close
close

Yiamastaverna

Trusted News & Timely Insights

    • Indiana Football vs. Michigan State – Takeaways from another Hoosiers win
    Frisco

    Indiana Football vs. Michigan State – Takeaways from another Hoosiers win

    Bronwen Cerys Posted on

    play

    EAST LANSING, MI – IU football fans took over Spartan Stadium on Saturday.

    The No. 13 Hoosiers (9-0; 6-0 Big Ten), dressed in cream and purple, were the only ones left in the 74,866-seat hall as the sun set in East Lansing. They chanted “Go Hoosiers” as their team put the finishing touches to an impressive 47-10 victory over Michigan State (4-5; 2-4), setting a program record for best start.

    It was IU’s most lopsided win in a series that dates back to 1927 – the previous record was a 31-0 win in 1991 – and the most points ever against the Spartans. The previous record was 46 points, which the Hoosiers scored against MSU in 2006.

    They managed to reach all of these milestones despite MSU holding a 10-point lead.

    Doyel: #NeverDaunted is more than just fight song lyrics. It’s the prevailing mindset at IU.

    IU vs. Michigan State grades: #9WINDIANA as Hoosiers play with their food.

    Indiana starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke returned to the starting lineup after missing last week’s game with a right thumb injury. The thumb was an afterthought late in the third quarter when Rourke hit Omar Cooper (21 yards) and Elijah Sarratt (35 yards) on consecutive deep throws.

    He finished the game with 252 yards (18 of 28) and three touchdowns.

    Overrated? IU Football quiets Spartan Stadium with 47 unanswered points

    When MSU took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, the late-arriving East Lansing crowd went wild, even starting a brief chant of “overrated” at Spartan Stadium.

    That mood died down pretty quickly as the Hoosiers scored 47 unanswered points.

    Indiana forced three turnovers (safety Amare Ferrell had two interceptions and James Carpenter forced a fumble in the end zone) and the offense got into a rhythm as offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan shifted his focus to getting the ball to his playmakers in space.

    KeShawn Williams had three catches for 65 yards in that stretch, with much of that production coming after the catch (43 yards). Myles Price reversed for a 25-yard gain to the 1-yard line.

    Rourke’s deep throws were a bit off early in the game as he became accustomed to playing with his right thumb closed, but he had no problems delivering the ball accurately and on time on intermediate passes and screens.

    IU football defensive player Mikail Kamara silences Spartans

    Mikail Kamara sensed the Spartans in trouble in the third quarter and single-handedly landed the knockout. Within three snaps, he sent MSU’s top two quarterbacks to the sideline as he stretched out in the backfield and made clean hits to Aiden Chiles and his backup, Tommy Schuster.

    With Michigan State in obvious passing situations, Kamara simply hit the ball. He had seven tackles with a career-high 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. The Hoosiers had seven sacks and 15 tackles for loss while going against a mobile quarterback in Chiles for most of the game.

    According to Pro Football Focus, Kamara entered the game ranked third in the FBS in quarterback pressures (36) with a 15.8% pass-rush win rate. He is now just a half-sack away from becoming the first IU player with double-digit sacks since Jammie Kirlew in 2008 (10.5).

    IU Football’s streak of dominance in the first quarter comes to an end

    Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti often defines adversity as a two-point deficit.

    The Hoosiers were able to avoid this scenario in the first eight games, outscoring their opponents 87-0 in the first frame. They were one of two teams (Army) in the country still playing on Saturday that had not trailed this season.

    Both strikes ended in East Lansing.

    Michigan State kicker Jonathan Kim hit a 47-yard field goal just five minutes into the game. Spartans quarterback Aiden Chiles got his team into field goal range with a 33-yard throw to freshman standout Nick Marsh.

    At the end of the quarter, they scored another 18-yard touchdown, giving MSU a 10-0 lead. Chiles avoided the pressure on the play and made a throw down the sideline, where Marsh managed to make a sharp catch, tying the score.

    Indiana’s offense got off to a rare slow start with consecutive three-and-out plays. That number represented the total from three and outs in the first quarter through the first eight games.

    Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek Click here to read all of his coverage.

    Tagged:

    LEAVE A RESPONSE

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Bronwen Cerys
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like

    ads