BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Curt Cignetti had one simple message for his team at halftime: relax and play Indiana football.
The Hoosiers responded with a completely different level of urgency.
No. 4 Indiana turned a sluggish opening half into a dominant second-half performance, rolling past Western Kentucky 38-0 on Saturday at Memorial Stadium to remain unbeaten and extend the nation’s longest active winning streak to 19 games.
Quarterback Josh Hoover threw two touchdown passes, Lee Beebe Jr. scored twice on the ground and the Indiana defense delivered another suffocating performance as the Hoosiers improved to 3-0.
Indiana also extended its active home winning streak to 18 games.
“We needed to go out there and put a drive together to get our defense rejuvenated in the second half,” Western Kentucky coach Tyson Helton said. “It’s hard to keep going out there if you’re going three-and-out, three-and-out.”
That was precisely the problem for the Hilltoppers once Indiana found its rhythm.
Hoosiers Turn the Game Around
For much of the first half, Indiana looked nothing like the defending national champion that entered the afternoon as a heavy favorite.
Western Kentucky controlled the clock, holding nearly a nine-minute advantage in time of possession, while Indiana managed only seven points during the first 29½ minutes.
Cignetti wasn’t concerned.
“Usually in these kinds of situations when we’re not quite where we want to be against a team that most people think we’re better than — and we are — I just talk to them and say, ‘Let’s play our game. Just relax,’” Cignetti said.
The message eventually took hold.
With Western Kentucky threatening to keep the game close, Indiana’s defense delivered the play that changed everything.
Hilltoppers quarterback Brock Glenn threw an interception to Isaiah Jones on third-and-5 with 1:07 remaining before halftime. Jones returned the ball 21 yards to the Western Kentucky 3-yard line.
Two plays later, Beebe powered into the end zone.
Suddenly, a game that had been competitive for much of the opening half had shifted dramatically. Indiana carried a 14-0 advantage into halftime.
Second Half Belongs to Indiana
Once the Hoosiers returned from the locker room, the game quickly turned into a rout.
Indiana opened the second half with a 21-yard field goal before Hoover connected with Charlie Becker for a spectacular 79-yard touchdown.
Beebe added his second rushing touchdown from 2 yards out with 1:38 remaining in the third quarter, pushing Indiana’s lead to 31-0.
The Hoosiers added another touchdown in the fourth quarter to complete the shutout.
Hoover finished 18 of 24 for 273 yards and two touchdowns without committing a turnover.
Turbo Richard provided the production on the ground, carrying 15 times for 149 yards and a touchdown.
Becker was equally explosive through the air, catching five passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Nick Marsh also turned in his best performance as a Hoosier, finishing with seven receptions for 81 yards.
Defense Continues to Dominate
While Indiana’s offense eventually found its rhythm, the defense once again set the tone.
The Hoosiers have now posted consecutive shutouts and have not allowed an opponent to score since late in the third quarter of their season opener against North Texas.
Indiana’s defense also produced a critical goal-line stand in the first half, stopping Western Kentucky and setting the stage for a 98-yard touchdown drive.
That kind of complementary football allowed the Hoosiers to survive their slow start before eventually taking control.
Hilltoppers Struggle to Generate Offense
Western Kentucky managed only 120 passing yards from Glenn, who completed 17 of 32 attempts and threw one interception.
Glenn also rushed 11 times for 30 yards.
The Hilltoppers struggled to sustain drives once Indiana’s defense settled in, repeatedly putting their defense back on the field.
Helton acknowledged how difficult that became as the game progressed.
“We needed to go out there and put a drive together,” Helton said. “It’s hard to keep going out there if you’re going three-and-out, three-and-out.”
Western Kentucky fell to 0-3 after opening the season with consecutive games against No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Indiana.
Cignetti Reaches Another Milestone
Saturday’s victory also marked another milestone for Cignetti.
The win moved him to 30-2 since taking over at Indiana, making him just the eighth coach in the program’s history to reach 30 victories.
Still, the Hoosiers know they will have to be sharper when conference play begins.
The defending national champions struggled to establish themselves offensively during the opening half, and that type of slow start could become costly against Big Ten competition.
Indiana Missing Two Veteran Defenders
Indiana was without defensive linemen Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt, both of whom were starters on last year’s championship team.
Their absence followed the expiration of a temporary restraining order that had previously allowed both players to remain on the field.
Daley and Wyatt are awaiting another ruling from Monroe County Circuit Court in Bloomington regarding their eligibility. Both players suffered season-ending injuries before last year’s College Football Playoff run and were not selected or signed by NFL teams.
They are members of Indiana’s 2022 freshman class seeking a fifth season of eligibility.
Injury Stops Game
The game was temporarily halted with 6:22 remaining after Western Kentucky offensive lineman Karsten Upchurch suffered an injury.
Upchurch was placed on a backboard and transported from the field on a golf cart as players from both teams took a knee and his teammates gathered around him.
Helton said he had not yet spoken with the medical staff and did not know the extent of the injury.
“It looked like he had a back injury of some kind. I’m not sure,” Helton said. “I haven’t talked to our doctors yet. He was moving, he was talking, hopefully, he’s going to be OK.”
Looking Ahead:
Western Kentucky will return home next Saturday to host Mercyhurst in its home opener.
Indiana now turns its attention to Big Ten competition. The Hoosiers open conference play Friday night against Northwestern.
For Indiana, the challenge will be carrying the second-half performance into league play while eliminating the sluggish stretches that allowed Western Kentucky to hang around for much of the opening half.
The Hoosiers remain unbeaten, the defense continues to shut opponents out, and the winning streak has reached 19 games.
Now the real test begins.
