More history is on the line for No. 23 Indiana football this week as it looks to maintain an undefeated start to the season and improve to 6-0 overall with a win at Northwestern. This Saturday's game in Evanston is just the second road game for the Hoosiers this season, but Curt Cignetti's red-hot squad enters as double-digit favorites.
David Braun's Wildcats have struggled this season with a 2-2 record, especially offensively, though Cignetti said Northwestern's defense is the toughest Indiana has faced so far.Playing insideNorthwestern'stemporary football stadium and in front of a nation that has taken notice, the Hoosiers cannot afford to let off the gasthis Saturday.
With a victory, Indiana would become bowl eligibility and move to 3-0 in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers are on a bye next week, and they'll have two full weeks torest and prepare for a Homecoming matchup against Nebraska.
This story will be frequently updated before, during and after the game. Be sureto refresh this page and Peegs.com regularly for full game coverage.
OPPONENT PREVIEW: A look at theWildcats
FINAL — Indiana 41, Northwestern 24
Indiana is 6-0 and bowl-eligible heading into its bye week.
FOURTH QUARTER
Indiana 41, Northwestern 24 (3:28)
Indiana may have justsunk the dagger. A four-yard completion from Rourke to a wide-open Zach Horton puts the hoosiers up 17 with 3:28 to play. IU is less than four minutes away from becoming bowl eligible and improving to 6-0.
Indiana 34, Northwestern 24 (5:13)
Wildcats are stopped on fourth down on their own side of the field. Hoosiers need just 34 yards for a touchdown and potentially put this game away for good. Huge defensive stand from Indiana. Clock quickly ticking for the Wildcats.
Indiana 34, Northwestern 24 (6:23)
Indiana finds a huge answer. Ty Son Lawton scores on a one-yard carry to cap off a 10-play, 75-yard drive. Rourke hooked up with Sarratt over the middle to convert a big 3rd-and-9, then a completion of 23 yards to Cooper moved IU past midfield. Gains of 10, 12 and 15 yards put IU at the goal-line, and Lawton finished it off.
Hoosiers up by 10 with just over six minutes to play. Really needed a touchdown there to quiet the crowd and Northwestern momentum, and Indiana's offense responded.
Indiana 27, Northwestern 24 (11:19)
Wildcats aren't going away easily as Indiana's defensive struggles continue. Lausch unloads a deep ball to Bryce Kirtz that goes 47 yards and puts the 'Cats at the goal-line. On 3rd-and-4, D'Angelo Ponds is flagged for pass interference. Northwestern takes advantage and scores on a screen pass to AJ Henning.
Indiana's secondary has not been good today. Amare Ferrell and Jamier Johnson were both in the area of Kurtz's 47-yard catch, but neither guy made a play on the ball. Just can't happen from either guy.
Looks like we're going to have a dogfight finish here. Indiana's offense is going to have to close this one out, because IU's defense does not look sharp today at all.
Indiana 27, Northwestern 17 (14:54)
Another methodical drive from IUmovesthe offense inside the red zone, but Rourke's 3rd-and-10 fade ball to Omar Cooper Jr. is knocked away. Radicic boots his second field goal of the day from 28 yards out.
Hoosiers clinging to a two-score lead with 15 minutes to go. Need a big defensive stand.
THIRD QUARTER
Indiana 24, Northwestern 17 (3:13)
Indiana'sdefense over the middle continues to struggle as Northwestern scores on a 38-yard catch-and-run by AJ Henning. Haven't seen IU's defense get gashed this much all season, and Northwestern hasn't been a good passing team this year. Some concern there.
Hoosiers looking to keep the Wildcats at arm's length on the upcoming drive.
Indiana 24, Northwestern 10 (6:44)
A masterful drive from Indiana ends in a 13-yard dime from Rourke to Ke'Shawn Williams for a touchdown. Mike Shanahan pushed all the right buttons on IU's first series of the second half. Nine plays, 87 yards, three explosive plays.
Hoosiers up by 14. Feels like the Wildcats are entering danger territory if they can't respond on the ensuing possession.
Indiana 17, Northwestern 10 (11:39)
Wildcats pick up a pair of first downs, but Indiana's defense stands tall and forces a punt before Northwestern could drive past midfield. Myles Price calls for a fair catch at IU's own 13-yard line.
Hoosiers front-seven depth is getting severely tested. Starting LB Jailin Walker came out of the locker room with no uniform on, so it looks like his day is done. Then early in the first drive of the second half, Lanell Carr was shaken up after a play and came out of the game.
Hoosiers offense back on the field.
HALFTIME — Indiana 17, Northwestern 10
Hoosiers kick a 37-yard field goal just before halftime to go into the locker room up a touchdown. All things considered, IU isleading by sevenand put together three-straight scoring drives to end the half. Defense will need to be better — and hope Jailin Walker comes back —but this game could be a lot tighter than it is right now.
Walker ran off the field into the locker room with no jersey on and his right arm in clear discomfort. Doesn't look promising. IU's linebacker depth and front-seven in general will be tested in the second half.
SECOND QUARTER
Indiana 14, Northwestern 10 (1:08)
Wildcats settle for a 32-yard field goal after driving inside the red zone. Hoosiers defense is as shaky as at any point we've seen this season. Lausch's legs and scrambling ability are giving IU all kinds of problems right now.
An even bigger potential problem — Jailin Walker is nowhere to be found on the sideline currently. Rolijah Hardy played a majority of the snaps on that last drive next to Aiden Fisher. If Walker is injured for a prolonged part of this game, IU will be tested in a major way in the front seven and especially containing Lausch on the ground.
Indiana 14, Northwestern 7 (4:28)
Indiana's offense is humming right now. Back-to-back touchdown drives, this time an eight-play, 75-yarder resulting in a toe-tapping reception from Miles Cross. Completions of 24 and 23 yards to Omar Cooper and Elijah Sarratt, respectively, moves the ball in a hurry, then on 4th-and-1 inside the 10-yard line, Rourke's play-action fakes out Northwestern's defense and allows Cross to go uncovered in the back of the end zone.
Terrific response from Indiana's offense. Rourke nearly blew that wide-open pass to Cross, but a heck of an effort from Cross to get his toes down just inside the back of the end zone.
Hoosiers back on top by a touchdown.
Indiana 7, Northwestern 7 (8:48)
Wildcats respondimmediately with their first touchdown drive of the day. Jack Lausch scrambles his way to a pair of long first downs, then on 4th-and-1 past midfield, IU is flagged for a neutral-zone infraction. Northwestern capitalizes on the penalty a few plays later with an 8-yard rushing touchdown from Cam Porter.
Looked like Northwestern got away with a pretty clear holding on the touchdown run, but nonethless, Indiana's defense did itself no favors on that drive. Untimely penalties and back-breaking third-down conversions kept the drive alive way longer than it should've.
All tied up midway through the second quarter.
FIRST QUARTER
Indiana 7, Northwestern 0 (0:39)
Hoosiers strike first, driving 89 yards on 10 plays for a touchdown. Justice Ellison finishes it off with a tough touchdown run up the middle. Just a beautiful sequence of play-calls from Mike Shanahan to get Rourke settled and IU's offense moving after a pair of punts.
Northwestern is gifted good starting position on the ensuing kickoff after 15 yards is tacked onto a 30-yard return following a facemask against IU's Isaiah Jones. Wildcats offense back on the field at their own 44.
Indiana 0, Northwestern 0 (7:38)
Wildcats convert their first third-down opportunity ontheir first series, but Indiana's defense stays strong after the chains move. A quick pass from Jack Lausch is easily batted away by D'Angelo Ponds. Hoosiers take back over on their own 11-yard line after Myles Price dances his way for a five-yard punt return.
Indiana goes three-and-out on its second possession. A pair of carries from Lawton makes it a manageable 3rd-and-4, but Rourke is stopped as he tries to climb the pocket and scramble away from the pressure. James Evans' punt dies in the wind and goes just 39 yards to Northwestern's 44. Wildcats have a short field to work with.
Indiana 0, Northwestern 0 (12:26)
Northwestern wins the coin toss and chooses to defer. Indiana's offense gets the ball to start at its own 25-yard line.
Indiana picks up two first downs on the opening two plays — an 11-yard check-down to Ty Son Lawton and a 29-yard completion to Elijah Sarratt. But the drive stalls out at Northwestern's 27-yard line after Rourke nearly threw an interception, and on 4th-and-4, Miles Cross' reception is snuffed out for just a one-yard gain.
A little shocked IU didn't let Nico Radicic try the 44-yard field goal, but I get it with the wind off the lake. Nonetheless, Hoosiers come up with nothing to start this game. Northwestern's offense on the field for the first time today, needing to drive 73 yards.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
Indiana's injury report:CLICK HERE
Kickoff time: 3:30 p.m. ET onSaturday,Oct. 5
TV channel: Big Ten Network
Where to watch BTN: FuboTV(free trial), Local channel,FOX Sports app, YouTube TV, other streaming services
TV commentary crew: Chris Vosters (pbp), Anthony Herron (analyst), Dannie Rogers (sideline)
Radio:Indiana Hoosier Sports Network; Sirius XM (372) // Don Fischer (pbp), Buck Suhr (analyst), John Herrick
Betting odds: Indiana is currently 14-pointfavorites against Northwestern, while ESPN's Football Power Index gives the Hoosiers a 84.9 percent chance at victory. Theover/under sits at 41.5 total pointsahead of the matchup.
Weather forecast: 76degrees, mostly sunny,16 mph wind, 0% chance of rain
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NOTABLES:
—Northwesternleads the all-time series, 47-35-1. Indiana won the most recent meeting in 2019, but the Wildcats won five-straight games from 2009-16.
— Indiana is 5-0 forjust the third time in program history and first since 1967. Curt Cignetti is the only Indiana head coach ever to win his first five games.
— Cignetti is just three wins away from tying the program record for most victories (8) in an IU head coach's first season, a feat held by James M. Sheldon in 1905.
— Indiana's current five-game winning streak isthe program's longest since the 1987 season.
— Indiana turned the ball over four times in itsWeek 5 win over Maryland, marking the first time since a 2016 victory over Purdue that IU has recorded at least four turnovers in a game and still escaped triumphant.
— Indiana kicker Nicolas Radicic has already moved to No. 11 on the program's single-season extra points made leaderboard. If Radicic converts at least one extra point against Northwestern, he'll move into the top-10.
— Indiana has tallied back-to-back 500-yard games for the first time since the 2015 season.
—Northwestern's offensive line hasallowed just three sacks this season, whichis tied for fewest in the Big Ten and tied for ninth-fewest nationally.
—Northwestern's defense ranks 10th nationallyin rushing yards per game allowed (79.3) and 23rd in scoring defense (15.8 ppg). The Wildcats' 12 sacks ranks tied for 17th most nationally.
— Wildcats head coach David Braun led his team to an 8-5 season in 2023 during his first year at the helm.
