EAST LANSING, Mich. — It was a slow start for Indiana football in its first road game since Oct. 5.
The Hoosiers faced a deficit for the first time this season in the first quarter as Michigan State took a quick 10-0 lead after forcing Indiana’s offense into back-to-back three-and-outs on its first two drives.
That lead disappeared in an instant after the Hoosiers put up 21 points in the second quarter, giving them a 21-10 lead heading into the half.
That lead would hold strong for the remainder of the game as the Hoosiers went on the road and dominated, knocking off the Spartans 47-10 in East Lansing, Michigan.
The Hoosiers’ victory marks two weeks in a row they’ve responded well to adversity. Redshirt sophomore backup quarterback Tayven Jackson powered Indiana to a win Oct. 26 over Washington after sixth-year senior starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke injured his thumb against Nebraska on Oct. 19, and now the Hoosiers showed they can play from behind. It’s been two games in a row that makes you ask a question:
What is this team’s ceiling?
“There is no ceiling, bro,” redshirt junior defensive lineman Mikail Kamara said postgame.
“We’ve just got to keep on winning. Go 1-0 every single week,” he said.
Week in and week out, Indiana answers the questions that are being asked about them.
Is the secondary going to be good enough to compete with the air raid offenses in the Big Ten?
In the last three weeks, the Hoosiers have held opposing starting quarterbacks to a total of 629 passing yards, one touchdown and seven interceptions. These numbers came against a pair of young quarterbacks with a surplus of potential in freshmen quarterbacks Dylan Raiola from Nebraska and Aiden Chiles from Michigan State, as well as fifth-year senior Will Rogers from Washington.
Will Indiana be able to handle sixth-senior starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke’s thumb injury?
Against Washington, Jackson faced a defense that gave up the least amount of passing yards per game among all Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Despite having his moments of struggle, he still led the Hoosiers to win, accounting for two total touchdowns in a 14-point victory.
How will Indiana respond when they must come from behind?
Against Michigan State on Nov. 2, the Hoosiers fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter, with all momentum standing on the Spartan sideline. The Michigan State faithful was even chanting the words “overrated” after freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh’s touchdown. Indiana proceeded to score 47 unanswered points, totaling seven sacks while Rourke threw four touchdowns.
After nine weeks of play, no one has figured out how to beat Indiana.
“This team is really special” Rourke said postgame. “We’ve got a lot of fun opportunities ahead of us as well. I couldn’t be more happy to be a part of this team.”
They have set the standard in Bloomington. The College Football Playoff is a real possibility for the Hoosiers. At 9-0 with just three regular season games remaining, Indiana at the worst should win two of its final three games. With Ohio State losing to Oregon while struggling against Nebraska and Penn State, 12-0 isn’t impossible.
While people outside of Bloomington might say Indiana hasn’t played a tough schedule, they can only play who shows up to play and so far, they haven’t won a game by less than two touchdowns.
Whether people want to acknowledge it or not, the Hoosiers are a national championship contender. They have supreme talent, coaching, fan support and the confidence in themselves to do it.
The Hoosiers in the locker room believe this team can go all the way. Do you?
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
