Hoosiers Roll Past Kennesaw State — Instant Reactions to Indiana’s Strong Showing

No. 23 Indiana (2-0) didn't waste much time disposing of Kennesaw State (0-2) on Saturday, scoring on two of its first three possessions to take a 14-0 lead. It struggled at times in the first half offensively, but was able to keep the Owls out of the end zone all afternoon, holding a 21-6 halftime advantage before turning on the jets in the second half, and routing its way to a 56-9 victory.

Here are some instant takeaways from Saturday's dominating Indiana victory.

Indiana Football Beats Kennesaw State: Dominating Defensive Front

Indiana's defensive front did what it was supposed to do Saturday against Kennesaw State, and perhaps even a bit more. Of the first 17 plays Kennesaw State ran from scrimmage, eight resulted in a loss of yards. Indiana's defense came to play a week after allowing a pair of long touchdown runs to Old Dominion.

Kennesaw State still had three rushes of more than 20 yards, but nothing longer than 24. An improvement from a week ago for the Hoosiers.

Indiana Football: More Defensive Domination

To piggyback on the defensive line doing its job and not allowing Kennesaw State a chance to get going, the defense as a whole deserves credit. It kept the Owls out of the end zone for the entire day, and didn't allow a first down until nearly five minutes into the second quarter.

I know it's Kennesaw State and Indiana was supposed to win big, but it did, and the defense played at high level from opening kickoff that kept things from really ever being interesting in Bloomington.

Indiana Football: Mendoza Brothers Star in Win

Fernando Mendoza picked apart the Kennesaw State defense Saturday, completing 18 of 25 pass attempts for 245 yards and four touchdowns. As important as any other number from the game is the zero sacks the Hoosiers allowed of Mendoza, or his brother Alberto Mendoza, who came in to complete three passes for 35 yards and a touchdown as well.

Indiana Football: Improvement in the Red Zone

As mentioned earlier, as well as the whole week by anyone in the Indiana football community, the Hoosiers struggled mightily to finish drives last week against Old Dominion. Each Indiana red zone possession ended in a touchdown today, a positive sign for the weeks to come.

Indiana Football: Elijah Sarratt's Big Game

Elijah Sarratt was the top target of Mendoza, catching nine passes for 97 yards and three touchdowns. Sarratt is the first Indiana player to catch three touchdown receptions in a single game since Ty Fryfogle did so in the 42-35 loss at Ohio State in 2020.

Indiana Football: Next Up - Indiana State

Indiana now gets ready for a slightly quicker turnaround as it plays host to Indiana State on Friday night (Sept. 12). That'll be the final non-conference game of the season before Indiana welcomes Illinois to Bloomington on Sept. 20 in a game that could be between a pair of top 20 rivals.