Windy City Win

Saturday, October 5

Evanston, Ill.

3:30 P.M.

Indiana University

6-0 , 3-0

Northwestern

2-3 , 0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Indiana

Northwestern

10/5/2024 8:18:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com

EVANSTON, Ill. – Indiana's sixth-straight victory arrived with fourth-quarter dominance, clutch offense, hard-hitting defense and -- with a bye up next -- a sense that the best is yet to come.

The Hoosiers' 41-24 victory at Northwestern -- its first in Evanston in 31 years -- boosted them to a 6-0 start.

Pushed as they hadn't been all season, they scored the game's final 14 points to deliver their best start since opening 8-0 in 1967, when they shared the Big Ten title and played in the Rose Bowl.

"It was back and forth," head coach Curt Cignetti told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the post-game radio show. "It was the first time we've been tested like that. It was good to see us respond.

"(Northwestern) had some momentum (in the fourth quarter). Our offense responded when they needed to. It wasn't our best game on defense, but I like the way we finished the game the last two series on defense. It was a good win."

Quarterback Kurtis Rourke displayed game-deciding accuracy, poise, and decision making. He was 25-for-33 for 380 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Seven of those completions went to Elijah Sarratt for 135 yards. Ke'Shawn Williams had four catches for 87 yards, including a spectacular 52-yard run and catch on a screen. Eight Hoosiers caught at least one pass.

"We have playmakers all across the board," Rourke told the Big Ten Network. "It makes my job a lot easier. The O-line is playing great so we can run and pass. We're just clicking right now."

Running back Kaelon Black told Fischer that, "Kurt is smart. He's dedicated to his craft. We're blessed to have a quarterback like that on our team."

The Hoosiers shredded what had been a strong Northwestern defense for 529 total yards. It was their third-straight game with more than 500 yards and the fourth time overall.

"We pride ourselves on making plays," Black told Fischer about the offensive success. "It's doing our key assignments. Everybody is locked in and staying focused. We make sure we're all on the same page, and work for the same goal -- score touchdowns and win games."

Cignetti praised his coaches and players.

"Every time we need to score," he told Fischer, "I don't know if we're 100 percent, but it seems like we are.

"When you do that, it puts you in attack mode. We continue to attack because we're best when we do that."

IU faced a Northwestern team coming off bye as well as windy conditions at Martin Stadium, the Wildcats' temporary football home next to Lake Michigan.

It also faced unwanted history -- it had lost eight-straight games in Evanston, with its last victory at Northwestern coming in 1993.

The Hoosiers made it all irrelevant.

"We're doing things the right way every day," Black said.

The Hoosiers took a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter with an 89-yard touchdown drive capped by Justice Ellison's 5-yard scoring run. They ended the quarter with a 144-10 edge in total yards.

Northwestern countered with its own touchdown drive to tie the score at 7-7 six minutes into the second quarter.

IU came back behind Rourke, who connected with Omar Cooper Jr. for 24 yards and Sarratt for 23 yards to set up a 1-yard scoring pass to Miles Cross, who made a great catch and toe tap to push the Hoosiers ahead 14-7.

Northwestern added a field goal. IU came back with a 37-yard Nicolas Radicic field goal -- helped by a 37-yard pass to E.J. Williams Jr. -- for a 17-10 halftime score.

Cignetti's halftime message -- play better defense, keep Wildcats quarterback Jack Lausch in the pocket. Lausch had 33 rushing yards in the first 30 minutes. He finished with 34 while throwing for 243 yards and two touchdowns.

The Hoosiers couldn't have started the third quarter any better -- forcing a punt and scoring a touchdown, the final 13 yards coming on a Rourke-to-Ke'Shawn Williams scoring pass for a 24-10 lead.

Northwestern closed within seven on a 38-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter. Williams' 52-yard catch and run set up a Radicic field goal for a 27-17 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats followed with a touchdown pass for a 27-24 score with 11 minutes left.

IU responded with a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by Ty Son Lawton's 1-yard TD run that was aided by a pair of 12-yard completions to Sarratt, a 23-yard toss to Cooper Jr. and a 10-yard Black run.

The defense got the stop and the offense got the final touchdown – this one four yards to tight end Zach Horton for the final 41-24 score.

The Hoosiers' next game is Oct. 19 against Nebraska at Memorial Stadium. Cignetti told Fisher they'd have a light week with a focus on recruiting before resuming a regular practice schedule.

"It's a blessing to be part of the new Indiana," Black told Fischer. "We do what we do every day and every week. We keep the main thing the main thing."