Indiana Moves to 6-0 With 41-24 Win in Evanston Over Northwestern

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Written by: TJ Inman

Curt Cignetti continues to rewrite the Indiana record books and for the first time since 1967, the Indiana Hoosiers are 6-0. The Hoosiers withstood a tough test from Northwestern and the IU offense answered the bell over and over as they knocked off the Wildcats 41-24 in Evanston to earn bowl eligibility. This is the first time since 1896 the Hoosiers have six straight double-digit victories and they enter their first bye week still not facing a deficit yet this season.

Indiana’s explosive offense took the field first and moved the ball into Northwestern territory before facing a fourth and short on the 27-yard line. Curt Cignetti chose to go for it but the Wildcats made a great tackle on the outside to stop IU short and force a turnover on downs. Northwestern got one first down but had to punt and pinned IU deep. The Hoosiers went three and out and Northwestern had great field position but Indiana’s defense sacked quarterback Jack Lausch and ended the drive. Again, Indiana was pinned deep and the game appeared to be destined to be a defensive struggle but Kurtis Rourke and IU’s offense woke up on their third drive. Mike Shanahan incorporated some screen passes and quick slants and Justice Ellison finished it for a touchdown with a powerful run to open the scoring. Northwestern’s offense responded with a nice drive of its own as they faced three third and longs but kept the drive alive each time and Cam Porter scampered in to tie the game. Indiana answered with a 75-yard drive capped off by a great catch on fourth and one by Miles Cross for the go-ahead touchdown. Kurtis Rourke had three targets wide open in the end zone as Northwestern sold out against the run but he overcooked his pass and Cross had to leap and just barely got one foot inbounds for the score. The Wildcats were held to a field goal on their next drive and the Hoosiers took over possession with 1:08 remaining in the second quarter. Kaelon Black got a first down and then Kurtis Rourke lofted a long pass that was caught by EJ Williams to get IU into scoring position. Nicolas Radicic hit a 37-yard field goal to put the Hoosiers ahead 17-10 at the half. Despite some hiccups, IU’s offense managed 275 yards on the stout Northwestern defense.

Northwestern had the ball first in the second half and IU forced a quick punt thanks to a sack by Mikail Kamara and the offense got cooking quickly with a big run by Ty’Son Lawton and a touchdown pass to Ke’Shawn Williams on a perfectly thrown pass by Kurtis Rourke. After the stop and the score to start the second half, the Hoosiers had established a 24-10 lead and looked comfortable. Northwestern had other ideas. Jack Lausch continued to get comfortable and he connected with AJ Henning for a 38-yard catch and run touchdown to slice the lead in half. Ke’Shawn Williams responded for IU on a terrific run after the catch, breaking multiple tackles and getting IU inside the red zone but the the offense stumbled and Omar Cooper was unable to reel in a tough catch on third and goal and Nicolas Radicic hit a short field goal to make it 27-17. A 47-yard reception on a lobbed pass got the Wildcats to the three-yard line and a third-down pass interference penalty on D’Angelo Ponds gave Northwestern a second-chance that they cashed in on as AJ Henning’s second touchdown reception. The momentum had swung back to Northwestern but IU’s offense refused to blink. Elijah Sarratt had a huge catch on third and eight, Omar Cooper made a long catch, Kaelon Black had a good run and Ty’Son Lawton had two runs to finish the drive and restore IU’s ten-point lead at 34-24. Northwestern picked up one fourth down but Lanell Carr hit Jack Lausch’s arm on fourth and ten and gave the Hoosiers the ball back with 5:13 to play. On fourth and five, IU opted to go for it and Kurtis Rourke evaded pressure and found Elijah Sarratt for a first down inside the ten-yard line. Kurtis Rourke then faked a handoff and Zach Horton leaked out for a wide open short touchdown to put the Hoosiers ahead 41-24 with 3:28 remaining. Northwestern picked up a couple of first downs but IU’s defense stiffened and forced another turnover on downs to give Kurtis Rourke the ball back and effectively end the contest.

Facing an odd stadium setup, occasionally windy conditions, a strong defense and the pressure of growing expectations, Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers kept on rolling and became the first program in FBS to gain bowl eligibility. Indiana won in Evanston for the first time since 1993 and put up 502 yards of offense as Kurtis Rourke went 25 of 33 for 380 yards and he now has ten touchdown passes in IU’s first three Big Ten games. The Hoosiers enter their bye week at 6-0 and they will return to Bloomington to host Nebraska on October 18.

Hoosier Huddle will have continuing coverage of IU’s win over Northwestern and unbeaten first half of the season.

Key Takeaways

  • IU’s pass defense was a bit scattered and exposed by Jack Lausch and his ability to extend plays in and out of the pocket. However, they ultimately held the Wildcats to just 6-16 on third and fourth downs.

  • The Hoosiers have an outstanding offense. There are no disclaimers or exceptions, IU’s offense should be considered among the nation’s elite. Kurtis Rourke had a few high throws in the first half but he settled in and put up huge numbers yet again. IU had eight different pass catchers and they ran the ball effectively to create balance.

  • We are in the midst of a historic season, buckle up and enjoy the ride folks!