Josh Hoover was 20-for-27 passing for 251 yards and four touchdowns, Turbo Richard racked up a career-high 204 yards and a score on the ground and No. 6 Indiana thrashed host Rutgers 47-15 on Saturday night in Piscataway, N.J.
The Hoosiers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 21 games. They rolled up 593 total yards and 329 rushing yards compared to Rutgers’ 254 and 59, respectively.
Lee Beebe Jr. had a big second half to finish with 122 rushing yards and a touchdown, Charlie Becker made eight catches for 107 yards and two TDs, and fellow wideout Nick Marsh added seven receptions for 120 and one score. Indiana became the first Big Ten team with two 100-yard rushers and two 100-yard receivers in one game since 1995.
Rutgers’ AJ Surace relieved Dylan Lonergan at quarterback before halftime, with Lonergan apparently injured on a QB sneak attempt. Surace was the more effective passer for the Scarlet Knights (1-4, 0-2), with 128 yards and a 53-yard touchdown to Ben Black III.
The Hoosiers scored on their 85-yard opening drive when Becker caught a 9-yard touchdown on an out route to the front left pylon.
They led 10-0 after one quarter and added a pair of touchdowns in the second. Davion Chandler caught a 2-yarder and Richard raced in from the 14.
The only issues Indiana encountered were in the kicking game. Nico Radicic missed the extra point on Chandler’s touchdown, and a good drive was wasted before halftime when he shanked a 22-yard field goal try, leaving the score 23-0.
But the Hoosiers cemented the result by scoring two more touchdowns on the first two drives of the second half. Marsh hauled in a 12-yard scoring pass by leaping in stride in the back corner, then Hoover found Becker in the middle of the end zone on a 3-yard pitch-and-catch that made it 37-0.
Rutgers finally got on the board when Black hauled in Surace’s bomb down the right sideline with 3:52 left in the third.
Surace guided another scoring drive (12 plays, 72 yards), connecting with Dyzier Carter for 35 yards on fourth-and-2 along the way. After Clay Thevenin plunged in from inside the 1, Rutgers ran a double reverse for Carter and he faked a pass before plowing his way in for two points.
Beebe scored from the 1 midway through the fourth quarter and Radicic kicked a 48-yard field goal for the Hoosiers’ final points.
–Field Level Media
