On Saturday morning, 56,000 white rally towels sat untouched in an empty Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium. Each one featured a simple call to action imprinted in bold red font.
“Beat Illinois.”
On Saturday night, IU fans waved those same towels in celebration from the opening kick to the final whistle as No. 19 Indiana (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) shellacked No. 9 Illinois (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) in a 63-10 victory.
“Great night for Indiana Hoosier fans,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said. “Stadium was hopping. Really proud of the team. Dominant performance.”
Each team gave up a big play early on. They did not respond the same way.
For Illinois, it was Indiana’s blocked punt touchdown from D’Angelo Ponds to open the scoring early in the first quarter. For Indiana, it was a 59-yard touchdown pass from Illinois’ Luke Altmeyer to Collin Dixon. From those points on, Indiana scored touchdowns on seven-of-eight ensuing possessions. Illinois punted seven times with six three-and-outs, kicked a field goal, and threw an interception.
It was the most points a Big Ten team has ever scored against an AP top-10 opponent. The Hoosiers’ 63 points came with the help of 579 total yards of offense and 312 in rushing yards. They remain the only team in FBS with 500-plus yards of total offense and 300-plus rushing yards in every game.
In his first Big Ten game, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza entered his name into the Heisman race, completing 21-for-23 passes for 267 yards and five touchdowns. Elijah Sarratt brought in two scores and Omar Cooper Jr., Riley Nowakowski and E.J. Williams Jr. each tacked on one.
Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black highlighted the run game for the majority of the contest. Redshirt freshman Khobie Martin shined in the second half with 107 yards and two touchdowns.
“We broke their will and just pounded them,” Cignetti said.
Defensively, Indiana’s front seven put on a masterclass. The Hoosiers racked up seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss, holding Illinois to 161 total yards and just two rushing yards. The Illini went 1-for-10 on third down and were doubled up in time of possession.
“We heard a lot of things over the week,” Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher said. “A lot of people were saying that [Illinois] was a lot more physical than us. They were going to come in and run the ball and dominate us physically. That puts an edge onto a team that already has a lot of players with an edge on their shoulders.”
Fresh off a trip to the College Football Playoff, Indiana has its eyes set on a return. Some believe in them, some do not. The Hoosiers have deemed that unimportant. A signature win like this one certainly helps their own personal cause. It marks Cignetti’s first win over an AP top-25 team in his Indiana tenure. It is also Indiana’s first over an AP top-10 team since 2020.
“We deserve to be in the top 10,” Ponds said. “We proved that today.”
More opportunities await. The Hoosiers will be on the road next week for the first time this season as they head to Iowa City for a week five bout with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
COLUMN: Welcome back to the spotlight, Indiana
