The Indiana Hoosiers are the defending national champions and look to defend that crown in 2026. That will be a tough task now that Fernando Mendoza is playing in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Josh Hoover is the new man under center and went viral on Saturday during the game against North Texas. The viral moment came when he was bloodied following a brutal tackle and was continuing to play with blood running down his face.
He and a teammate spoke to the media after the game and talked about the reaction to Hoover’s tough play.
Josh Hoover Earns Respect From IU Teammates
A video shared via “Inside the Hall” began with a bruised Hoover discussing the situation.
“It looked way worse than it felt,” Hoover said. This adds to the tough guy demeanor he gave off once his face was dripping blood.
The reporter asked if Hoover’s teammates now feel he is invincible. While the quarterback would not go that far, he did acknowledge the look of it all did him some favors to make others think he’s tough.
Receiver Charlie Becker then appeared and immediately praised Hoover for his toughness.
“That’s one tough kid,” Becker said about his new quarterback. “That was so sick,” he added, beaming about Hoover’s performance.
Josh Hoover’s Excellent Indiana Debut
The Hoosiers opened the season at home against a North Texas team that was decimated by transfers. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker left for Oklahoma State after a 12-2 season, creating a lot of unknowns for Saturday’s game.
Indiana lived up to its championship pedigree by cruising to a 52-16 win. Hoover had four touchdowns on 13/16 passing and finished with 231 yards. He likely could have added even more touchdowns if Curt Cignetti wanted to run up the score.
Instead, he protected his quarterback after he showed off his incredible toughness.
Hoover showed up to Bloomington after four years at TCU and two years as the starter. He has had success in his own right, but has big shoes to fill after Mendoza won the Heisman and led the team to an improbable national championship win last season.
Indiana’s schedule is rather easy through the first six games of the season. The next five opponents are Howard, Western Kentucky, Northwestern, Rutgers, and Nebraska. The Hoosiers will be favored in all five, barring a surprise, and should get off to a 6-0 start.
Hoover’s first real test as a Hoosier will come on October 17 at home against the No. 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. A win in that game would likely vault the program into the No. 1 spot and would have them on a path to truly defend the national championship.
For now, Hoover will have several weeks to continue growing his own reputation as the successor to Mendoza. Playing through his bloody nose got him off to a great start.
Indiana QB Josh Hoover Earned Team’s Respect With Bloody Nose