Indiana football vs. FIU: Three things to watch

Syndication: The Herald-Times — Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Three things to watch in the Hoosiers’ season opener.

The dawn of the Curt Cignetti era in Bloomington is upon us as Indiana gets ready to take on FIU in its season opener.

Following a flurry of transfer portal activity, fall camp and more than a few attention-capturing quotes, football season is here. Even if the weather in Indiana doesn’t necessarily feel like it.

Here are three things to watch as the Hoosiers take on the Panthers.

Game one for Kurtis Rourke

Indiana nabbed a brand new quarterback out of Ohio this past spring. Meet Kurtis Rourke, “The Maple Missile.”

Rourke made a name for himself in 2022 as one of the top passers in the Group of Five before an injury riddled 2023 caused his star to dim a tad. Anyone who’s seen him play (including one Curt Cignetti) knows what he’s capable of on the field, with the Hoosiers hoping he can return to form. If he’s playing well, he’s among the better quarterbacks in the league.

The first game of the season will be Rourke’s first live action in a Mike Shanahan (no not that one) offense. Some bumps in the road wouldn’t necessarily be shocking or worth worrying too much about this early.

The trio of Cignetti, Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri has shown they more than know what they’re doing when it comes to that position. It’s worth putting trust in them.

Play along both lines

Indiana’s play in the trenches will be key throughout the season. It’s football, that’s where games are won and lost.

The Hoosiers’ offensive line already sustained a blow when JMU transfer and expected starter at guard Nick Kidwell was ruled out for the season due to injury. The bright side is that Cignetti has constructed the roster in such a way that it should be able to mitigate injuries at positions, as happens throughout the year.

Indiana got some new talent along the defensive front and has not one but two coaches for that position group. That should tell you how important the line is to the staff and new defensive coordinator Bryant Haines’ unit.

If you’re looking for something specific to watch, start here.

T h e V i b e s

There’s really no better way to put this one.

How does it all feel?

If you’ve gone to games the past few years you’ve seen when the vibes are good (Cincinnati pre-The Targeting Call) and you’ve been there when they’ve been bad (getting put in a blender by multiple interim head coaches).

There’s some immediate stadium upgrades when it comes to concessions and the overall gameday experience around the grounds but there’s still definitely some work to do.

Will the product on the field inspire the same optimism its coaching staff has for the last few months? We’ll have to see.