Indiana is preparing for its third and final nonconference game of the 2026 season.
The No. 4 Hoosiers (2-0) will take on Western Kentucky (0-2) Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington (Peacock/NBC Sports Network).
Indiana is 5-0 all-time against the Hilltoppers, with all five wins coming since 2008, and all by a margin of 18 points or less. The Hoosiers won the last meeting 33-30 in overtime in Bloomington in 2022. Each of the last three IU wins have been by three points or less.
Western Kentucky is led by eighth-year head coach Tyson Helton. He is 57-38 at the school, including 40-15 in Conference USA. The Hilltoppers have made seven straight bowl games.
Despite Helton’s success at the school, WKU is off to a rough start in 2026. They’ve lost 49-14 at Nevada, and 70-20 at Georgia.
The Hilltoppers are averaging 17 points per game, good for 123rd in the nation, and they are giving up 59.5 a contest, which comes in last FBS at No. 138.
PFF grades Western Kentucky as having the No. 132 offense and No. 136 defense in the country.
Offense and quarterback play has been a strength of WKU under Helton, but the Hilltopper signal-callers have struggled out of the gate this year.
6-foot-2 sophomore Rodney Tisdale has completed 55.6% of his throws for 234 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. 6-foot-2 junior Brock Glenn has also played a fair amount. He’s completed 52.2% of his passes for 84 yards with a TD and an INT. Both quarterbacks have rushed 14 times, with Glenn gaining 70 yards and adding two scores on the ground.
So what’s the outlook for this Saturday in Bloomington? Everything is once again pointing to the Hoosiers by a wide margin.
As of Monday morning, the gambling forecast is calling Indiana a 44.5 point favorite.
ESPN’s FPI model gives IU a 99% chance to win. The Hoosiers are No. 6 in FPI while WKU is No. 120. ESPN’s SP+ model projects a 48-7 IU win, and gives them a 100% probability to pull it out.
The early weather forecast for Saturday is calling for a mostly sunny day with a high temperature of 91. Obviously you’ll want to check back on that later in the week.
We will of course have much more on this game in the days to come.
To help you plan for this Saturday, here are the gameday details:
GAMEDAY TIMELINE
- 9:00 a.m. – Tailgating lots open
- 1:35 p.m.- The Walk and gameday rally
- 2:30 p.m. – Stadium gates open
- 3:35 p.m. – Marching Hundred pregame show
- 4:00 p.m. – Kickoff
TICKETS AND PARKING
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