Saturday, October 6
Columbus, Ohio
4 p.m.
Indiana University
4-2 , 1-2
26
at
49
#3 Ohio State
6-0 , 3-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Indiana
3
17
6
0
26
Ohio State
7
21
7
14
49
Brighter Days Ahead
10/6/2018 11:09:00 PM | Football
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio – So it wasn't The Darkest Day II.
But Indiana football showed signs of a brighter future during Saturday's 49-26 loss at Ohio State.
The Hoosiers hung with the unbeaten, No. 3-ranked host Buckeyes through three quarters – trailing just 35-26 heading into the fourth – but couldn't stay close as Ohio State dominated down the stretch.
OSU sophomore Dwayne Haskins' 33 completions and six TD throws tied Buckeye single-game records and his 455 yards passing were just three yards shy of Art Schlichter's record set in 1981.
But it still looked for a while like the Hoosiers might chase some history.
Saturday's result came 30 years after IU's last win in the series, a 41-7 romp in Bloomington, which had followed the 31-10 Hoosier win in Columbus the previous season that OSU coach Earle Bruce dubbed "the darkest day in Ohio State football history."
And Saturday's ultimate outcome was still cloudy when Indiana had a couple of chances toward the end of the third period to draw within a single score but came up empty.
"No moral victories – that's in the past," Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen said post-game. "But obviously, when you play a team of this caliber, on the road, you've got to take advantage of those opportunities.
"I talked to our guys in the locker room – there is always a window in every game where you've got to put all of your energy right in there to make that game-changing play, when it can make a difference in the game. And that was our window of opportunity."
It was window that opened after a frenetic first half produced a combined 668 yards and 48 points (38 coming in a wild and wooly second quarter), with Ohio State taking a somewhat tenuous 28-20 lead into intermission.
Indiana's attack started the game in overdrive, reaching inside the Buckeye 10 before an offensive interference call on Donavan Hale threw the Hoosiers into reverse. IU still managed to open the scoring, though, with Logan Justus
supplying a 37-yard field goal at the 11:47 mark.
IU's defense forced the first of three takeaways on the day during OSU's first series, with defensive tackle Brandon Wilson forcing a Mike Weber fumble and Cam Jones recovering at the Hoosiers 38.
But the Buckeyes weren't deterred for long. OSU took the lead at 2:58 of the first on J.K. Dobbin's 1-yard plunge set up by a 13-yard completion to Terry McLaurin.
McLaurin, a fifth-year senior, would finish with four catches for 59 yards and a pair of TDs.
IU quarterback Peyton Ramsey, who would finish with a career-high 322 passing yards and three TD throws, overshot an open Reese Taylor on IU's next drive and OSU was soon back in business.
Ohio State converted on a 4th-and-1 at its own 42, then makes that gamble pay off three snaps later as Johnnie Dixon III hauled in a 39-yard TD strike to make it 14-3.
The Hoosiers needed to respond quickly and did, moving 75 yards in just five plays to score as Ramsey faked a reverse then hit tight end Peyton Hendershot for a 32-yard score to pull IU within 14-10.
Then the Hoosiers took the lead with 7:04 left in the half.
Spurred by a spectacular one-handed catch by J-Shun Harris II for a 30-yard gain, Ramsey found Nick Westbrook for a 19-yard TD pass.
Westbrook made a strong reception despite pass interference by OSU to put the Hoosiers up, 17-14.
IU had a 259-225 total yardage edge at that juncture.
But OSU (6-0, 3-0) again showed its explosiveness with two quick answering TDs.
Senior wideout Parris Campbell exploited linebacker coverage for an 18-yard TD catch with 4:39 left in the half to make it 21-17, OSU. Then the Buckeye defense pounced on a fumble at the IU 32 and the Ohio State offense capitalized on a 7-yard TD catch by McLaurin.
So suddenly it was 28-17.
Indiana again responded, with a 30-yard Nick Westbrook catch down the sidelines helping the Hoosiers get into position for Justus' second 37-yard field goal of the half that created the intermission margin.
Ramsey had already thrown for 239 yards at that point, and Haskins for 243. The Hoosiers had averaged 14.1 yards per play to OSU's 12.8.
It didn't take OSU long to throw another haymaker when play resumed.
The Buckeyes faced a 3rd-and-6 at their own 29 when Indiana blew a coverage. Husky back Marcelino Ball was trying to get a call communicated just before the snap – and the upshot was Ball and another defender blitzed while nobody
covered Campbell out wide. Result: easy 71-yard TD.
"Wanted to call timeout right when I saw that happening," Allen recalled of the busted coverage, "because I knew it was a touchdown.
"They caught us and we made a mistake – we didn't get the check we were supposed to check to. Against a team like this, if you make a mistake like that, they make you pay."
Following an IU punt, Hoosier redshirt junior linebacker Reakwon Jones – who had nailed OSU back J.K. Dobbins the play before – led a swarm of Hoosier tacklers to stuff a 4th-and-1 Dobbins run to give Indiana the ball back, down 35-20, with 7:37 left in the third.
An outstanding Westbrook sideline catch, with his elbow and posterior landing inbounds for a 30-yard gain, was catalytic to Indiana's ensuing TD march. The officials initially ruled Westbrook out of bounds but reversed the call via replay review.
"I assumed I was in," Westbrook recalled. "I wasn't sure. I knew my thigh landed out of bounds. I wasn't really sure. As soon as I saw the highlight reel on the big screen, I saw my elbow and was like, 'Oh yeah, I did that on purpose.' "
Ramsey followed that up with his third TD pass, this one a 3-yarder to a wide-open Hale on a slant. That play also set a new career-high in passing yardage for the redshirt sophomore signal-caller.
"He's a tough, hard-nosed kid," Allen said of Ramsey. "I believe in him. He's just got confidence, he's got poise, he's got grit. And he's become a better passer. He's really accurate with his throwing. He puts the ball where our guys can
catch it and throws a very catchable ball. And we've got the kind of receivers who will go get the ball.
"Very proud of him. He's a warrior out there. He took some hits. He's my kind of guy."
Allen was also proud of Coy Cronk who, after OSU intercepted a two-point conversion try and looked to return the ball for a score, offensive tackle Cronk saved the day with a great sideline tackle – though Cronk then left the game when a pursuing teammate accidently booted the diving Cronk in the head.
"That kid's a warrior," Allen said of Cronk. "He's tougher than nails. I mean, I love that kid. He's like Peyton Ramsey. He's a tough sucker."
But after that sequence left the score at 35-26, the Hoosier scoring was done for the evening, as further opportunities went begging.
A Bryant Fitzgerald interception set IU up at the Buckeye 49 with 2:58 left in the third, and then a shanked OSU punt gave the Hoosiers the ball back at the Buckeye 33 with 0:38 left – but no Indiana points resulted. The only upshot was a missed 51-yard field goal try.
"It hurts when you get the ball with good field position like that (and fail to score)," Ramsey said, "because there were drives that were a lot longer than that and we came up with touchdowns. It's frustrating. It's something we have to go
back and look at and just execute better."
Allen echoed that.
"Critical-situation execution," Allen said. "We left some plays out there. We had a chance to cut it to three. I think we dropped a pass … and in that same drive, could've gotten a field goal to cut it to six.
"Once again, it's just a matter of being able to be put in those positions – and we're finding ourselves in those spots, and we had to fight like crazy to get there (today) -- but once you get there, you have to fight like crazy to make those one or two plays that put you in position to be able to win a game like this."
It was the Buckeyes, instead, putting themselves decisively in position to win as McLaurin came up with a 17-yard TD catch on a 3rd-and-10 with 12:21 to play that made it 42-26 and Binjimen Victor delivered a 30-yard TD catch with 6:51 remaining to create the final margin.
"I'll just call it what it is: they won some one-on-ones," Allen said. "We had some of our best players matched up against their best players, and they won those … we won some of those, but lost some of those at times, too. And that's just part of it.
"Sometimes I look out there and am just amazed by the number of young guys we have out there on defense. They're growing and learning and that's just part of it. We knew we were going to be young this year, but we're not backing down from anybody.
"We'll keep learning and growing. I think this football team is improving. Not pleased with how it turned out (today), for sure, but I also have a certain perspective on things and I choose to think a certain way. Proud of our kids' effort.
Thought our kids played hard and were physical from start to finish. We didn't execute to our standard all the time and it cost us in some critical situations. But the kids battled. Proud of that, but obviously not good enough. We'll get better.
"I feel like this team has a chance to keep growing and building together and we'll be happy with the (ultimate) result if we just stay the course."
The course continues with next Saturday's noon Homecoming game with the Hoosiers hosting Iowa.
IUHoosiers.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio – So it wasn't The Darkest Day II.
But Indiana football showed signs of a brighter future during Saturday's 49-26 loss at Ohio State.
The Hoosiers hung with the unbeaten, No. 3-ranked host Buckeyes through three quarters – trailing just 35-26 heading into the fourth – but couldn't stay close as Ohio State dominated down the stretch.
OSU sophomore Dwayne Haskins' 33 completions and six TD throws tied Buckeye single-game records and his 455 yards passing were just three yards shy of Art Schlichter's record set in 1981.
But it still looked for a while like the Hoosiers might chase some history.
Saturday's result came 30 years after IU's last win in the series, a 41-7 romp in Bloomington, which had followed the 31-10 Hoosier win in Columbus the previous season that OSU coach Earle Bruce dubbed "the darkest day in Ohio State football history."
And Saturday's ultimate outcome was still cloudy when Indiana had a couple of chances toward the end of the third period to draw within a single score but came up empty.
"No moral victories – that's in the past," Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen said post-game. "But obviously, when you play a team of this caliber, on the road, you've got to take advantage of those opportunities.
"I talked to our guys in the locker room – there is always a window in every game where you've got to put all of your energy right in there to make that game-changing play, when it can make a difference in the game. And that was our window of opportunity."
It was window that opened after a frenetic first half produced a combined 668 yards and 48 points (38 coming in a wild and wooly second quarter), with Ohio State taking a somewhat tenuous 28-20 lead into intermission.
Indiana's attack started the game in overdrive, reaching inside the Buckeye 10 before an offensive interference call on Donavan Hale threw the Hoosiers into reverse. IU still managed to open the scoring, though, with Logan Justus
supplying a 37-yard field goal at the 11:47 mark.
IU's defense forced the first of three takeaways on the day during OSU's first series, with defensive tackle Brandon Wilson forcing a Mike Weber fumble and Cam Jones recovering at the Hoosiers 38.
But the Buckeyes weren't deterred for long. OSU took the lead at 2:58 of the first on J.K. Dobbin's 1-yard plunge set up by a 13-yard completion to Terry McLaurin.
McLaurin, a fifth-year senior, would finish with four catches for 59 yards and a pair of TDs.
IU quarterback Peyton Ramsey, who would finish with a career-high 322 passing yards and three TD throws, overshot an open Reese Taylor on IU's next drive and OSU was soon back in business.
Ohio State converted on a 4th-and-1 at its own 42, then makes that gamble pay off three snaps later as Johnnie Dixon III hauled in a 39-yard TD strike to make it 14-3.
The Hoosiers needed to respond quickly and did, moving 75 yards in just five plays to score as Ramsey faked a reverse then hit tight end Peyton Hendershot for a 32-yard score to pull IU within 14-10.
Then the Hoosiers took the lead with 7:04 left in the half.
Spurred by a spectacular one-handed catch by J-Shun Harris II for a 30-yard gain, Ramsey found Nick Westbrook for a 19-yard TD pass.
Westbrook made a strong reception despite pass interference by OSU to put the Hoosiers up, 17-14.
IU had a 259-225 total yardage edge at that juncture.
But OSU (6-0, 3-0) again showed its explosiveness with two quick answering TDs.
Senior wideout Parris Campbell exploited linebacker coverage for an 18-yard TD catch with 4:39 left in the half to make it 21-17, OSU. Then the Buckeye defense pounced on a fumble at the IU 32 and the Ohio State offense capitalized on a 7-yard TD catch by McLaurin.
So suddenly it was 28-17.
Indiana again responded, with a 30-yard Nick Westbrook catch down the sidelines helping the Hoosiers get into position for Justus' second 37-yard field goal of the half that created the intermission margin.
Ramsey had already thrown for 239 yards at that point, and Haskins for 243. The Hoosiers had averaged 14.1 yards per play to OSU's 12.8.
It didn't take OSU long to throw another haymaker when play resumed.
The Buckeyes faced a 3rd-and-6 at their own 29 when Indiana blew a coverage. Husky back Marcelino Ball was trying to get a call communicated just before the snap – and the upshot was Ball and another defender blitzed while nobody
covered Campbell out wide. Result: easy 71-yard TD.
"Wanted to call timeout right when I saw that happening," Allen recalled of the busted coverage, "because I knew it was a touchdown.
"They caught us and we made a mistake – we didn't get the check we were supposed to check to. Against a team like this, if you make a mistake like that, they make you pay."
Following an IU punt, Hoosier redshirt junior linebacker Reakwon Jones – who had nailed OSU back J.K. Dobbins the play before – led a swarm of Hoosier tacklers to stuff a 4th-and-1 Dobbins run to give Indiana the ball back, down 35-20, with 7:37 left in the third.
An outstanding Westbrook sideline catch, with his elbow and posterior landing inbounds for a 30-yard gain, was catalytic to Indiana's ensuing TD march. The officials initially ruled Westbrook out of bounds but reversed the call via replay review.
"I assumed I was in," Westbrook recalled. "I wasn't sure. I knew my thigh landed out of bounds. I wasn't really sure. As soon as I saw the highlight reel on the big screen, I saw my elbow and was like, 'Oh yeah, I did that on purpose.' "
Ramsey followed that up with his third TD pass, this one a 3-yarder to a wide-open Hale on a slant. That play also set a new career-high in passing yardage for the redshirt sophomore signal-caller.
"He's a tough, hard-nosed kid," Allen said of Ramsey. "I believe in him. He's just got confidence, he's got poise, he's got grit. And he's become a better passer. He's really accurate with his throwing. He puts the ball where our guys can
catch it and throws a very catchable ball. And we've got the kind of receivers who will go get the ball.
"Very proud of him. He's a warrior out there. He took some hits. He's my kind of guy."
Allen was also proud of Coy Cronk who, after OSU intercepted a two-point conversion try and looked to return the ball for a score, offensive tackle Cronk saved the day with a great sideline tackle – though Cronk then left the game when a pursuing teammate accidently booted the diving Cronk in the head.
"That kid's a warrior," Allen said of Cronk. "He's tougher than nails. I mean, I love that kid. He's like Peyton Ramsey. He's a tough sucker."
But after that sequence left the score at 35-26, the Hoosier scoring was done for the evening, as further opportunities went begging.
A Bryant Fitzgerald interception set IU up at the Buckeye 49 with 2:58 left in the third, and then a shanked OSU punt gave the Hoosiers the ball back at the Buckeye 33 with 0:38 left – but no Indiana points resulted. The only upshot was a missed 51-yard field goal try.
"It hurts when you get the ball with good field position like that (and fail to score)," Ramsey said, "because there were drives that were a lot longer than that and we came up with touchdowns. It's frustrating. It's something we have to go
back and look at and just execute better."
Allen echoed that.
"Critical-situation execution," Allen said. "We left some plays out there. We had a chance to cut it to three. I think we dropped a pass … and in that same drive, could've gotten a field goal to cut it to six.
"Once again, it's just a matter of being able to be put in those positions – and we're finding ourselves in those spots, and we had to fight like crazy to get there (today) -- but once you get there, you have to fight like crazy to make those one or two plays that put you in position to be able to win a game like this."
It was the Buckeyes, instead, putting themselves decisively in position to win as McLaurin came up with a 17-yard TD catch on a 3rd-and-10 with 12:21 to play that made it 42-26 and Binjimen Victor delivered a 30-yard TD catch with 6:51 remaining to create the final margin.
"I'll just call it what it is: they won some one-on-ones," Allen said. "We had some of our best players matched up against their best players, and they won those … we won some of those, but lost some of those at times, too. And that's just part of it.
"Sometimes I look out there and am just amazed by the number of young guys we have out there on defense. They're growing and learning and that's just part of it. We knew we were going to be young this year, but we're not backing down from anybody.
"We'll keep learning and growing. I think this football team is improving. Not pleased with how it turned out (today), for sure, but I also have a certain perspective on things and I choose to think a certain way. Proud of our kids' effort.
Thought our kids played hard and were physical from start to finish. We didn't execute to our standard all the time and it cost us in some critical situations. But the kids battled. Proud of that, but obviously not good enough. We'll get better.
"I feel like this team has a chance to keep growing and building together and we'll be happy with the (ultimate) result if we just stay the course."
The course continues with next Saturday's noon Homecoming game with the Hoosiers hosting Iowa.
Team Stats
IND
OSU
Total Yards
406
609
Pass Yards
322
455
Rushing Yards
84
154
Penalty Yards
35
82
1st Downs
22
33
3rd Downs
3
8
4th Downs
1
3
TOP
23:18
36:42
1st Quarter
IND 3, OSU 0
IND - Justus, Logan 37 yd field goal 7 plays, 56 yards, TOP 3:13
IND 3, OSU 7
OSU - Dobbins, J.K. 1 yd run (Nuernberger, S. kick), 9 plays, 71 yards, TOP 3:06
2nd Quarter
IND 3, OSU 14
OSU - Dixon, Johnnie 39 yd pass from Haskins, Dwayne (Nuernberger, S. kick) 9 plays, 78 yards, TOP 3:28
IND 10, OSU 14
IND - Hendershot, P. 32 yd pass from Ramsey, Peyton (Justus, Logan kick) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:22
IND 17, OSU 14
IND - Westbrook, Nick 19 yd pass from Ramsey, Peyton (Justus, Logan kick) 6 plays, 70 yards, TOP 1:33
IND 17, OSU 21
OSU - Campbell, P. 18 yd pass from Haskins, Dwayne (Nuernberger, S. kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:25
IND 17, OSU 28
OSU - McLaurin, Terry 7 yd pass from Haskins, Dwayne (Nuernberger, S. kick) 6 plays, 32 yards, TOP 2:16
IND 20, OSU 28
IND - Justus, Logan 37 yd field goal 8 plays, 56 yards, TOP 1:36
3rd Quarter
IND 20, OSU 35
OSU - Campbell, P. 71 yd pass from Haskins, Dwayne (Nuernberger, S. kick) 3 plays, 75 yards, TOP 0:51
IND 26, OSU 35
IND - Hale, Donavan 3 yd pass from Ramsey, Peyton (Ramsey, Peyton passintercepted) 8 plays, 58 yards, TOP 2:44
4th Quarter
IND 26, OSU 42
OSU - McLaurin, Terry 17 yd pass from Haskins, Dwayne (Nuernberger, S. kick) 10 plays, 67 yards, TOP 2:56
IND 26, OSU 49
OSU - Victor, B. 30 yd pass from Haskins, Dwayne (Nuernberger, S. kick) 10 plays, 76 yards, TOP 4:18
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
26
TD
3
YDS
322
INT
0
Players Mentioned
DB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
TE
/ Football
LB
/ Football
K
/ Football
DB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
ATH
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DL
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