Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover threw his first interception of the season at a particularly inopportune time against Michigan, with his poor performance leading to some calls for the team to bench him.
The Hoosiers struggled to move the ball against Michigan’s defense on Saturday, allowing the upset-minded Wolverines to stay in the game. Indiana held a 6-0 lead when Hoover threw an interception that allowed Michigan to move into field-goal range, cutting the lead to three.
Hoover struggled, leading some to call on head coach Curt Cignetti to bench him.
Josh Hoover Facing Criticism Against Michigan
The Indiana quarterback had 33 interceptions through three seasons as a starter at TCU, but did not have one for the Hoosiers until Saturday. He struggled throughout the game, completing 7-of-17 passes for 70 yards with one interception through the first three quarters of Saturday’s game.
By the 10-minute mark of the fourth quarter, Hoover had still yet to complete a pass in the second half.
SI.com reporter Ryan Phillips was among those calling on the Hoosiers to bench Hoover.
“I know Cignetti has faith in him, but he may need to pull Hoover for his own good. This so ugly, Phillips shared in a post on X.
Others suggested that Indiana needed to make a more long-term change at quarterback.
“Josh Hoover has looked pretty bad the last three weeks… Can’t see Indiana winning it all this year unless he makes a drastic turnaround this season,” added reporter Alex Golden in a post on X.
Hoover had a difficult task this season, taking over for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza just one season after he led the Hoosiers to a national championship. Hoover had been able to lead Indiana to a 6-1 record going into Saturday’s game, completing 63% of his passes for 1,660 yards with 18 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Indiana Leans on Defense Against Michigan
Indiana’s defense helped pick up the slack amid Hoover’s struggles, holding true freshman quarterback Tommy Carr largely in check during his first career start. Michigan’s running game was ground to a halt, with just 41 yards on 22 carries through the fourth quarter.
Indiana Urged to Make QB Josh Hoover Change Amid Michigan Struggles