Indiana got off to an imperfect start to the follow up of its perfect season, with Indiana being out-gained by North Texas well into the fourth quarter, but emerged victorious in week one against the Mean Green. Josh Hoover and the offense shined, bringing Curt Cignetti’s winning streak to 17 games.
The Hoosiers were off to a good start before Hoover even took a snap, as Lee Beebe Jr. took the opening kickoff all the way back to North Texas’ 20 yard line. Three plays later, Nick Marsh pulled off a spectacular
one-handed touchdown catch to put Indiana up 7-0.
Some penalties and an overall sloppy start led to a long first drive by North Texas, but the defense held strong on its first drive and forced a turnover on downs. The turnover set up Indiana’s second touchdown, with the offense covering 61 yards in 10 plays to build a 14-0 lead.
This was mostly the trend for the rest of the game, with North Texas moving the ball more than Cignetti and Bryant Haines would like, but the offense performing well enough for it to not be a huge factor.
The most concerning drive for Indiana was the opening drive of the second half, when the Mean Green moved the ball easier than it had all day, going 75 yards in six plays to make it 24-13. The Hoosier defense responded by forcing a punt on the subsequent drive.
Indiana was able to maintain a comfortable lead behind the outstanding play of Josh Hoover, who completed 13/16 of his passes for 231 yards and a whopping four touchdowns. He protected the ball as well, helping minimize concerns about his tendency towards turnovers.
There will be things to work on, but that’s the case for every team this early in the season. Indiana went out and got the win it needed even without playing its best and can now focus on getting healthy and preparing for next week.
