Indiana football’s historic season was full of memorable moments.
The Hoosiers captured their first-ever national championship and became the first team since the 1890s to finish 16-0. The Daily Hoosier has compiled our list of the top 10 plays and moments from IU’s march to the title.
Here, in no particular order, are our honorable mentions for this list. Some are plays that just narrowly missed the cut. Others are moments that weren’t in serious contention for the top 10, but deserved some love.
Jonathan Brady punt return touchdown vs. Old Dominion
This one is easy to forget, since it was way back in the season-opener, before anyone knew just how special this year would become for Indiana.
But back on Aug. 30, the Hoosiers got off to a tough start. They allowed Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph to break off a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. The offense responded by getting stuffed at the 1-yard line, followed by a Lee Beebe Jr. fumble.
Jonathan Brady changed everything, with a 91-yard punt return touchdown late in the first quarter. That was IU’s first score of the season, and prevented the Hoosiers from carrying a deficit into the second quarter. And it gave them a momentum boost the rest of the way.
Aiden Fisher pick six vs. UCLA
Indiana was a heavy favorite to beat UCLA, but the Bruins entered that game a trendy upset pick.
After an 0-4 start to the season, which resulted in head coach Deshaun Foster’s firing after the third loss, UCLA rattled off three straight wins over Penn State, Michigan State, and Maryland. IU was a class above those teams, but the matchup became intriguing enough to earn Big Noon Kickoff treatment from FOX.
Aiden Fisher made clear very quickly how that game would go, with a pick six on the second play from scrimmage.
Rolijah Hardy pass breakup against Ohio State
Ohio State’s offense faced a huge third-and-1 deep in Indiana territory, deep into the Big Ten Championship Game.
The Buckeyes had the ball on IU’s 9-yard line, with less than three minutes remaining in Indianapolis, trailing 13-10. A first down would’ve left the Hoosiers in a difficult position, as Ohio State surely would’ve wound down clock and likely either scored a go-ahead touchdown or tied the game on a field goal. But on the key third down, Rolijah Hardy came up with a clutch pass breakup on what would’ve otherwise been a Julian Sayin touchdown pass.
It was one of the biggest plays of Indiana’s season, as Ohio State opted to bring on the field goal unit, and Jayden Fielding missed from short range. The rest, from there, was history.
Hardy’s moment gets overshadowed by another big play from that fourth quarter — which will appear later in this series. But if Hardy doesn’t knock the ball down, Indiana might not be national champions.
Elijah Sarratt touchdown reception vs. Michigan State / E.J. Williams Jr. touchdown reception vs. Illinois
This is lumping two plays together into one. Neither was a big moment in the season like Hardy’s PBU. Neither of these plays really decided games — Indiana demolished both Illinois and Michigan State.
These were just two great plays by IU’s wide receivers. But these plays have even more to do with Fernando Mendoza. His touchdown throw to Williams was one of the first glimpses he gave the country of his NFL-caliber talent. And his pass to Sarratt against Michigan State was, perhaps, the throw that made the Heisman Trophy conversation already surrounding Mendoza feel very legitimate.
Charlie Becker touchdowns in the College Football Playoff
The sophomore wide receiver broke out in the second half of the season for Indiana this year, and made so many big plays along the way.
IU’s offense so thoroughly dominated the Rose Bowl against Alabama and the Peach Bowl against Oregon that it’s difficult to pick out one highlight over another from those performances (the defenses will appear later). But Becker deserves a shout for two really good touchdown catches in those games.
His Rose Bowl touchdown required athleticism to reach out for the ball and haul it in, and that score seemed to open the floodgates for Indiana’s offense.
In the Peach Bowl against Oregon, Becker made an arguably even better play. He beat his man downfield quickly, and Mendoza spotted him. The ball was maybe a smidge underthrown, forcing Becker to leap and make the catch with a hand in his face. And he made it look easy.
Highlight-reel defensive plays at Maryland
This was another game IU dominated, and there are plenty of plays from that early November contest that could fit in on this list.
But we’re going with two standout individual defensive efforts.
The first came in the second quarter by Louis Moore, who had to cover a lot of ground to make this interception.
Then, in the middle of the third quarter, it was Devan Boykin’s turn. Maryland quarterback Malik Washington tried to pick up a first down himself on a third-and-1, but Boykin alertly knocked the ball out of the freshman’s hands, scooped it up himself, and ran it back for a touchdown.
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