Indiana ignored Rourke’s absence to devastate Washington

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana football team just completed its second bye week of the season. It wasn’t too long ago that the Hoosiers’ bye weeks were viewed as an opportunity to escape misery on the field, but Curt Cignetti’s 2024 team has flipped the script.

Indiana has had an unprecedented season. The 10-0 record achieved by the Hoosiers has never been achieved in program history. With the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff coming up on very short notice to give the true reward to a historic season, Indiana has a world of possibilities ahead of it that no one could have imagined back in August.

The bye week offers an opportunity to reflect on what has happened with just two regular season games to play, Saturday at No. 2 Ohio State and Nov. 30 at home against Purdue. Hoosiers On SI will review and evaluate each game. In the context of how each fits into the puzzle of having a perfect season.

We’ll continue with Indiana’s home game against Washington on October 26th.

Introduction to the Game Explanation – Indiana had a lot of things on his mind, both amusing and worrying.

With Indiana posting a 7-0 record, ESPN College GameDay decided it was time to hold its studio show in Bloomington. College GameDay has been to Indiana before, but it was on a Thursday night and it didn’t come with the usual trappings. This time? Indiana would take the entire course.

College GameDay was set just south of Memorial Stadium, and the spectacle was a Saturday morning party for enthusiastic Indiana students and fans. An emotional part of College GameDay’s visit was the return of former Indiana coach Lee Corso. Indiana’s 1973-82 football coach was given the chance to revisit his old school and former players.

College GameDay brought a circus atmosphere to Bloomington, but there were serious concerns. It was clear that quarterback Kurtis Rourke would not play against Washington after suffering a thumb injury in the previous game against Nebraska. How will Indiana’s high-powered attack function with Tayven Jackson in charge of the offense?

Conclusion – Washington made life difficult for Indiana by coming up with a zone defense the Hoosiers were not expecting. Indiana’s offense took time to adjust, but the Hoosiers’ defense made up for it. A 67-yard interception return by D’Angelo Ponds gave the Hoosiers an early surge and the lead.

Judge Ellison’s run paid off in the second half; Goals by Indiana with 5:03 left in the third quarter and 8:55 left in the final period were enough for a 31-17 victory over the Huskies.

The Actor Learned to Love Fans – CB D’Angelo Ponds: The James Madison transfer was expected to be one of Indiana’s best players coming into the season. He was a 2023 semifinalist for the Freshman of the Year award. He was a Freshman All-American and a second-team All-Sun Belt selection.

Ponds was effective in Indiana’s first seven games, but was unable to pick up an offensive game until Washington came to Bloomington.

The 76-yard interception return came on a well-read screen pass by Washington. Tyrique Tucker tipped the ball and the well-positioned Ponds attacked for an easy point. A later interception was a spectacular juggle and leaping catch that stopped a Huskies drive near midfield in the second quarter. On a day when Indiana needed its defense to help its offense, Ponds was there to help.

Persistent Trend – Indiana Offense Can Zig When Expected to Zag: Indiana had kept its running backs fresh all season by rotating Ellison, Ty Son Lawton and Kaelon Black. But Curt Cignetti and his offensive staff have shown they can buck the trend if necessary.

Against Washington’s stout defense, Lawton was having an off day and Black had only three shots. While Indiana looks to rely on the running game with Jackson as the quarterback, Ellison has become the dominant running back.

The Wake Forest transfer had 29 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown. In previous 2024 games, no Indiana player had carried the ball more than 19 times.

The flexibility Indiana has shown in its offensive scheme makes it much more difficult for the Hoosiers to plan for opposing defensive coordinators.

Do You Have Post-Game Anxiety? – Offensive numbers dropped against the first really good defense the Hoosiers faced. Indiana’s 312 yards of total offense was a season low at the time.

Jackson played well in Rourke’s absence — his only blemish being an interception early in the third quarter — but the Hoosiers missed Rourke’s presence and tentative touch. Curt Cignetti stated that Rourke’s absence would be short-lived. Indiana fans were hoping this was true.

Narration Exiting the Game – It was October when the perception of Indiana football changed. There was potential for a special season at the beginning of the month, but concrete evidence was not yet available. By the end of the month? The Hoosiers are undefeated at 8-0 and on track for arguably their best season in history. November would be tougher with games against Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State, but the Hoosiers showed they were up to any task.

Professional Football Focus stars (top 5 scorers in each unit, 10 games or more) – Offense: RB Justice Ellison (73.4), LG Drew Evans (70.9), QB Tayven Jackson (69.5), RB Ty Son Lawton (65.8), WR Omar Cooper Jr. (64.6); Defense: CB D’Angelo Ponds (92.7), DE Mikail Kamara (82.7), DT James Carpenter (73.2), DT CJ West (72.2), DT Tyrique Tucker (68.9).

next game – Indiana heads north to face Michigan State on Nov. 2 at Spartan Stadium.