Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Josh Hoover continued playing and threw a touchdown pass after sustaining a severe facemask penalty that caused him to bleed from his nose.
The incident occurred in the second quarter of Indiana's season opener against North Texas. During a play, North Texas defensive lineman Udoka Ezeani grabbed Hoover's facemask, causing his helmet to twist and fall off. The penalty resulted in 15 yards and placed Indiana in the red zone.
On the third play after the penalty, Hoover, with blood visible on his face and uniform, threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Charlie Becker. This marked his second touchdown pass of the first half.
Hoover, a senior and new to Indiana this season, arrived with a strong track record from TCU, where he accumulated over 7,000 passing yards and 56 touchdowns in two years. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti expressed confidence in Hoover's ability to improve his turnover issues, noting that Hoover would benefit from a strong defense and run game at Indiana.
In the first half against North Texas, Hoover completed 7 of 8 passes for two touchdowns and zero interceptions.