October has a way of stacking the calendar for Indiana athletics, and this weekend was a perfect snapshot of how much is happening at once. Football kept winning, men’s soccer stayed unbeaten, basketball opened its preseason run, and volleyball handled business before a huge home date arrives.
The biggest statement came from the football team, which went on the road and took control from the jump in a 47-15 win over Rutgers. Indiana is now 5-0 and still hasn’t trailed in a game this season. Saturday night also produced a place in Big Ten history: Indiana became the first conference team since 1995 to have two running backs and two receivers all go over 100 yards in the same game.
Turbo Richard led the ground attack with 204 yards and a touchdown, while Lee Beebe Jr. added 124 yards and a score. Through the air, Nick Marsh finished with 120 yards and a touchdown, and Charlie Becker piled up 107 yards and two touchdowns.
The reward for that performance is another road trip, and Week 6 looks far more demanding. Indiana heads to Nebraska on Saturday afternoon for a matchup of 5-0 teams, with Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers searching for a signature win over a ranked opponent.
Indiana’s men’s soccer team keeps making its own noise. The No.
2 Hoosiers knocked off No. 4 Maryland 3-1 on Friday, staying unbeaten at 9-0-2.
Stephane Njike was once again at the center of it with another electric goal and celebration. Next up is Kentucky on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington.
On the basketball side, the Cream and Crimson scrimmage gave fans their first real look at Indiana men’s hoops this fall. The regular season is creeping closer, and the Hoosiers are just two weeks away from their first exhibition, a matchup with North Carolina on Monday, Oct. 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Darian DeVries is trying to steer the program forward after last season’s 18-14 finish ended without an NCAA Tournament berth.
Volleyball also kept its momentum going with a road win at Rutgers on Sunday afternoon. Indiana outlasted the Scarlet Knights 3-1, taking the match 25-20, 17-25, 25-21, 26-24.
That pushed the Hoosiers to 10-3 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play. A bigger challenge is waiting Thursday night, when No.
1 Nebraska comes to Bloomington.
In Other News...
Indiana Will Help Reveal What Nebraskas Hot Start Really Means
Nebraskas unbeaten start has turned heads, but the next stretch of Big Ten play should tell a lot more about what this team actually is. The Huskers are 5-0 and have already shown some grit, including in a recent win over Maryland, yet there is still plenty of uncertainty about how steady they are on both sides of the ball as the schedule gets tougher.
Indiana is part of the test now, and that matters because conference games tend to strip away the early-season noise. Nebraska has looked capable enough to keep winning, and Anthony Colandrea has been among the players drawing attention for his role in that run, but the Hoosiers are one of the teams that can help show whether this hot start is a true sign of progress or just a strong opening month waiting for a reality check. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Biggest Test Just Got Even Bigger Before Ohio State Visit
Indianas trip to Ohio State was already shaping up as one of the biggest games on the schedule, and the Buckeyes only added to the sense of urgency with what they did in Week 5. After beating Iowa 31-14, Ohio State moved to the top of ESPNs FPI rankings, a reminder of how complete and dangerous this roster looks heading into a matchup that will carry real weight for Indiana.
Jeremiah Smith was a major part of that surge, setting program records for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in the win. Elsewhere in the rankings shakeup, Missouris 45-17 win over Florida sent the Gators tumbling five spots, but for Indiana the focus is squarely on what awaits in Columbus and how high the ceiling is for the opponent standing in the way. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Became Nebraskas Biggest Unbeaten Test Yet
Nebraska is rolling into a marquee Big Ten matchup with real momentum after handling Maryland 48-23 to stay unbeaten at 5-0, even if the start was not nearly as clean as the final score suggested. The Huskers have now put themselves in the thick of the conference conversation, and the stakes only get bigger with Indiana waiting next, another undefeated team at 5-0.
For Nebraska, this is the kind of game that can say a lot about where a season is headed, especially with other league contenders like Ohio State and Wisconsin also adding wins and the College Football Playoff picture beginning to take shape. Indiana has its own perfect record and plenty to protect, which makes this one of those early-season tests that can change the tone for both programs long before November arrives. [Read more 🡒]