BLOOMINGTON — Last week, against Florida International, Indiana football felt like it wasted some opportunities.
The Hoosiers put together three strong touchdown drives in the first half, but the offense stalled out for around half of the second quarter and most of the second half. And IU continued to attack the Golden Panthers, even with the game in hand, wanting to make up for the missed chances.
Indiana left no such doubts on Friday against Western Illinois. By halftime, the Hoosiers racked up 42 points and 415 yards, as their FCS opponent provided little resistance. By the end of the game, IU set program records in a 77-3 win at Memorial Stadium.
“It was a good night,” IU head coach Curt Cignetti said. “I was pleased that our team played with an edge and an attitude and at a high standard. The ones that I’m talking about didn’t play down to the competition.”
The Hoosiers (2-0) scored more points on Friday than they have in any single game in program history. The previous mark, 76 points, had stood since 1901. They also broke a program record with 701 total yards of offense, topping their 692 yards against Purdue in 2013.
IU’s offense contributed 70 of the 77 points — linebacker Rolijah Hardy scored the other touchdown on a 12-yard interception return in the fourth quarter.
Indiana marched up and down the field with ease, obliterating the Leatherneck defense. Wide receivers gained acres of separation with relative ease, running backs frequently burst through gaping holes, and IU rapidly increased its lead.
Wide receivers Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. both topped 100 receiving yards with a touchdown, and running back Justice Ellison crossed the century mark on the ground with two scores.
“It’s one of the most fun games I’ve been a part of,” Sarratt said. “Not just for me having a good game, just seeing all my other guys go out there and being able to score. It was a great atmosphere out there, and I hope we can keep that rolling.”
While quarterback Kurtis Rourke misfired on some downfield shots in the season-opener, he was on point on Friday. He dropped in deep touchdown passes to Andison Coby (38 yards) and Sarratt (71 yards), and completed 15 of his 17 overall pass attempts. During his four-year career at Ohio, Rourke enjoyed only two games with higher completion percentages than his 88.2 percent on Friday.
Western Illinois’ porous coverage created a lot of simple reads and throws, but Rourke and the Hoosiers took full advantage.
Sarratt praised Rourke’s communication and said he’s a fun quarterback to play with.
“One thing I like is, I know I’m not perfect, so I like when someone other than myself is telling me how to do something. He’s good at telling me how to run a route, telling me where to line up, just everything,” Sarratt said. “He’s a leader out there. He’s a great quarterback.”
Western Illinois hasn’t won a game since 2021. Playing time or individual statistics shouldn’t be overanalyzed from this contest — the Hoosiers were favored by 44.5 points at kickoff, and they demolished that spread. IU took care of business the way they should against an opponent like this.
But confidence and week-to-week momentum can be real, and after last week, Cignetti emphasized that his team needed to learn how to play with a lead. This week, Indiana saw 10 of its 13 offensive drives end in touchdowns. The only possessions that didn’t finish in the end zone were the end of the first and second halves, and one turnover on downs in the fourth quarter after true freshman quarterback Alberto Mendoza entered the game.
The Hoosiers can’t reasonably expect to average six or seven yards per carry against conference opponents the way they have through the first two weeks. But even accounting for playing the worst team on its schedule, Indiana’s offense took a step forward on Friday. Maintaining a high level of play in the Big Ten opener — even if the statistics aren’t as gaudy — will bode well for IU’s outlook this year.
“Some of it’s relative to who you play too. I hope we create those kind of numbers later in the season, and then we’ll be a hot item on the clinic circuit,” Cignetti said. “So we’re just doing the best we can every single game, and we’ll put the best plan together for next week.”
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