No. 5 Indiana Survives Northwestern Push, Wins 29-23 in Bloomington
The short version
- No. 5 Indiana beat Northwestern 29-23 on Friday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
- Aidan Chiles passed for 293 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions; Luke Dehnicke caught seven passes for 140 yards.
- Indiana rushed for 271 yards to Northwestern's 32, with Lee Beebe Jr. running for 203 yards and a touchdown.
- Northwestern lost Josh Fussell to an early injury; Indiana lost running back Turbo Richard to a hit on the sideline.
Aidan Chiles threw for 293 yards and two scores, but the Wildcats' upset bid fell short against the fifth-ranked Hoosiers on Friday night.
Fifth-ranked Indiana needed nearly the full game to put away Northwestern on Friday night at Memorial Stadium, escaping with a 29-23 win over a Wildcats team listed as a 21-point underdog. Indiana improved to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play, while Northwestern dropped to 2-1 and 0-1 in conference.
Wildcats quarterback Aidan Chiles turned in a strong passing performance, completing throws for 293 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Tight end Luke Dehnicke was his top target, hauling in seven receptions for 140 yards. Northwestern finished the game without committing a turnover.
The Hoosiers controlled the line of scrimmage throughout, outgaining Northwestern on the ground 271-32. Running back Lee Beebe Jr. carried 24 times for 203 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Josh Hoover completed 19 of 29 passes for 201 yards and a score.
Both sides dealt with injuries during the game. Northwestern, already without the inactive Braden Turner, lost defensive back Josh Fussell early in the secondary. Indiana running back Turbo Richard exited early after taking a hard hit on the Hoosiers sideline.
Indiana, playing as the defending national champions before a packed home crowd, began sluggishly with consecutive pre-snap penalties, prompting head coach Curt Cignetti to burn a timeout and voice his frustration to the officials. The Hoosiers still drove deep into Northwestern territory, but on fourth-and-goal from the 1, Payton Roth stuffed Richard short of the goal line for a game-opening defensive stop.
The Wildcats could not capitalize. On Northwestern's first offensive play, Chiles muffed the snap and was tackled by Daniel Ndukwe in the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 Indiana lead. The Hoosiers later added a field goal, then pushed the lead to 12-0 on a touchdown drive that featured 59 yards through the air, much of it against backup cornerback Ore Adeyi.
Northwestern's offense sputtered for the rest of the half, with an intentional grounding penalty on Chiles costing 21 yards and helping end a drive near midfield. The Wildcats went to the break trailing 12-0, having been outgained 243-51, with minus-5 rushing yards against an Indiana defense that is among the best fronts in college football.
The Wildcats showed more fight after halftime. After the teams traded three-and-outs, Chiles extended a drive by escaping pressure and scrambling 15 yards on third-and-13 to move the chains, sparking Northwestern's push that eventually made it a one-score game in the closing moments.
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