The Northwestern Wildcats visit the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday, September 25, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET from Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN.
Northwestern is 2-0 after a 41-7 win over Colorado, while Indiana is 3-0 after a 38-0 win over Western Kentucky.
Indiana has controlled games with defense at home. The Hoosiers have allowed 16 points in three games with shutouts against Howard and Western Kentucky, and they lead the country with 20 touchdowns at home this season.
Northwestern has finished drives. The Wildcats rank fifth nationally with an 83.3 percent completion rate in the red zone and are averaging 37.5 points per game.
The Hoosiers are 21-point favorites over the Wildcats.
Below, we’ll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game.
How to Watch Northwestern vs. Indiana
- When: Friday, September 25, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
- TV: FOX
- Stream: Watch 3 days free on FOX One
Players To Watch
Northwestern’s first true test of 2026 arrives in Bloomington, where Chiles will face a defending national champion Indiana defense in the Wildcats’ Big Ten opener. He’s completed 31 of 46 passes for 514 yards and four passing touchdowns without an interception through wins over South Dakota State and Colorado, adding three rushing touchdowns of his own, and he was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after the Colorado win.
Chiles has yet to throw a pick through two games, a streak that gets a far tougher exam against a Hoosiers team that hasn’t allowed opponents much room for error. How he handles the environment at Memorial Stadium will say a lot about where this Northwestern offense stands against Big Ten competition.
Wilde is coming off the fastest climb to 1,000 career receiving yards in Northwestern history, reaching the mark in just 15 games faster than any Wildcat since D’Wayne Bates in 1995-96. He opened the season with three catches for 104 yards, including a 71-yard gain, against South Dakota State, then added five catches for 85 yards against Colorado to push past the milestone.
The senior is averaging better than 23 yards per catch through two games with established chemistry alongside Chiles, and Northwestern will lean on that connection to keep pace on the road in its conference opener.
Indiana’s quarterback change has looked seamless through three weeks. The TCU transfer brought in to replace Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza has completed 37 of 51 passes for 649 yards and 10 touchdowns without an interception, throwing four touchdown passes each against North Texas and Howard before going 18 of 24 for 273 yards and two scores in a 38-0 shutout of Western Kentucky.
Even with that production, Hoover has stayed focused on the throws he missed against Western Kentucky, saying he holds himself “to a higher standard than anyone.” Northwestern is the most complete opponent he’s faced yet, and cleaning up those misses matters more against a Big Ten foe than it did in three non-conference games.
Becker has emerged as Hoover’s top target, leading Indiana with 12 catches for 272 yards and six touchdowns through three games, a share of the offense he carried over from last season’s national championship run. He scored twice against North Texas, three times against Howard and added a 79-yard touchdown in the win over Western Kentucky.
Northwestern’s secondary has only faced South Dakota State and Colorado so far this season, and Becker’s size and red-zone production make him a matchup Indiana is likely to target early and often at home.
Northwestern vs. Indiana Odds
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