Indiana Football clinches bowl eligibility after beating Northwestern 41-24

Indiana football conquered the shores of Lake Michigan as they took down Northwestern on the road 41-24. The Hoosiers improved to 6-0 and clinched bowl eligibility for the first time since 2020.

Indiana football was led by their quarterback, Kurtis Rourke, who picked the Northwestern defense apart. Rourke finished the game 25-33 for 380 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Elijah Sarratt played a huge role catching seven passes for 135 yards. Sarratt made some key plays for Indiana football including a critical 3rd down reception in the fourth quarter.

Ke’Shawn Williams added to his touchdown total with his fourth of the year. He had four catches for 87 yards, including a huge 52-yard catch where he broke multiple tackles. 

Miles Cross finished the game with four catches for 24 yards and a massive 4th down touchdown in the first half.

Tight end Zach Horton scored a touchdown on his only reception of the game but made multiple key blocks in the run game.

Northwestern trailed by as little as three in the fourth quarter, but a big drive from Indiana that was finished off with a Ty Son Lawton touchdown extended the lead to 10 with 6:23 left.

The Indiana defense then forced a big stop on fourth down to help seal the game with a touchdown on the following drive.

Indiana football once again relied on their running back tandem of Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton.

Ellison led the Hoosiers with 68 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts. Lawton added 52 yards of his own on 10 attempts and also scored a touchdown for Indiana football. 

Kaelon Black featured as the third running back and made the most of his opportunities with 33 yards on 5 carries.

The Hoosier defense struggled at times against Northwestern’s mobile quarterback, Jack Lausch.

Lausch went 23-38 for 243 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also added 34 rushing yards.

Both of Lausch’s touchdowns were caught by A.J. Henning, who finished the game with six catches for 67 yards. Bryce Kirtz also played a huge role, catching 10 passes for 128 yards. 

While they struggled early, the Hoosier defense stepped up late and made some crucial stops down the stretch.

Mikail Kamara once again was a force on the defensive line for Indiana Football.  He had two tackles for loss, a sack, and a quarterback hit.

Linebacker Aiden Fisher finished the game with five tackles but also added two quarterback hits.

Indiana’s leading tacklers came from the secondary as Jamier Johnson and Amare Ferrell led the team with six tackles each. 

Shawn Asbury II also played a big role with five tackles, 0.5 sacks, and 0.5 tackles for loss. 

While it wasn’t perfect, the Hoosiers took care of business on the road to improve their record to 6-0.

Indiana football now heads into their first bye week of the season, before they host Nebraska in week eight for their homecoming game.

SEE ALSO: Coach Postgame Q&A: Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti recaps 41-24 win at Northwestern

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