In his Monday press conference, coach David Braun said having a bye week allowed his squad to get “as close to full strength as possible.” Northwestern entered Saturday’s action with a daunting task ahead — No. 23 Indiana, which raced off to 5-0 for the first time in nearly 60 years.
Although the Wildcats (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten) punched well above their weight for much of the game, the Hoosiers’ (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) offense proved to be too much for the hosts. Behind quarterback Kurtis Rourke’s 380-yard, three-touchdown performance, Indiana defeated NU 41-24.
Rourke got settled early, but redshirt junior linebacker Mac Uihlein’s fourth-down tackle halted the Indiana offense’s opening drive.
While the ’Cats offense struggled to find momentum, the Hoosiers struck first. Rourke led a 10-play, 89-yard drive that culminated in running back Justice Ellison’s four-yard touchdown.
NU bounced back with its own 10-play scoring drive. On the Indiana 8-yard line, graduate student running back Cam Porter found the left sideline for a touchdown.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti’s offense then retaliated. Following a pair of 20-yard tosses from Rourke, the visitors found the endzone on fourth down with an eight-yard touchdown pass caught by Miles Cross.
On NU’s ensuing drive, redshirt junior kicker Jack Olsen converted a 32-yard field goal. But, Indiana responded with a last-minute kick of its own to take a 17-10 lead into halftime.
The Hoosiers kept their foot on the gas pedal to open the second half, as they ran the ball up the field and subsequently took a two-score lead with a touchdown catch by wide receiver Ke’Shawn Williams.
The hosts continued to fight back, as graduate student wide receiver A.J. Henning’s 38-yard touchdown reception kept the ’Cats within a score entering the final frame. Indiana scored on its fifth consecutive drive following a 52-yard catch and run by Williams.
Minutes later, NU added to its scoring output with Henning recording his second touchdown of the half. But Rourke extended the Indiana lead back up to 10 once again on a 13-play drive, capped off by a one-yard touchdown by running back Ty Son Lawton.
The Hoosiers made the game all but over with a touchdown with under four minutes remaining.
Here’s five takeaways from NU’s home loss to Indiana.
1. Cam Porter’s return
On Friday, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Porter would be activated against Indiana. Porter missed the contest against Washington two weeks prior with a lower-body injury.
Fittingly, Porter’s first rushing attempt in his return resulted in a ’Cats first down with a four-yard inside carry. Later, Porter scored NU’s first touchdown in three weeks with an eight-yard gain. It marked his fourth rushing touchdown of the season.
With an apparent snap restriction, Porter recorded season-lows with six carries and 15 yards in his return to action.
2. Slow offensive starts flipped upside down
The game’s opening two drives for both squads netted a combined 18 plays for 68 yards with just three first downs. NU gained just 12 yards in its first two drives.
It was at this juncture when the game’s script flipped. Indiana scored on its next two drives, which totaled 164 yards. During this stretch, the ’Cats put up 10 points of their own.
With just over a minute remaining in the half, Rourke completed a 37-yard throw on the run to wide receiver E.J. Williams, setting up Indiana to score once again. Rourke, who entered the game top three in the Big Ten in passing yards and passing touchdowns, finished the first half 14-of-18 through the air with 196 yards and a touchdown.
After not scoring on the initial two drives, the Hoosiers scored each time they touched the ball up until their final drive — adding up to seven straight scores, a feat NU couldn’t match.
3. NU run game keeps offense alive early
The ’Cats concluded the first half with 78 yards on the ground, averaging six yards per carry. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore quarterback Lausch tallied just 54 yards through the air.
But Lausch’s mobility was on full display during the team’s first scoring drive, which included a crucial 14-yard scamper. Porter capped the drive off with a touchdown.
On the first play of NU’s next drive, redshirt sophomore running back Joseph Himon II sprinted up the right sideline for an explosive 35-yard gain. The ’Cats ended the drive with three points, putting them down just four points entering halftime.
Himon recorded five carries for 35 yards, showing a significant burst in the kick return game.
4. Lausch finds groove in second half
In Lausch’s first career start against Eastern Illinois on Sept. 14, it was a classic tale of two halves, where he struggled in the first half and played nearly a flawless second half.
A similar theme developed Saturday. After throwing for just 54 yards in the opening half, Lausch finished the game going 23-of-37 through the air with 243 yards and two touchdowns.
From the seven-minute mark in the third quarter to the eleven-minute mark in the fourth quarter, Lausch completed 7-of-8 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns, both of which were to Henning. Graduate student wide receiver Bryce Kirtz had his best game with Lausch under center with ten receptions for 126 yards, which included a 47-yard deep shot.
5. The ’Cats look to bounce back in College Park
For the first time in Braun’s tenure, NU has dropped two consecutive games. Next week, the ’Cats will take on Maryland in a Friday night primetime game.
The Terrapins (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) are on a two-game skid, having fallen to both Indiana and Michigan State through their five-game slate. With a bye this week, Maryland will have an extra week of preparation before taking on NU.
Both teams will be searching for their first Big Ten win, as the ’Cats hope to avoid falling into a three-game losing streak.
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