BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana defeated Illinois on Saturday evening at Memorial Stadium by a final score of 63-10.
Below are three quick reasons why the Hoosiers won, along with highlights and final stats. For Curt Cignetti postgame, GO HERE.
Indiana (4-0) will travel to Iowa next Saturday.
Stay tuned for more coverage of the game from The Daily Hoosier.
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THREE QUICK REASONS WHY INDIANA WON
1. Mendoza elite again. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza sliced through the Illinois defense, completing 21 of 23 throws for 267 yards with 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. He found five different receivers, with Elijah Sarratt (9 catches, 92 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Omar Cooper, Jr. (6 catches, 78 yards, 1 touchdowns) leading the way. Against a team ranked in the top-10, Mendoza looked as good, if not better than he had against lesser early season opponents. On the season Mendoza has completed 76 of 99 (77%) throws for 975 yards, with 14 touchdowns and no interceptions.
2. Dominance in the trenches. Indiana’s offensive and defensive lines were both vastly superior than Illinois’ units. The Hoosiers held Illinois to just two rushing yards on 20 attempts. A major factor was seven IU sacks for 47 yards, along with 10 tackles for loss. Meanwhile, the IU offensive line cleared the way for 49 carries and 312 yards rushing. It was the fourth straight game IU rushed for over 300 yards. Mendoza was sacked twice but generally had a clean pocket with time to find open receivers.
3. Ponds sets the tone. The first three drives of the game resulted in punts, but on Illinois’ second punt in that sequence, IU cornerback D’Angelo Ponds ran free off the edge and blocked the Illini kick and ran it in for an 11-yard return for a score. While Illinois tied the game at seven shortly thereafter, the play set the tone and established what was complete three-phase domination by the Hoosiers.
HIGHLIGHTS
FINAL STATS
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
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