This Saturday, No. 4 Indiana rolled past Western Kentucky at Memorial Stadium to finish the non-conference slate undefeated.
Indiana outgained the Hilltoppers 513-186 in the contest, with the majority of the success coming in the second half. After a scoreless first quarter, Indiana finally broke through with 9:51 left in the first half with a Davion Chandler touchdown catch.
Western Kentucky kept the score within seven until Isaiah Jones picked off quarterback Brock Glenn that eventually turned into a Lee Beebe Jr. touchdown.
The first-half success that the Hilltoppers had was nowhere in sight in the second half. Quarterback Brock Glenn was constantly under pressure and could not find a rhythm. Indiana finished with nine quarterback hurries and a sack, making life tough for the transfer quarterback.
Typically, when there is a lack of rhythm, the run game can help put an offense back on track. That was unfortunately not the case for the visiting Tops. Western Kentucky ran for just 66 yards on 29 carries, good for 2.3 yards per carry. The Hilltoppers were also stopped on a 4th-and-inches and ran for just 16 yards in the second half as a whole.
On the flip side, Indiana's dynamic run game was able to support Josh Hoover's fantastic day. Hoover finished with 273 yards and two touchdowns, but his running game carried the majority of the load offensively. Lee Beebe Jr. had the first rushing touchdown of the day and eventually cashed in another in the 3rd quarter. Beebe Jr. finished with 50 rushing yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Turbo Richard turned in his best day as a Hoosier, finishing with 149 rushing yards and a score, helping tag-team the run game with Beebe Jr. The combination of Richard and Beebe Jr. has been impressive this year, filling the void that was left by the injury to Khobie Martin; the two backs are vitally important to Indiana's offensive success heading into conference play.
Indiana's defense produced the second consecutive shutout this season, the first time that feat has been done at Indiana since 1993. The defense has been strong, the offense has been efficient, but stiffer competition awaits in the coming weeks, starting this Friday night against a pesky Northwestern team.
Indiana begins Big Ten play inside Memorial Stadium Friday at 8 p.m. against the Wildcats as the Hoosiers look to continue their current 19-game win streak over the last two seasons.
Get to know the opponent: Western Kentucky
