BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana started slowly, but quickly found its rhythm in their second game of the season. The Hoosiers shook off an early three-and-out and rolled past Kennesaw State 56-9 at Memorial Stadium, moving to 2-0.

After punting on the opening possession, the Hoosiers’ defense returned the favor and forced a quick stop. The offense answered with an eight play, 81 yard drive that resulted in a Riley Nowakowski TD run.

Another quick stop of KSU ended with a partially tipped punt that only went for 26 yards and gave IU good field possession midway through the first. The Hoosiers took advantage of the short field and wasted no time streching the lead. Six plays later, Fernando Mendoza hit Elijah Sarratt for the first of his three TD catches on a slot fade to make it 14-0. The rhythm was set.

Mendoza Brothers at QB

Mendoza, a transfer from Cal, delivered his best performance yet. He went 18-for-25 for 245 yards and four touchdowns, three of them to Elijah Sarratt, who hauled in nine catches for 97 yards. Mendoza’s younger brother, Alberto, added his first career TD pass in the fourth quarter, finding Charlie Becker from six yards out.

Owls Push the Tempo

Kennesaw State’s uptempo attack created some challenges. The Owls strung together a few chunk plays, trimming the lead to 21-9 early in the third quarter behind three field goals from Daniel Kinney. Their no-huddle pace forced IU’s defense to adjust, but Indiana’s depth and speed eventually wore them down.

In the third quarter, Jamari Sharpe stripped a KSU receiver and recovered the ball without it hitting the ground. On the next play, Omar Cooper Jr. took a reverse 75 yards for a touchdown. The momentum swing ended Kennesaw’s push and blew the game open, silencing any comeback hopes.

IU rushed for 316 yards. Lee Beebe Jr. led with 90 yards and a touchdown. Cooper added his 75-yard score. Seven players carried the ball as IU posted back-to-back 300-yard rushing games.

Indiana’s front seven piled up 14 tackles for loss and two sacks. Kellan Wyatt and Aiden Fisher each had 2.5 TFLs. The Hoosiers held KSU to 271 total yards and no touchdowns, forcing field goals of 28, 29 and 50 yards.

Next Up

Indiana turns around quickly with a Friday night matchup against Indiana State at Memorial Stadium. Conference play begins Sept. 20 vs. Illinois, who sits at 2-0 after a road win at Duke.

Thank you for reading my No. 23 Indiana Blasts Kennesaw State, 56-9 article. Without a doubt, our Pete Sports NCAA Page is your premier destination for all things college sports. Dive into the world of sports with us! For NCAA and all other sports articles check out Pete Sports. Follow me Twitter/X. Go to my You Tube Channel where you can subscribe to my videos. Featured image credit: Indiana University.