A new era of Indiana Football (0-0) will begin in Bloomington when Curt Cignetti leads his team onto the field at Memorial Stadium against the Florida International Panthers (0-0) on Saturday afternoon.
Indiana has won all three meetings against the Panthers dating back to 2015 and is heavy favorites to extend the streak to four in front of what should be a raucous crowd in the inaugural game of the Cignetti era.
It is all but certain the Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke will be the signal caller for the Hoosiers when the offense takes the field. The 2022 MAC offensive player of the year has thrown 50 career touchdown passes to just 16 interceptions.
The Panthers are coming off their second straight four-win under head coach Mike MacIntyre and are trying to make improvements in the Conference USA this season. As for the Hoosiers, they are looking to make some noise in year one of Cignetti's tenure and have their sights set on their first bowl game since the 2020 season.
Before kickoff comes this Saturday, here's what you need to know regarding the Hoosiers' week one clash with the Panthers.
Last Meeting
The Hoosiers traveled to the 305 back in 2018 for a week one matchup against FIU, in which Indiana won 38-28.
It was the first glimpse of future Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr., who made his Hoosier debut in that game. Penix Jr. went 8/10 for 96 yards while Payton Ramsey went 20/27, throwing for three touchdowns en route to a Hoosier victory.
Injury Updates
Offensive lineman Nick Kidwell is the only known injury for the Hoosiers going to week- one. The seventh-year senior suffered a torn ACL in fall camp a couple of weeks ago.
The mandated availability report is set to release two hours before kickoff on Saturday – around 1:30 p.m.
Storylines to watch...
Will Indiana look like an different program immediately with a new coach?
Saturday afternoon's game will certainly mark a new era for Indiana, but there are still questions as to how quickly this will change.
Curt Cignetti, a proven winner coming over from James Madison, has been all business since he was hired in December. There has been a complete overhaul of the program, with an abundance of talented transfers coming from all over the country, especially from JMU.
There is no doubt that this is the most talented Indiana's roster has been coming into a season, but fans are still guarded with the program's dull history.
It will be a noticeable vibe shift at Memorial Stadium, and there's reason for hope, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and it will take some time for everything to gel for the Hoosiers.
Putting the "Old Indiana" narrative and bringing life to a rather desolate program to rest starts tomorrow against Florida International.
Who will be the top target at the wide receiver position?
Indiana has a one-two punch at wide receiver with returner Donovan McCulley and James Madison transfer Elijah Sarratt.
The two standouts combined for 1,835 last season as the number one options for their respective offenses. Now the question is, who will be the go-to guy for Kurtis Rourke on Saturday against Florida International?
Early indications appear to give the slight edge to Sarratt for the WR1 position as he is coming off a selection to the first-team all-Sun Belt for the Dukes last season.
Both guys will undoubtedly get themselves open, but it is ultimately up to Rourke on who he has grown the most comfortable with over the offseason.
The bottom line is that both guys need to be targeted as much as possible to be a threat offensively. Rourke cannot let the offense become stagnant and predictable.
Matchup to watch: Indiana's DL vs FIU's OL
The trenches should not be an issue in Indiana's three non-conference games. Still, it is essential to see the dominance of the defensive line against an abysmal Panther offensive line.
FIU's offensive line allowed nearly four sacks per game last season and struggled mightily to protect their elusive quarterback, Keyone Jenkins, off the turf. Containing Jenkins could be an issue as he can escape the pocket and run, but if Indiana can get to Jenkins early and often, it will become a day that will leave a mark for the sophomore.
There has been a lot of talk during fall camp praising the defensive line of Indiana, so that dominance needs to be shown from the first snap Saturday against FIU. The trio of Mikail Kamara, CJ West, and James Carpenter should have a field day and show their dominance against an inferior opponent.
Quick Hitters
Who?: Indiana (0-0) vs Florida International (0-0)
When?: Saturday, August 31st, 3:30 p.m. ET
Where?: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
TV: Big Ten Network, Joe Beninati (play-by-play), Matt Barkley (analyst) Shane Sparks (sideline)
Radio: IU Radio Network, Don Fischer (play-by-play), Buck Suhr (analyst), John Herrick
Vegas: Indiana -21.5, o/u 51.5
ESPN SP+: Indiana 35-18, 86% chance of Hoosier victory
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