BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A heartbreaking road loss in overtime last weekend versus Illinois officially eliminated from bowl eligibility. With hopes of a bowl game now gone, Indiana turns its attention to Michigan State.
Indiana (3-7, 1-6 in Big Ten play) and Michigan State (3-7, 1-6 in Big Ten play) meet for the 70th time in the history of the two programs Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
A weekend ago, Indiana narrowly lost on the road against Illinois in overtime 48-45.
The Illini were forced to start backup quarterback John Paddock in place of injured starter Luke Altmyer.
The Hoosiers took early control of the game behind strong play on both sides of the ball. At one point in the second quarter, Indiana led 27-12. However, Illinois closed out the second quarter strong and cut the Indiana lead to just one at the time of the halftime intermission.Leading 27-26, it felt like Indiana should've been up by more than they were at the half.
The Illini carried over the momentum they had created just prior to halftime into the third quarter. Illinois was dominant on both sides of the ball in the third period of play. Led by Paddock, Illinois opened up a 39-27 lead heading in quarter four.
The first touchdown of the fourth quarter went to Brendan Sorsby, as the redshirt freshman ran into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the game, cutting the Illinois lead to 39-34.
After a goal-line stand resulted in an Illinois field goal, Indiana took over possession with under 2 minutes to play down by eight points. Sorsby continued to showcase his ability by leading the Hoosiers down the field and converting on the 2-point conversion to tie the game and send it to overtime.
In overtime, the Hoosiers were forced to settle for a field goal. On the subsequent Illini possession, Paddock and Illinois found the end zone for a walk-off touchdown.
The 45 points Indiana scored is the most the Hoosiers have put up in a game all season long, however the defense - which allowed 662 yards of total offense - let the team down.
Michigan State did not play as close of a game a week ago, losing to No. 1 Ohio State 38-3. Redshirt freshman Katin Houser made his fifth consecutive start against the Buckeyes, completing 50% of his passes for 92 yards. Running back Nate Carter had just 52 yards on the ground, which led the Spartans rushing attack.
Defensively, the Spartans allowed 530 total yards of offense, including 149 yards and two touchdowns to star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Ahead of this week 11 matchup, here's everything you need to know to get ready for the Hoosiers to host the Spartans for the Old Brass Spittoon.
Last Time They Met
Last season's meeting between the Hoosiers and the Spartans was a wild, snowy contest in which Indiana came out victorious in overtime.
Indiana struggled in the first half and went into the halftime break trailing 24-3. The halftime adjustments the Hoosiers made led Indiana to look like a different team in the second half. Led by Dexter Williams II, Indiana scored 17 third quarter points spurred by a Shaun Shivers 79-yard touchdown run. Come the end of regulation, the game was all knotted up at 31 points apiece.
After neither team scored in the first overtime period, the Hoosiers got a touchdown plus the 2-point conversion. On the ensuing possession, Indiana came up with a game-sealing stop.
The win gave the Old Brass Spittoon back to Indiana after Michigan State had won it the year prior.
Injury Report
DBs Noah Pierre and Jamier Johnson as well as WRs Omar Cooper Jr. and Cam Camper all did not play last week against Illinois.
Nobody was listed at questionable on the Hoosiers' pregame availability report.
During the game against Illinois, Indiana did not sustain any injuries.
Storylines to keep an eye on...
Can Indiana's defense turn it around after its worst performance of the season?
Last week, one of my storylines to watch read 'Can Indiana's defense continue it's strong play?' That came after Indiana held Wisconsin to two touchdowns across four quarters of play. The answer to that one was a resounding no. Indiana allowed 662 yards of total offense to Illinois. The Illini's backup quarterback John Paddock torched the Hoosiers' secondary all game long to the tune of 507 passing yards. Indiana's pass rush was essentially non existent for the entire game, giving Paddock as much time as he wanted in the pocket. If Indiana wants to come out of this weekend still in possession of the Old Brass Spittoon, the Hoosiers needs their defense to play much better than they did a week ago.
Will Indiana's offense continue its strong play?
While the Indiana defense was poor last week, the offense was great. The Hoosiers scored their most points all season against the Illini last weekend. Brandon Sorsby was an efficient 22-33 throwing the ball tallying 289 yards through the air as well as three touchdowns. In total, Sorsby was responsible for five touchdowns on the day, rushing for two as well. Except for when the ball was taken out of his hands in overtime -- when Indiana ran the ball on three straight plays -- Sorsby had the offense firing on all cylinders. If Indiana's offense can keep up the production and combine that with stops on the defensive end, the Hoosiers could pick up their first back-to-back wins over the Spartans since the 1960s.
Quick Hitters
Who?: Indiana (3-7, 1-6 in the Big Ten) vs. Michigan State (3-7, 1-6 in Big Ten play)
When?: Saturday, November 18th, 12:00 p.m. ET
Where?: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
TV: Big Ten Network – Jason Ross Jr. (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst), Megan Mckeown (sideline)
Radio: IU Radio Network, Don Fischer (play-by-play), Rhett Lewis (analyst), John Herrick
Vegas: Indiana -3.5, o/u 47.5
ESPN SP+: 56.5% chance of a Hoosier victory
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