Indiana Dominates Howard 55-0, Continues Red-Hot Start To Season

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Indiana is making it increasingly difficult to question whether last season's success was a fluke.

The reigning national champions followed up a 52-16 season-opening win over North Texas by completely overwhelming Howard on Saturday, cruising to a 55-0 victory at Memorial Stadium.

The Hoosiers left little doubt from the opening whistle, jumping out to a 20-0 lead after the first quarter before adding 21 more points in the second. Indiana entered halftime with a commanding 41-0 advantage and never looked back.

This was about as complete of a performance as head coach Curt Cignetti could have asked for.

Indiana finished with 506 total yards, including 296 on the ground and another 210 through the air. The Hoosiers averaged 8.2 yards per play while limiting Howard to just 57 total yards.

Quarterback Josh Hoover once again put together an incredibly efficient performance. He didn't have to throw it much, but found success whenever he did. He completed 6 of 11 throws for 146 yards and four touchdowns while also contributing 13 rushing yards. 

But the biggest story may have been Indiana's ability to move the ball on the ground. 

The Hoosiers had a balance group of contributors, led by Lee Beebe Jr., who rushed 16 times for 117 yards. Turbo Richard added 108 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries, averaging an impressive 9.8 yards per attempt.

Indiana also got 36 rushing yards from Jayreon Campbell and 16 from Sean Cuono.

The passing game was just as impressive when Indiana did decide to throw the ball. Charlie Becker was the biggest beneficiary, catching just three passes but turning them into 81 yards and three touchdowns. Nick Marsh added 72 yards on three catches, while Shazz Preston contributed a 39-yard touchdown reception on his lone reception.

And then there was the defense.

Howard managed only 44 passing yards and 13 rushing yard TOTAL for the entire game. The Bison averaged just 1.2 yards per play and converted only 2 of 14 third-down attempts.

Indiana also recorded five sacks for 25 yards and forced three turnovers. One being a pick-six by linebacker Rolijah Hardy. 

After two weeks, the Hoosiers have outscored their opponents 107-16.

That's about as strong of a start as anyone could have envisioned.

Of course, the competition will get considerably tougher as the season moves along. But Indiana has handled its first two opponents exactly how a defending national champion should. 

The Hoosiers aren't simply winning. They're dominating. 

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