Indiana had chances to tilt this one late, but Ohio State’s defense held firm when it mattered most and the Buckeyes escaped Memorial Stadium with a 19-15 win in front of 54,532 fans.
The game turned early in the second quarter when Julian Sayin tried to squeeze a pass to Jeremiah Smith and Jamari Sharpe got a hand on it. Amare Ferrell made the interception, and Indiana wasted no time turning that takeaway into points. Two snaps later, Turbo Richard powered in from seven yards out to put the Hoosiers ahead 7-3 with 13:54 left in the half.
That edge, though, didn’t last. Indiana had a chance to add on on a drive deep into Ohio State territory, but on third and six from the Buckeyes’ 14, Josh Hoover missed a wide-open Brock Schott in the end zone and instead threw incomplete to Richard. Nico Radicic then missed a 32-yard field goal on fourth down, leaving the Hoosiers stuck at 7-3.
Ohio State made Indiana pay before the break. The Buckeyes went the full length of the field, and after Indiana delivered a strong defensive stand, Sayin hit Bo Jackson on fourth down for a two-yard touchdown with just enough time to flip the lead back to Ohio State, 10-7, heading into halftime.
The third quarter belonged to turnovers and missed chances. Indiana’s first possession of the half ended when Davion Chandler hauled in a 19-yard pass and then lost the ball to Jay Timmons, giving Ohio State the ball at the IU 45. Connor Hawkins finished that drive with a 29-yard field goal to stretch the lead to 13-7.
Indiana then had a shot to answer after Curt Cignetti chose to go for it on fourth and four from the Ohio State 27. Jaylen McClain got to Hoover for the sack, and TJ Alford recovered the loose ball at the Buckeye 38.
But the Hoosiers still couldn’t seize control. Ferrell picked off Sayin again at the IU 43 with 6:21 left in the third, giving Indiana another opening it couldn’t cash in on.
Hoover, dealing with shoulder pain, and the Hoosiers settled for a long 55-yard attempt from Radicic that came up short.
Jeremiah Smith, who had been bottled up for most of the night, finally delivered the kind of play that changes games. Early in the fourth quarter, Sayin found him on fourth and one from the IU 38, and Smith made the catch in the end zone despite tight coverage from two defenders. Ohio State tried for two and failed, but the touchdown pushed the lead to 19-7 with 12:46 left.
Indiana punched right back. The Hoosiers moved 75 yards in seven plays, and Hoover capped the drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Nick Marsh. The two-point conversion cut the margin to 19-15 with 10:30 remaining.
From there, the game came down to Indiana’s final chances. Sayin left with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter, and Ohio State’s offense stalled with Luke Fahey at quarterback. That gave Indiana two drives to go take the lead, but the Hoosiers couldn’t finish either one.
On the last realistic shot, Hoover looked for Marsh on fourth and four from the Ohio State 27. Marsh caught it, but he didn’t get a foot in bounds, and the incompletion sealed it for the Buckeyes.
Becker was a bright spot for Indiana, finishing with nine catches for 165 yards. Marsh had three receptions for 57 yards and the touchdown. Hoover went 20-for-40 for 296 yards and lost a fumble.
Defensively, Ferrell came away with two interceptions, while Rolijah Hardy and Tyrique Tucker led IU with eight tackles apiece. Tobi Osunsanmi added two sacks.
Indiana heads back on the road for the third time in four weeks, traveling to Ann Arbor to face Michigan next week at 12 p.m. ET on FOX.
In Other News...
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Ohio States 19-15 win over Indiana did more than snap the Hoosiers 22-game winning streak. It also left plenty of people around the game sorting through a night filled with flags, frustration and a few calls that immediately became talking points, including a roughing-the-passer penalty on Jermaine Mathews Jr. and a missed pass interference whistle involving Jeremiah Smith.
For Indiana, the loss was already hard enough with Julian Sayin exiting because of a right arm injury, but the officiating chatter only sharpened the sting of a game both sides saw marked by multiple penalties. When a tight contest ends with that much second-guessing, the result is hard to separate from the debate that follows, and this one figures to linger well beyond the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Let Ohio State Slip Away For Three Brutal Reasons
Saturdays loss to Ohio State at Memorial Stadium had the kind of shape that can linger for a while in Bloomington. Indiana had enough moments to keep the game within reach, but the offense never found a steady rhythm, and the 19-15 finish reflected how many chances slipped away in a matchup that felt there for the taking.
Josh Hoovers day never really settled in, as Indiana finished with an inefficient passing performance and little help on the ground. The second-half turnovers mattered, Nico Radicics missed field goals loomed large, and the running game never provided the balance the Hoosiers needed, leaving plenty of reasons to wonder how different this one might have looked with just a cleaner stretch of execution. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana May Have Changed Ohio State's Entire Season
Ohio States 19-15 win over Indiana did more than snap the Hoosiers 22-game winning streak. It also left the Buckeyes dealing with a major quarterback concern after starter Julian Sayin went down with a right arm injury and was replaced by true freshman Luke Fahey.
Ryan Day said Sayin will be out for several weeks, which immediately changes the tenor of Ohio States season and adds another layer to the aftermath of a game Indiana had been aiming to survive with its streak intact. For a Buckeyes schedule that still includes USC, Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan, the injury could end up mattering far beyond a single close win in Bloomington. [Read more 🡒]