Postgame Notes: Western Illinois

Postgame Notes
Western Illinois at Indiana
September 6, 2024

TEAM
• Indiana is 1-0 all-time against Western Illinois.

• Indiana started a season 2-0 for the 43rd time in program history.

• Indiana is now 18-1 all-time against the FCS (formerly Division 1-AA) since its formation in 1979. The Hoosiers have won 15-straight games against FCS opponents.

• Curt Cignetti is the eighth Indiana head coach to start his head coaching tenure with a 2-0 record. He joins Osgood & Wren (1895), James Horne (1898), James M. Sheldon (1905), Harlan O. (Pat) Page (1926), Clyde B. Smith (1948), Terry Hoeppner (2005), Bill Lynch (2007).

• Indiana's game captains were Justice Ellison, Mike Katic and Zach Carpenter.

• Western Illinois won the coin toss and deferred the opening kickoff. Indiana received the opening kick.

• All 27 active transfer student-athletes have made their Indiana debut in 2024 with DJ Warnell Jr. appearing against Western Illinois. Andrew Depaepe and Nick Kidwell are each out for the season with injury.

??• Six true freshmen made their collegiate debut to make the season total 10 true freshmen to debut in 2024. The true freshmen to debut against WIU included: WR Charlie Becker, QB Tyler Cherry, DB Dontrae Henderson, RB Khobie Martin, QB Alberto Mendoza and DL Daniel Ndukwe.

• Ten Hoosiers made their collegiate debuts (including the six true freshmen above) to move the total to 18 collegiate debuts in 2024, which includes 10 true freshmen. The players to debut against Western Illinois include: Becker, Cherry, DL Ta'Derius Collins, OL Jack Greer, Henderson, WR Eli Jochem, Martin, Mendoza, Ndukwe and OL Max Williams.

• A program-record 10 different players scored touchdowns in the game (Since 1912). The previous record came in 1944 against Fort Knox. The touchdown became a six-point score in 1912.

• The 77 points scored are a program record and just the fifth time IU has scored 70 points in a game in program history. The previous mark was 76 points versus Franklin College in 1901

• The 42 first-half points are the most in a quarter since a 45-point half in 2013 against Indiana State (8/29).

• Indiana rushed for 335 yards and passed for 378 yards to mark the first time since 2015 against Purdue (11/28) the team topped 300 yards rushing and passing in the same game.

Charlie Becker | WR | Fr.
• Made collegiate debut..
• Scored his first career touchdown on his first career rush when he took a 3-yard carry to the end zone in the fourth quarter.

Lanell Carr Jr. | DL | Sr.+
• Tied a career-high five tackles. His last came against Rutgers in 2023.

Tyler Cherry | QB | Fr.
• Made collegiate debut.

Andison Coby | WR | Sr.+
• Had a 38-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. Marked his third touchdown of his Indiana career, scoring one in both 2022 and 2023.

Ta'Derius Collins | DL | R-Fr.
• Had his first career interception when he picked off Nathan Lamb for a 17-yard return in the fourth quarter.
• Made his first collegiate appearance.

Omar Cooper Jr. | WR | R-So.
• Hauled in a career-long 69-yard reception for a touchdown from Tayven Jackson in the fourth quarter.
• His 131 receiving yards marked the second time he has eclipsed 100-plus yards. He had 101 yards against Indiana State (9/8) in 2023.

Elijah Green | RB | R-Jr.
• Scored his second touchdown as a Hoosier on an 11-yard rush in the second quarter.

Rolijah Hardy | LB | Fr.
• Had his first career interception and touchdown in the fourth quarter when he picked off Nathan Lamb for a 12-yard return.
• Logged his first career sack and forced fumble in the fourth quarter when he brought down Chris Irvin for a 14-yard loss.
• First Indiana defender with two turnovers in a game since Myles Jackson in 2022 against Western Kentucky (9/17).
• Tied his career high of two tackles.

Justice Ellison | RB | Sr.+
• Posted his second career multi-touchdown game. His first came while at Wake Forest against NC State in 2021.
• Charted his third career 100-yard rushing game with 117 yards. His last was against Georgia Tech in 2023 while at Wake Forest.

Jamier Johnson | DB | R-Jr.
• Tied a career-high two tackles, which he has recorded on five other occasions. He most recently reached the mark in Week 1 against FIU (8/31).

Mikail Kamara | DL | R-Jr.
• Has at least a half a tackle for loss in 23 of 25 career games with two tackles for loss against Western Illinois.
• Tied his career high of 2.0 sacks. He previously reached the mark in a game at Troy while at James Madison in 2023.
• It was the third time of his career having multiple sacks in a game. The last time came against South Alabama in 2023.

Khobie Martin | RB | Fr.
• Made collegiate debut
• Carried eight times for 31 yards.

Alberto Mendoza | QB | Fr.
• Made his first appearance of his collegiate career.

J'Mari Monnette | DL | R-So.
• Recorded his first career tackle and tackle for loss when he brought down Shawn Shipman for a loss of three yards in the fourth quarter.
• Made his first collegiate appearance.

Ty Son Lawton | RB | R-Sr.+
• Scored his 29th career touchdown and third as a Hoosier on a 19-yard rush in the first quarter.

Nicolas Radicic | K | R-Fr.
• Converted on a program-record 11 extra points in the game. The previous mark was 10 by Mitch Ewald against Indiana State (8/29) in 2013.

Kurtis Rourke | QB | R-Sr.+
• Notched his seventh career game with both a passing and rushing touchdown. His first came while at Ohio against Akron in 2023.
• Tied for No. 2 on the IU single-game completion percentage charts at .882 (15-of-17). Matt LoVecchia also completed 15-of-17 passes at Illinois (11/6) in 2004.

Josh Sanguinetti | DB | R-Sr.+
• Tied a career-high of 0.5 sacks when he assisted Aiden Fisher in bringing down Demari Davis in the third quarter.

Elijah Sarratt | WR | Jr.
• Moved his consecutive games with a catch streak to 27-straight games with his 23-yard reception in the first quarter.
• Went for a career-long 71-yard reception for a touchdown in the first quarter on a pass from Kurtis Rourke.

Brady Simmons | WR | R-So.
• Made first career reception.

Venson Sneed | DL | R-So.
• Tied a career-high one stop. He has reached the mark six other times, most recently doing so in Week 1 against FIU (8/31).

Tyrique Tucker | DL | R-So.
• Charted a career-high 1.5 sacks.
• Tied a career-high four tackles. He has reached the mark four other times, most recently in Week 1 against FIU (8/31).

DJ Warnell Jr. | DB | Sr.+
• With his solo sack in the third quarter he tied his career high. He had 1.0 sacks on three occasions in 2023 at Arizona.

Daniel Weems | RB | R-Fr.
• Made Indiana debut and carried four times for 19 yards.

Players Mentioned

Charlie Becker

Zach Carpenter

Lanell Carr Jr.

Tyler Cherry

Andison Coby

Ta'Derius Collins

Omar Cooper Jr.

Andrew DePaepe

Justice Ellison

Aiden Fisher

Elijah Green

Jack Greer

Rolijah Hardy

Dontrae Henderson

Myles Jackson

Tayven Jackson

Eli Jochem

Jamier Johnson

Mikail Kamara

Mike Katic

Nick Kidwell

Ty Son Lawton

Alberto Mendoza

Daniel Ndukwe

Nico Radicic

Kurtis Rourke

Josh Sanguinetti

Elijah Sarratt

Brady Simmons

Tyrique Tucker

DJ Warnell Jr.

Daniel Weems

Max Williams