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Indiana walked into Memorial Stadium on Saturday still riding the high of last season’s championship run over Miami. This time, a new face lined up under center. TCU transfer Josh Hoover, tasked with replacing Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, took his first snap in crimson and cream against North Texas. By the final whistle, one image from his debut had already become impossible to forget. Josh Hoover’s Bloody Debut Backs Up the Hype Hoover wasted no time making his mark. On Indiana’s third play from scrimmage, he connected with Nick Marsh on a back-shoulder throw that Marsh hauled in one-handed for a touchdown, a call that was overturned to a score on replay. The No. 6 Hoosiers never looked back, cruising to a 52-16 rout of North Texas to open their title defense. Midway through the second quarter, a North Texas defender grabbed Hoover’s face mask and yanked him to the ground, drawing a penalty and leaving Hoover with blood streaming from his nose. He stayed in the game and threw a touchdown pass just three plays later. Hoover finished 13 of 16 passing for 231 yards, four touchdowns and no turnovers, posting a career-high 285 quarterback rating. His four scoring passes matched the most ever thrown by an Indiana quarterback in a season opener. A Debut That Silences Early Doubts Before the opener, some analysts had questioned whether Hoover could cut down on the mistakes that plagued parts of his TCU career, and whether he could fill the void left by Fernando Mendoza’s departure for the NFL Draft. Saturday offered an early answer. He said: “It feels good, I just got a little cut there. It looked way worse than it felt.” Coach Curt Cignetti also praised his quarterback’s composure, noting the confidence Hoover carried into his first start. Indiana returns home to host Howard next Saturday, while North Texas welcomes UNLV to Denton. Both teams will look to build early momentum as the season moves into Week 2.