After Indiana set a program record for points and yards in a single game against Western Illinois, it’s difficult to narrow down a list of standout performances.
Go through the entire stat sheet from Friday’s game at Memorial Stadium, and more than half of IU’s players could have real cases to be named a standout. So while these selections may not be a definitive three, by any means, they’re at least three players worth highlighting as the Hoosiers head into their first Big Ten game of the season.
Here are our three standout performances from Indiana’s win over Western Illinois.
Rolijah Hardy
Hardy didn’t see any defensive action until the second half, when the game was already fully decided. But he made his presence felt.
The true freshman made two big defensive plays in the fourth quarter that directly led to Indiana points, helping the Hoosiers top their program record for points scored in a single game. On a first and 10 from the Western Illinois five-yard-line, the linebacker picked off Leathernecks quarterback Nathan Lamb and took it 12 yards to the house.
And on WIU’s next possession, on third and nine, Hardy forced a fumble, which defensive lineman Robby Harrison recovered. Hardy was credited with a sack on the play, and IU scored another touchdown three plays later.
Hardy played just five total defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus, but still finished as the third-highest rated linebacker in the country for the week. For reference, played seven snaps against FIU in week one.
The weak opponent has to be factored in when evaluating individual performances from this game, and it would likely take an injury — maybe multiple injuries — for Hardy to start seeing a significantly higher number of snaps. But, if nothing else, Hardy can build on this performance as he continues developing for the future.
Omar Cooper Jr.
Cooper recorded his second career 100-yard game on Friday, hitting that mark against both of Indiana’s FCS opponents since the start of 2023. He caught all four of his targets for 131 yards with a touchdown against WIU.
Much of that production came on a 69-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter, on a play that typified how much the Leathernecks’ defense struggled that night. Cooper got behind the entire defense on a go route, but Tayven Jackson underthrew the ball. Cooper had to slow up to catch the ball instead of making the play in stride. But he had so much separation from the Leathernecks that he was still able to outrun everyone to the end zone.
Cooper’s first reception, in the first quarter, was simple. He ran a curl route into the middle of the zone defense, and nobody picked him up; he ran ahead a few yards to make it an 11-yard gain, giving IU a first down. In the second quarter, he and Kurtis Rourke capitalized on a free play thanks to a WIU defensive lineman jumping the snap early. Rourke hit Cooper for a 23-yard reception inside the five-yard-line, in front of the defender, to set IU up with a first and goal. The redshirt sophomore’s third reception came on a deep in route, against soft coverage, which Jackson took advantage of. Cooper then turned the WIU defensive back around and broke a tackle to make it a 23-yard gain.
PFF gave Cooper the highest weekly grade of any wide receiver in the country. Again, the quality of the opponent is a big factor here. But Cooper is off to a nice start to the season, and made some big plays on Friday.
Tyrique Tucker
Tucker has graded out well in both of IU’s games, as PFF has him tied for the fifth-highest rated interior defender in the country so far this year. He also ranked fifth for week two.
The JMU transfer recorded 1.5 sacks on Friday, and has impacted the stat sheet in both games. Tucker finished with 0.5 sacks and a QB hurry against FIU.
Tucker is firmly in the rotation at defensive tackle for the Hoosiers through the first two weeks of the year. Defensive line depth was a big question mark entering the season, but Tucker’s strong start has eased those concerns a bit.
In fact, Tucker has played more snaps (41) through IU’s first two games than presumed starter CJ West (33). Granted, those numbers could look different if Indiana played a more formidable opponent in week two. But Marcus Burris Jr. has started both games, alongside James Carpenter, leaving West in more of a reserve role early on than expected.
But regardless of that situation, Tucker has played well. He’s Indiana’s highest-graded defender through the first two weeks. If he continues to deliver, it’s certainly feasible that he could see the field more frequently.
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