Yeah, we get it.
Howard? Another FCS game? Ho hum, right?
What can Indiana get out of playing this game against Howard on Saturday? After all, in their last two games against FCS schools, IU won by a combined score of 150-3.
But there’s more to these games than meets the eye.
There will be moments from Saturday’s game against Howard (Noon ET, BTN) we’ll be talking about in the months and years to come.
SETTING THE STANDARD
If they don’t already get it, Indiana’s new and younger player learn the unwavering focus and discipline within the program during these games.
You already know the Curt Cignetti hands on hips glare up 63-0 in the fourth quarter, but some of the players have never had it directed their way in a game setting.
Think you’re going to get a little loose with your reads, or relax as the game gets out of hand? Think again.
You remember all of the glorious moments Fernando Mendoza produced in 2025, but do you remember him pulling the ball to run on an RPO against Indiana State, and then having an intense conversation with Cignetti after?
Cignetti tells Mendoza “Hand the #bleeping# ball off” #iufb
Fernando pulls the ball twice in a row at the end of the 1st Quarter, this one causing Cignetti to call a timeout for some “coaching” pic.twitter.com/YjooZEnPcO
— Hoosier Review (@Hoosier_Review) September 13, 2025
“He (Mendoza) made a couple of poor decisions, consecutively,” Cignetti said after that Indiana State game. “And I had just alluded to throwing the ball on the RPO when he should have given it — should have handed the ball to the back on that. Started to get off rhythm in the pass game a little bit. So was just trying to reel him back in a little bit. And then he made a really good play the next play.”
There are no plays off, and no games off. Lessons will be learned.
Mendoza delivered the best game of his career a week later.
MOMENTUM ESTABLISHED?
Does a blowout win against an FCS team build momentum? The early data in the Cignetti era at Indiana says yes.
And the Hoosiers have needed momentum after sluggish season openers in 2024 and 2025.
IU’s two big eye-opening wins of the last two seasons came immediately after their wins over FCS schools.
Following a 77-3 win over Western Illinois in 2024, the Hoosiers went out to UCLA and put the nation on notice with a dominant 42-13 victory. And then following a 73-0 win over Indiana State in 2025, the Hoosiers trounced Illinois 63-10.
Indiana won’t have quite the same opportunity this season with Western Kentucky on the schedule after Howard, but they should still be able to fine tune everything after some week one hiccups.
BACKUP REPS
Indiana needs to know it can rely on the backup quarterback in a pinch. The Hoosiers saw in 2024 how things can change in the blink of an eye when Kurtis Rourke’s broken thumb forced Tayven Jackson into duty.
Jackson built confidence against Western Illinois, completing all three of his passes for 104 yards and a score. He’d be called upon to start a month later and delivered a win over Washington.
In 2025 Alberto Mendoza never had to start because his brother stayed healthy, but Alberto saw extensive action against Indiana State and went 6 of 9 for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
Throughout the roster, the two, threes and beyond see the field extensively in these games, giving them experience and the staff game tape to evaluate.
EMERGING STARS?
Who will score the final two touchdowns against Howard in 2026? It might be worth taking note.
Go back and look at who scored the last two touchdowns in Indiana’s 2024 win over Western Illinois and 2025 win over Indiana State. They’re names you might recognize.
Linebacker Rolijah Hardy returned his interception 12 yards for a score in the fourth quarter against Western Illinois, and then a couple minutes later Charlie Becker ran it in from three yards out for his first career touchdown. Hardy added two tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss in the game. This was a game that built some early confidence for the pair, and now both are legitimate contenders for postseason All-American recognition two years later.
And it was against Western Illinois in 2024 and then Indiana State in 2025 that running back Khobie Martin was first truly unleashed. He ran 8 times for 57 yards against Western Illinois, and then 11 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns against Indiana State. The latter game produced his first 100-yard game and first scores of his career.
Like all games, the FCS contests carry injury risks. Lee Beebe, Jr. was lost for the season against Indiana State a year ago.
But that cleared the way for Martin to develop. And a year later Martin entered the season as a de facto starter. And now that he’s injured, it’s worth noting likely third-string back Sean Cuono saw some snaps in that Indiana State game, and is likely to see the field plenty on Saturday.
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