Indiana traveled north to South Bend to do battle with in-state rival Notre Dame on Friday night in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
The Hoosiers proved to be no match for the Fighting Irish on Friday night, as a slow start and a poor offensive display led to Indiana's downfall. With the 27-17 loss, the Hoosiers' magical and historic season comes to a bitter close.
Here's how it happened in a frigid South Bend.
INDIANA GETS OFF TO "SHAKY START"
The Hoosiers didn't get off to the start they wanted on Friday night against the Fighting Irish.
Indiana began the contest with the ball, totaling negative three yards, while going three-and-out to open the game. On the ensuing Notre Dame offensive possession, D'Angelo Ponds intercepted Irish quarterback Riley Leonard after James Carpenter tipped the pass at the line of scrimmage.
However, Indiana wasn't able to capitalize on the early takeaway. Kurtis Rourke gave it right back to Notre Dame, throwing an interception of his own inside the red zone.
On the very next play, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love found a gap on the left side of the offensive line, taking it 98 yards to the house to open the scoring.
Then, after Indiana started to gather some offensive momentum, the Hoosiers' chance at a response fizzled out. Indiana was forced to punt, giving the ball straight back to Notre Dame.
The Irish then scored a second touchdown in as many offensive possession, taking a 14-0 lead just a couple of minutes into the second quarter of play.
During his in between quarter interview on the broadcast, head coach Curt Cignetti called it a "shaky start" to the game for the Hoosiers, one they were never able to recover from.
INDIANA'S OFFENSE STRUGGLES TO MOVE THE BALL
Coming into the game, most of the arguments against Indiana revolved around the Hoosiers' showing against the tougher teams on their schedule this season.
In the second half against Michigan and throughout the entire game against Ohio State, Indiana appeared outmatched by its perennial powerhouse opponents.
In 10 games not against Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame--Indiana's stiffest competition this season--Indiana's offense tallied 48.5 points per game and 486.8 total yards of offense per contest.
In the Hoosiers' three games against the Wolverines, Buckeyes and Fighting Irish, Indiana managed just 17.3 points and 225 total yards of offense per game.
Indiana recorded 278 total yards of offense, faling to find the end zone until the game was already pretty much out of reach on Friday night against Notre Dame. For a majority of the game, the Hoosiers' offense looked hesitant and conservative, unwilling to throw the ball down the field--something that had become somewhat of a staple for the Indiana offense this season.
On the ground, Indiana combined for 63 yards rushing on 27 attempts, just 2.3 yards per carry. Through the air, Kurtis Rourke went 20-33 for 215 yards, two touchdowns and a costly red zone interception. The Hoosiers went 4-for-12 on third down against the Irish.
Indiana scored two touchdowns late, making the final score closer than what the game actually was.
THIS SEASON JUST THE BEGINNING FOR INDIANA
Indiana's magical and record-breaking season came to an end on Friday night at the hands of Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff.
The 2024 season was one filled with history for the Hoosiers, as they won double-digit games for the first time in program history and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff. Despite falling to the Irish in, and not looking great in the process, there's no denying that this season was nothing short of special for an Indiana program long stuck at the bottom of the Big Ten.
Nobody could have predicted Indiana's 11-1 season. Nobody, of course, except for Curt Cignetti.
In his first year with the program, Cignetti came in and completely overhauled the culture surrounding the program. He got fans in the stands and put a product on the field that Indiana supporters could be proud of.
Indiana may have fallen short on Friday night against Notre Dame, but the future is bright for this Hoosier team under the leadership of Cignetti.
FINAL STATS
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