Game preview: IU football hosts Old Dominion in highly anticipated season opener

Year two of the Curt Cignetti era begins Saturday afternoon, with Indiana hosting Old Dominion in its regular-season opener.

Fresh off their first College Football Playoff appearance, the Hoosiers enter the season ranked 20th nationally in the preseason AP poll.

The 2025 season is the most anticipated Indiana football campaign of the 21st century. Despite key transfers out, Indiana reloaded with talent, aiming to prove last season’s historic run to the College Football Playoff was no fluke.

Ahead of Saturday’s opener, here is Inside the Hall’s preview of the clash between the Hoosiers 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 p.m. EST
TV: FS1, Noah Reed (Play-By-Play), Robert Smith (Analyst)
Radio: Don Fischer (Play-By-Play), Buck Suhr (Analyst)
The line: Indiana -23.5 (DraftKings)
SP+ prediction: Indiana 40, Old Dominion 14 (95 percent chance of an IU win)

Meet the opponent

A familiar Sun Belt foe to Cignetti and James Madison transfers, Old Dominion has a history of playing competitively with power programs.

The Monarchs finished 5-7 and 4-4 in conference play last season under sixth-year head coach Ricky Rahne.

Quarterback Colton Joseph threw for over 1,600 yards, tossing 11 touchdown passes last season. While he aims to build off that season, Joseph has an entirely new receiving corps this season.

The Monarchs return one receiver, Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, who hauled in two receptions for 18 yards.

ODU’s defense struggled last season, surrendering 410.4 yards per game and ranking 102nd nationally among all FBS programs.

Cignetti’s familiarity with Old Dominion dates back to a 2023 primetime clash. In that game, JMU narrowly preserved its undefeated season with a 30-27 win over the Monarchs.

Injury Update

There are no new injuries known ahead of the regular season opener. The required Big Ten availability report will be released two hours before kickoff, at 12:30 p.m. EST on Saturday.

Storylines

Can Indiana get off to a good start?

In last season’s season opener against FIU, Indiana struggled mightily in the first half. The Hoosiers were unable to deliver an early knockout punch and remained in a fight with FIU into the second half.

With rising expectations, winning on Saturday has become the bare minimum. The heat from the schedule watchers will become hotter with a tight scoreline.

All of the pressure will be on Indiana on Saturday. Old Dominion will be playing for an opportunity to knock off yet another Power Four program.

Indiana has an opportunity to flex its muscle in Saturday afternoon’s opener. It must capitalize on every chance during the first three games of the season.

Fernando Mendoza makes his highly anticipated debut

There have not been many, if any, Indiana football debuts more anticipated than Mendoza’s first game. The Cal transfer was the top transfer target of the 2024 portal and was the priority of Cignetti and staff.

Kurtis Rourke set the standard of what a transfer quarterback could achieve under Cignetti last season. However, Mendoza has the talent to become one of the best to wear the cream and crimson.

Earlier this week, CBS’s mock draft projected Mendoza as the first overall pick, raising high expectations for the talented quarterback.

Louis Moore makes his return

After a year at Ole Miss, Moore came back to Indiana for his final season of college eligibility.

Although the NCAA denied his eligibility, the defensive back won a temporary restraining order, enabling him to play in Saturday’s game.

The redshirt senior appeared in 24 games, making 10 starts with Indiana in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. His return provides Indiana with experience in the secondary, next to strong safety Amare Ferrell.

Outlook

The offseason hype built over the past few months has mirrored that of the 2021 season. However, that’s where the similarities between the two teams end.

There has been a focus inside Memorial Stadium since the December loss to Notre Dame. The players have a chip on their shoulders, wanting to prove that the 2024 success can be repeated this season.

Old Dominion will give Indiana its all on Saturday, but there will be no messing around on the west sideline. The Hoosiers will be ready to go from the opening kick and the talent disparity should be evident.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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