Year two of the Curt Cignetti era starts on Saturday afternoon, with Indiana that Old Dominion organizes in the opener of the regular season.
Fresh from their first performance of the play -off of the Football Institute, De Hoosiers will be in 20th place at national level in the AP poll for the preseason in the season.
The 2025 season is the most expected football campaign in Indiana of the 21st century. Despite important transfers, Indiana was reloading with talent, with the aim of proving that last season’s historic run to the play -off of the Football College was not a coincidence.
In anticipation of Saturday’s opener, here is the preview of the hall of the collision between the Hoisiers and Monarchs.
Game information
Who: No. 20 Indiana (0-0, 0-0 in Big ten vs Old Dominion (0-0, 0-0 in Sun Belt)
Where: Merchant Bank Field at Memorial Stadium
When: Saturday, August 30, 2025. 2.30 pm Est
TV: FS1, Noah Reed (Play-by-Play), Robert Smith (analyst)
Radio: Don Fischer (Play-by-Play), Buck Suhr (analyst)
De Lijn: Indiana -23.5 (Draftkings)
SP+ prediction: Indiana 40, Old Dominion 14 (95 percent chance of an IU winning)
Meet the opponent
A well -known Sun Belt -enemy from Cignetti and James Madison Transfers, Old Dominion has a history of competing play with power programs.
The monarchs ended last season 5-7 and 4-4 in the conference game under the sixth year head coach Ricky Rahne.
Quarterback Colton Joseph threw for more than 1600 meters and threw 11 TouchDown passes last season. While he wants to build that season, Joseph has a completely new reception corps this season.
The monarchs return one receiver, Na’em Abdul-Rahim Gladding, who brought in two receptions for 18 years.
The defense of Odu struggled last season, handed over 410.4 yards per game and ranked 102nd national among all FBS programs.
The fame of Cignetti with Old Dominion dates from a Primetime collision from 2023. In that match, JMU kept his undefeated season with a 30-27 victory over the monarchs.
Update injury
No new injuries are known for the regular season opener. The required BIG ten -Availability report is released two hours before the kick -off, at 12.30 pm EST on Saturday.
Storylines
Can Indiana start well?
In the season opener of last season against Fiu, Indiana struggled powerful in the first half. De Hoosiers could not deliver an early knockout punch and stayed in a fight with FIU in the second half.
With rising expectations, winning on Saturday has become the absolute minimum. The heat of the schedule viewers becomes hotter with a tight score.
All pressure will be on Indiana on Saturday. Old Dominion will play for an opportunity to repel another Power Four program.
Indiana has the chance to bend his muscle in the opener of Saturday afternoon. It must take advantage of every chance during the first three games of the season.
Fernando Mendoza makes his long -awaited debut
There are not much or no, Indiana football debut expected than the first match of Mendoza. The CAL transfer was the top objective of the Portal of 2024 and was the priority of Cignetti and the staff.
Kurtis Rourke set up the standard of what a transfer quarterback could achieve under Cignetti last season. Mendoza, however, has the talent to become one of the best to wear the cream and karmozijnrode.
Earlier this week, the fake design of CBS Mendoza projected as the first overall choice, which increased high expectations for the talented Quarterback.
Louis Moore returns
After a year at Ole Miss, Moore returned to Indiana for his last season of the suitability of the college.
Although the NCAA denied its suitability, the defensive back won a temporary resting ban, allowing him to play in Saturday’s game.
The Redshirt Senior appeared in 24 games and made 10 starts with Indiana in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. His return offers Indiana experience in secondary, in addition to strong safety Amare Ferrell.
Prospect
The hype outside the season that has been built in recent months has reflected that of the 2021 season. However, that is where the similarities between the two teams end.
Since the loss of December before the December loss against Notre Dame, there has been a focus at Memorial Stadium. The players have a chip on their shoulders and want to prove that the success of 2024 can be repeated this season.
Old Dominion will all give Indiana on Saturday, but there will be no rumbling on the western sidelines. The Hoosiers will be ready to start the opening kick and the talent difference must be clear.
(Photocredit: iu athletics)
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