IU football didn’t just beat Rutgers on Saturday night - it turned the Scarlet Knights’ home field into a near-carbon copy of the kind of environment Indiana used to face in Bloomington. And with that, the Hoosiers kept rolling.
Indiana powered past Rutgers 47-15 on the road to move to 5-0, and it did so with a ground game that overwhelmed the Scarlet Knights from the start. Turbo Richard piled up more than 200 rushing yards, while Lee Beebee Jr. added more than 100 of his own. The win came with the tougher part of the schedule looming next week, but for now the Hoosiers are still carrying playoff hopes into the stretch run.
While football grabbed the spotlight, IU basketball also gave fans an early look at what’s coming. The team held an open scrimmage on Friday night, offering the first public peek at the new-look roster.
It wasn’t Hoosier Hysteria, but it was enough to give fans a sense of the group. Inside the Hall’s Ian Plaskoff offered observations from the scrimmage, and Samet Yigitoglu was among the transfers expected to matter this season.
Fans will get more chances to see the team soon, with exhibition games each Sunday in October starting on the 11th, plus another free event on the 27th at the Haunted Hall of Hoops.
The Big Ten also made a significant ruling this week, announcing that players who have signed NBA, WNBA or G League contracts are not eligible to compete in the conference. That clarification matters as the NCAA’s new rules continue to work through court battles, including questions surrounding eligibility at IU.
Inside the Hall and UMHoops also kicked off their annual look at the conference’s best players, beginning a ranking of the top 40 basketball players in the Big Ten. This week’s rollout covered players ranked 40-31 and 30-21, and one Hoosier made the list.
The Back Home Network stayed busy as well, with several shows airing during the week across its lineup.
Elsewhere around IU athletics, men’s soccer stayed unbeaten with a win over Maryland. Field hockey beat Michigan State, volleyball dropped a tight match to Wisconsin, women’s soccer fell to Northwestern, cross country competed at the Notre Dame Invitational, men’s golf finished tied for fifth at the Windon Memorial Classic, and wrestling revealed its winter schedule.
In Other News...
Indianas Latest AP Ranking Just Sparked A New Disrespect Debate
Indianas climb in the polls hit another familiar snag this week, with the latest Associated Press ranking slotting the Hoosiers seventh even after a 32-point win over Rutgers and a 21-game winning streak that keeps rolling along. The contrast with the Coaches Poll was hard to miss, since Indiana stayed at fifth there, and it only added to the feeling around the program that its rsum is not being treated the same way as some of the other teams clustered near the top.
Alabamas rise to sixth after a dominant win over Mississippi State only sharpened the debate, especially for a Hoosiers team that has done just about everything asked of it on the field. For Indiana, the number beside its name has become its own weekly talking point, and the gap between what the team is doing and where it is being placed is starting to feel like part of the story every time the rankings come out. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Revealed What Stood Out Behind Indianas Rutgers Win
Curt Cignetti had plenty to point to after Indianas 47-15 win over Rutgers, and the postgame conversation started with the defense. The Hoosiers were disruptive and steady on that side of the ball, giving the offense room to work while the running backs drew attention for their health status and the way the staff managed touches in the game. Cignetti also touched on special teams and the atmosphere around the matchup, making it clear this was one of those wins that revealed more than the final score.
Rutgers still made Indiana earn it for stretches, and Cignetti acknowledged both the Scarlet Knights competitiveness and what Greg Schiano has accomplished there. For Indiana, the larger takeaway was how the performance fit together across the board, from the defensive effort to the offensive approach and the way the team handled the games flow. There was enough encouragement in the result to carry forward, even with a few longer-term questions still worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Left Fans One Tough Choice After Rutgers Blowout
Indianas 47-15 rout of Rutgers at SHI Stadium gave the Hoosiers plenty to celebrate, but it also left fans with a familiar postgame problem: trying to sort through a long list of standout performances and decide which ones mattered most. The offense piled up big numbers and the defense kept Rutgers from ever finding its footing, which made the teams player-of-the-game conversation more crowded than usual.
Turbo Richards 204 rushing yards put him squarely in the spotlight, while Jamari Sharpes coverage work helped define the defensive side of the win. With both units making a strong case, Indiana is leaving the final call to its fans, who get to weigh in on who deserves the game ball after one of the seasons most convincing victories. [Read more 🡒]