Indiana Dominates Alabama 38-3 in Season Opener
Indiana's offense overwhelmed Alabama in a lopsided Week 1 matchup, with the Hoosiers cruising to a 38-3 victory. Indiana scored 17 points in the second quarter and added 21 more in the second half to put the game out of reach early.
Quarterback Ty Simpson led Alabama's passing attack with 67 yards, but it proved insufficient against Indiana's relentless offensive performance. Indiana's Kaelon Black rushed for 99 yards to lead the ground game, while E.J. Williams caught 9 passes for the home team.
Indiana's offense generated several explosive plays throughout the contest. Quarterback Fidel Mendoza connected with receivers repeatedly, including a touchdown pass to C. Becker in the second quarter and a 38-yard completion to O. Cooper Jr. late in the fourth quarter. The Hoosiers' defense also contributed to the dominant performance.
The game stayed well under the 46.5 over-under, and Indiana covered the 7.5-point spread decisively. Alabama's lone score came via a field goal in the third quarter, underscoring Indiana's comprehensive control of the matchup from start to finish.
AI-generated recap · Aug 21, 2026
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Alabama | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
 Indiana | 0 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
Scoring Timeline
Drive Chart
Box Score
| Statistic | Alabama | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | 24-33 | 14-16 |
| Pass Yards | 170 | 192 |
| Rush Yards | 23 | 215 |
| Total Yards | 193 | 407 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| 3rd Down | 3-11 | 9-14 |
| Penalties | 1-5 | 1-10 |
| Possession | 25:39 | 34:21 |
Player Leaders
Player Leaders
Play-by-Play
(15:00) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza sacked for loss of 2 yards to the IND23 (#42 Y.Pierre, #0 D.Lawson)
(14:26) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush right for 8 yards gain to the IND31 (#10 J.Jefferson)
(13:49) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza sacked for loss of 11 yards to the IND20 (#18 B.Hubbard)
(13:06) #44 M.McCarthy punt 39 yards to the ALA41, out of bounds at ALA41
(13:00) Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass incomplete short left to #80 J.Cuevas thrown to ALA45 QB hurried by #97 M.Landino
(12:54) Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass complete short left to #2 R.Williams caught at ALA44, for 4 yards to the ALA45 (#22 J.Sharpe)
(12:23) No Huddle-Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass complete short middle to #4 D.Hill caught at ALA50, for 6 yards to the IND49 (#4 A.Fisher), 1ST DOWN
(11:49) #15 T.Simpson pass complete short right to #80 J.Cuevas caught at IND44, for 6 yards to the IND43 (#21 R.Hardy)
(11:04) #4 D.Hill rush left for 6 yards gain to the IND37 (#7 L.Moore), 1ST DOWN
(10:29) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.Hill rush right for 0 yards to the IND37 (#7 L.Moore; #21 R.Hardy)
(09:50) No Huddle-Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass complete short left to #4 D.Hill caught at IND43, for 4 yards loss to the IND41 (#12 D.Boykin)
(09:07) No Huddle-Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass incomplete deep left to #2 R.Williams thrown to IND06 broken up by #7 L.Moore QB hurried by #2 B.Baldwin Jr.
(08:58) #38 B.Doud punt 38 yards to the IND03
(08:52) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush middle for 2 yards gain to the IND05 (#90 L.Simmons)
(08:17) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush middle for 6 yards gain to the IND11 (#4 Q.Russaw; #41 N.Hill-Green)
(07:40) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete short middle to #13 E.Sarratt caught at IND15, for 7 yards to the IND18 (#2 Z.Brown), 1ST DOWN
(07:04) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete short left to #13 E.Sarratt caught at IND20, for 9 yards to the IND27 (#41 N.Hill-Green; #0 D.Lawson)
(06:24) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete short right to #13 E.Sarratt caught at IND26, for 0 yards to the IND27 (#2 Z.Brown)
(05:49) #1 R.Hemby rush middle for 2 yards gain to the IND29 (#18 B.Hubbard), 1ST DOWN
(05:17) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush left for 1 yard gain to the IND30 (#3 K.Sabb; #11 J.Renaud)
(04:41) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete deep right to #80 C.Becker caught at ALA40, for 30 yards to the ALA40 (#2 Z.Brown), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
(04:35) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush left for 5 yards gain to the ALA35 (#42 Y.Pierre)
(03:52) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush middle for 6 yards gain to the ALA29 (#22 L.Overton), 1ST DOWN
(03:12) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete short right to #7 E.Williams Jr. caught at ALA26, for 9 yards to the ALA20 (#2 Z.Brown), out of bounds
(02:31) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush middle for 7 yards gain to the ALA13 (#3 K.Sabb; #22 L.Overton), 1ST DOWN
(01:49) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush middle for 1 yard gain to the ALA12 (#94 E.Hill)
(01:07) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete short middle to #37 R.Nowakowski caught at ALA12, for 0 yards to the ALA12 (#96 T.Keenan III)
(00:22) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush middle for 1 yard loss to the ALA13 (#41 N.Hill-Green; #18 B.Hubbard)
(14:59) #15 N.Radicic field goal attempt from 31 yards GOOD (H: #44 M.McCarthy, LS: #47 M.Langston), clock 14:57
(14:57) #28 K.Riley rush left for 0 yards to the ALA25 (#46 I.Jones)
(14:11) #28 K.Riley rush middle for 2 yards gain to the ALA27 (#46 I.Jones; #0 H.Wheeler)
(13:30) Shotgun #15 T.Simpson rush right for 7 yards gain to the ALA34 (#4 A.Fisher)
(12:44) Shotgun #4 D.Hill pass complete short middle to #5 G.Bernard caught at ALA32, for 0 yards to the ALA34 (#46 I.Jones; #21 R.Hardy), TURNOVER ON DOWNS
(12:35) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza rush left for 4 yards gain to the ALA30 (#10 J.Jefferson), out of bounds PENALTY IND Holding (#65 C.Smith) 10 yards from ALA34 to ALA44. NO PLAY
(12:05) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush right for 21 yards gain to the ALA23 (#18 B.Hubbard), 1ST DOWN
(11:39) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush middle for 2 yards gain to the ALA21 (#90 L.Simmons; #41 N.Hill-Green)
(10:58) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass incomplete short left to #80 C.Becker thrown to ALA11 broken up by #7 D.Jones
(10:55) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete deep middle to #80 C.Becker caught at ALA00, for 21 yards to the ALA00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 10:49, 1ST DOWN #15 N.Radicic kick attempt good (H: #44 M.McCarthy, LS: #47 M.Langston)
(10:44) Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass complete short left to #2 R.Williams caught at ALA18, for 5 yards to the ALA19 (#22 J.Sharpe)
(10:04) #15 T.Simpson pass complete short left to #5 G.Bernard caught at ALA29, for 18 yards to the ALA37 (#4 A.Fisher), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
(09:27) #15 T.Simpson pass incomplete short right to #5 G.Bernard thrown to ALA34
(09:25) Shotgun #4 D.Hill rush middle for 0 yards to the ALA37 (#97 M.Landino)
(08:48) Shotgun #15 T.Simpson rush middle for 1 yard gain to the ALA38 (#17 D.Ndukwe)
(08:12) #38 B.Doud punt 36 yards to the IND26 #0 J.Brady return 17 yards to the IND43 (#12 Z.Mincey)
(08:02) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza sacked for loss of 9 yards to the IND34 (#42 Y.Pierre)
(07:24) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush middle for 7 yards gain to the IND41 (#12 Z.Mincey). #8 K.Black injured on the play
(06:56) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass incomplete short middle to #37 R.Nowakowski thrown to ALA43 broken up by #5 D.Lee Jr.
(06:48) #44 M.McCarthy punt 44 yards to the ALA15 fair catch by #7 C.Adams at ALA15
(06:42) Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass complete short right to #80 J.Cuevas caught at ALA21, for 8 yards to the ALA23 (#5 D.Ponds)
(06:17) No Huddle-Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass complete short middle to #4 D.Hill caught at ALA27, for 5 yards to the ALA28 (#21 R.Hardy), 1ST DOWN
(05:42) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.Hill rush left for 5 yards gain to the ALA33 (#12 D.Boykin)
(05:16) No Huddle-Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass complete short left to #2 R.Williams caught at ALA46, for 13 yards to the ALA46 (#5 D.Ponds), 1ST DOWN
(04:48) No Huddle-Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass complete short left to #4 D.Hill caught at ALA46, for 3 yards to the ALA49 (#12 D.Boykin), out of bounds
(04:05) #28 K.Riley rush right for 0 yards to the ALA49 (#91 D.Ratcliff)
(03:22) Shotgun #15 T.Simpson rush left for 9 yards gain to the IND42 fumbled by #15 T.Simpson at IND42 forced by #5 D.Ponds recovered by IND #46 I.Jones at IND42, End Of Play
(03:07) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush middle for 4 yards gain to the IND46 (#16 R.Morgan)
(02:34) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza rush right for 3 yards gain to the IND49 (#3 K.Sabb)
(02:00) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza rush middle for 7 yards gain to the ALA44 (#1 D.Jackson), 1ST DOWN
(01:28) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush left for 8 yards gain to the ALA36 (#1 D.Jackson), out of bounds
(01:22) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush middle for 3 yards gain to the ALA33 (#18 B.Hubbard), 1ST DOWN. The previous play is under automatic review - "First down". CALL OVERTURNED. (Original Play: (01:22) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush middle for 1 yard gain to the ALA35 (#18 B.Hubbard))
(01:12) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush left for 7 yards gain to the ALA26 (#18 B.Hubbard)
(01:07) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete short middle to #8 K.Black caught at ALA22, for 11 yards to the ALA15 (#18 B.Hubbard), 1ST DOWN
(00:52) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete short left to #37 R.Nowakowski caught at ALA10, for 5 yards to the ALA10, out of bounds at ALA10
(00:50) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush middle for 5 yards gain to the ALA05 (#5 D.Lee Jr.), 1ST DOWN
(00:25) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush middle for 4 yards gain to the ALA01 (#90 L.Simmons)
(00:20) #15 F.Mendoza pass complete short left to #3 O.Cooper Jr. caught at ALA00, for 1 yard to the ALA00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 00:17 #15 N.Radicic kick attempt good (H: #44 M.McCarthy, LS: #47 M.Langston)
(00:15) Kneel down by #15 T.Simpson at ALA24 for loss of 1 yard
(15:00) Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass complete short right to #2 R.Williams caught at ALA20, for 2 yards loss to the ALA23 (#12 D.Boykin)
(14:20) Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass incomplete short middle to #80 J.Cuevas thrown to ALA23 broken up by #97 M.Landino
(14:17) Shotgun #15 T.Simpson pass complete short left to #80 J.Cuevas caught at ALA25, for 5 yards to the ALA28 (#22 J.Sharpe)
(13:34) #38 B.Doud punt 50 yards to the IND22 #0 J.Brady return for loss of 1 yard to the IND21 (#17 L.Brooks)
(13:26) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush left for 4 yards gain to the IND25 (#10 J.Jefferson), out of bounds
(12:51) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush middle for 3 yards gain to the IND28 (#0 D.Lawson)
(12:15) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza rush middle for 8 yards gain to the IND36 (#0 D.Lawson), 1ST DOWN
(11:40) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush left for 5 yards gain to the IND41 (#42 Y.Pierre)
(11:09) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza rush right for 12 yards gain to the ALA47 (#2 Z.Brown), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
(10:28) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete short left to #3 O.Cooper Jr. caught at IND49, for 6 yards to the ALA41 (#16 R.Morgan; #22 L.Overton)
(09:49) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush middle for 8 yards gain to the ALA33 (#22 L.Overton), 1ST DOWN
(09:11) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush left for 1 yard gain to the ALA32 (#31 K.Keeley)
(08:33) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza rush middle for 8 yards gain to the ALA24 (#41 N.Hill-Green)
(07:52) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete deep left to #13 E.Sarratt caught at ALA00, for 24 yards to the ALA00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 07:46, 1ST DOWN #15 N.Radicic kick attempt good (H: #44 M.McCarthy, LS: #47 M.Langston)
(07:46) Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass complete short left to #26 J.Miller caught at ALA20, for 1 yard to the ALA26 (#17 D.Ndukwe), out of bounds
(07:09) Shotgun #10 A.Mack rush right for 13 yards gain to the ALA39 (#4 A.Fisher), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
(06:32) Shotgun #4 D.Hill rush middle for 2 yards gain to the ALA41 (#46 I.Jones; #4 A.Fisher)
(05:57) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass complete deep right to #5 G.Bernard caught at IND36, for 34 yards to the IND25, out of bounds at IND25, 1ST DOWN
(05:13) Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass complete short right to #80 J.Cuevas caught at IND09, for 16 yards to the IND09, End Of Play, 1ST DOWN
(04:38) Shotgun #10 A.Mack rush left for 4 yards gain to the IND05 (#12 D.Boykin)
(03:53) Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass complete short right to #4 D.Hill caught at IND10, for 5 yards loss to the IND10, End Of Play
(02:50) Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass incomplete short right to #17 L.Brooks thrown to IND03 QB hurried by #21 R.Hardy
(02:45) #31 C.Talty field goal attempt from 28 yards GOOD (H: #38 B.Doud, LS: #44 A.Rozier), clock 02:44
(02:42) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush middle for 0 yards to the IND25 (#22 L.Overton)
(02:05) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush left for 2 yards gain to the IND27 (#13 I.Taylor)
(01:22) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete short left to #37 R.Nowakowski caught at IND31, for 31 yards to the ALA42 (#2 Z.Brown), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
(00:37) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush middle for 15 yards gain to the ALA27 (#18 B.Hubbard), 1ST DOWN
(15:00) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush middle for 2 yards gain to the ALA25 (#96 T.Keenan III)
(14:27) Shotgun #8 K.Black rush right for 25 yards gain to the ALA00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 14:21, 1ST DOWN #15 N.Radicic kick attempt good (H: #44 M.McCarthy, LS: #47 M.Langston)
(14:21) Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass incomplete short right thrown to ALA42 QB hurried by #46 I.Jones
(14:11) Shotgun #10 A.Mack sacked for loss of 10 yards to the ALA15 (#6 M.Kamara)
(13:30) Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass incomplete deep right thrown to ALA36
(13:27) #38 B.Doud punt 48 yards to the IND37
(13:17) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush middle for 2 yards loss to the IND35 (#41 N.Hill-Green)
(12:42) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush middle for 4 yards gain to the IND39 (#10 J.Jefferson)
(12:03) Shotgun #15 F.Mendoza pass complete deep right to #3 O.Cooper Jr. caught at ALA33, for 38 yards to the ALA23 (#7 D.Jones), 1ST DOWN
(11:19) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush right for 5 yards gain to the ALA18 (#22 L.Overton)
(10:39) Shotgun #1 R.Hemby rush middle for 18 yards gain to the ALA00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 10:33, 1ST DOWN #15 N.Radicic kick attempt good (H: #44 M.McCarthy, LS: #47 M.Langston)
(10:32) Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass complete short right to #1 I.Horton caught at ALA35, for 10 yards to the ALA35, End Of Play, 1ST DOWN
(10:08) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass complete short right to #1 I.Horton caught at ALA39, for 6 yards to the ALA41 (#21 R.Hardy), out of bounds
(09:28) Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass incomplete short right to #28 K.Riley thrown to ALA41 broken up by #95 T.Tucker
(09:22) Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass complete short left to #5 G.Bernard caught at ALA49, for 8 yards to the ALA49, out of bounds at ALA49, 1ST DOWN
(08:49) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass complete short right to #4 D.Hill caught at ALA44, for 1 yard to the ALA50 (#12 D.Boykin; #4 A.Fisher), out of bounds
(08:03) Shotgun #10 A.Mack sacked for loss of 8 yards to the ALA42 (#12 D.Boykin)
(07:25) Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass complete short left to #2 R.Williams caught at ALA35, for 26 yards to the IND32 (#0 H.Wheeler), 1ST DOWN
(06:48) Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass complete short right to #2 R.Williams caught at IND37, for 7 yards to the IND25 (#1 A.Ferrell), out of bounds
(06:26) Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass incomplete short right to #28 K.Riley thrown to IND26 QB hurried by #21 R.Hardy
(06:23) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 A.Mack pass complete short right to #4 D.Hill caught at IND31, for 1 yard loss to the IND26 (#21 R.Hardy)
(05:48) No Huddle-Shotgun #10 A.Mack sacked for loss of 7 yards to the IND33 (#4 A.Fisher), fumble by #10 A.Mack recovered by ALA #10 A.Mack at IND33, End Of Play, TURNOVER ON DOWNS
(05:40) Shotgun #28 K.Martin rush middle for 4 yards gain to the IND37 (#8 J.Hill)
(04:55) Shotgun #28 K.Martin rush middle for 2 yards gain to the IND39 (#22 L.Overton)
(04:09) Shotgun #16 A.Mendoza rush left for 5 yards gain to the IND44 (#12 Z.Mincey), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
(03:26) Shotgun #16 A.Mendoza rush middle for 1 yard gain to the IND45 (#13 I.Taylor)
(02:45) Shotgun #28 K.Martin rush right for 4 yards gain to the IND49 (#9 C.Calhoun; #12 Z.Mincey), out of bounds
(02:04) Shotgun #28 K.Martin rush middle for 1 yard gain to the IND50 (#36 Q.Reese). #11 J.Renaud injured on the play
PENALTY ALA Offside (#18 B.Hubbard) 5 yards from IND50 to ALA45, 1ST DOWN. NO PLAY
(02:00) Kneel down by #16 A.Mendoza at ALA47 for loss of 2 yards
(01:21) Kneel down by #16 A.Mendoza at ALA49 for loss of 2 yards
(00:41) Kneel down by #16 A.Mendoza at IND49 for loss of 2 yards