Josh Hoover Shines, Indiana Rolls
· Yahoo Sports
Indiana opened its season in dominant fashion on Saturday, pulling away from North Texas for a convincing 52-16 victory.
The Hoosiers built a lead early, continued to find success on offense throughout the afternoon and put the game away with a 21-point fourth quarter. Indiana finished with 365 total yards and averaged an impressive 7.9 yards per play.
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Quarterback Josh Hoover led the way for Indiana and was nearly perfect. The TCU transfer completed 13 of 16 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns without throwing an interception.
Indiana's big-play ability was on display throughout the game. While North Texas actually ran more plays and controlled possession for more than 37 minutes, the Hoosiers made the most of their opportunities. Indiana needed just 46 plays to score 52 points.
The Hoosiers jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter before taking a 24-6 advantage into halftime. North Texas showed some life coming out of the break, scoring 10 points in the third quarter to cut into the deficit, but Indiana answered by closing the game with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Indiana's rushing attack also produced three scores. Turbo Richard led the way with 58 yards and two scores on 15 carries, while Grant Wilson added a 43-yard touchdown run on his lone rushing attempt. Indiana finished with 134 rushing yards on 30 attempts.
Several receivers contributed to Hoover's four-touchdown performance. Charlie Becker caught four passes for 64 yards and two scores, while Tyler Morris led the Hoosiers with 70 yards and three catches. Davion Chandler and Richard also found the end zone through the air.
North Texas was able to move the ball at times, finishing with 367 total yards and 19 first downs. Quarterback Tayven Jackson, the former Hoosier, completed 22 of 28 passes for 192 yards, but the Mean Green struggled to turn any offensive production into touchdowns.
North Texas settled for three field goals on four attempts and went just 1-for-3 in the red zone. Indiana, meanwhile, scored touchdowns on all for of its red-zone opportunities.
The Hoosiers also made a key defensive play in the turnover department, intercepting a pass and turning the takeaway into seven points.
Despite North Texsa holding the ball for nearly 15 more minutes than Indiana, the Hoosiers were simply too explosive offensively. Their combination of efficient quarterback play, explosive plays and red-zone execution turned what was a somewhat competitive football game into a lopsided 36-point blowout.
Indiana now moves forward with its first victory of the season after making a strong statement in its opener.