Hoosiers Shatter School Records in 77-3 Win

Friday, September 6

Bloomington, Ind.

7 P.M.

Indiana University

2-0 , 0-0

Western Illinois

0-2 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Western Ill.

Indiana

9/6/2024 10:30:00 PM | Football

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes Postgame Quotes VIDEO: Curt Cignetti Press Conference VIDEO: Mikail Kamara Press Conference VIDEO: Elijah Sarratt Press Conference Photo Gallery

By: Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - What were you doing in 1901?

It was a big year for a lot of reasons, from the first trans-Atlantic radio signal from England to Canada to Australia becoming a nation to the first Nobel Prizes being awarded.

There was one other thing. It was the year Indiana set the football program record for most points scored in a game, when it beat Franklin College 76-0.

That record was broken Friday night at Memorial Stadium when the Hoosiers (2-0) beat Western Illinois 77-3.

"It was one of the most fun games I've been part of," said receiver Elijah Sarratt, who had his own fun with team-leading totals of six catches for 137 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown. "Hopefully, we keep it rolling."

IU's roll includes outscoring its first two opponents 108-10. It opens Big Ten play next Saturday at UCLA.

"These games give us confidence," Sarratt said. "It lets us work out the little knickknacks we had. Get the details down and keep stacking up good days going into Week Three."

The point total wasn't the only Hoosier record on Friday night. Kicker Nicolas Radicic set a school mark with 11 extra points.

"It was a good night," head coach Curt Cignetti said. "We played with an edge, an attitude, and a high standard. We didn't play down to the competition.

"We emptied the bench. We got a lot of people on the field. We created turnovers. It was good to see some young guys make plays."

IU reached the 70-point mark for the fifth time in program history and the first since 2013, when it beat Indiana State 73-35. It scored at least 14 points in every quarter. It also had 701 total yards, 378 by pass, 323 by run.

"I'm excited," defensive lineman Mikail Kamara said about the offense. "They would get the ball, and in three plays, four plays, they'd score, and we're right back out there on defense. I'm cool with it."

The Hoosiers dominated in all phases, even getting a defensive touchdown when linebacker Rolijah Hardy scored on a 12-yard fourth-quarter interception return. The Hoosiers also forced (by Hardy) and recovered a fumble (by defensive lineman Robby Harrison) that led to receiver Charlie Becker's three-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run.

The Hoosiers, who held Western Illinois to just 121 total yards, put the game away early, bolting to a 42-0 lead before halftime.

The strong performance came after a sluggish Tuesday practice caused Cignetti to address his team.

"Tuesday wasn't a great day. I had some things to say. I had a captive audience. We came back and had a good day [on Wednesday].

"They were charged up in the locker room. They played well."

The poor Tuesday practice, Kamara added, came because players relaxed.

"We turned that around. Sometimes, Coach talks it through. Sometimes, he raises his voice. It depends. When he wants to send a message, it always hits."

Four Hoosier quarterbacks played and missed just two passes in 21 attempts.

Quarterback Kurtis Rourke played two and a half quarters and finished 15-for-17 for 268 yards and two touchdowns.

"It's always fun playing with him," Sarratt said. "He was clicking on all cylinders. He has to keep that up."

Tayven Jackson replaced Rourke and was 3-for-3 for 104 yards and a touchdown, plus ran twice for 19 yards and a touchdown, before he was replaced by Alberto Mendoza and then Tyler Cherry.

Running back Justice Ellison rushed for 117 yards on nine carries. Receiver Omar Cooper Jr. had four catches for 131 yards and a 69-yard touchdown. Eight players caught at least one pass.

Western Illinois got a late first-half field goal, a defensive lapse that was similar to the end of the first half the previous week, when FIU scored a touchdown.

Cignetti noticed.

"I was not pleased with the end of the half," he said. "We let them get a field goal. We had a couple of mistakes. We subbed in some positions.

"We've got to finish the half well and start the second half well. We haven't finished the half well. There were more positives, but we have a couple of things to work on."

Added Kamara: "That was bad. The same thing happened last week. We have to end the half better. We will be focusing on that.

"Maybe it was complacency. Guys settling down rather than putting the foot on the pedal.

"That should humble us. We have to keep our foot on the pedal. That's what good teams do."

IU opened the scoring just over two minutes into the game with Rourke's 38-yard touchdown pass to Andison Coby. Ellison's 2-yard TD run made it a 14-0 score three minutes later. Two minutes after that, Rourke connected with Sarratt on a 71-yard touchdown pass for a 21-0 lead. Running back Ty Son Lawton's 19-yard TD run made it 28-0 with 2:04 left in the first quarter.

Elijah Green's 11-yard touchdown run, the final six coming after contact, made it a 35-0 score with 9:40 left in the first half. Rourke scored on a quarterback sneak before Western Illinois got a 31-yard field goal for a 42-3 halftime score.

In the third quarter, Ellison had a 47-yard touchdown run and Jackson followed with a 13-yard TD run.

Jackson connected on a 69-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Jr. early in the fourth quarter for a 63-3 score.

Defensive lineman Ta'Derius Collins and Hardy added fourth-quarter interceptions. Hardy ran his back 12 yards for a touchdown to get IU to 70 points. Becker added a 3-yard touchdown run to break the program scoring record.

Kamara said IU is poised to keep its strong play going.

"As long as we use this as a confidence boost and keep an even keel," he said, "we will keep this thing rolling."