Fernando Mendoza passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Kaelon Black rushed for two more scores as No. 2 Indiana rolled to a 56-3 rout of host Purdue on Friday in West Lafayette, Ind.
Roman Hemby ran for 152 yards and another touchdown as the Hoosiers (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) cemented the best start in school history while locking up a spot in the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis on Dec. 6. The Hoosiers will face Ohio State, Michigan, or Oregon, with their opponent to be determined after the three teams play Saturday.
The top-ranked Buckeyes visit the 15th-ranked Wolverines while the Ducks face Washington in Seattle.
Indiana outgained Purdue 548-282 on Friday, including a 355-44 edge on the ground. The Boilermakers have yielded 250 rushing yards or more three times this season.
Purdue (2-10, 0-9) endeavored to make Friday’s contest close in the early going before fading, closing coach Barry Odom’s debut season on a 10-game losing streak. Indiana visited the end zone on six straight possessions during one stretch of the contest.
Trailing 7-0 late in the first quarter, the Boilermakers drove 67 yards in 11 plays before the drive stalled deep in Hoosiers territory. A 28-yard pass from Ryan Browne to EJ Horton Jr. on 3rd and 8 from the Purdue 30 eventually helped the Boilermakers trim the deficit to 7-3 on Spencer Porath’s 22-yard field goal with 46 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Indiana answered with touchdown drives on three of the next four possessions to put the Old Oaken Bucket rivalry game out of reach by halftime. Even with Drew Evans held out due to apparent injury management and fellow starter Kahlil Benson missing the first half, the offensive line paved the way for a rushing attack that gained 209 yards on 18 first-half carries.
Two scoring drives took less than one minute. One stemmed from favorable field position — a two-play, 36-yard drive set up by a poor punt — while the other was a product of Hemby’s breakaway 82-yard run down the right sideline that gave Indiana a 28-3 lead with 1:33 remaining before intermission.
Browne was 25-for-47 for 238 yards and an interception. Nitro Tuggle gained 80 yards on five receptions and Antonio Harris had 15 carries for 31 yards.
Mendoza went 8-for-15 for 117 yards and touchdowns to Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr., each of whom has 11 scoring receptions this season. Sarratt (hamstring) played for the first time since Oct. 25.
Stephen Daley sparked the Indiana defense with a sack and 4 1/2 tackles for loss.
–Field Level Media
