Following a 38-13 win over Michigan State on Saturday, Indiana moves to 7-0 on the season. This hot start has led the Hoosiers to a program-best #2 ranking. While much of the praise for this success has been heaped upon QB Fernando Mendoza and Indiana’s talented wide receiver and running back rooms, IU’s offensive line has quietly become one of the best in the nation.
A combination of experience and depth across the entire line has allowed the Hoosiers to dominate the trenches this season. Every single position along the line is anchored by a player who has made double-digit starts in college. This experience has paid dividends in 2025, as the Hoosiers have only allowed 6 sacks all season (tied for the fewest in college football). These clean pockets have allowed Fernando Mendoza to survey the field and find the open receiver, allowing him to pass for nearly 2,000 yards through just 7 games this season.
In addition to the dominance in pass protection, Indiana’s offensive line has continued to open up lanes in the run game. IU running backs have rushed 1,582 yards, which ranks second among all Big Ten teams in total rush yards.
Speaking to the media about what makes the Indiana line so special, tackle Carter Smith said, “We just have great camaraderie in the room. Everyone’s super tight. When we’re out on the field, we know what our job is and we know what we need to do. A big part of that is Fernando, too. His confidence really… rubs off on us. Whenever we have something- maybe he gets hit on a play- [the offensive line] is like ‘Oh, Fernando are you all good?’ And he’s like, ‘Dude, go do your job, go do your job. It’s ok.’”
There was perhaps no better display of just how in sync Mendoza and the offensive line are than the game-winning drive against Iowa. During the drive, Mendoza took a big hit out of bounds that looked like it might knock him out of the game. Instead, he popped back up and immediately rallied around his offensive line, displaying an intensity that allowed the line to provide him with a clean pocket to throw the game-winning touchdown to Elijah Sarratt.
In addition to the camaraderie in the room, Smith credits Director of Athletic Performance Derek Owings with getting the line ready for the brutality of the Big 10 trenches. “He sticks by his main motto. His saying is “motion is lotion.” We get a full range of motion in the squat. He wants the knees completely sealed off, you know, ass to the floor. Being able to get a full range of motion, then we do a lot of stretches before our workouts too, that help with injury prevention stuff. This staff has been great with that.” Smith said.
Smith and the Hoosiers’ offensive line will face yet another tough test on Saturday as they face off against a UCLA team that has completely turned their season around.
When asked about the matchup with the Bruins defensive line, Smith said, “Yeah, they run a lot of things. Once you get down to the high red, they run a five-man front. Normal down and distance, a lot of four down, but one of the more unique things that they do is they run two freshmen in there, and they run a 2-4-6. They’re just guys who are quicker and better in passing situations. It’s just something that we have to find our targets and get fitted up well.”
IU fans can tune in to Fox at noon this Saturday to see just how well this Hoosiers’ line will match up against the revitalized UCLA Bruins.