Indiana’s #15 Fernando Mendoza throwing a pass. Photo Credit Indiana Athletics
Following a narrow opening week loss to Wake Forest, Owls football once again finds itself a heavy underdog on the road against Indiana this week.
A long-struggling program, Indiana broke through on the college football scene under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti last season, finishing a program-best 11-2 and earning a bid to the expanded College Football Playoff.
The Hoosiers look a bit different this year, however, especially on offense. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke was lost to graduation following a six-year college football career. In his place, California transfer Fernando Mendoza has stepped in.
In last week’s opener, Mendoza wasn’t especially impressive, but he also didn’t turn the ball over, completing 18 of 31 passes for 193 yards without a touchdown nor interception through the air, also rushing for 33 yards and a score in Indiana’s 27-14 win over Old Dominion.
“[Mendoza] struggled a little bit, but we all saw what he did at Cal,” Owls coach Jerry Mack said. “We know the arm talent is real.”
Fifth-year senior and Maryland transfer Roman Hemby impressed in his Hoosiers debut, carrying the ball 23 times for 111 yards. Alongside him, emerging returner Kaelon Black averaged 5.4 yards per carry in last week’s contest to finish with 92 yards and a touchdown.
As a team, Indiana tallied an impressive 309 yards on the ground against the Monarchs.
“All those [running backs] did a heck of a job breaking tackles,” Mack said. “They really imposed their will up front on ODU. From a standpoint of all phases of football, they have a chance to beat you running the ball, they can beat you through the air. You really got to be oiled up in all your techniques and all your coverages and your schemes.”
The Hoosiers did not have a receiver who cracked 60 yards last Saturday, but Elijah Sarratt did haul in three catches in the opener. The junior who followed Cignetti over from James Madison is looking to build on a 2024-25 season in which he accounted for 957 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Indiana looked shaky out of the gate defensively against ODU, allowing a 75-yard touchdown rush on the first play from scrimmage to Monarch quarterback Colton Joseph, but proceeded to hold ODU scoreless till late in the fourth quarter, intercepting Joseph three times and holding its offense to just 239 total yards the rest of the game.
Defensive back Louis Moore returned to Indiana in the offseason, where he started his career before transferring to Ole Miss for the 2024-25 season. His return to Bloomington did not disappoint. The senior led the Hoosiers in tackles with seven, notched an interception and broke up a pass in the win.
In a fun storyline, Owls starting quarterback Dexter Williams II returns to the school where he spent the first four years of his college career. At Indiana, Williams appeared in four games, starting two including a victory over Michigan State.
The sixth-year senior will likely have to improve on his 12 of 33, 149-yard performance from a week ago to give the Owls a chance to stay in the game.
“[Dexter’s] got to do a better job of putting us in some better situations, not everything is a throwaway,” Mack said. “Sometimes he can do a better job of finding those completions on the field and eye progression, starting at the right place at the right time.”
An area to watch for Kennesaw State will be its pass rush. Last Friday, the Owls consistently put pressure on Wake Forest quarterback Robby Ashford, sacking him four times in the game, something they only did twice last season. Against another power conference offensive line, the unit will again truly be tested.
Mack credited his staff as well as a diverse skill set amongst his pass rushers for the early success.
“Coach [Jonathan] Bradley’s done a great job and coach [Granville] Eastman‘s done a great job as well,” Mack said. “Just getting those guys to be relentless to the ball,” Mack said. “You watch the edge and the perimeter guys, Donovan Westmoreland hasn’t played a college football game in a few years, Marcus Patterson did a great job, Rod Daniels (as well). We just got so many different types of skill sets to really keep an offensive line off balance.”
KSU sits as an overwhelming 35.5-point underdog according to most oddsmakers as of Tuesday evening, roughly double the spread it faced against Wake Forest last week.
The contest will be the football program’s first against a Big Ten opponent, and third against Power Four competition.
Kickoff is set for noon at Indiana University Memorial Stadium this Saturday, and will be broadcast on FS1.
