Pick your poison.
For the first time since at least 1995, a Big Ten team had two separate 100-yard rushers and two separate 100-yard receivers in the same game. That team was Indiana.
The Hoosiers racked up 593 yards of total offense in their 47-15 win over Rutgers, and it did not seem to matter where the ball went. Adding to an already historic performance, Indiana finished without a single penalty for the first time since 2010.
“Zero penalties was huge,” head coach Curt Cignetti said. “It was a good way to start Big Ten play on the road, and we've got a tremendous challenge this week in Nebraska.”
Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. did their damage on the ground. Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker did theirs through the air. In the middle of it all was quarterback Josh Hoover, putting together one of his best performances since arriving in Bloomington.
After Indiana showed some cracks offensively against Northwestern, its first road trip of the season brought out a much different version of the Hoosiers.
Too Many Options
Maybe Hoover just needed to get out of Bloomington.
“Going on the road and winning is a good thing,” Cignetti said. “It might bring you together a little bit. It’s a little different when you’ve played four straight at home and then go on the road. I wouldn’t say we needed to go on the road.”
Cignetti chuckled at the idea, but Hoover’s performance gave it some life.
The TCU transfer finished 20-for-27 with 251 yards and four touchdowns. Hoover now ranks third in the country with 15 passing touchdowns, and Saturday marked his third game this season with at least four.
Indiana quickly settled into a hostile environment. Rutgers welcomed its first sellout crowd of the season, but Hoover opened the game by completing his first 10 passes.
For all the production Hoover has put up this season, questions have remained about his accuracy. He missed Marsh and Becker on several throws against Northwestern, especially downfield. Hoover has yet to turn the ball over this season, but against Rutgers, he put together his cleanest performance yet.
The biggest difference: he didn’t have to force anything.
Hoover spread the ball around with ease, preventing Rutgers from keying in on one weapon. When the Scarlet Knights gave him the middle of the field, Marsh took advantage. He finished with seven catches for 120 yards and a touchdown, with four of those receptions going for at least 15 yards.
When Marsh wasn’t available, Becker was. Hoover overthrew and underthrew Becker on potential big plays against Northwestern, but the deep ball connected in Piscataway. Becker ended the night with eight catches for 107 yards and two scores.
If Rutgers focused too much on Indiana’s passing attack, the Hoosiers had another answer.
Last week, Beebe climbed over 200 yards on the ground after Richard went down with an injury. Against Rutgers, it was Richard’s turn. He rushed for 204 yards, while Beebe added another 100-yard performance of his own.
Behind an offensive line that helped Indiana pile up 329 rushing yards, the Hoosiers didn’t have to choose between attacking through the air or on the ground. They could do both.
Richard and Beebe eclipsed 100 yards rushing. Marsh and Becker eclipsed 100 yards receiving. Four different weapons helped Indiana accomplish something no Big Ten team had done in at least 30 years.
Rutgers had options to take away, but the problem was choosing one.
Silencing Piscataway
Homecoming. Blackout. Sellout.
Indiana never gave the environment much of a chance to become a factor. The Hoosiers took a 23-0 lead into halftime, marking their fourth straight first-half shutout. By the time Rutgers finally found the end zone in the third quarter, parts of the sellout crowd were already heading for the exits.
Indiana allowed 23 second-half points against Northwestern, keeping the Wildcats within striking distance until late in the fourth quarter. This time around, the Scarlet Knights never had the same opportunity to fight their way back into the game.
Rutgers went 2-for-14 on third down and ended seven straight possessions with either a punt or a turnover on downs.
Before heading east, Cignetti called Rutgers wide receiver K.J. Duff “one of the premier receivers” in the country. After three 100-yard performances through his first four games, Duff was held to just four catches for 78 yards. He had also found the end zone in every game this season.
Until Indiana.
The Hoosiers entered their first road test with questions after Northwestern gave them their biggest scare of the season. They left Piscataway with 593 yards of offense, another first-half shutout, and one of their cleanest games of the season.
Now, the Hoosiers head back to the Midwest, where undefeated Nebraska awaits in Lincoln.
