 against unranked opponents under third-year coach Cignetti, and their 22-game win streak is the longest in the Big Ten since Ohio State won 23 straight from 2013-14.

Sources:

The Helmet Project: http://nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/index.htm

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1145292-power-ranking-all-124-college-football-stadiums

espn game recap 

@ Rutgers

 

 

Indiana's first road test of the season would put them against Rutgers. The defending national champions last loss occurred in the first week of the 2025 season. It is the longest winning streak since Washington won 21 straight from 2022-24. Indiana (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) amassed a season-high 593 total yards.

Turbo Richard ran for 204 yards and a touchdown; Josh Hoover passed for 251 yards and four touchdowns and No. 6 Indiana beat Rutgers 47-15.

As explosive as the offense was, the Hoosiers defense was impenetrable. The Scarlet Knights managed just 59 yards on the ground, were held to nine first downs and traveled into Indiana territory on only three of their 12 possessions. The Hoosiers registered four sacks and eight tackles for loss.

Sources:

The Helmet Project: http://nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/index.htm

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1145292-power-ranking-all-124-college-football-stadiums

espn game recap