Indiana No Longer a Cinderella: Why Joel Klatt Thinks Hoosiers Are Higher in 2025

Getting into the yr, few anticipated Indiana to be higher than the 2024 group that shocked the school soccer world. However after Saturday’s 63–10 demolition of Illinois, it is arduous to not consider that Curt Cignetti’s squad has improved in Yr 2.

FOX Sports activities lead school soccer analyst Joel Klatt agrees. He pointed to the improve at quarterback —from Kurtis Rourke to Fernando Mendoza — as a key motive he believes the Hoosiers are higher than their 11-1 group in 2024.

“I didn’t suppose that they may very well be higher than they have been a yr in the past. They’re,” Klatt mentioned. “Mendoza is best than Rourke, and Rourke was actually good. This isn’t to take something away from Kurtis Rourke. Mendoza is made for this technique. Do you see the fast launch that he has in that RPO system? 

“And there’s one factor that I mentioned this final offseason, as we have been preparing for the yr and we talked about Indiana. I mentioned, ‘The one advantage of the doubt that I’ll give Curt Cignetti is that he knew and went after and needed Kurtis Rourke and bought him as a result of he felt like he could be an ideal match for this technique.’ Now, he went out and selected Mendoza. We in all probability ought to have identified that Cignetti knew what he was doing.”

Mendoza has been probably the greatest quarterbacks within the nation by way of the primary month of the season, and his efficiency Saturday night time led Klatt to consider he ought to be thought of a Heisman Trophy contender. He accomplished 21 of 23 passes for 267 yards and 5 touchdowns in opposition to a top-10 Illinois group.

On the season, Mendoza has accomplished 76.8% of his passes for 975 yards, 14 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. While you add Mendoza’s two dashing touchdowns, no participant in FBS has accounted for extra complete touchdowns (16) than Indiana’s quarterback. In consequence, Mendoza is effectively on tempo to place up higher numbers than Rourke did in 2024 (3,042 passing yards, 31 complete touchdowns).

Indiana’s enhancements do not finish at quarterback, both.

“They have been dominant on the road of scrimmage on either side, Klatt mentioned. “This was one thing that I did not suppose was going to enhance from final yr, and it wasn’t essentially a energy final yr. And but, it is gotten higher.  

“They ran it for over 300 yards on Illinois. They sacked Luke Altmyer seven occasions, in order that they have been dominant on each traces of scrimmage. They have been energetic.”

As Klatt mentioned, Indiana was dominant within the run sport on Saturday. Each operating backs, Khobie Martin and Kaelon Black, rushed for 8.9 yards per carry in opposition to Illinois, with Martin going for 107 yards and two touchdowns whereas Black had 89 dashing yards and a rating. By means of 4 video games, Indiana has 4 operating backs with over 200 dashing yards, and every of them has rushed for over 5.0 yards per carry. The truth is, three of them have rushed for no less than 7.0 yards per carry, with Black main the way in which as he has 306 dashing yards on 7.0 yards per carry.

The Hoosiers solely gave up two sacks on Saturday, whereas Mendoza has solely been sacked thrice this season. Indiana’s offensive line solely allowed three pressures in opposition to Illinois as effectively, whereas solely surrendering 13 pressures all through the complete season, per Professional Soccer Focus.

Defensively, Indiana has three gamers tied for twenty third within the nation in sacks (Tyrique Tucker, Mario Landino, Isaiah Jones), with every recording three sacks up to now. That’s already greater than final yr, when solely two Hoosiers reached the three-sack mark all season. Indiana’s 15 sacks rank only one shy of the nationwide lead.

Tyrique Tucker (No. 95) and Mikail Kamara (No. 6) have helped Indiana type probably the greatest cross rushes within the nation. (Photograph by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos)

That robust defensive entrance has helped Indiana rank third in complete protection (205.8 yards per sport) and fifth in scoring protection (8.3 factors per sport). These numbers will in all probability drop because the Hoosiers enter Large Ten play, however Klatt is not anticipating a dramatic distinction.

“Indiana was the middle of the school soccer world for 3.5 hours on Saturday, and that is superior,” Klatt mentioned. “I used to be useless unsuitable about Indiana. I mentioned Indiana is not so good as they have been a yr in the past, and no less than with that efficiency Saturday night time, they’re higher. There have been some issues that I had query marks about, and with their degree of competitors that they’ve performed [before Saturday], I assumed that these query marks have been substantial.

“Each a part of this program has gotten higher.”

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