Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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22 JANUARY 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: INDIANA C O L L E G E F O O T B A L L P L A Y O F F Aug. 31: Indiana 31, Florida International 7 With 54 new players on the roster, the Hoo‑ siers dominated their season opener, building a 414‑182 advantage in total yards and a 234‑53 edge on the ground against the Panthers while forcing 2 turnovers. Transfer running back Ty Son Lawton led the way with 74 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. Sept. 6: Indiana 77, Western Illinois 3 Indiana established a new school record for most points in a game in a rout of Western Il‑ linois, besting the old mark of 76 set in 1901. The Hoosiers finished the contest with 701 total yards (378 passing, 323 rushing). Wide receiver Elijah Sarratt notched team‑ high 6 catches for 137 yards, including a 71‑yard touchdown. Sept. 14: Indiana 42, UCLA 13 The Hoosiers won their Big Ten opener, forcing 6 turnovers and riding the right arm of quarterback Kurtis Rourke. IU had a 430‑238 edge in total yards with Rourke completing 25 of 33 throws for 307 yards with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. Six IU pass catchers caught at least three passes, with wide receiver Miles Cross hauling in 6 receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Sept. 21: Indiana 52, Charlotte 14 Curt Cignetti became the first IU head coach to begin his career 4‑0, while the Hoosiers rushed and passed for more than 200 yards en route to 510 total yards. Rourke connected on 16 of 20 throws for 258 yards with 1 touchdown and also ran for 32 yards and 1 score. The IU defense recorded 8 tackles for loss while holding the 49ers to 256 total yards. Sept. 28: Indiana 42, Maryland 28 Rourke threw for 359 yards and 3 touchdowns, and the Indiana defense came up with some big stops over the final 22 minutes. The Hoosiers overcame their first 4 turnovers of the season and limited the Terrapins to just seven points in the final 22 minutes to secure their longest win streak (five games) since 2000. Oct. 5: No. 23 Indiana 41, Northwestern 24 Indiana notched its first win at Evanston, Ill., since 1993, snapping an eight‑game losing streak to the Wildcats with a decisive victory. Rourke threw for 380 yards and 3 touchdowns, and the Hoosiers added 149 yards on the ground, with Justice Ellison (68 yards) and Lawton (52 yards) each tallying a rushing score. Oct. 19: No. 16 Indiana 56, Nebraska 7 Ellison ran for 105 yards and 2 first‑half touch‑ downs, and IU continued its best start in 57 years (8‑0 in 1967) with a beatdown of Nebraska, matching the program's most lopsided Big Ten win in program history (49‑0 win at Minnesota in 1945). The news wasn't all good, though, with Rourke injuring his right (throwing) hand and missing the second half. Oct. 26: No. 13 Indiana 31, Washington 17 Playing without their starting quarterback Rourke, the Hoosiers grinded out a win over the Huskies with 188 rushing yards. Ellison led the way with a career‑high 29 carries for 123 yards and 1 touchdown. Cornerback D'Angelo Ponds notched a pair of interceptions, including a 67‑yard pick six in the first quarter that staked Indiana to an early lead. Nov. 2: No. 13 Indiana 47, Michigan State 10 Despite spotting the Spartans an early 10‑0 lead, Indiana cruised to another easy victory. The Hoosiers' defense notched 7 sacks and a season‑ high 15 tackles for loss while limiting MSU to minus‑36 rushing yards. Defensive lineman Mikail Kamara had 4.5 stops for loss, and defensive back Amare Ferrell con‑ tributed 2 interceptions. Rourke led the offense with 263 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air. Nov. 9: No. 8 Indiana 20, Michigan 15 Rourke threw 2 touchdown passes and directed two late drives — one for a field goal, the other to run out the clock — to give Indiana its first 10‑ win season in school history. In the final minutes, clinging to that five‑point lead against a program IU had beaten just three times since 1966, the IU defense got the stop it had to have by forcing four consecutive in‑ completions by the Wolverines. Nov. 23: No. 2 Ohio State 38, No. 5 Indiana 15 The Hoosiers were hurt by special teams mis‑ takes and stifled by a Buckeyes defense that sacked Rourke five times. IU punter James Evans fumbled a snap and was tackled at his own 7‑yard line, leading to a Buckeyes touchdown late in the first half. Then, OSU's Caleb Downs returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown early in the second half. Nov. 30: No. 10 Indiana 66, Purdue 0 Against Purdue, Indiana got its largest shutout victory in Big Ten play since the Associated Press era began in 1936. IU limited their rivals to 67 total yards while racking up 582. Rourke finished 23‑for‑31 passing for 349 yards with a program‑record‑tying 6 touchdown passes, Sarratt totaled 8 catches for 165 yards and 2 scores, and Ellison and Lawton combined for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Note: The Associated Press poll was used for rankings until the College Football Playoff rank- ings came out in Week 10. — Steve Downey Running back Ty Son Lawton rushed for 74 yards and 2 touchdowns in Indiana's season-opening 31-7 win over Florida International. PHOTO COURTESY INDIANA Indiana's Season In Review