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Indiana Hoosiers football roasted by FCS Western Illinois Leathernecks in season-opening disaster

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Hoosiers drop to 1-1 for the season

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IU looking forward to bounce back next week against Idaho

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After a tough 23-20 loss to Western Illinois, the Indiana Hoosiers football team is now 1-1 for the season. The Hoosiers were favored by 28.5 points but were unable to pull out the victory.** **

The Leathernecks took an early lead and never looked back, scoring 17 unanswered points in the first half. The Hoosiers finally got on the board with a field goal late in the second quarter, but it was too little too late.** **

The Hoosiers offense struggled throughout the game, only managing 257 total yards. Quarterback Connor Bazelak was 18-of-34 for 179 yards and a touchdown, but he was also intercepted twice.** **

The Hoosiers defense was also unable to get stops when they needed them, allowing the Leathernecks to convert 10-of-16 third downs.** **

"We're obviously very disappointed with the outcome of the game," said Indiana coach Tom Allen. "We didn't play well enough in any phase of the game. We made too many mistakes and didn't execute when we needed to.** **

The Hoosiers will look to bounce back next week when they host Idaho. The Vandals are also 1-1 for the season, having lost to Wyoming in their season opener.** **

Here are some additional takeaways from the game:** * **The Hoosiers' offensive line struggled to protect Bazelak, allowing him to be sacked four times.** * **The Hoosiers' running game was also ineffective, only rushing for 78 yards on 27 attempts.** * **The Hoosiers' defense was unable to generate any pressure on Western Illinois quarterback Connor Sampson, who was 20-of-32 for 229 yards and two touchdowns.** * **The Hoosiers' special teams also had a rough day, missing a field goal and allowing a punt return touchdown.** **

The Hoosiers will need to make some major improvements if they want to compete for a bowl game this season.**