Heading into the 100th Old Oaken Bucket game on Friday, head coach Curt Cignetti said that he wanted the team to end the regular season with an “exclamation point” win over Purdue. His Hoosiers did exactly that, routing the Boilermakers 56-0 in West Lafayette to finish the regular season a perfect 12-0.
The tone for the game was set on just the second play from scrimmage when Amare Ferrell picked off Purdue QB Ryan Browne’s first pass of the game. This set the Hoosiers up with great field position and helped demoralize an already beaten-down Boilermakers squad.
With temperatures hovering around 26 degrees at kickoff, it was the coldest game in the history of Ross-Ade Stadium, and it definitely seemed to affect the Indiana offense to start the game. The offense caught fire in the second quarter, however, largely thanks to the success of the Hoosiers’ running game. Fernando Mendoza scampered into the endzone for a 7-yard TD run, followed by a physical 16-yard touchdown run from Kaelon Black.
The true exclamation point moment of the first half came with just 1:44 left til halftime. Facing a 2nd and 10 from their own 18-yard line, running back Roman Hemby took the handoff and burst through the line, outrunning all 11 Boilermaker defenders on his 82-yard sprint to the endzone, putting the Hoosiers up 28-3. With that, the rout was on.
Quickly finding themselves in a 25-point hole, the Purdue offense’s task was made that much harder by just how well the Indiana defense was playing. The Hoosiers defense, eager to create their own exclamation point moment, tallied 10 tackles for loss, forced 12 three-and-outs and recovered a fumble.
Things did not get easier for the Boilermakers in the second half, as the IU passing attack started to get going in the frigid temperatures. Fernando Mendoza threw a 43-yard laser to Omar Cooper Jr. Cooper added his own exclamation point play as he showed exactly why he is one of the best receivers in the country, breaking several tackles and reversing field to score yet another touchdown.
Things did not get easier for Purdue once IU began to take their starters out and put in some of the younger guys. Both Alberto Mendoza and Davion Chandler had big plays, including a 58-yard QB keeper and a 65-yard receiving touchdown, showcasing just how bright the future of the Hoosiers offense is.
Speaking to the media after the game, Curt Cignetti echoed his comments before the game, saying, “We wanted to walk out of this game with an exclamation point, not a question mark. And we did.” The Hoosiers certainly walked out of this game with an exclamation point, beating up the Boilermakers 56-3. In the 100th game of a rivalry that has been dominated by Purdue, Indiana has shown that a page has been flipped, and a new chapter is beginning.
With Friday’s win the Hoosiers end the regular season 12-0 and have clinched their spot in the Big 10 Championship game next week. Whoever the Hoosiers play next Saturday in Indianapolis, you can bet that they will want to leave that game with an exclamation point too.