ANN ARBOR — How close was Indiana to pulling starting quarterback Josh Hoover as he struggled at the Big House?
“There was a lot of discussion,” coach Curt Cignetti said after his team’s 13-6 overtime win over Michigan on Saturday afternoon, the team’s first win at Michigan Stadium since 1967.
Hoover and the Indiana offense couldn’t get anything going against a stout Wolverine defense.
The Hoosiers had just 212 yards for the game, were just 4-of-14 on third down, and through regulation didn’t find the end zone despite multiple trips inside the Wolverine 30 set up by Michigan turnovers.
Hoover suffered any injury in the second half of last weekend’s game against Ohio State, and the effects carried into practice this week. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Saturday that Hoover is playing through an arm and wrist issue.
“It was a tough week,” Hoover said. “This is a physical league. That’s something that everybody goes through. People don’t understand what it looks like to come out here and play every single week. There’s going to be weeks where you don’t feel good. But at the end of the day I love this team, and I had to battle through some things to get out here today.”
Cignetti said Hoover did practice every day this week but was limited.
But clearly there was awareness Indiana might need to turn to the backup, and those thoughts only intensified as Hoover and the offense stalled out again and again.
“We had Grant Wilson there (ready to plug in),” Cignetti said of his backup QB. “Grant’s capable.”
Indiana got up 6-0 early on those Michigan turnovers.
By that point Cignetti knew he didn’t need Hoover to win it anymore. So he stuck with him.
“I felt like if we didn’t screw it up by turning the ball over on offense, or make a critical mistake once we got up 6-0, and I saw what kind of game it was becoming, then they’d have a hard time beating us,” Cignetti said.
“And then we almost screwed it up, with the interception, Daley jumping off side, and a few other things.”
Hoover threw his first interception of the season in the third quarter. That gave Michigan the ball at the IU 13 yard line and led to a field goal. A 13-play, 53 yard drive by Michigan at the end of regulation led to a second Michigan field goal and sent the game to overtime with the teams tied 6-6.
At the end of regulation Hoover was just 7 of 17 for 60 yards. With a wide open running lane in the fourth quarter, he stumbled and fell for just three yards.
Seemingly nothing was going right.
Until overtime.
And ultimately, a decision to pull Hoover from the game may have backfired.
Hoover hit tight end Brock Schott across the middle of the field for 21 yards on IU’s first play in overtime.
On the next play, Hoover kept the ball and ran in it for the game’s first and only touchdown.
The clutch touchdown. https://t.co/Kpm2QhdIZO
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) October 24, 2026
“Who would have ever thought we’d rush Josh down there for a touchdown,” Cignetti said. “The element of surprise is still alive in college football.”
“When we needed him in that overtime, Josh was big time.
“At the end of the day we felt like it was Josh’s season. And even though he wasn’t 100 percent, it’s been Josh’s season, and we had to finish it out with him. And he responded, and he’s only going to get better physically from here on out.
“He played money. Absolutely.”
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