It was picture-perfect football weather in, and Indiana’s defense matched the mood with a statement performance. In the Hoosiers’ 56–9 thrashing of Kennesaw State, the storyline wasn’t just the lopsided score — it was a defense that smothered the Owls from start to finish.
“That’s it right there, just being aggressive,” linebacker Aiden Fisher told the media postgame. “We talked about it after week one that we weren’t aggressive enough, we didn’t play hard enough. This defense is built on TFLs and explosive plays, and all the exciting things and we didn’t get that done week one. So, in practice all week it’s gelling together, meshing together a little bit better than we did in week one and playing faster and playing more physical, and getting vertical in gaps.”
That message carried over from practice to game day. Against the Owls, the Hoosiers’ defense didn’t just show up — it took over. Indiana racked up 14 tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble with a recovery. At every level, they looked relentless, but it was the defensive line’s energy and edge that set the tone for a performance that felt as overwhelming as the final score.
“It’s pretty fun. When you have someone like that [Mikail Kamara] on the opposite side, it kind of makes things easier,” Maryland transfer Kellan Wyatt said after the game. “You learn a lot from him. You somehow make plays off of it when you have another player as good as him. I think as a unit, the defensive line, we had a really good day.”
Wyatt wasn’t exaggerating. The Hoosiers’ front four tore apart Kennesaw State’s offensive line, living in the backfield and never allowing the Owls’ offense to settle. After a relatively quiet outing in Week One against Old Dominion, Mikail Kamara roared back in Week Two, bulldozing his way through protection to pile up five tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack. He looked every bit the disruptive force Indiana needs him to be, showing both his dominance and adaptability in a new role.
But Kamara wasn’t the only star shining in Bloomington. Lining up opposite him, Kellan Wyatt delivered his own breakout performance, racking up nine tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in a relentless effort that kept the Owls off balance. The transfer credited the defensive resurgence to the standard set by Coach Curt Cignetti.
“He’s [Coach Cignetti] telling us to stay focused,” Wyatt explained. “Last game, we didn’t finish the fourth quarter. This game, we made an emphasis to finish this fourth. I think we did. I think we finished the whole second half.”
The Hoosiers did exactly what they set out to do in the second half — finish strong. They surrendered only a field goal after halftime and clamped down on Kennesaw State’s attack, holding the Owls to just 182 yards through the air and 89 on the ground. It was a marked improvement from their Week One showing. Still, one glaring “yellow flag” lingers: stopping explosive, chunk plays.
“When people go real fast like they do, or then they check to put themselves in the best spot, and they take those big wide splits and use the field, there’s going to be some throwing lanes, you know what I’m saying?” Coach Cignetti explained in his postgame press conference. “We’ll take a look at the tape. I know they came out in the second half and challenged us down the field a little bit. But I thought we played really well against ODU aside from two plays, and we [only] gave up 9 points today.”
It’s a familiar storyline. Last week against Old Dominion, a couple of blown coverages led to back-breaking gains, and against the Owls, flashes of that same vulnerability resurfaced. Depth in the secondary remains a concern, with starters logging heavy minutes and wearing down as the game progresses. Even so, the defense showed grit — like when Jamari Sharpe was beaten deep on a route but refused to quit, sprinting back to punch the ball out and recover the fumble. What could’ve been a 30-yard highlight for Kennesaw turned into another takeaway for Indiana.
The Hoosiers aren’t a finished product yet, but the foundation is clear. With leaders at every level and playmakers stepping up, this defense feels one step away from truly locking in. Outside of the occasional breakdown, Indiana looked fast, physical, and dominant — exactly what Cignetti wants heading into conference play. For now, the task is simple: clean up the lapses, polish the edges, and carry the momentum into Friday night’s Week Three matchup against in-state foe Indiana State.