Josh Hoover And The Weight Of Escaping Fernando Mendoza’s Shadow At Indiana

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti publicly defended QB Josh Hoover as facing "unfair scrutiny" after a 38-0 win, pushing back on social-media criticism.
The Hoosiers are off to a 3-0 start (outscoring opponents 145-16) and Hoover is playing well — over 72% completion, 10 TDs, 0 INTs and a top passer-efficiency rating.
Much of the chatter compares Hoover to predecessor Fernando Mendoza (Heisman, No. 1 pick); former players say those expectations are unrealistic and advise Hoover to "be yourself."