With its 41-24 victory over Northwestern on Oct. 5, Indiana football officially reached the halfway point of its season with an unblemished 6-0 record.
In the first season of the Curt Cignetti era, the Hoosiers are ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll –– a place they haven’t been since the 2020 season. After bringing in over 50 new players ahead of the season, Indiana has meshed seamlessly and largely dominated its opponents as it has yet to trail a contest.
Led by sixth-year senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke, an Ohio University transfer, the Hoosiers’ offense leads the Big Ten in points per game (47.5), total yards per game (515.7) and passing yards per game (315.3).
Indiana kicks off the second half of its season at noon Saturday against Nebraska inside Memorial Stadium with Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff in town. In preparation, the Indiana Daily Student’s football beat reporters and columnist offer their analysis on the season and predictions for the rest of the campaign.
Biggest positive
DALTON JAMES: Curt Cignetti. Indiana football went 9-27 over the past three seasons –– an abysmal stretch in which the Hoosier faithful couldn’t wait until basketball season. This season, however, is the opposite. Indiana has a pair of sellouts in its games against Nebraska on Saturday and Michigan on Nov. 9. The fanbase is buying in, and for good reason — they finally have something to cheer for.
DANIEL FLICK: I think it’s fair to say Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson made the right head coaching hire last winter. When he fired then-head coach Tom Allen on Nov. 27, 2023, the Hoosiers’ football program was irrelevant — and a long way from the heights of 2020, when Indiana went 6-2. Now, Cignetti’s subtle sideline swagger seems to have rubbed off on his new-look roster, which has quickly brought the program to the forefront of national headlines. No matter how far Indiana goes this fall, Dolson should sleep well at night knowing he has Cignetti overseeing the on-field product.
JHETT GARRETT: The Indiana defensive line has not only been the biggest positive of the team but also one of the biggest positives in the Big Ten. It ranks second in sacks and tackles for loss with 19 and 41 respectively, only trailing Nebraska by one in both categories. The Hoosiers also have the third-most forced fumbles in the conference with five. They’re led by junior Mikail Kamara, who is tied for the most sacks in the Big Ten with five and ranked 11th nationally. Kamara also sits with the fourth most TFLs in the conference with 7.5. Senior James Carpenter has come alive in his last three games, picking up three sacks and providing another force to be reckoned with for opposing teams.
Biggest question
JAMES: The matchup with No. 4 Ohio State on Nov. 23. The Hoosiers haven’t beaten the Buckeyes since 1988, and over the last three matchups, they’ve been outscored 133-24. Ohio State brought in the No. 9 transfer portal class in the country, headlined by safety Caleb Downs, running back Quinshon Judkins and quarterback Will Howard, despite only adding seven transfers. It’s no cheap roster with Ohio State’s players receiving “around $20 million” in NIL, according to CBS Sports. While the Hoosiers could potentially enter the matchup with only a loss or two, the game serves as a measurement of where Indiana football is truly at in comparison to the perennial college football powers.
FLICK: Can Indiana’s defense return to form? Through the Hoosiers’ first four games, defensive coordinator Bryant Haines led the unit to top 10 rankings nationally in several key categories, including points (9.3) and yards (199.3) allowed per game. But over the past two contests, Indiana has battled defensive struggles. Maryland scored 28 points and totaled 401 yards Sept. 28, while Northwestern — which tallied just 5 points against Washington on Sept. 21, its last game before facing the Hoosiers — notched 24 points and 336 yards Oct. 5. In both contests, the Hoosiers finished strong in the fourth quarter. Redshirt junior defensive end Mikail Kamara mentioned after the Northwestern game he looked forward to the defense getting healthier over the bye week — and as Indiana’s strength of schedule increases, its defense needs to find the level it reached earlier in the campaign, though that was done against lesser competition.
GARRETT: How will Indiana fair during the “tough part” of their schedule? Of course, what the Hoosiers have done through the first six games is impressive and should not be overlooked. They have simply outmatched opposing teams at nearly every position in those games. That much I don’t think will change outside of their visit to Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 23 for a matchup with Ohio State. Kurtis Rourke has performed better than every quarterback in the Big Ten this season, with elite skill players at the running back and receiver positions. While the “they haven’t played anyone yet” argument is a valid point to bring up, the Hoosiers have a better roster than all but one team remaining on their schedule.
Most valuable player
JAMES: Quarterback is the most important position in football, and Kurtis Rourke has played it nearly perfectly through the first half of the season. The Oakville, Ontario, Canada, native went 118 for 160 for 1,752 passing yards alongside 14 touchdowns and two interceptions, earning two Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week awards. He hasn’t done anything flashy, but he’s hitting the open man and protecting the ball –– except for the Hoosiers’ first two drives against Maryland on Sept. 28. When sixth-year senior offensive lineman Nick Kidwell was ruled out for the season in mid-August, protecting Rourke may have been a concern. The Hoosiers’ offensive line has largely put that concern to bed, allowing Rourke to be sacked just six times. If Indiana continues its undefeated streak, it’ll surely be thanks to Rourke.
FLICK: Rourke is certainly the home-run pick here, but for the sake of being different, I’ll go with Mikail Kamara. Through six games, the 6-foot-1, 265-pound Kamara collected five sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss. Kamara, who transferred to Indiana from James Madison University last winter, is on pace to be the first Hoosier with double-digit sacks in a season since defensive end Jammie Kirlew totaled 10.5 sacks in 2008. Yet even when Kamara doesn’t finish with a sack, he gets close. He ranks No. 7 in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 26 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Indiana’s pass rush has flourished this fall — the Hoosiers’ defense finished with 20 sacks in 2023 and is already at 19 this season. Kamara is the unit’s biggest pass rushing threat, and while his numbers are strong, his presence creates one-on-one matchups for the rest of Indiana’s defensive front, which elevates the entire group. Kamara’s value is immense whether through his own production or the way he impacts opposing game plans.
GARRETT: Rather than having just one player, the running back duo of fifth-year senior Justice Ellison and seventh-year senior Ty Son Lawton has been the biggest advantage on the offensive side of the ball for Indiana. While Kurtis Rourke has propelled the Hoosiers to the second-most passing yards per game in the Big Ten, one can argue that the ground game set that up. Indiana ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 200.3 rushing yards per game. Players like redshirt junior Elijah Green and junior Kaelon Black have found their way into the end zone to give the Hoosiers the most rushing touchdowns in the Big Ten with 23, which also ranked third in the nation.
Biggest key to sustaining success:
JAMES: Curt Cignetti constantly preaches preventing complacency, and while that’s likely the most important key to success, Indiana remaining healthy is also important. While the Hoosiers haven’t sustained many injuries other than Nick Kidwell’s season-ending injury and former senior receiver Donaven McCulley’s ailment, they need to stay healthy for the long haul. Sure, injuries are typically freak accidents, but if they do manage to stay healthy throughout the season, I foresee minimal losses to finish off the year.
FLICK: Curt Cignetti has said more than his fair share of buzzwords and phrases since his introductory press conference Dec. 1, 2023, but one that often goes undiscussed is “stalking complacency.” Originally, such an idea seemed foolish. Indiana won nine games between 2021-23 — what was there to be complacent about? Now, it makes sense. The Hoosiers’ bye week came at an advantageous time from a health perspective, as Indiana will enter the season’s second half with a fresh body and clear head. But after the Northwestern game, Cignetti warned of the downside of the bye, noting players will hear all about what they can and can’t do this season. Cignetti, however, is confident the veteran-laden Hoosiers won’t have any issues with outside noise infiltrating their mind. That said, Indiana football has been the talk of the town — but the ultimate goal, as Kamara said at Northwestern, shouldn’t be 6-0. That should merely be an indication of where the Hoosiers are headed. How well Indiana dodges complacency will be crucial to dictatcing how its season ends.
GARRETT: Indiana’s backbone has been the ability to get a stop on defense when the offense stagnates. The defense has been filled with electricity led by junior Aiden Fisher, who leads the Hoosiers in tackles and has arguably been the best player for Indiana on that side of the ball. If you take away all 21 of his solo tackles, he would still be tied for the team lead in total tackles with 34. Adding his 1.5 sacks and solo pass deflection on the year, the JMU transfer is futile to the success of this team. Beyond the numbers, his leadership on and off the field is a big reason for why Indiana is 6-0. Fisher staying healthy is the biggest key to Indiana’s success on defense which has been a strong suit for much of the season.
Final regular season record prediction
JAMES: With Indiana football’s track record of falling to teams it shouldn’t, I am hesitant to say 11-1. But after assessing their final six games, I see no reason why the Hoosiers can’t finish with just one loss. While it’s always possible to falter on the road to Michigan State on Nov. 3, I foresee the Cream and Crimson winning that game, alongside beating Nebraska, Washington, Michigan and Purdue. Indiana could be in contention for the Big Ten Championship come early December, but an 11-1 finish would surely cement them in the College Football Playoff. Indiana and CFP in the same sentence? That’s certainly a new one.
FLICK: I’ll be the pessimist in the trio, but only marginally — I think Indiana finishes 10-2. Beating Ohio State on the road Nov. 23 is a tall task, and it feels plausible the Hoosiers could falter against either Nebraska, Washington, Michigan or Michigan State. Indiana is well-coached, has a deep group of offensive playmakers and continues to grow in confidence. That’s a dangerous collection of traits — and a 10-win Indiana should find itself in a strong bowl game. While not as fun as the College Football Playoff talk previously mentioned, it remains a miraculous feat considering where the program stood 12 months ago.
GARRETT: At the beginning of the year, I held off on strapping a rocket to this football team. Now, at the mid-season point, I don’t want to hold back any longer, which is why I think Indiana will finish the season 11-1 with a loss on the road against Ohio State. Outside of that meeting with the Buckeyes at the end of November, Indiana will be favored in every game the rest of the season, and rightfully so. While things could get tricky on the road against Michigan State, or at home against Michigan, Washington and Nebraska, they proved to me in the last two games against Maryland and Northwestern that this team can boat race solid competition. They have shown they can handle adversity and things not going their way, which is a great sign for the rest of the way. Indiana has put themselves in a position to be playing in Indianapolis the first weekend of December for a Big Ten Championship and maybe even a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
