IUFB vs Northwestern - FRIDAY, 09.25.26 @ 8:00 on Fox-TV GAME THREAD

[rayl456]

1 hour ago, str8baller said:

You really don’t think we’ll beat at least one of those teams by 3+ TD’s and get the backups a little run?

I’m only saying that on paper I didn’t expect either USC or UCLA to have as close a game with Rutgers or Purdue as they had.  This is a new IU team and a new season.  I’m not saying we won’t win the games you mentioned, but you make it sound easy and hopefully it will be.  IU’s loss of experience and leadership is significant, in my opinion.  I’m really interested to see how we do against Northwestern.  I appreciate your confidence, but be careful that you’re not allowing a little complacency to sneak in there.  Other teams may have improved more than you know.  Go Hoosiers!!

[Brass Cannon]

Just now, rayl456 said:

I’m only saying that on paper I didn’t expect either USC or UCLA to have as close a game with Rutgers or Purdue as they had.  This is a new IU team and a new season.  I’m not saying we won’t win the games you mentioned, but you make it sound easy and hopefully it will be.  IU’s loss of experience and leadership is significant, in my opinion.  I’m really interested to see how we do against Northwestern.  I appreciate your confidence, but be careful that you’re not allowing a little complacency to sneak in there.  Other teams may have improved more than you know.  Go Hoosiers!!

StreamFootball Games

 

USCs current regime has a storied history of not taking care of business. 
 

And UCLA is still a massive unknown. 

[Jeff Flabjohns]

Line down to -21

[rayl456]

11 hours ago, Brass Cannon said:

USCs current regime has a storied history of not taking care of business. 
 

And UCLA is still a massive unknown. 

Fair enough.  

[realTomCrean]

2 hours ago, Jeff Flabjohns said:

Line down to -21

Not enough 

[iu2win]

21 seems about right.  NW abused Colorado's secondary throughout the game.  IU must improve the level of pressure on the QB on Friday night or NW will hang in there by taking advantage of our inexperience at DB and extend drives to kill clock.  Hopefully, Harris is back and that could make a huge difference.  On the other side of the ball, I expect Turbo to run all over the NW defense; Colorado ran at will against them but turned the ball over 4 times; mostly on their own side of the field.

[str8baller]

5 hours ago, Jeff Flabjohns said:

Line down to -21

Pretty big jump but I don’t think we’ve covered this year. 

[Brass Cannon]

7 minutes ago, str8baller said:

Pretty big jump but I don’t think we’ve covered this year. 

Will be interesting to see when we stop tinkering and start doing what we want to do over and over again. 
 

What I mean is when do we settle into our identity and focus on doing that really well.  WRs settle into more fixed roles etc.  

Could see it being this game. But could also see us not going full bore to start trying to hold stuff back to not put on film. 

[TrueHoosier62]

3 minutes ago, Brass Cannon said:

Could see it being this game. But could also see us not going full bore to start trying to hold stuff back to not put on film. 

I've said the same thing all season. Seems like coach Cignetti is working hard to avoid putting very much on tape for conference opponents, particularly Ohio State. I keep waiting for the flag to drop, or for IU to hit their stride.

[Stuhoo]

Currently our 'exhibition' schedule is about as challenging as last year's: ODU=NTex, Kenn=WKU, and ISU = Howard.

1. We have shut out two straight opponents. The opponent that scored 16 against us scored 44 and 35 in their other two games.
2. In three games our new quarterback has 10 touchdown passes, zero interceptions, and a total of 14 incompletions.

After three games:

• Last year 52.0 PPG
• This year 48.3 PPG

• Last year allowed 7.7 PPG
• This year allowed 5.3 PPG

Just like last year, we have one notable injury, to one of our top three running backs.

Pretty sure we are doing just fine and well.

[Pagoda]

19 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

Currently our 'exhibition' schedule is about as challengng as last year: ODU=NTex, Kenn=WKU, and ISU = Howard.

1. We have shut out two straight opponents. The opponent that scored 16 against us scored 44 and 35 in their other two games.
2. In three games our new quarterback has 10 touchdown passes, zero interceptions, and a total of 14 incompletions.

After three games:

• Last year 52.0 PPG
• This year 48.3 PPG

• Last year Average Points Allowed 7.7 PPG
• This year Average Points Allowed 5.3 PPG

Just like last year, we have one notable injury, to one of our top three running backs.

Pretty sure we are doing just fine and well.

Right.  And last year at this time we were worried about Illinois and literally no one was thinking natty.

I think some folks forget about the adversity and uncertainty we had all last season.  Even coming out of Iowa there were concerns with play calling, short yardage, and our silent count.

Teams evolve and and there is an element of luck.  No one knows how this team will grow and if we get any helpful breaks.  It’s pretty unlikely things will pan out as great as 2025, but things could still be good, especially with this staff.  Or maybe not and we have a down season.  Just have to wait and see.

[skhoosier2]

8 minutes ago, Pagoda said:

Right.  And last year at this time we were worried about Illinois and literally no one was thinking natty.

I think some folks forget about the adversity and uncertainty we had all last season.  Even coming out of Iowa there were concerns with play calling, short yardage, and our silent count.

Teams evolve and and there is an element of luck.  No one knows how this team will grow and if we get any helpful breaks.  It’s pretty unlikely things will pan out as great as 2025, but things could still be good, especially with this staff.  Or maybe not and we have a down season.  Just have to wait and see.

Think we will know alot by how we do at Nebraska.  Don't see them as a particularly tough opponent but it can be a tough place to play.  I expect we will play well at home although I see it as a closer game than most expect.  Chiles with kelly as OC is going to be a wrinkle.  We have proven to have difficulty so far with mobile, running qbs.  Now whether that has to do with the heat, the opponent, or just rounding into game form who knows.  I expect IU to be sharper this week.  

I really won't be surprised to see the season go either way (and when it's 'bad' it won't be the bad of old LOL).  I don't expect another natty.  That's incredibly hard to do, and we are missing key leadership from last season that I think carried us through some of those adverse times you are talking about.  Coogan, Mendoza, Fisher, and Ponds really willed us at times to wins when it looked bleak.  Mendoza/Coop/Sarrat and ofcourse Becker stepped up big time in big moments.  That team was really special.  This team has potential but like you said only time will tell.

[Brass Cannon]

47 minutes ago, TrueHoosier62 said:

I've said the same thing all season. Seems like coach Cignetti is working hard to avoid putting very much on tape for conference opponents, particularly Ohio State. I keep waiting for the flag to drop, or for IU to hit their stride.

I think we are at a point where Cig will be vanilla till he is forced to not be vanilla.  
 

Hopefully making it to OSU where the hammer drops against OSU and Michigan. 
 

Then ironically schedule looks wide open after that because Washington has gone to hell.  And USC defense is bad bad bad 

[str8baller]

26 minutes ago, Pagoda said:

Right.  And last year at this time we were worried about Illinois and literally no one was thinking natty.

I think some folks forget about the adversity and uncertainty we had all last season.  Even coming out of Iowa there were concerns with play calling, short yardage, and our silent count.

Teams evolve and and there is an element of luck.  No one knows how this team will grow and if we get any helpful breaks.  It’s pretty unlikely things will pan out as great as 2025, but things could still be good, especially with this staff.  Or maybe not and we have a down season.  Just have to wait and see.

Mendoza being the Heisman winning/#1 draft pick along with Beckers emergence and the offensive line gelling late really transformed the team to dominant status. The defense was pretty good beginning to end.  
 

But primarily the Mendoza thing is kind of lightening in a bottle that really great teams don’t necessarily get. That’s why many of us said this off-season Hoover could be really good for us this year, but we still might see a little regression at the position.  
 

I think we look the part of a top 5 or top 10 team. We’ll just have to wait and see until we play a decent opponent. I personally don’t think NW or Rutgers will tell us much about our upside. But then again there’s no reason to think our upside isn’t anything but title contender. 

[AH1971]

Been in Europe for the better part of the last month so really haven't had any time to digest and enjoy the season. Have kept up with some highlights and read some clippings but I feel this is the week they really open the playbook both offensively and defensively. Defensively feels like we've rotated a ton of guys largely due to some very hot and humid climate games and doesn't seem like we're stunting/blitzing they way we have in the past. Injuries, eligibility-issues, and inexperience at some key positions have probably dictated some of that but just feels like its been noticeably different.

Offensively it feels like Cig has really tried to make it a point of emphasis to remain as balanced as possible and to really establish the run almost to a fault, trying to instill in Hoover's brain that he doesn't need to win the game on every drop back.

Anyways, looking forward to finally being able to watch a full 60 minutes start to finish on top of getting down to Bloomington for the first time this season. 

[Brass Cannon]

Harris listed as doubtful on the injury report.  At this rate Khobie is going to beat him back. 
 

Nico listed as questionable 

 

[skhoosier2]

58 minutes ago, Brass Cannon said:

Harris listed as doubtful on the injury report.  At this rate Khobie is going to beat him back. 
 

Nico listed as questionable 

 

Do we even know what the injury to Harris is? 

[Home Jersey]

Just now, skhoosier2 said:

Do we even know what the injury to Harris is? 

Ankle

[Stuhoo]

Damn we’re thin at corner, eh? Only three viable guys.

[68Hoosier]

Looking for parking pass for this Friday.  Any suggestions on where to look.