Big Ten QB Left Bloody After Brutal In-Game Hit, Refuses to Leave & Delivers Stunning TD Pass
When Heisman winner Fernando Mendzoza left IU, he left massive shoes to be filled by another signal caller. Right now, though, as Josh Hoover is performing against North Texas, it won’t be a surprise if he turns out even better. Of course, everyone expects IU to win against G-6’s Mean Green. But the way Hoover is turning up in the game, it’s a breathtaking sight.
Indiana was hosting North Texas in its season opener, and Hoover had helped the Hoosiers establish a 14-3 lead before the facemask penalty. However, on 1st-and-10 at North Texas’ 29-yard line, the Mean Green faced a 15-yard penalty in the second quarter. It happened after Udoka Ezeani sacked QB1 Josh Hoover for a loss of 6 yards and grabbed his facemask violently in the process.
IU did get a first down, and the offense pushed 15 yards further into the red zone. Moments after, blood was reportedly pouring profusely out of Hoover’s nose. Although the incident stopped the game for a moment, Hoover again put on his helmet and went back to slinging that ball.
The broadcast did not show Josh Hoover undergoing a concussion evaluation before he returned to the field, despite the heavy hit that left him bleeding from the nose.
The NCAA concussion policy requires a player to be removed and evaluated if he displays signs, symptoms, or behavior consistent with a possible concussion, including confusion, balance issues, amnesia, delayed responses, or loss of consciousness. There was no visible indication that Hoover showed any of those symptoms, and a bloody nose by itself is not proof of a concussion. Still, the quick return stood out after such a violent facemask penalty.
However, FOX sideline reporter Jenny Taft said he was evaluated for a concussion on the sideline after the touchdown drive. It was reported that he was repeating the trainers’ tests, had his nose treated and bandaged, and was cleared to return.
After two rushing plays for 5 yards, Hoover delivered his response. On third-and-5, he took the snap and completed an inch-perfect pass to Charlie Becker in the end zone. The touchdown gave Indiana a 21-3 lead, putting the Hoosiers firmly in control before halftime.
Just a bit of a facemask on Josh Hoover…He stayed in the game with blood pouring out his nose? pic.twitter.com/M8tXstKb1y— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 5, 2026
“Look, numbers are numbers and stats are stats. Josh started 31 games here as a quarterback, and [he] turned the ball over 42 times,” Josh Hoover’s former head coach at TCU, Sonny Dykes said in March. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum predicted IU to “come back down to earth” due to Hoover’s inability to replace Mendoza’s quality. But behind that noise, Hoover was putting in relentless hardwork.
After Sonny Dykes’ comments put Hoover’s turnover history back in the spotlight, Curt Cignetti did not deny that ball security remained the quarterback’s biggest area for improvement. Instead, Indiana’s coach argued that Hoover would be entering a much different situation in Bloomington than the one he left at TCU.
“Got to clean up some of the turnovers, obviously, which Coach Dykes made light of,” Cignetti said during spring practice. “But when Josh got here, he met his two new best friends: great defense and a really good run game, and he was never the same after that.”
Cignetti’s point was clear. Hoover will still have to make better decisions with the football, but Indiana does not need him to carry every possession by himself. With a dependable run game and a defense capable of creating favorable game scripts, the former TCU quarterback can avoid forcing difficult throws and play a more controlled brand of football.
Hoover already had an experienced resume when he arrived in Bloomington. He had passed a total of 9,629 yards for 71 touchdowns in his four years at TCU. What remained to be seen in him was his rushing ability.
Before he arrived, Hoover had negative 10 rushing yards in his career. Never mind, his interceptions were always an issue. But then, he also came to a program that had won the national title without a single 5-star rated player. Gradually, Hoover started finding his footing.
Josh Hoover had an unrelenting work ethic throughout the offseason
The former TCU QB didn’t wait until spring to start his throwing sessions. He paired himself up with junior WR Charlie Becker and others and started organizing off-the-script throwing sessions. Becker even opened up about that in August during the fall camp.
“Josh is one of the hardest workers that I’ve met,” Becker said. “I don’t know how he does it; my arm would fall off. He texts me probably every day asking if we want to throw.”
Hoover’s relentlessness didn’t stop at developing an ironclad chemistry with his core WRs. He also immersed himself in the film room to transition from Sonny Dykes’ air-raid offense to Mike Shanahan’s pro-style spread offense. He worked with his co-OC, Tino Sunseri, worked on his coverage reads, and memorized that playbook on the back of his hand.
By the time fall camp moved into its final weeks, Hoover had given Indiana’s staff more reason to believe he was ready for the opener. After spending spring learning the offense and building chemistry with his receivers, the former TCU quarterback appeared to be settling into a more natural rhythm.
Cignetti said Hoover had made noticeable progress during camp, praising his accuracy and the confidence with which he was operating the offense. The Indiana coach stressed that the work was still ongoing, but he believed Hoover had come a long way from the quarterback who first arrived in Bloomington.
“He’s played a lot of quarterback, and I think he’s got the innate ability to play the position,” Cignetti said before the North Texas game. “He’s extremely accurate throwing the football and throws a very catchable ball. And I think he’s come a long way in camp and he’s playing with confidence.”
That confidence also showed in Hoover’s growing rapport with the receiving corps, particularly Charlie Becker. Indiana had made those connections a daily point of emphasis in practice, giving Hoover a foundation to carry into his first start as the Hoosiers’ new QB1.
Most importantly, he improved on his pre-snap adjustments, which is showing in the North Texas game. By the time spring camp ended, even head coach Curt Cignetti couldn’t stop commending his new QB.
“I’d say Josh is right where Fernando [Mendoza] was last year and Kurtis [Rourke] the year before,” Cignetti said to Anthony Calhoun of WRTV. “He knows how to play quarterback; he’s thrown for a lot of yards and touchdown passes. He’s a quick-thinker, nice touch, accurate with the ball, so I like where he’s at.”
Now, instead of playing ‘hero ball’ as he often did at TCU due to their weak running game, he is becoming a very intelligent QB. IU has an explosive downhill rushing attack and an elite defense. Now, Hoover doesn’t have to make every play ‘third-and-long.’
He can take checkdowns or even go for a punt on fourth downs. In all, Josh Hoover is cruising, at least for now, on a similar trajectory that Fernando Mendoza once followed.