BLOOMINGTON – Indiana’s biggest questions entering this season centered on its retooled defense.

The unit gave up a couple of big plays but made a few more early to help the Hoosiers to a 51-17 victory over Towson in the season opener Thursday in front of 35,242 fans at Memorial Stadium.

Interceptions by Tyler Replogle and Mitchell Evans led to first-quarter touchdowns. Matt Ernest added a 56-yard interception return for a score in the third quarter. IU never trailed against the Football Championship Subdivision school on its way to winning the season opener for the seventh straight season.

“A team like Towson, excited about playing in a Big Ten stadium, those turnovers early kind of deflates them,” Evans said. “That’s huge. That got the ball rolling for our offense, too.”

The Hoosiers (1-0) scored their most points in an opener since defeating Indiana State 55-7 in 2007. IU won its home opener for the ninth consecutive year and for the 26th time in the last 29 seasons.

Running back Darius Willis rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

Quarterback Ben Chappell passed for 182 yards and two touchdowns. North Side graduate Darmarlo Belcher caught a 41-yard touchdown pass and finished with 92 yards as the Hoosiers got along just fine without top receiver Tandon Doss, who missed the game with a groin injury.

IU’s defense, a group featuring just four returning starters from last year, provided a pair of highlights early.

Replogle wrestled the ball away from Alex Blake for an interception, ending Towson’s first drive. The Hoosiers capitalized five plays later when Chappell found tight end Ted Bolser wide open in the right corner of the end zone for a 12-yard score.

“It’s always good when you get field position like that, and then it comes down to capitalizing,” Chappell said.

Towson’s (0-1) next possession lasted only two plays. Evans, a former wide receiver, intercepted a pass and returned it to the 50.

Two plays later, Willis found a hole on the left side and raced 49 yards for a score.

It wasn’t a perfect performance for the defense. Towson quarterback Chris Hart raced 42 yards on a fourth-and-1 to set up a touchdown. He later connected on a 64-yard touchdown pass with Hakeem Moore.

“We’ll get those corrected,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “Those aren’t plays where I’m going, ‘Holy cow, I don’t have an answer.’ You have to give them credit.”

Ernest’s interception return for a touchdown midway through the third quarter made it 48-14.

“We didn’t have many penalties, we didn’t turn the ball over and we didn’t have any breakdowns in the kicking game,” Lynch said. “When you go into an opening game, you want to make sure you are sound.”

lpope@jg.net