Tag: Leathernecks

Indiana's Andison Coby (0) catches a touchdown pass during the Indiana versus Western Illinois football game at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.

Indiana scores school-record 77 points in rout of Western Illinois

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kurtis Rourke passed for 268 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score, and Justice Ellison rushed for 117 yards and two TDs, lifting host Indiana to a 77-3 rout of Western Illinois on Friday in Bloomington, Ind.

Indiana established a program record for most points in a game, surpassing the previous standard set against Franklin College in 1901. The Hoosiers also set a program best with 701 yards of offense.

Elijah Sarratt (six catches, 137 yards) and Omar Cooper Jr. (four catches, 131 yards) each had touchdown receptions for the Hoosiers.

Indiana (2-0) limited Western Illinois to 121 yards.

Western Illinois, which surrendered 706 yards in last week’s season opener at Northern Illinois, lost for a program-record 26th consecutive time.

Leathernecks quarterback Nathan Lamb was 13-for-25 passing for 109 yards and two interceptions. Christian Anaya had five catches for 56 yards.

Indiana visited the end zone on six straight possessions to open the game, failing to score when it had the ball moments before the first half ended with the hosts on top 42-3.

Quick, explosive drives proved the norm for the Hoosiers, who needed 1:58, 2:22 and nine seconds, respectively, to score their first three touchdowns. The last in that sequence was a 71-yard scoring pass from Rourke to Sarratt.

The Hoosiers slowed things down a bit after that, swallowing at least 4:11 of clock time on their next three TD drives.

Western Illinois (0-2) avoided a shutout when Antonio Chadha connected on a 31-yard field goal with 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

The Leathernecks moved the ball 69 yards in 12 plays during their most complete drive of the night. A 30-yard pass from Lamb to Demari Davis brought Western Illinois inside the red zone.

Rourke played a sterling first half for the Hoosiers, going 14-for-16 passing for 260 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a 1-yard score.

Indiana outgained Western Illinois 415-98 before halftime while boasting a 21-4 edge in first downs.

The Hoosiers, who hadn’t faced the Leathernecks before Friday, improved to 18-1 against FCS schools, including a 15-game winning streak.

Indiana tight end James Bomba was helped off the field in the first half with an apparent
leg injury.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Ty Son Lawton (17) celebrates after running for a touchdown against the Florida International Panthers during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Western Illinois brings 25-game losing streak to Indiana

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After thumping Florida International in its home and season opener on Saturday, Indiana is bracing for the challenge of hosting Western Illinois on a short week.

The Hoosiers (1-0) will face the Leathernecks (0-1) in a non-conference game Friday night in Bloomington, Ind., in the teams’ lone non-Saturday game of the season.

“I’ve played Thursday. I’ve played Friday. I’ve played Saturday,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. “We just get ready to play when we’re asked to play.”

Indiana looked prepared in the program’s first game under Cignetti, defeating FIU 31-7 behind a stout ground game that saw the Hoosiers gain 234 yards on 40 carries.

Ty Son Lawton sparked the attack, rushing 16 times for 74 yards and two touchdowns. Justice Ellison added 10 carries for 68 yards, and Elijah Green had a 51-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter to seal the season-opening romp.

The Hoosiers scored on three of their first four possessions, with quarterback Kurtis Rourke adding a touchdown pass to Zach Horton and finishing with 180 yards on 15-of-24 passing.

Cignetti praised the team’s effort on both sides of the ball and said he’s looking for more of the same against the Leathernecks, who are coming off a 54-15 loss to Northern Illinois.

As for the Hoosiers, they tallied eight tackles for loss and four sacks against FIU while allowing just 53 yards on the ground.

“That’s kind of how we pride ourselves on playing defense,” Cignetti said.

Friday will mark the first meeting between Indiana and Western Illinois. The Hoosiers boast a 14-game winning streak against FCS opponents and are 17-1 overall against such schools.

Western Illinois has lost a program-record 25 straight games. To end that skid, first-year coach Joe Davis said “we’re going to have to shore up” a defense that allowed too many “explosive plays” against Northern Illinois, which gained 706 yards.

The Leathernecks had no turnovers behind senior quarterback Nathan Lamb and had a special-teams highlight when Fredrik Greenhoward recovered a blocked NIU extra point and returned it 100-plus yards for a two-point conversion.

–Field Level Media