Opponent: Kennesaw State Owls
Location: Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
Why They Played:
The Hoosiers and Owls met as part of a one off non-conference matchup.
What The Game Meant:
The Hoosiers underperformed in week one and while Kennesaw State is not a world beater it was important that IU was up to the task.
Top Offensive Performers:
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana- Mendoza looked much more comfortable in his second start with IU. He finished 18-of-25 passing with 245 yards and four passing touchdowns and it really could’ve been more had it not been for four drops.
Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana- This was the Sarratt IU fans got used to in 2024. He made nine catches for 97 yards and three touchdowns. He was targeted 13 times.
Indiana Run Game- The Hoosiers ran for over 300 yards again and got rushing scores from Riley Nowakowski, Omar Cooper and Lee Beebe Jr. IU had eight players carry the ball. Beebe led the pack with 11 carries for 90 yards. Roman Hemby added 89 total yards.
Amari Odom, QB, Kennesaw State- The Owls backup quarterback threw the ball well in relief and may have surprised the Hoosiers coming off the bench. In total Odom went 10-of-16 for 176 yards.
Top Defensive Performers:
Kellan Wyatt, DE, Indiana- Wyatt was a menace on defense totalling nine tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. IU got more havoc from the defensive line, most notably from Wyatt.
Aiden Fisher, LB, Indiana- Fisher did Aiden Fisher things. He had a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Special Teams Performance:
Indiana again used big plays on special teams to help fuel a win. Clay Conner blocked a punt and Jonathan Brady had a 30-yard punt return. Brendan Franke continues to boom kickoffs.
Indiana was without punter Mitch McCarthy today as he was out with an injury. Quinn Warren punted in his place and did well enough. Punting twice for a 44.5 yard average and one punt downed inside the 20-yard line.
IU wasn’t without issue though, as there was a delay of game on a field goal, which was missed. It turned a 42-yard try into a turnover on downs. Cignetti said after the game that he did not want to run Franke out there for a would-be 47-yarder.
Key Stat(s):
7-7
IU was a perfect 7-7 in the red zone on Saturday as they scored a touchdown on each trip. It was a major improvement from week one.
Turning Point:
The turning point of this game came when Jamari Sharpe forced a fumble after allowing a big pass play. IU would get the ball at their own 25-yard line up 28-9. One play later Omar Cooper ran 75 yards for a touchdown.
I Knew it Was Over When…
Omar Cooper raced 75 yards to steal the soul of Kennesaw State and make the score 35-9 with 6:05 left in the third quarter.
What I take away From the Game:
This is what we wanted to see. IU dominated on the score board and in the box score. The Hoosiers started quickly and while they let Kennesaw State hang around a little, this game was over by the middle of the third quarter (and that’s generous).
Fernando Mendoza looked much better and much more comfortable throwing the ball in the pocket. He had some poor throws, but mainly he was really, really good. Oh, his brother doesn’t look too bad either. Alberto threw a fourth quarter touchdown to Charlie Becker.
IU’s run game dominated again and even showed a few new wrinkles with the fullback dive to Nowakowski and the end around to Omar Cooper. The trio of Hemby, Beebe and Black was basically unstoppable.
IU did get their backups in the game including a second team offensive line, which was a rare occurrence last season. The second unit was Evan Lawrence, Zen Michalski, Austin Leibfried, Baylor Wilkin and Adedamola Ajani from left to right.
Defensively IU was stout against the run again and created more havoc than week one. IU had 14 tackles for loss, two sacks and forced two turnovers. Mikail Kamara had two tackles for loss, which is a great sign and Kellan Wyatt was a force all game.
IU struggled with the deep pass however. While Kennesaw State completed just 13 passes all game there was a time when it looked like they couldn’t be covered on deep throws. Louis Moore and Jamari Sharpe struggled a bit in coverage, although Moore did intercept another pass. IU has another week to figure out their secondary rotations beyond Ponds and Ferrell.
Indiana will find out Louis Moore’s eligibility fate on Wednesday. They need the ruling to go in their favor as IU lost Bryson Bonds for the season and Byron Baldwin has yet to play because of an injury.
What’s Next
IU hosts Indiana State (2-0) on Friday September 12th at 6:30pm at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium.