Indiana Football takes down Florida International in 2024 Season Opener

Indiana Football took down Florida International 31-7 in the 2024 season opener and the first game of the Curt Cignetti era.

The Hoosiers came out of the gates early jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the first half behind a strong rushing attack. Indiana finished with 234 total rushing yards while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. The offensive line made their presence felt as they only allowed two sacks in the game while dominating in the run game.

Ty Son Lawton led the way out of the backfield with 74 rushing yards on 16 carries and TWO rushing touchdowns.

Justice Ellison also played a big role in the run game, adding 68 rushing yards on 10 carries. Ellison also had a 19-yard reception in the passing game.

Running back Elijah Green put the exclamation point on the game with a 51-yard rushing touchdown in the closing moments of the game. He finished with a team-high 82 rushing yards on 5 attempts.

Kurtis Rourke had a strong debut for Indiana football. Rourke showcased his mobility evading multiple sacks including on 30-yard completion to former Ohio teammate Miles Cross on 3rd and 21.

HE'S GOT IT. @MilesCross10 | #IUFB | 📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/SiHL288ihj

— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) August 31, 2024

Rourke finished the game 15/24 for 180 yards and a passing touchdown.

Indiana football put an emphasis spreading the ball out on offense as six different Hoosiers recorded a rush attempt and seven different players caught a pass.

Omar Cooper Jr. saw a team-high eight targets come his way. He caught three of them for 45 yards.

Myles Price led Indiana football with four catches for 29 yards. He also added 12 rushing yards on an end around.

Indiana football made sure to get the tight end room involved early as Zach Horton caught three passes for 36 yards and the only receiving touchdown of the game in the first half.

Indiana controlled the clock for the majority of the game as they won the time of possession battle, holding onto the ball for 32:50 of Saturday afternoon’s game.

The Hoosiers seemed to take their foot off the gas in the second half as they did not score a second half touchdown until the final minutes of the game.

Nicolas Radicic got the start at kicker and drilled his lone field goal attempt from 35 yards. He also made all four of his extra point tries.

The defense dominates as Indiana Football opens the season with a victory

Indiana’s Jailin Walker (2) celebrates a stop during the first half of the Indiana versus Florida International football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. © Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

On the other side of the football, the defense showed up in a big way. They controlled the line of scrimmage holding FIU to 53 total rushing yards on 1.8 yards per attempt. The Indiana defense had eight tackles for loss.

FIU quarterback Keyone Jenkins finished the game 20/29 for 129 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

Aiden Fisher was all over the field for the Hoosier defense. The linebacker made a team-high 12 total tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack.

Linebacker Jailin Walker finished second on the team with eight tackles.

Indiana football had four sacks including one by walk-on defensive lineman Andrew Turvy. Marcus Burris Jr. and Lanell Carr Jr. also had sacks for the Hoosiers.

Sophomore defensive back Amare Ferrell forced the only turnover of the game as he intercepted Jenkins on a tipped pass in the fourth quarter.

While there was a lot to like about the Indiana football opener, penalties were a problem for the Hoosiers. Indiana had 9 penalties for 80 yards in Cignetti’s opener.

Cignetti will have plenty to clean up on the offensive end before Indiana football is back in action next week when they host Western Illinois at Memorial Stadium on Friday night.

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