6 Observations from Indiana's 27-14 Win Over Old Dominion

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana coach Curt Cignetti saw a blend of good, bad and ugly during the Hoosiers' 27-14 win over Old Dominion on Saturday afternoon, and he covered it all afterward.

Indiana totaled 502 yards of offense, and apart from 75- and 78-yard rushing touchdowns from Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph, the Hoosiers' defense didn't allow the Monarchs into Indiana territory.

But the Hoosiers scored touchdowns on only two of six trips inside Old Dominion's 10-yard line, and between offensive red zone execution, two missed assignments defensively and a wealth of wasted opportunities, Cignetti ultimately left Memorial Stadium displeased.

Here are five takeaways from Indiana's season-opening win over Old Dominion ...

Mendoza up-and-down in debut

In his Indiana debut, redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza provided promising highs but battled inconsistency. He went 18-for-31 passing for 193 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions while adding six rushes for 34 yards and a touchdown.

Mendoza missed freshman receiver Lebron Bond down the right sideline for what would've been a 40-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and he had multiple misfires that were either low or behind his intended target.

His final line would've looked better if redshirt junior receiver Omar Cooper Jr. had hauled in a 50-yard pass that hit his hands in the second quarter, but Mendoza's collective performance illustrated where Indiana feels he still needs to grow.

"I thought he made some good plays," Cignetti said. "He left some plays out there. He got off rhythm a couple of times. And that's the thing we've been trying to clean up with him is speed up his process, and once the ball is snapped, keep him on rhythm."

Evaluating his own performance, Mendoza said he didn't play up to his standard.

"I need to be on better rhythm, better timing and better accuracy, especially on balls downfield," Mendoza said. "And I think I definitely left some things out there. However, I thought our O-line played great, thought our running backs played great.

"And I need to give our tight ends and receivers more opportunities in the pass game."

Cignetti said on his radio show Thursday night Mendoza made significant strides over the final two weeks of fall practice. He flashed Saturday, but he and the Hoosiers are looking for more consistency moving forward.

Indiana's run game dominates

The Hoosiers ran 89 plays and held possession for over 42 minutes Saturday, in large part because their rushing attack dominated Old Dominion's front seven.

"Seemed like we pushed them around," Cignetti said, "and we were opening up some holes."

Indiana rushed 57 times for 309 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Roman Hemby totaled 23 carries for 110 yards, while fellow senior Kaelon Black added 92 yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts. Redshirt junior Lee Beebe Jr. fumbled his first carry but rebounded to finish with 11 rushes for 73 yards.

Hemby, whose last 100-yard rushing game with Maryland came last season at Indiana, said the Hoosiers' offensive line deserves credit for the team's productivity on the ground.

"The O-line did a great job all day, helping us run the ball," Hemby said. "We had over (300) rushing yards, and as a running back, that's all you can wish for."

Mendoza believes Indiana's success on the ground elevates the team's offensive ceiling.

"Our running backs and our O-line were doing fantastic today," Mendoza said. "Establishing the run, that's No. 1. When you establish the run, then you can establish the pass, and then you kind of get nifty and really start being an explosive offense."

Red zone offense creates cause for concern

Cignetti's concerns over Indiana's red zone efficiency started Thursday, when the Hoosiers first implemented their plan for low-red zone and goal line situations.

"Maybe it wasn't a very good plan," Cignetti said. "I was really concerned about it leading up to the kickoff. There wasn't a lot of goal line (plays) on tape because people were scoring explosive touchdowns (against Old Dominion). We certainly had those opportunities to do that and didn't -- ended up on the goal line. So I'd start with the plan."

Cignetti also said he expects to see execution mistakes when he watches the film Sunday morning. He heard comments on his headset about things certain players were supposed to do on specific plays, and they didn't execute.

Mendoza took the blame for a pair of back shoulder passes to Cooper and senior receiver Elijah Sarratt that fell incomplete. Hemby accepted blame for the Hoosiers' lack of success running the ball in goal-to-go situations.

Indiana had four drives end without points inside Old Dominion's eight-yard line. Hemby said part of the challenges stemmed from knocking off rust, which is common in season-openers across college football.

The key to finishing more consistently in the red zone, Hemby said, comes down to execution and technique.

"First game is always a little tricky," Hemby said. "But we'll get back to the drawing board, watch the film and get it cleaned up."

Secondary shines, defense plays well ... apart from two plays

Indiana's discipline and technique faltered on Joseph's two lengthy rushing touchdowns, but the Hoosiers held Old Dominion to 3.3 yards per play on the other nine drives. Six of those series ended in punts, and the other three resulted in interceptions from junior safety Amare Ferrell, senior safety Louis Moore and junior cornerback D'Angelo Ponds.

The Hoosiers started Ferrell and Moore on the back line, Ponds and redshirt junior Jamari Sharpe at corner and senior North Carolina State transfer Devan Boykin at rover, which is Indiana's version of nickel corner.

"We've got guys back here that have good ball skills, and a couple of those were deflected balls, too," Cignetti said. "They were big plays in the game. Ponds, Sharpe, Ferrell -- Ferrell is a really good player. And we got Boykin from NC State, and Louis Moore -- we've got a lot of experience."

Cignetti felt Indiana's defense "dominated" Old Dominion apart from the Monarchs' two explosive plays. And while Old Dominion presents a unique challenge due to its wide offensive splits and fast pace of play, Cignetti saw plenty of encouraging plays from his defense.

Perhaps none more than Indiana's three takeaways.

"Those plays were game-changers," Cignetti said. "There's no doubt."

Brady's punt return sparks Hoosiers' win

Indiana trailed 7-0 when senior Jonathan Brady stepped onto the field with 28 seconds remaining in the first quarter. When Brady returned to the sideline, he was met with praise, high-fives and a new wave of energy.

Brady, who won Indiana's punt return job in fall camp due to his reliable hands and decision making, fielded a slow-bouncing punt at his own nine-yard line and sprinted to his right. He didn't stop until he found the goal line 91 yards later.

"I blacked out," Brady said. "The energy was amazing. My head started hurting after all my teammates giving me daps and pushing me and stuff. But it was a blessing. It was exciting to be a part of, man, just to get the juice going. I feel like the crowd, you can tell they were ready to erupt. So just to be a part of that -- our return team did their job, and it was very exciting."

According to Indiana Athletics, Brady's punt return touchdown was Indiana's first since 2021, the longest since 2004 and the fourth-longest in program history.

Hemby said it came at the "perfect" time.

"It was everything we needed in that moment," Hemby said. "I felt like it was a great way to steal momentum."

Indiana's leading receiver a surprise

The Hoosiers' receiving corps is seasoned and well-decorated. Sarratt earned Associated Press preseason second-team All-American honors, and Cooper was a popular offseason breakout candidate.

But sixth-year senior E.J. Williams Jr. led the way Saturday.

Williams turned a team-high eight targets into a team-leading five catches, and his 45 receiving yards ranked second-most behind Cooper's 52.

"That boy's a dog," Brady said. "He's been doing it. Since I've met him, all that boy does is work. So, it was good to see that he did his thing. That was cool to see."

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Williams, who was Indiana's second-leading receiver in 2023 but entered the transfer portal midway through 2024 due to his limited role and an injury issue, has worked with the Hoosiers' starting offense since he pulled his name out of the portal in December.

Cignetti said in the spring he expected Williams to have a "huge year." If nothing else, Williams is off to a fast start.