By Nick Jenkinson-SCINN Sports Director <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The #6 and defending National Champions Indiana Hoosiers open the 2026 Season Saturday afternoon when the North Texas Mean Green visit Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium for a Noon Kickoff Televised on FOX. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All eight home games are sold out, and fans are encouraged to be in their seats at least a half hour before kickoff as there will be pre-game ceremonies acknowledging the Hoosiers 2025 National Championship Season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Head Coach Curt Cignetti begins this third season in charge of the Hoosiers with a 27-2 record including a 16-0 perfect season and the schools first ever National Championship in Football what has been considered one of the best turnarounds in all of sports. Indiana finished 11-2 in 2024 in Cignetti’s first season with losses at Ohio State and Notre Dame as both of those teams played in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2025 The Hoosiers finished 12-0 in the regular season for the first time in program history. Indiana was ranked number 2 going into the Big Ten Championship Game against #1 and defending National Champions Ohio State. The Hoosiers beat the Buckeyes 13-10 at Lucas Oil Stadium to win the Big Ten Championship and became the number 1 ranked team in the nation and top seed in the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hoosiers dominated the Alabama Crimson Tide 38-3 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California in the Quarterfinals on New Years Day. 8 days later the Hoosiers handled the Oregon Ducks 56+22 in the Peach Bowl for the second time this season after 30-20 win over the Ducks in Eugene on October 11, 2025. Indiana closed out the perfect season with a 27-21 win over the Miami Hurricanes on January 19, in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indiana Quarterback Fernando Mendoza who won the schools first Heisman Trophy Award and was the Number 1 overall draft pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in April’s NFL Draft scored a touchdown to put the Hoosiers up 24-14 with 9:18 left in the game when on a 4th and 4 at Miami 12 yard win when he took off for the end zone and stretch himself over the goal line taking a massive it and making history as he and the rest of the 2025 Hoosiers will be remembered forever for the historic run they had that ended with a National Championship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now the focus shifts to the upcoming season and can Indiana keep up what they have accomplished the last two years and get back to the promised land once again. The Hoosiers have a lot of pieces to replace but Curt Cignetti went into the transfer portal as he has done the last two years and reloaded that makes the Hoosiers the team to beat with the target on their backs coming into this season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though the Hoosiers have the target on their back this season the season opener against North Texas does not it any different and the goal remains the same. “I don’t think it hits any different. The recipe is the recipe, we have to handle everything we have to handle, do what we have to do this week and prepare the right way. Ultimately, the next opponent is our best opponent” Indiana Fifth Year Defensive Lineman Tyrique Tucker Said Tuesday Night when he spoke to the media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0 \u00a0TCU Transfer Josh Hoover takes over as the quarterback. Hoover was committed to Tom Allen when he was the coached but decommitted and decided to stay in his home State of Texas and play for the Horned Frogs. In four seasons at TCU Hoover threw for 9,629 yards with 71 touchdown passes and 33 interceptions and 8 rushing touchdowns. Now he arrives in Bloomington for his final season and a full circle moment now playing for the team he was originally committed to and a much better situation than when Tom Allen was in charge.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hoover has embraced his role as a leader for the Hoosiers and his teammates have embraced it. \u00a0“He’s really stepped into his leadership role, and that’s something that Coach Tino (Sunseri) preaches, you know. If you’re going to be the leader of the offense at the quarterback position, you really have to run against your guys and run offense the way that you want. So, he’s been very vocal, and he’s shown a lot of great flashes throughout fall camp against our defense” Fifth Year Offensive Lineman Carter Smith Said Tuesday Night when he spoke to the media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hoosiers lost their top Running Back Roman Hemby, Wide Receiver Omar Cooper Jr. and leader in interceptions Louis Moore to the NFL. Leading Tackler Rolijah Hardy is back after leading the Hoosiers with 103 total tackles. Indiana has a good balance of returners and transfers and a chip on their shoulder after ranked 6 in the polls and picked to finish third in the Big Ten behind Ohio State and Oregon gives the Hoosiers more chips on the shoulder and that fuels Curt Cignetti and his squad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indiana has not lost at home since Curt Cignetti took over 15-0 at home and with 8 home games this season to extend that streak to 23 games at the end of this regular season. Indiana does not leave home for the first month of the year hosting Howard Western Kentucky and Northwestern before they hit the road for the first time facing Rutgers on October 3 and then heading to Lincoln to battle Nebraska on October 10. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hoosiers return home on October 17 when they Host Ohio State before heading to Ann Arbor on October 24 to face the Michigan Wolverines. Indiana faces in the Minnesota Golden Gophers at home on Halloween. Indiana will welcome USC to Bloomington for the first time as the Big Ten Member on November 14. The Hoosiers will make their one trip to the Pacific Northwest on November 21 to face the Washington Huskies before hosting the Purdue Boilermakers for the Old Oaken Bucket Game on November 28. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
North Texas is coming off a 12-2 season in 2025 including a 49-47 win over San Diego State in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl. The Mean Green finished 7-1 in the American Conference and their only losses came on October 10, 2025, to South Florida 63-36 at home and at Tulane 34-21 in the Conference Championship Game on December 5. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
North Texas Head Coach Eric Morris was named the Head Coach at Oklahoma State in the off-season and took several of his top players from Denton, Texas to Stillwater, Oklahoma with a 22-16 record and 13-11 in the American Conference..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker threw 4, 379 yards, 34 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and sacked 18 times. Running Back Caleb Hawkins rushed for 1,434 yards and 25 touchdowns on 231 carries. Wyatt Young caught 70 passes for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025 and all three have transfered to Oklahoma State. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On defense Ethan Wesloski led the Mean Green with 113 total tackles with 59 Solo and 54 assists and 1.5 sacks a season ago and along with the three top offensive stars went to Oklahoma State. Trey Fields who was the second leading tackler on the team with 100 total tackles graduated Safety Will Jones II who led the team with 3 interceptions both graduated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
First year Head Coach Neal Brown who spent the 2025 season at the University of Texas as the assistant to Head Coach Steve Sarkisian had to hit the ground running to rebuilt the roster. The 46 Year old Brown is 72-51 overall coaching at Troy from 2015-18 and West Virginia from 2019-24 is 5-1 in Bowl Games. The Kentucky Native played Wide Receiver for Kentucky Wildcats from 1998-2000 and The University of Massachusetts from 2001-02. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the Mean Green lineup on offense for the first time. Indiana Fans will see a familiar face at Quarterback as Tayven Jackson who graduated from Center Grove High School in Greenwood and is the younger brother of former Hoosier and NBA Player Trayce Jackson-Davis played for the Hoosiers in 2023-24 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jackson started his career at Tennessee in 2022 and went 3-4 for 37 yards with a sack and ran 4 times for 10 yards with one touchdown. Jackson returned to his home state to play for then Head Coach Tom Allen and the Hoosiers in 2023. Jackson was 78-128 for 914 yards with 2 touchdown and 5 interceptions and 1 rushing touchdown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jackson stayed when Curt Cignetti was named the Head Coach in 2024 and was the backup for Kurtis Rourke. Jackson was 23-37 for 349 yards with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception along with 3 rushing touchdowns for 73 yards. Jackson replaced Rourke when the Hoosiers beat Nebraska 56-7 on October 19, 2024, when Rourke suffered a thumb Injury. Jackson went 7-8 for 91 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Next Week Jackson started in a 31-17 win over the Washington Huskies at home going completing 11 of his 19 passes for 124 yards with a touchdown and interception and a rushing touchdown. Jackson finished out the season with a rushing touchdown in a 66-0 win over Purdue in the final regular season game on November 30. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hoosiers finished 11-2 and lost to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff first round in South Bend. Jackson decided to leave Bloomington and went to UCF in Orlando, Florida. In his lone season with the Golden Knights he completed 200 of his 315 passes for 2,151 yards with 10 touchdowns and 8 interceptions and ran 54 times for 3 touchdowns as UCF finished 5-7 in 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 In his career Jackson is 304-484 for 3,451 yards with 16 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions and rushed 101-147 and 8 touchdowns and caught 1 pass for 4 yards at UCF. With one season left Jackson decided to transfer to North Texas and has been named the starter and now returns to his home state and lines up against his former team to start his North Texas Career in a moment that he will never forget.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti was asked in his weekly press conference on Monday about scouting his former quarterback. “Tayven played really good football for us in ’24. Came in at halftime in a Nebraska game and played a great second half. Started the next week against Washington, a game that we won. He saw action. He’s very talented. He’s got a live arm. He can run. He’s a good athlete. Started a number of games last season. He’s a good player.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0 Jackson told the local media in Denton Texas during the preseason that he is” Very Excited and I’m going back home” Jackson has this one circled since he arrived in Denton this summer but is keeping this game against this former team in perspective. ” I have it in the back of my mind that it’s against Indiana, but you know it’s just a regular game.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Indiana Fifth Year Linebacker Isaiah Jones who was Jackson’s Teammate when he was a Hoosier told the media Tuesday Night ”\u00a0It kind of depends on what kind of offense a quarterback is in, but (Tayven Jackson) is an outstanding player. He is athletic. He has strong arms. So, we’re preparing like we would any other quarterback, but it is just a guy we have gone against a few times in practice.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0 \u00a0Sophomore Dominic De Fritas is a Nappanee, Indiana Native and Graduated from North Wood High School. De Fritas played at Appalachian State his Freshman Season and was named All Third-Team Sun Belt. Running Back Nick Osho started his career at Indiana State.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0 Indiana and North Texas will meet for third time and the first time since October 4, 2014, when the Hoosiers beat the Mean Green 49-24 in Bloomington. North Texas beat the Hoosiers in Denton 24-21 on September 24, 2011, as the series is tied 1-1.\u00a0 Indiana is 2-0 in season openers under Curt Cignetti. Indiana beat Florida International 31-7 on August 31, 2024, and Old Dominion 27-14 on August 30, 2025.\u00a0 With the success that Indiana University Football has had since Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, he has one simple message to everyone that will be in attendance on Saturday. \u00a0“Let’s be loud and proud. Let’s give them something to be loud about. It’s worth two touchdowns in my mind, no question about it.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though the Hoosiers won those games by double digits they were up to the standards that Curt Cignetti has expected since he arrived in Bloomington. Even though the Hoosiers won a National Title and completed a perfect season a year ago there are some that still believe that the Hoosiers will not have the same success as they did before and for Curt Cignetti and The Hoosiers to come out and make a big statement early on and no letup will go a long way in proving that Indiana University Football is not and will not be a one hit wonder. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Nick Jenkinson-SCINN Sports Director The #6 and defending National Champions Indiana Hoosiers open the 2026 Season Saturday afternoon when the North Texas Mean Green visit Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium for a Noon Kickoff Televised on FOX. All eight home games are sold out, and fans are encouraged to be in …<\/p>\n