By Nick Jenkinson-SCINN Sports Director
#5 Indiana Hoosiers welcome the Howard University Bison to Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium for a Noon Kickoff Saturday on the Big Ten Network. The Hoosiers are 1-0 after a 52-16 thumping of the North Texas Mean Green on Saturday Afternoon. Howard is 1-1 on the season after a 31-24 win over Alabama A&M in the MEAC/SWAC Kickoff in Atlanta Georgia and a 28-21 home loss to Richmond at Greene Stadium in Washington D.C. The Bison come to Bloomington for the first time for first meeting with the Hoosiers. The Bison have two Indiana Natives on the roster with Graduate Student Eden James and Sophomore Kurtland Moore both from Indianapolis.
James is a 5-9 195-pound running back who played at First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Florida. James has played in 37 games for the Bison rushing for 1,490 yards and 7 touchdowns on 297 carries. This Season James has carried the ball 3 times for 2 yards in the first two games. James has caught 40 passes for 334 yards and 1 touchdown and has returned one kick for 1 for 19 yards in his career. Moore is 6-5-235-pound tight end Sophomore who graduated from Arsenal Technical High School and has not played for the Bison this season.
Quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins is the leader of the Bison offense as the 6-3 205-pound Senior from Las Vegas has thrown for 424 yards and 4 touchdown passes along with an interception. Scroggins has completed only 44% of his passes going 28-63 and been sacked 8 times in the first two games. Scroggins can get himself out of trouble by running 28 times for 88 yards this season. Scroggins will face an Indiana Defense that is always going to bring the blitz and got to former Indiana and current North Texas Quarterback Tayven Jackson once and picked off Jackson once on Saturday. Howard’s Offensive Line has its work cut out for them facing a Power Four Team for the first time this season.
Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti spoke highly of Scroggins when he addressed the Media on Monday during his weekly press conference. “He’s their leading rusher, and obviously the quarterback, too. He’s a really good athlete. They’ve got good team speed. I mean, they’ve got skill. Even on defense, they’ve got quickness and speed. So, the quarterback, he’s played a lot for them and he’s a dual guy” Cignetti said.
Junior Running Back Travis Kerney has 26 carries for 81 yards on the season as the Bison have run the ball 76 times for 245 yards and 1 touchdown that was scored by Billy Roberson II against Richmond. Wide Receiver Se’Quan Osborne leads the Bison with 4 catches for 101 yards and one touchdown. Antonio Hunter, Nathanial Clark and Markus Hopson have all caught a touchdown pass from Scroggins. Matt Conrad has hit all three field goals and all five extra points her has attempted.
On Defense Linebacker Adian Foster, Defensive Back Kaleb Gallop and Linebacker Rodney Roane lead the Bison with 14 tackles each. Foster and Roane both have 1 sack each and Gallop has half a sack along with Faisal Mass and Ishaun Abdul-Ali has the other sack. Rodney Roane has an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Adian Foster has a forced fumble. Howard led 20-14 at halftime against Alabama A&M and outscored the Bulldogs 11-8 in the second half. Richmond led 20-0 at halftime last Saturday and the Bison outscored the Spiders 21-8 in the second half to hold on to the win.
Howard’s Head Coach is Ted White who is in his first season in charge of his alma mater. The 50-Year-Old Baton Rouge, Louisiana Native played Quarterback for the Bison from 1995-1998 and was not selected in the 1998 NFL Draft. During the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA football season, White had a kidney injury in October 1995. He did not play for the remainder of the season and returned to the Bisons in 1996. At the end of the year, White and Howard defeated Southern at the 1996 Heritage Bowl. During the 1996–97 season, White and his team received the Black college football national championship after their ten wins and two losses.
During this season, White broke the Howard record for most career passing yards that was held by Jay Walker. For the MEAC, White had the most passing yards in 1996 and 1998. After leaving Howard University in 1998, White set Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference career records with 9,808 passing yards and 92 passing touchdowns. His career records in the MEAC have remained for over 20 years. As an NCAA I-AA football player, White held the season record for passing efficiency in 1996 with 176.2 points. By 2006, White was in the top 10 for most passing touchdowns and the top 25 for most passing yards for his career records. White became a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Howard University Hall of Fame in 2014. While playing football at Howard, White was nicknamed “Sweet Flight”.
The Hoosiers come into Saturday’s game with 28-2 mark under Head Coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers are 52-27-1 all-time as a ranked team. Indiana is improved to 28-3 in season-opening non-conference home games since 1953 which is when the modern era of the Big Ten Conference began. Indiana is 36-13 in non-conference season openers since 1953 and 76-25-8 overall in non-conference season openers. The Hoosiers are 86-45-8 all-time in season-opening games with a 3-0 mark under head coach Curt Cignetti. Indiana has the longest current winning streak in the nation at 17 games and the longest current home winning streak at 16 games and has not lost a home game since Curt Cignetti arrived in Bloomington.
Quaterback Josh Hoover had a 13-for-16 passing day with 231 yards passing and four touchdowns in his Indiana debut with his first touchdown pass as a Hoosier came on the game’s opening drive on a 15-yard completion to Nick Marsh. The four touchdown passes are the most by an Indiana quarterback in their Hoosier debut in program history. The four touchdown passes are tied for the most in a season opener with Nate Sudfeld in 2013 vs. Indiana State when he threw four touchdown passes against the Sycamores. Marsh had his tenth career receiving touchdown and his first score as a Hoosier on a 15-yard connection with Josh Hoover in the first quarter and made a great one-handed catch.
Hoover suffered a nose injury on Saturday when is helmet got turned around by a North Texas Defensive Player and the Mean Green were given a 15-yard face mask penalty. Hoover returned to the huddle with blood all over this face and did not come out of the game and not only did the fanbase appreciate his toughness his teammates did as well. “That was badass. This kid is a tough kid. I came back to the huddle, and he had blood all over his face, but he didn’t go out, which was motivating for our whole offense. If he is out here bloodied up, then we can suffer through a couple more plays and play for one another” Indiana Wide Receiver Charlie Becker told the media Tuesday Evening.
Running Back Turbo Richard had his 12th and 13th career rushing score in his Indiana debut after scoring on a 2-yard run in the first and a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter. It was his fifth career multi-touchdown game and fourth career multi-rushing touchdown game. Wide Receiver Charlie Becker Led the team with four receptions, 65 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Becker Recorded his first multi-touchdown game of his career, hauling in two receiving scores. He had a 9-yard score in the second quarter and a 35-yard touchdown in the third. Wide Receiver Davion Chandler Had his second career receiving touchdown on his second career reception when he connected with Josh Hoover for a 42-yard score in the fourth quarter. His last catch and touchdown came in Week 14 at Purdue (11/28) in 2025 when he scored on a 65-yard grab. Backup Quarterback Grant Wilson scored his first touchdown as a Hoosier when he had a 43-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Kicker Nico Radicic converted on a career-long 49-yard field goal in the second quarter. His previous long was 46 yards which he made twice in 2025, last at Maryland (11/1). His 10 points against the Mean Green improved his career total to 245, passing Pete Stoyanovich (248; 1985-88) for No. 6 on the career charts. He trails Scott Bonnell (261; 1989-1992) for No. 5 on the list. With 165 consecutive extra points made, Radicic’s streak is the best in program history and sits No. 3 in Big Ten history. No. 2 on the list is Wisconsin’s Rafael Gaglianone at 167 (2014-18). His seven extra points last Saturday put his career total at 165 to become the program’s all-time leader in extra points. He passed Mitch Ewald (161; 2010-13) for the top spot.
On Defense Linebacker charted his first career double-digit tackle game with a career-high 12 stops. Kansas State Transfer Chiddi Obiazor posted his first tackle for loss as a Hoosier with a solo stop in the third quarter. Tobi Osunsanmi who played at Kansas State with Obiazor logged his first tackle as a Hoosier and tied a career-high 2.0 tackles for loss. The last time he reached the mark was Week 0 of 2025 against Iowa State (8/23) when at Kansas State. Defensive Quan Sanks had his first career interception when he intercepted Tayven Jackson for a 31-yard return in the fourth quarter.
Head Coach Curt Cignetti was pleased with his offense when he addressed the Media during his weekly press conference saying “Started fast. Won the first quarter, 14-0. Won the fourth quarter, 21-0. So, offense scored seven out of eight possessions. Six touchdowns, 4-for-4 in the red area.” Cignetti acknowledged that his defense needs to improve and with temperatures in the 90’s on Saturday afternoon it played a factor in the game. “Defense had a hard time getting off the field. And the opponent had the ball 37 minutes, a combination of some critical missed assignments, poor tackling. So gotta get better there. Obviously, it was hot. I was told they measured it at 152 on the turf” Cignetti Said.
The Hoosiers are dealing with injuries after week 1 starting cornerbacks Jamari Sharpe and A.J. Harris are both day-to-day after suffering injuries during the first quarter of week one against North Texas. That’s the good news IU football coach Curt Cignetti provided on Monday. The not so good news but not a complete loss was Cignetti’s update on one of his top running backs. “Khobie Martin will be out for a little bit. Expect him back sometime around midseason,” Cignetti said Monday. Martin was injured while pass blocking on his second snap of the game. He posted a picture on social media Sunday of his arm in a sling, with his right forearm area wrapped.
Indiana has depth at running back, with the roles of Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe, Jr. now likely expanded. The Hoosiers will also take a closer look at second-year Sean Cuono and first-year Jayreon Campbell in the weeks to come. At the very least, one of them should step into the role Martin held a year ago the third back with relatively limited snaps when the games are close. As was the case a year ago for Charlie Becker and Stephen Daley, injuries provide opportunities. That will be the case for Cuono and Campbell, and Cignetti was already impressed by what he saw from second-year cornerback Jaylen Bell on Saturday. “Jaylen Bell played extensively to the field, and I thought did a nice job,” he said. Indiana Linebacker Rolijah Hardy told the Media Tuesday Night he was pleased with how Bell stepped up during Saturday’s game. “Jay (Jaylen) Bell, you could see his improvement during the summer and fall camp; you could tell he was going to be a great player. For him to be able to step in is good to see; it gives us that sense that we have great depth at the corner position.”
At the very least, the staff now knows it has a fourth corner it can trust in a pinch along with Ryland Gandy, who also filled in Saturday and started a game a season ago. Two other anticipated contributors missed the entire game Saturday due to relatively minor injuries. Freshman defensive tackle Blake Smythe and freshman tight end Trevor Gibbs are both expected to have roles in 2026. Both missed the game with what appear to be relatively minor injuries. “Gibbs was not available (against North Texas). He might return this week,” Cignetti said. “We’re going to take it slow. We need him long term. He’s close to returning, as is Blake Smythe, who wasn’t available for the game on Saturday.”
Cignetti was happy with the Special Teams “Made some big things happen on special teams. Opening kickoff return, another long return, a really good punt return. Field goal, PAT was really good. Won the turnover battle, 1-0, which resulted in seven points. Improvements to be made and looking forward to making those this week.” One thing that Cignetti was not pleased with was the celebration that Davion Chandler had after he scored his touchdown against North Texas on Saturday. “Now he’s not supposed to spike the ball. Trying to look for reasons to play him, he’s giving me reasons not to. I mean, that’s youth.” Cignetti said after the game on Saturday. Cignetti cracked a smile after that one. He’s serious, but he’s also sending a message.
Is the 65-year-old coach really that old school? No, not really. For Cignetti, it isn’t so much about the celebration. Indiana’s players celebrate plenty. For him it’s more about the “look at me” mindset he sees when players spike the ball or celebrate on their own in other ways. He’s had similar issues with other players in the past, including safety Amare Ferrell’s celebration of an interception against UCLA in 2024 when he ran to the end zone, and safety Louis Moore’s similar celebration of his own pick against Kennesaw State in 2025. Ferrell and Moore stayed out of Cignetti’s doghouse after he let them hear it, and Chandler is not likely to spike the ball again. The players come to realize their head coach wants the players to celebrate as a team rather than as individuals.
Indiana will have more chances to score and celebrate on Saturday as the Hoosiers are a roughly 55.5-point favorite. In their last two games against FCS schools, IU beat Western Illinois 77-3, and Indiana State 73-0. ESPN’s FPI model gives IU a 99% chance to win. The Hoosiers are No. 6 in FPI while Howard is not ranked. Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff was in town for North Texas, and another television pregame show will set up shop in Bloomington as the Big Ten Network’s tailgate show is on site. B1G Tailgate features on-site host Camryn Irwin alongside former Ohio State safety Tyvis Powell, for interviews with a rotation of guests and on-site analysis. Rick Pizzo, Vereen and Sydney Supple will join the duo from Chicago, with B1G Tailgate airing at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday morning. There is plenty of hype surrounding the Hoosiers on the field the message is simple go 1-0 every week and keep the main thing the main thing.