Indiana was expected to cruise past Northwestern, but the Hoosiers needed a late push to escape with a 29-23 victory. Josh Hoover believes the offense is still finding its rhythm.
The Indiana Hoosiers entered Friday night's matchup with Northwestern as a heavy favorite, but IU found themselves in a much different game than many expected.
Instead of cruising to another comfortable victory, Indiana had to fight for a 29-23 win over the Wildcats in its Big Ten opener.
For quarterback Josh Hoover, however, the close game did little to change his approach.
With the spotlight growing on Hoover and the expectations surrounding Indiana continuing to rise, the quarterback said his focus remains on the same daily preparation that got him to this point.
"It hasn't changed anything for me. I'm going to show up to work everyday, put the time in, prepare, continue to try and be the best Josh Hoover I could be," Hoover said. "I think we're on the right track and we're moving forward. I'm really proud of this team, proud of our guys, just the grit and toughness we showed."
Hoover went 19-of-29 for 201 yards and a touchdown in the game against Northwestern. He's also done a great job at taking care of the football and did so again against the Wildcats.
The toughness Hoover mentioned was needed against Northwestern. Indiana was unable to pull away from the Wildcats early and had to make plays throughout the night to avoid a major upset. While the final score wasn't what many expected from the No. 5 Hoosiers, Indiana ultimately found a way to make enough plays when it mattered.
Hoover was part of that effort, including a touchdown that helped maintain control of the game.
"We saw an opportunity and we took it. Great call there. It was awesome to get in the endzone," Hoover said. "I was proud of the guys on that drive, I had some big runs to get down there and the coaches did a great job all night."
The performance also highlighted an Indiana offense that is still trying to find its full rhythm.
The Hoosiers have produced plenty of explosive moments through the first four games of the season, but Saturday showed there is still room for improvement as the competition gets tougher in Big Ten play.
Hoover believes those improvements will come with more time together.
"We're still getting our rhythm and timing down and we're gonna clean those up," Hoover said. "We're gonna have a really explosive offense and I think, at times, we showed glimpses of that."
That belief could become increasingly important as Indiana moves deeper into its conference schedule.
The Hoosiers are still undefeated, but Northwestern provided a reminder that Big Ten games can be difficult regardless of what the expectations say heading into kickoff.
For Hoover, the answer isn't to panic after a closer-than-expected victory. It is to keep working, continue developing the offense and trust the explosive potential Indiana has shown will eventually become more consistent.
"I continue to do a good job with my timing and rhythm and put it out there for those guys to make plays, so I'm really proud of the way our team fought today," Hoover said.
