Hoosiers Offense Rallies Behind Peyton Ramsey in 34-28 Win
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Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Written by Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)
It wasn’t pretty, but the Hoosiers pulled off a narrow victory on the road over Maryland, 34-28. In a game and situation Indiana has historically come up short, this Saturday afternoon was different. IU out-gained Maryland 520 yards to 383 and dominated time of possession 35.5 minutes to 24.5. The Hoosiers were efficient, completing 29-of-41 passes as a team for 8.1 yards-per-pass to go along with 186 rushing yards on 32 attempts (good for 5.8 yards-per-carry). Despite losing quarterback Michael Penix to an undisclosed injury early in the game, Indiana did enough to hang on for the win. The Hoosiers advance to 5-2 on the season, one win away from bowl eligibility.
To start the game, Michael Penix picked up where he left off last week, leading IU to a 5-play, 69-yard drive resulting in a touchdown in under two minutes. Penix opened the game with a 17-yard rush, then completed three of his following four passes. IU capped off the drive with a 28-yard strike to Donavan Hale for a touchdown.
Indiana got the ball back with the game tied and methodically worked their way downfield. Penix completed four passes in a row, including 15-yard chunk plays to both Westbrook and Hendershot. Stevie Scott punched it in for six, capping of a seamless 8-play 75-yard drive. The following drive saw Indiana sputter, forced to punt the ball after just four plays for 13 yards. The Hoosiers’ fourth drive of the day began at midfield. Hendershot picked up a big gain on a 28-yard pass from Penix. Unfortunately, on the following play, Penix’s pass slipped through Hendershot’s hands and resulted in a Maryland interception.
That would prove to be the end of Penix’s day due to injury. He finished the game 9-of-14 for 141 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Ramsey stepped in and led the team downfield once again, this time accumulating 77 yards on 12 plays, taking almost four and a half minutes off the clock. Unfortunately, Indiana couldn’t punch it in after having 1st and goal at the four-yard line. Stevie Scott was stopped short, and Ramsey threw incomplete twice to hold IU to a field goal and 17-14 lead. With their backs to the wall trailing 21-17, IU drove 63-yards downfield in eight plays to take a 24-21 lead into halftime. Nick Westbrook made one of the most impressive plays by a Hoosiers wideout with a 26-yard diving touchdown catch:
Indiana’s first two drives in the second half couldn’t get it going, twice forced to punt. On the third drive IU finally created some separation. Stevie Scott put the team on his back, running the ball four times for 50 yards on the drive, including runs of 27, 12, and 10 yards. He finished the drive with a tough 9-yard TD run. With a little help from the defense, Indiana held firm over the final quarter despite some poor time management and missed opportunities. With a three-point lead and a chance to put the game away, IU went three-and-out and ran four plays for negative yardage on two critical drives in the fourth quarter. They would settle for a field goal that would prove to be final 6-point margin of victory.
Indiana showed off their depth at wide receiver with six different guys recording a catch. Westbrook and Hendershot tied for the team lead with six receptions. Hendershot continued his productive season, racking up 95-yards on the day, carving up Maryland’s defense over the middle. Ty Fryfogle caught four passes for 63-yards, continuing to prove to be a reliable target. Ramsey played mistake-free football and did just enough to get the job done. He finished the day completing 20-of-27 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown. For the second week in a row, Stevie Scott eclipsed the century mark, rushing for 108 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns.
Finally, the Hoosiers capitalized on an opportunity they’ve so often squandered in the past. The experience of Peyton Ramsey helped keep Indiana composed. The Hoosiers didn’t turn the ball over in the second half and outscored the Terrapins 10-7. For the first time since 2007, Indiana has five wins in the month of October. With a chance to make huge strides as a program, each game becomes that much more important. Indiana won a road conference game despite not playing their best, an occurrence IU fans have rarely seen. While the health of Michael Penix might determine the ceiling of this team, the Hoosiers now sit at 5-2 with an opportunity to lock up a bowl berth before November.