Through the first three games of the season, the Indiana offense has put up 52, 55, and 38 points. That is thanks in large part to the performance of QB Josh Hoover. Taking over for Heisman Trophy-winning QB Fernando Mendoza isn't an easy task, but so far, Hoover has delivered.
There is a lot to like about the numbers Hoover put up in the non-conference slate. Indiana fans expected Hoover to thrive against an extremely favorable out-of-conference schedule, and that's exactly what he did. In total, Hoover completed 37 of his 51 pass attempts (72.5%) for 649 yards and 8 touchdowns with zero interceptions. Not too shabby.
Indiana vs Northwestern betting odds bring a test Curt Cignetti is expected to handle
Furthermore, Hoover looked comfortable leading the Hoosier offense. Hoover ran an RPO-heavy style during his years at TCU, and that experience is already proving to be valuable in the system that Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan want to run. All in all, Hoosier fans should be confident in Hoover's ability moving forward.
With that being said, there are still some throws that Hoover would like to have back. He struggled with accuracy at times through Indiana's first three games, and noticeably missed his intended target several times this past weekend against Western Kentucky. Those missed opportunities caused some frustration among the IU fan base, and put some scrutiny on Hoover's name. But Curt Cignetti has his QBs back.
Curt Cignetti is 100% correct to push back on Josh Hoover scrutiny
When speaking with the media on Monday afternoon, Cignetti made sure to make one thing crystal clear: He has loved what he's seen from Hoover so far this season. Cignetti also noted that he's heard the chatter and scrutiny surrounding Hoover's inaccurate throws from over the weekend, and he isn't having it.
"I think there's too much scrutiny on Josh Hoover right now," said Cignetti. "Unfair scrutiny. After watching the tape he had one (bad throw). I'm glad he's our quarterback."
Cignetti is absolutely correct. Has Hoover been perfect? No, but he's been pretty darn good. He had just a single turnover-worthy play through three games, and ranks second in the country for Expected Points Added (EPA) per dropback so far this season. Add in the fact that he's completing over 72% of his passes to go along with 8 touchdowns, and there's plenty to love about what Hoover has shown so far in 2026.
Josh Hoover still takes accountability for missed opportunities vs WKU
Cignetti also noted that pass-blocking issues and incorrect route running led to some of Hoover's missed throws from the WKU game. While those are issues that need to get cleaned up before conference play begins on Friday, it does tell more of the story on Hoover's afternoon.
But regardless of the cause of those issues, Hoover took the blame. After Indiana won 38-0 against WKU, Hoover said that he knows he can be more accurate moving forward and is going to put his team in better situations.
IU football's Josh Hoover on missed throws: "I know I am an accurate guy. I know I'm going to make those adjustments. I'm going to put our team in better situations on some of those third downs to continue to prolong drives. I have to do a better job of that, and I will." pic.twitter.com/fO578TiDbk
— Michael Niziolek (@michaelniziolek) September 20, 2026
This is excellent leadership from Hoover. This is what you want to hear if you're on the IU roster. This is what you want to hear as a fan. Hoover's veteran leadership is on full display, as is his accountability.
Indiana fans watched Mendoza's elite leadership qualities on full display last season, and have to like what they are seeing and hearing from Hoover so far. Hoover doesn't have to be Mendoza 2.0 this season, but it's clear that he is taking a page out of Mendoza's book. Moving forward, Indiana football fans have a lot to look forward to with Hoover at the helm of the offense.
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