Cignetti Rallies Behind Hoover As Hoosiers Enter Big Ten Slate
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti pushed back against criticism of quarterback Josh Hoover on Monday, saying the transfer has faced "unfair scrutiny" despite leading the fifth-ranked Hoosiers to a 3-0 start. Cignetti's defense came days before Indiana opens Big Ten play Friday night at home against Northwestern.
Hoover, who transferred from TCU after initially committing to Indiana out of high school, has completed more than 72% of his passes with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions through three games, posting the second-best passing efficiency rating in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He threw four touchdowns in his Indiana debut against North Texas, a 52-16 win in which he played through a bloodied face after an opponent grabbed his facemask. He followed with an 18-for-24, 273-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 38-0 shutout of Western Kentucky, though he said afterward there were throws he wanted back. tt cup poland
Cignetti said film review of the Western Kentucky game showed Hoover missed only one throw, attributing an incompletion to Charlie Becker to a blown blitz pickup rather than quarterback error. Becker, a holdover from last season's national championship team, leads Indiana with 12 catches, 272 yards and six touchdowns, a pace that could threaten the school's single-season touchdown-catch record of 16, set by the late James Hardy. The defending national champions have outscored opponents 145-16 through three games and have not allowed a point in nine straight quarters, pitching back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1993.
Cignetti acknowledged the schedule has been light but called the early games essential preparation, noting last season's team went 16-0. Much of this year's offensive supporting cast is new, including transfer running back Turbo Richard and receiver Nick Marsh, formerly of Michigan State, who caught seven passes for 81 yards against Western Kentucky. Running back Lee Beebe Jr., limited to three games last season after transferring from UAB, and Khobie Martin, recovering from an arm injury, remain part of Indiana's evolving backfield picture as the Hoosiers shift focus to conference competition.
