Indiana fans were waiting all game for the offense to heat up. Fortunately, little production was needed on that side of the ball for the Hoosiers.
For the third straight game, the No. 12 Indiana Hoosiers (5-1, 5-1 B1G) notched three interceptions on Saturday afternoon, en route to a 27-11 win over the Maryland Terrapins (2-2, 2-2 B1G).
Tiawan Mullen, Jaylin Williams, and Micah McFadden all came up with picks for defensive coordinator Kane Wommack to give the Hoosiers 16 interceptions on the season— the most in college football. To put it in perspective, Indiana had seven interceptions as a team in 2019.
Maryland finished with 63 yards in the second half against Indiana. McFadden, Jonathan King, and Jerome Johnson all finished with a sack of Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa.
The quarterback play wasn’t up to par for either team. Tagovailoa completed 17-of-36 passes for 241 passing yards and one touchdown, with those three interceptions.
As for Indiana, Michael Penix Jr. looked off from the start. The lefty quarterback completed just two passes on 15 attempts in the first half— one of which was caught at the line of scrimmage by Peyton Hendershot after the pass was deflected by a Maryland defensive lineman.
Penix Jr. finished completing 6-of-19 passes for just 84 passing yards. Following a 21-yard run by Penix in the third quarter, the quarterback fell down hard after appearing to injure his ankle when trying to slow down as he was stepping out of bounds. He was unable to return to the game.
"Don’t really know right now. Do some more tests, figure it out. It’s a lower-leg injury," Indiana head football coach Tom Allen said after the game.
Sophomore transfer Jack Tuttle came into the game to replace Penix Jr. at quarterback, connecting with Hendershot on a two-point conversion to make it a 17-3 Indiana lead in the third quarter. Tuttle finished the afternoon completing all five of his passes for 31 passing yards.
The run game was the highlight for Indiana on the day. Maryland entered the game allowing 227 rushing yards to opposing offenses this season, worst in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers finished with 234 yards on the ground.
Tim Baldwin Jr. led Indiana in rushing yards, in his first real chance to shine for the Hoosiers this season. The freshman back finished with 106 rushing yards on 16 carries. Stevie Scott III came through in the red zone for Indiana, carrying the ball 24 times for 80 rushing yards and three touchdowns— a season high for the junior this season.
Maryland wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr. had the best game of any wideout on the field. The junior reeled in six catches for 114 receiving yards, and scored a late touchdown on a 43-yard grab with 1:32 remaining in the fourth quarter.
With the win, Indiana now commands their second place position in the Big Ten East division, behind Ohio State. The Buckeyes canceled their contest with Illinois on Friday night after a rising number of positive COVID-19 cases within the program. No decision has been made yet for their Dec. 5 game against Michigan State. Another cancellation would cause Ohio State to not be eligible for the Big Ten Championship game, barring any rule changes.
Up next, Indiana heads to Madison, WI to play the Wisconsin Badgers on Dec. 5. Kickoff is set for 3:30 PM ET at Camp Randall Stadium.
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