Josh Hoover threw one pass in the second half on Sunday.
It wasn’t even a good one — the Indiana Hoosiers’ QB threw an interception on that attempt.
Indiana managed to pull out an odd 13-6 win over the Michigan Wolverines anyway, but it was a confusing scene for the Hoosiers’ quarterback.
He was brought aboard for this season to take over for Fernando Mendoza. Hoover was a high-profile transfer addition from TCU.
But a week after IU lost narrowly to Ohio State, their bounceback win was anything but resounding. Hoover hardly helped them pull it off.
Going forward, that might be reason for concern, particularly if Hoover isn’t actually healthy.
Josh Hoover Injury Update
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti hinted postgame on Saturday that Hoover isn’t playing healthy.
“He practiced every day,” Cignetti said, via Don Fischer. “We knew he’d play. He wasn’t 100%, obviously.”
Hoover was never listed on the Big Ten’s availability report official page during the week.
College football injuries don’t work the same as injuries in the NFL, where Hoover likely would’ve gotten some mark on an injury report leading into the game.
Instead, the only way IU fans learned that their quarterback is hurting is because the head coach gave it away in a postgame interview.
It’s not clear to what extent Hoover might be hurt, or even what’s bothering him, but it clearly didn’t help Indiana’s cause on Saturday.
It’s also worth noting that Hoover did save the day in overtime. He completed a 21-yard pass on the Hoosiers’ first OT play, then ran for a touchdown on the next play.
Indiana’s Ceiling Questioned
The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel isn’t convinced this Indiana team can compete to repeat as national champs.
“Indiana will likely make the CFP for a third straight year, but it’s unrealistic to think the Hoosiers can repeat if the offense is so limited,” Mandel wrote after Saturday’s game.
Indiana has scored five touchdowns across its last three games. Whether a Hoover injury has anything to do with that, it’s clearly not good enough.
Indiana Schedule
Indiana will have a chance to get back on track on Halloween when it hosts Minnesota on Saturday.
The Hoosiers stay home the next week to take on USC.
Then it’s on the road for a week all the way at the University of Washington before returning home on Saturday, Nov. 28 to close out the regular season against Purdue.
Indiana’s Josh Hoover Injury Update Explains Throwing 1 Pass in 2nd Half