Dynasty football fans have a new name to remember, and it’s Omar Cooper Jr. The Indiana junior managed to dominate both the headlines and the Indiana State Sycamores on Friday, helping the Hoosiers to set not one but two all-time program records.
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The only thing more astounding than Cooper’s performance? The scoreboard. Thanks in part to his four receiving touchdowns, the Hoosiers walked away with a definitive 73-0 victory, nearly replicating the 77-3 victory that they enjoyed against the Western Illinois Leathernecks just one year ago.
It’s the third most points that the program has seen since 1901, when it managed to produce a 76-point shutout against Franklin College. As far as Cooper is concerned, his four touchdown catches tie Indiana’s single-game record, and his 297 receiving yards are the seventh highest single-game total.
Omar Cooper tonight: 10 receptions, 207 yards, 4 touchdowns. That ranks 7th all-time among Indiana receivers, just ahead of James Hardy @ Iowa in 2006 (203) and Ty Fryfogle @ Michigan State in 2020 (200). The single-game record is 285 (Thomas Lewis @ Penn State, 1993). #iufb
— Nick Rodecap (@nickrodecap) September 13, 2025
The Hoosiers managed to produce 56 points against the Kennesaw State Owls a week ago, and thanks to this monstrous performance, they are now averaging 52 points per game while boasting a clean 3-0 record. All things considered, Curt Cignetti must be pretty happy with what he’s seeing from his team, which is currently allowing him to have one of the most impressive turnarounds in recent memory.
Prior to his arrival, Indiana had won just 15 games throughout the last four seasons under Tom Allen. Since Cignetti has taken over, however, Indiana is sporting an overall record of 13-2.
Unlike Matt Rhule’s Nebraska, who was famously torn to shreds by the former NFL head coach for easing up on their opponent despite a 33-0 lead at halftime, Cignetti specifically noted that he was proud of his team for refusing to take their boot off of Indiana State’s neck.
Curt Cignetti: "I didn't see anybody relaxing at any point in the game, coaches or players."
That was a focal point after last week, and it seems like he's pleased with the progress shown tonight. #iufb
— Nick Rodecap (@nickrodecap) September 13, 2025
He’s also managed to give them their first preseason spot in the national rankings since 2021, which is just their second ever since 1969. By all accounts, Cignetti has completely revamped this program, and now, thanks to the lopsided victory, the Hoosiers will be able to continue their journey towards reclaiming the top-five rank that they once held last year.
Thankfully, the continued heroics of Cooper should carry them a long way. The 24-year-old wide receiver managed to lead the Big Ten conference last year with an average of 21.2 yards per reception, and even though his current average of 30.7 yards per reception may be a bit inflated by Friday’s outing, he’s currently on track towards a second-consecutive conference-leading season.
Nevertheless, if the Hoosiers really want to make a statement, then they’ll need to continue their high-scoring ways against the currently top-10-ranked Illinois. They’re known as the Fighting Illini for a reason, so Week 4 should prove to be a rather telling one for the legitimacy of this Indiana team.
In the meantime, however, Cignetti and the rest of his crew will enjoy the spoils that come with having one of the most productive offenses in all of college football.
