EAST LANSING, Mich. — Indiana football’s undefeated start in 2024 has defied everything ever associated with its program.
These Hoosiers have displayed sheer dominance, a lack of mercy, and football savvy in every game. They’ve responded swiftly every time an opponent challenged them, and anytime they’ve encountered potential problems.
But IU had not yet faced the amount of adversity it battled on Saturday at Spartan Stadium. Indiana, remarkably, was one of two teams in the country — along with Army — that hadn’t trailed all season entering week 10. This team, every week, took a quick lead and racked up more and more points the rest of the way.
But that all changed in East Lansing, Mich. With Heisman Trophy candidate Kurtis Rourke fighting through a thumb injury, Indiana fell behind for the first time all season. And then, before their offense could even pick up a first down, the Hoosiers found themselves in a 10-0 hole against 4-4 Michigan State.
With “overrated” chants raining down from the MSU student section, IU was in an unfamiliar spot. But the Hoosiers had been preparing for this scenario all along.
“I knew at some point, we’d be behind. And I knew we’d be fine,” head coach Curt Cignetti said after the game. “So now we’ve been behind, and we responded.”
Indiana was not only “fine.” Cignetti and his team completely flipped the game around, and snatched the lead by the middle of the second quarter. Before long, IU turned this game into what’s happened in all its other games this season: a comprehensive demolition of that week’s opponent. The Hoosiers went to halftime ahead 21-10, and poured it on further in the second half until they left with a 47-10 win.
IU’s domination was quite familiar. But the way it got there, by coming from behind, wasn’t. The Hoosiers had to adjust and figure things out.
“We just started executing,” Cignetti said. “We settled down, started executing, and we took control up front on defense, got the turnovers, started scoring points, they couldn’t punch back.”
The first four drives in East Lansing played out uncharacteristically for IU. The Hoosiers made a lot of mistakes, between Rourke misfires, a key drop by Miles Cross, some blown coverages, missed tackles, and more. Indiana has been able to prevent individual mistakes from compounding on each other all season, but not in the first quarter on Saturday. Michigan State capitalized on those opportunities with a 47-yard field goal followed by a touchdown pass from Aidan Chiles to Nick Marsh that defensive tackle James Carpenter described as “special.”
On the field, and on the sideline, Indiana never panicked in those moments. IU stuck to its game plan and its identity, the way it’s done while leading every other game. The players remained confident but level-headed, like always.
“It was big just to see how we all responded, and the sideline was calm. We went down, and it was calm. There was no nervousness, there was none of that,” defensive end Mikail Kamara said. “To see that gives me a lot of confidence going forward.”
On its first play from scrimmage after Michigan State’s touchdown, IU went to a staple of its offense: a well-executed screen pass. Things quickly opened up for the Hoosiers. They surged forward with the sudden momentum, as Rourke put his early struggles behind him and hit Zach Horton for a touchdown two plays into the second quarter.
From then on, it was as if the first four drives never happened. Indiana looked like the same team it has all season, making big plays in all three phases; and Michigan State came back to Earth after an impressive opening quarter.
“Cool, calm, collected. That’s what they (Indiana’s coaches) preach to us,” Carpenter said. “When adversity hits, we’ve got to be ready to respond.”
No individual player overcame more adversity in this game than Rourke. The Canadian suffered a right thumb injury just two weeks prior against Nebraska, and underwent surgery after the game. He had two screws placed in his thumb, after what he initially thought was merely a broken fingernail.
He missed the next game against Washington in week nine, when redshirt sophomore Tayven Jackson stepped in and helped IU win, 31-17. But Rourke had resumed throwing the day before that game, and continued improving every day. He and IU’s staff determined by midweek that he’d be able to play against MSU.
That doesn’t mean it was easy. Rourke’s thumb was heavily protected, with a splint and a glove — on his throwing hand. And he still played through pain, which surely played a role in his 1-for-5 start.
But ultimately, none of it mattered. Rourke fought through it all, because he knew his team needed him.
“I had some things that minimized the pain to start the game. But it was definitely a little bit sore with every throw,” Rourke said. “But some of that, I knew it was going to come. And I wanted to play through (it), because you don’t get a chance to play football a lot.”
Indiana football, at 9-0, has set a new mark for its best start in program history. This team isn’t sneaking up on anyone anymore.
IU has three games remaining in the regular season, including an increasingly massive showdown at Ohio State on Nov. 23. That game could determine its Big Ten Championship Game fate, and it could play an outsized role in determining its College Football Playoff fate.
This team has displayed more character with every passing week. Ohio State will be its toughest test of the season, but the Hoosiers haven’t just passed all their tests this season. They’ve obliterated them.
And now, Indiana can include playing from behind — in a hostile road environment, and with an ailing quarterback — to the list of challenges it’s overcome.
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