BLOOMINGTON — In the early moments of Indiana football ’s throttling of Illinois on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, the Fighting Illini already near midfield and driving, a single play seemed to set the tone a dominant defensive performance wholly uncharacteristic of what the Hoosiers had shown through three games in 2025.

Facing third-and-5 from his team’s own 45-yard-line, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer found himself flushed out of the pocket, scrambling to the left with linebacker Rolijah Hardy in hot pursuit. The sophomore closed quickly and shoved Altmyer out of bounds, a coverage sack that would spark a barrage of punishing, drive-ending defensive plays that IU coach Curt Cignetti believed a unit that had totaled just eight sacks through three games — against a trio

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