The Indiana Hoosiers are 2-0 on the young season after picking up lopsided wins over North Texas and Howard. This Saturday's Week 3 matchup against Western Kentucky will wrap up the non-conference slate, and give Indiana a chance to put forth another convincing performance.
What Indiana needs to see from Josh Hoover before Big Ten play begins
With Big Ten play looming, gaining as much as momentum as possible––and avoiding further injury––is top of mind for Curt Cignetti and company. Here are five reasons why the Hoosiers should have little trouble moving to 3-0 and extending their win streak to 19 games.
The 5 reasons why Indiana should dominate Western Kentucky
Indiana's quick-striking offense
The Hoosier offense has been firing on all cylinders through two games. Indiana scored 52 points in Week 1 against North Texas despite having a time of possession of 22:38. Indiana then scored 41 points in the first half against Howard en route to a 55-0 victory in Week 2. The big plays in the passing game have been abundant, and the running game has been able to eat up chunks of yards at a time. As the Hoosiers look to fine tune some things before Big Ten play, look for Josh Hoover and company to keep the big plays coming.
WKU's woeful defense
Indiana's offense should be in a position to thrive against a Western Kentucky defense that hasn't done much early on in 2026. The Hilltoppers allowed 49 points 486 yards of total offense to Nevada in Week 1, and then surrendered 70 points and 493 total yards to No. 2 Georgia in Week 2. Both of those marks are the worst among all CUSA teams, while WKU's 59.5 points per game allowed is the worst in the country so far this season. Things won't get any easier going up against the defending National Champions in this one.
Elite star power for the Hoosiers
Indiana's stars have been shining bright through the first two games of the season. Josh Hoover has completed over 70% of his passes to go along with eight touchdowns and zero interceptions. Charlie Becker already has five receiving touchdowns, and Turbo Richard is averaging 6.4 yards per rush and has found the end zone three times on the ground. On the defensive side, Isaiah Jones leads the team with 17 tackles, while Rolijah Hardy is second with 12 of his own and also had a pick-6 against Howard. There's no denying that Indiana's best players are off to strong starts this season.
Indiana's extreme depth advantage
Along with having plenty of star power, the Hoosiers have plenty of depth on both sides of the ball. The second and third-teamers have already gotten an ample amount of playing time in Weeks 1 and 2, and in an ideal world, a huge Hoosier lead allows them to see significant reps in this matchup against the Hilltoppers. WKU is simply at an extreme talent disadvantage no matter where you look.
WKU's brutal schedule to start the season
Western Kentucky will be playing its third consecutive road game in this contest. The Hilltoppers have already had to travel across the country to play Nevada, only go to play 2nd-ranked Georgia the following week in Athens. Now they have to face the defending National Champions on the road. That is an absolute gauntlet of a travel schedule to start the season. After losing by 35 points to Nevada and 50 points to Georgia, morale has to be quite low for the Hilltoppers entering this matchup.
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