Indiana coach Curt Cignetti used part of his Monday news conference in Bloomington to push back against critics of quarterback Josh Hoover, days before the fifth-ranked and unbeaten Hoosiers open Big Ten play at home against Northwestern on Friday night.
“I think there is too much scrutiny on Josh Hoover right now — unfair scrutiny,” Cignetti said. “After watching the game tape, he missed one throw. The one he missed to (Charlie) Becker, we did a bad job picking up the blitz at running back and he had a guy in his face.”
Hoover has completed more than 72% of his passes through three games, thrown 10 touchdowns and no interceptions, and posted the second-best passing efficiency rating in the Football Bowl Subdivision. His debut two weeks ago against North Texas produced a lasting image — a bloodied face and chin strap after an opponent yanked his facemask during a 52-16 Indiana win.
Against Western Kentucky on Saturday, Hoover went 18 of 24 for 273 yards and two more touchdowns with no turnovers in a 38-0 rout, though he said afterward there were throws he’d like back.
“I think it goes back to what coach always preaches, right? There’s a standard we’re trying to play and that standard is perfection and to play to the best of our capabilities,” Hoover said. “The goal is always to reach that and sometimes we fall short, so that’s the thing that keeps you driving forward. But we’ve done good stuff, have some things we have to clean up.”
Indiana, the defending national champion, has outscored its first three opponents 145-16, and Hoover has left every game early. The defense has posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1993 and hasn’t allowed a point in nine straight quarters.
Cignetti acknowledged the schedule hasn’t been demanding but said the early games served a purpose ahead of Big Ten play.
“It’s been a nice run,” he said Saturday. “Of course, we get criticized because we kind of play an exhibition season before we go into Big Ten play. I can understand that. But those exhibition seasons have been real valuable for us. Last year, we played 16 games and we were 16-0 — I don’t think anyone had done that since 1893, 1894 or something. We needed these games to learn about ourselves, our guys, where we are, and what we have to do to be the best we can be.”
Hoover, a transfer from TCU who had originally committed to Indiana out of high school, took over after Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman Trophy-winning season. Becker, a holdover from last year’s championship run, leads the team with 12 catches, 272 yards and six touchdowns — a pace that would break the school’s single-season TD catch record of 16, set by the late James Hardy.
Much of the rest of the offense is new. Leading rusher Turbo Richard transferred from Boston College. Running back Lee Beebe Jr., who came from UAB, played only three games last year before a season-ending injury, and the team is waiting on Khobie Martin to return from an arm injury. Receiver Nick Marsh, a transfer from Michigan State, had his best game yet against Western Kentucky with seven catches for 81 yards.
Cignetti said he has no reservations about his quarterback.
“I’m glad he’s our quarterback,” he said.
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