Indiana State @ Indiana preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 1, 2012 ) Indiana State 17, Indiana 24

Success is not synonymous with Indiana football, but with eight home games and 18 starters returning, the Hoosiers have a legitimate shot at their first winning season in six years - and second since 1994. Indiana will take the first step toward a return to respectability when it hosts FCS member Indiana State on Thursday. The Hoosiers have won 10 of their last 11 home openers - including a 24-17 victory over the Sycamores last season - and are 4-0 all-time against Indiana State.

Indiana must shore up a defense which finished 101st among the 120 FBS teams in points allowed at 35.3 per game in 2012 and 103rd in yards (463.5). "Quite honestly, it's been embarrassing about how we played in our first two years," said third-year coach Kevin Wilson, who has also yet to announce his starting quarterback publicly. The Sycamores were in contention for the Missouri Valley League title last season before losing their final two games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: None

ABOUT INDIANA STATE (2012: 7-4, 5-3 Missouri Valley Conference): Senior Shakir Bell rushed for 192 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries against Indiana last season and finished 2012 with 1,475 yards - sixth nationally at 134.1 yards per game. The Sycamores seek their third fourth straight winning season after enduring 13 straight losing ones. Mike Sanford, who spent 2012 as an assistant at Utah and was 16-43 as UNLV coach from 2005-09, takes the reins in Terre Haute.

ABOUT INDIANA (2012: 4-8, 2-6 Big Ten): The Hoosiers were 17th in the nation while leading the Big Ten in passing yards (311.2) in 2012. Junior quarterback Cam Coffman finished second in the Big Ten at 248.5 passing yards per game after taking over from redshirt sophomore Tre Roberson, the 2011 starter who broke his leg in the second game last season. The third option for Wilson is Nate Sudfeld, a 6-5, 230-pound sophomore who threw seven touchdowns from 82 attempts in 2012.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Indiana played 32 freshmen (16 redshirt) in 2012, the most in the nation.

2. The Hoosiers have eight home games for the second time in school history (2007).

3. Indiana, which was selected to finish fourth in the six-team Leaders Division in the Big Ten preseason media poll, returns its top two wide receivers in juniors Cody Latimer (51 catches, team-best 805 yards last season) and Shane Wynn (team-high 68 receptions for 660 yards), who each caught six touchdown passes.

PREDICTION: Indiana 35, Indiana State 10