Indiana football recaptures the Old Brass Spittoon and improves to 9-0 after beating Michigan State

For the first time in program history, Indiana football has started a season 9-0 after defeating Michigan State 47-10 to reclaim the Old Brass Spittoon.

Kurtis Rourke made his return after missing last week’s game with a thumb injury, but he and the offense struggled early. Indiana football did not score in the first quarter for just the second time this year and did not gain a first down on their first two drives.

Michigan State jumped out to a 10-0 lead behind their defense as Aidan Chiles made a few big plays including a highlight reel touchdown pass to Nick Marsh.

The 10-0 deficit was the first time Indiana football had trailed in a game all season.

Just like they have done all season Curt Cignetti’s squad responded in a big way. The Hoosiers scored 47 unanswered points and coasted to victory.

After struggling early, Rourke found a rhythm and had another strong performance. He completed 19-29 passes for 263 passing yards and four touchdowns.

Ke’Shawn Williams led the way in the passing game, catching a team-high six passes for 86 yards.

Elijah Sarratt had four receptions for 59 yards and two touchdowns.

Myles Price also made some big plays for Indiana football. He caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Price also had a big 25-yard run on an end-around that set up a touchdown.

The Hoosiers’ rushing attack had a relatively quiet game compared to past weeks but was still effective.

Justice Ellison led the way with 32 rushing yards on nine attempts. Ellison also caught three passes for 22 yards.

Ty Son Lawton rushed for 19 yards and a touchdown on six attempts. Wide receiver Omar Cooper also ran for a touchdown.

RELATED: HoosierIllustrated Live Blog: Indiana football vs Michigan State

As a team, Indiana finished with 122 rushing yards on 3.8 yards per attempt.

On the other side, the Hoosier defense dominated after the Spartans’ early punch.

Defensive back Amare Ferrell was a big part of the turnaround as he had two interceptions off of Chiles in the first half.

Mikail Kamara also played a big role in the win for Indiana football. Kamara finished the game with 2.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss, and seven total tackles. Kamara now has 9.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss on the season.

The Indiana defense dominated the line of scrimmage holding Michigan State to -24 rushing yards as a team. The Hoosiers had 15 tackles for loss and seven sacks in the win.

On special teams, D’Angelo Ponds blocked a punt that was knocked out of the end zone for a safety early in the third quarter. Daniel Ndukwe also blocked a punt in the fourth quarter.

Many saw this game as a potential trap and it looked like it early, but Indiana football responded to the early adversity with a dominating display.

The 9-0 Hoosiers head back home next week where they will look to improve to 10-0 when they host the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines.

SEE ALSO: Key takeaways from the IU basketball 106-64 exhibition win over Marian

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