Indiana continues undefeated season with first 9-0 start in program history

3 weeks ago

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Indiana continues undefeated season with first 9-0 start in program history

Indiana football is 9-0 for the first time in program history, highlighted by a 47-10 win at Michigan State that welcomes the return of starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke and pushes the Hoosiers closer to College Football Playoff lock status .

Rourke missed last week’s win over Washington with a right thumb injury suffered a week earlier in a loss to Nebraska. He started slowly against the Spartans, but it didn’t take long before he was able to beat them with the poise and accuracy that should have him in the Heisman Trophy race — and he certainly has first-year coach Curt Cignetti in talks with head coach the year. Rourke finished 19 of 29 for 263 yards and four touchdowns.

The Hoosiers (9-0, 6-0) trailed for the first time this season, spotting Jonathan Smith’s Spartans (4-5, 2-4) for the first 10 points of the game. From there it was pure dominance, including seven Indiana sacks, 2 ½ from another award contender, Mikail Kamara. MSU had 205 yards of total offense and 3.2 yards per play.

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This season aims to be the best Indiana season ever, authored by coach John Pont’s 1967 team, which won the Big Ten, reached the program’s only Rose Bowl and finished 9-2. The 1945 Hoosiers, coached by Bo McMillin, also won nine games, tied their second game and finished 9-0-1, 5-0-1 in the Western Conference (the Big Ten’s previous name).

The 2024 Hoosiers are now off to their best start ever. If they can take care of downtrodden defending champion Michigan at home next week, they will become the first Indiana team to reach double digits in wins.

And if Michigan’s attempt to upset Indiana is denied, all that remains for Indiana is a trip to Ohio State and a home game against the worst team in the Big Ten, rival Purdue.

The Hoosiers could be playing the Buckeyes for a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game opposite No. 1 Oregon, and a loss in Columbus is unlikely to keep them from a spot in the first 12-team College Football Playoff. As long as they handle the business they need to handle. According to The AthleticsThe Hoosiers now have an 87 percent chance of making the field, according to the projections.

And that’s as much as commentary on the madness of this season — a season in which Vanderbilt defeated Alabama to become bowl eligible in nine games, Army and Navy both finished in the top 25 and Pittsburgh started 7-0 for the first time since 1982. – like anything.