FOOTBALL GAMEDAY: Western Kentucky (Week 3)

Setting The Scene

• Indiana will host Western Kentucky in Week 3 on Saturday (Sept. 19) at 4 p.m. on Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. The game will stream on Peacock.
• This will be the sixth matchup in program history between Indiana and Western Kentucky with IU leading the all-time series, 5-0. It is also the first time the programs have met since 2022, when Indiana won 33-30 in overtime on Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium.
• The home contest marks the third of eight home games for the Hoosiers on Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium this season and the third of four in a row to start the 2026 ledger.

News & Notes

• In his three years as head coach at Indiana, Curt Cignetti owns a 29-2 record and is 17-1 against Big Ten competition. His 27 wins through his first two seasons are the most by an FBS head coach in his first two years at a school.
•Indiana's 55-point performance in Week 2 against Howard (9/12) was the 13th time under Cignetti that the program has scored 50-or-more points in a game (4, 2024; 7, 2025; 2, 2026).
• The 41 first half points by the Hoosiers mark just the sixth 40-point half in program history - all coming in first halves of games.
• The Indiana defense allowed Howard just four first downs, the fewest allowec in a game since at least 1958. In that span, IU allowed five first downs on four occasions: Indiana State, 2025; Purdue, 2024; Eastern Illinois, 2019; Minnesota, 1958.
• IU's 55-point performance in Week 2 against Howard was the 13th time under Cignetti that the program has scored 50-or-more points in a game (4, 2024; 7, 2025; 2, 2026).
• Indiana has produced the most 50-plus point wins by an FBS team since 2024 with seven. That is three more than the next closest team: Indiana (7), Tennessee (4), Alabama (3), Ohio State (3), Texas (3) and UCF (3).
• The 57 yards of total offense by Howard are the fewest allowed by an IU defense since at least 1950. It is the seventh time in program history Indiana allowed fewer than 100-yards of total offense in a game and the third time in the Cignetti era.
• With just 13 yards rushing allowed the Indiana defense posted the 10th game since at least 1958 with fewer than 15 yards rushing allowed in a game. It is the fewest yards rushing allowed by IU since 2 yards versus Illinois in 2025 and the fifth time under Cignetti. The 44 yards passing are the fewest allowed by an IU defense since 2023 against Rutgers (39).
• Indiana totaled 12.0 tackles for loss in the game against Howard for its eight double-digit tackle for loss game since 2024.
• Josh Hoover threw four touchdown passes for the second consecutive week and tied the program record for most touchdown passes in first two games of the season with eight. Nate Sudfeld also threw eight against Indiana State and Navy to begin 2013. Hoover became the sixth quarterback (ninth occasion) in program history with eight-plus touchdown passes in a two-game span. MORE ON PAGE 7
• Lee Beebe Jr. (117 yards) and Turbo Richard (108 yards) became IU's first 100-yard rushing duo in the same game since a win over Rutgers in 2017 (Morgan Ellison, 149; Cole Gest, 104). MORE ON PAGE 8
• Charlie Becker had his first career three touchdown game with three receiving scores in the first half. He became the first IU player with multiple-touchdown catches in consecutive games since Ty Fryfogle (2, at Michigan State; 3, at Ohio State) in 2020 and the first Hoosier to record 3-plus touchdowns in a game since Omar Cooper Jr. had four against Indiana State (9/12) in Week 3 of 2025. MORE ON PAGE 9
• With Rolijah Hardy's pick-6 against Howard, the Indiana defense has forced at least one turnover in 11 straight games dating back to 2025 and the 27th time in 31 games under defensive coordinator Bryant Haines.
• Keishaun Calhoun charted his first two career tackles on two solo sacks against the Bison. MORE ON PAGE 12

GAME 3

Setting The Scene

News & Notes

Week 3 Links