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Hoosiers battle despite odds: 'This team has a lot of fight'

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Indiana came back don 28 points and showed its 'no quit' mentality, despite the loss. (IU Athletics)
Indiana came back don 28 points and showed its 'no quit' mentality, despite the loss. (IU Athletics)

COLUMBUS, OH -- The record books may show that Indiana suffered its 26th consecutive loss to Ohio State Saturday.

The scoreboard may have read Ohio State 42, Indiana 35 inside Ohio Stadium, but for Indiana, who suffered its first loss of the 2020 season, the game showed them just how far they have come in a year.

A year ago, Ohio State came to Bloomington and steamrolled the Hoosiers, 51-10. In that game, the Buckeyes had their way against an Indiana defense.

On Saturday, two top ten teams went toe to toe with the third ranked Buckeyes inside an empty Horseshoe despite falling behind 28-7 at the half and then 35-7 early in the third quarter.

The first half featured plenty of missed opportunities for Indiana, as mental mistakes compounded an early deficit. Master Teague's running abilities for the Buckeyes didn't help either, as Teague picked up a pair of touchdown runs of 42 and 2 yards, respectively.

Right before the half and trailing 21-7, Indiana quarterback Michael Penix hit David Ellis for an 8-yard pass, however, Ohio State's Pete Werner delivered a hit, forcing the ball to pop out, Baron Browning recovered for the Buckeyes and the scoring drive for Indiana was over.

Moments later, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields found the end zone from a yard out.

"It was huge. We had a chance to score. It was a tough sequence of events," Indiana coach Tom Allen said of the fumble and ensuing score.

Trailing 28-7, Indiana could have gone one of two ways in the locker room.

That's when the fight, heart and grit of this Indiana squad came out.

Ty Fryfogle, who became the first Big Ten receiver in history to post back to back 200 yard receiving games after hauling in seven receptions for 218 yards, told the media after the game that the team met at halftime and decided to come out fighting.

Did they ever.

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