Indiana left Friday night with a win and a warning.
The Hoosiers stayed unbeaten at 4-0 by outlasting Northwestern 29-23 in Bloomington in the Big Ten opener for both teams, but this was nowhere near the easy cruise many expected on a perfect night. Indiana didn’t score in the first quarter, needed plenty of grinding to separate itself, and spent most of the game looking less like a team on autopilot and more like one trying to survive a stubborn fight.
The biggest reason Indiana escaped was its front seven. Northwestern never got its ground game going, finishing with just 32 rushing yards on 27 carries after managing -5 on the ground in the first half.
Most of what the Wildcats did on the ground came when quarterback Aiden Chiles scrambled on broken plays. Chip Kelly may have spent years earning a reputation as an offensive mind, but Northwestern had no answers Friday night for Indiana’s run defense.
That kind of edge can cover up a lot, because the Hoosiers were uneven elsewhere. Curt Cignetti had already addressed the scrutiny on Josh Hoover after the quarterback missed a throw against Western Kentucky, and Hoover’s night started with more misses before he finally settled in. His best moment came on Indiana’s first touchdown drive, when he found Nick Marsh after a slick play fake for the game’s first score.
Hoover also helped keep a key second-quarter drive alive by escaping pressure on third-and-11 and picking up a first down with his legs. That scramble changed the feel of the possession, and Indiana finished it off with the touchdown throw. Even so, Hoover’s passing accuracy remains something to watch as the schedule gets tougher, especially with Chiles putting up better yards per pass attempt than he did Friday.
Indiana’s backfield situation is starting to get thin, too. Khobie Martin has already been out since suffering an arm injury in the opener against North Texas, and Turbo Richard left early in the second quarter Friday with what appears to be a foot injury. Richard still averaged 7.8 yards per carry on nine attempts, but for long stretches the Hoosiers had trouble finding much on the ground.
That’s where Lee Beebe Jr. became the difference-maker. He ripped off a 70-yard run on Indiana’s most important drive of the night, setting up the Hoosiers at the 5-yard line, and later broke another run of 60-plus yards right after Northwestern cut the margin to two. With the running back room already battered, Beebe’s explosiveness mattered even more.
Northwestern made things uncomfortable in the third quarter when it finally scored and trimmed Indiana’s lead to 12-7. Indiana answered with a 10-play, 90-yard drive that ended in a field goal, and Hoover leaned on Charlie Becker twice for 22-yard gains on back-shoulder throws to move the ball. The Hoosiers couldn’t finish with a touchdown, but they did enough to stretch the lead to eight.
Then came the play that swung the night back Indiana’s way. On a third-and-19 deep in its own territory, the Hoosiers looked ready to punt and trust the defense again.
Instead, Northwestern was flagged for a facemask on a personal foul, and Indiana got a fresh set of downs. Beebe then burst for 39 yards, and the Hoosiers pushed the lead back to two possessions.
It was the kind of penalty that can wreck a game, and Indiana was the beneficiary.
This wasn’t the cleanest version of Indiana under Cignetti, and it certainly wasn’t the most impressive. But it was a win, and the Hoosiers have now started 4-0.
Their previous Big Ten openers under Cignetti had been a combined 105-23, so this one was a far rougher test than the numbers suggested. Indiana now heads on the road for games at Rutgers and Nebraska over the next two weeks.
In Other News...
Indiana Win Brings Two Injury Worries Hoosier Fans Will Be Watching
Indianas win over Northwestern came with an unwelcome dose of concern, as the Hoosiers saw running back Turbo Richard leave in the first half and never return. Head coach Curt Cignetti addressed Richards injury and the circumstances surrounding the tackle afterward, adding a small postgame cloud to what should have been a clean result.
Rolijah Hardy added to the uneasy feeling later in the game when the starting linebacker went down as well, though he was able to walk off the field on his own. Jeff Utzinger stepped in for Hardy, and Indiana will now wait to see whether either injury lingers beyond a victory that otherwise moved the team forward. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Survived A Real Big Ten Test After A Costly Scare
Indiana had to work for every bit of this one at Memorial Stadium, where Northwestern pushed the Hoosiers far harder than the final margin might suggest. The 29-23 win came with a heavy dose of urgency after Turbo Richard left the game injured, forcing Indiana to lean even more on Lee Beebe Jr., who responded with 203 rushing yards and a touchdown to keep the offense moving.
Josh Hoover eventually delivered the play that settled it, scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a quarterback run late in the game. For Indiana, the bigger concern may be what came before that final push, because surviving a Big Ten test is one thing, but doing it while watching an important back exit in the middle of the fight changes the conversation heading into what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Gave Fans A Reason To Worry Despite Staying Unbeaten
Indiana kept both streaks intact Saturday, but the 29-23 win over Northwestern was not the sort of comfortable performance that usually travels with an unbeaten run. Lee Beebe Jr. carried the offense with 203 rushing yards and a key late touchdown, and Josh Hoover added 201 passing yards and a score, enough to get the Hoosiers through another tight Big Ten test while extending the winning streak to 20 games and the home streak to 19.
Still, the final margin left room for concern. Northwestern quarterback Aidan Chiles threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns, and Indiana had to keep answering deep into the game before finally holding on. The record stays perfect, but the way this one unfolded offered a sharper reminder that the margin for error is getting thinner, even in a building where Indiana has been nearly impossible to beat. [Read more 🡒]