Opponent: Michigan State Spartans
Location: Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
Why They Played:
The Hoosiers and Spartans played for the Old Brass Spittoon in the newly minted Venmo Rivalry Series.
What The Game Meant:
The Hoosiers were coming off a statement win against the Oregon Ducks and earned their highest ranking in school history. They needed to refocus and take on Michigan State in the Old Brass Spittoon Game. IU knew with a win they would likely move to No. 2 in the nation.
Heartwork Brewing Players of the Game
Offense
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana– Heismendoza is gaining traction as the student section chanted that for the Hoosiers quarterback. Mendoza was razor sharp, completing 24-of-28 passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns. He also added 18 yards rushing.
Indiana Starting Receivers- The trio of Omar Cooper, Elijah Sarratt and EJ Williams abused the Michigan State defense as the Hoosier passing game got whatever it wanted. They combined for 17 receptions, 244 yards and four touchdowns.
Aiden Chiles, QB, Michigan State– Aiden Chiles showed that he has all the tools and that he can be very dangerous when he puts it together. He finished 27-of-33 for 243 yards and a touchdown. He added 48 yards on the ground.
Defense
Stephen Daley, DE, Indiana- Daley came in and spelled Kellan Wyatt well with two sacks and three tackles. When he is on the field he has been very productive.
Special Teams Performance:
Indiana did not have to punt on Saturday and Brendan Franke knocked all, but one kick off for touchbacks (the other was fair caught). Jonathan Brady had a 16-yard punt return and Nico Radicic hit all five extra points and a field goal.
Key Stat(s):
332
Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza put up 332 passing yards. The Spartans had no answer for the Hoosiers air attack as the Heisman contender picked them apart.
Turning Point:
The turning point of the game came in the middle eight minutes of the game when the Hoosiers extended a 14-10 lead into a 28-10 lead and really put the game out of reach.
I Knew it Was Over When…
When Indiana went up 21-10. Michigan State could not stop the IU offense.
What I take away From the Game:
As the storm clouds rolled into Bloomington the Indiana Hoosiers handled their business in the Old Brass Spittoon game against Michigan State with a 38-13 win. Coming off a massive win at Oregon and with a struggling Michigan State team in town, the ingredients were there for the Hoosiers to sleep walk through this one.
Indiana’s offense stole the show on Saturday and Fernando Mendoza had a performance that had the fans chanting ‘Heis-Mendoza’ by the end. He could get whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. Indiana’s receivers were just as good with crisp routes and some great catches.
Early on the Spartans took advantage of an Indiana defense that was getting caught up field on screens and then playing soft on third downs. They had two long drives in the first quarter to take a 10-7 lead and put some nervous vibes into the air in Bloomington. The defense was not as sharp as they were against Oregon, but again used a big second half to allow the offense to pull away.
Something to keep an eye on will be the health of Kellan Wyatt who has been outstanding. He left with an injury and didn’t return.
It was ugly at times for the defense, but IU passed a test in a week that saw several undefeated teams get upset. When the polls are released tomorrow, IU should be ranked 2nd. They survived the rat poison, but there will be more with Big Noon Kickoff next week.
With a 7-0 start, the stakes will just get higher.
What’s Next
IU is 7-0 and will be ranked No. 2 tomorrow. They host UCLA at noon with Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff in town.