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Curt Cignetti shares Josh Hoover injury update after Indiana QB's difficult outing vs Michigan
Josh Hoover finished the game completing just 8 of 18 passes for 81 yards and an interception against the Michigan Wolverines.
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The Indiana Hoosiers secured a narrow 13-6 victory over the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, but quarterback Josh Hoover’s underwhelming performance became a major talking point.
Josh Hoover struggles vs Michigan
With Indiana leading 6-0, Hoover threw an interception that gave the Wolverines an opportunity to get into field-goal range and cut the deficit to three points.
His struggles throughout the contest prompted some fans to urge head coach Curt Cignetti to consider benching him. Hoover finished the game completing just 8 of 18 passes for 81 yards and an interception.
He struggled to find his rhythm after halftime, remaining without a completed pass until the fourth quarter was 10 minutes old.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti provides injury update
The performance drew criticism toward the 23-year-old quarterback, but Cignetti offered some context during his postgame press conference, revealing that Hoover was not at full fitness.
The coach confirmed that the quarterback “wasn’t 100-percent today, all week.”
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Despite the offensive struggles, the Hoosiers coach focused on the result and said, "Regardless of how pretty it was, it was gritty. It was gritty as hell. It’s a win and we’re gonna celebrate it."
Hoover’s impressive start faces tougher tests
Hoover faced the challenge of replacing Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, just a year after he guided Indiana to a national championship.
Despite stepping into such a demanding role, Hoover helped the Hoosiers enter Saturday’s game with a 6-1 record, completing 63% of his passes for 1,660 yards.
Although Hoover recorded 18 touchdown passes without throwing an interception over Indiana’s first seven games, he has appeared less composed against tougher opponents such as Ohio State and Michigan.
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Hoover threw 33 interceptions during his three seasons as TCU’s starting quarterback, but had avoided turnovers since joining Indiana until Saturday’s game.
