2024 Indiana Football Season in Review: Records, Stat Leaders, Awards

Here’s a list of program records, All-American awards, All-Big Ten honors, coaching awards, and statistical leaders following the best season in Indiana football history.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti celebrates after beating UCLA at the Rose Bowl. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The word historic is thrown around too often in sports, but it’s the best way to describe the 2024 Indiana football season.

Along with setting a program record for wins, coach Curt Cignetti is on his way to sweeping the national coach of the year awards, and several Hoosiers have etched their names on Indiana’s statistical leaderboards. 

After the season ended Friday in the first round of the College Football Playoff with a 27-17 loss at Notre Dame, Cignetti shared his thoughts on how this team should be remembered.

“You are what your record says you are, so 11-2,” Cignetti said. “Tied for second in the Big Ten. Made the College Football Playoff. And packed the stadium. Made a lot of people proud, and had a historic season. So set the foundation for hopefully what's to come.”

To reflect on the one-of-a-kind season, here’s a list of records, awards and statistical leaders from the 202 Indiana football season. 

Overall record

• 11-2. Most wins in program history, surpassing nine-win seasons in 1967 and 1945.

Big Ten record

• 8-1. Most conference wins in program history, surpassing six-win seasons in 2020, 1987 and 1967.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti and the offensive line against Nebraska at Memorial Stadium. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Schedule

• W, 31-7 vs. Florida International
• W, 77-3 vs. Western Illinois
• W, 42-13 at UCLA
• W, 52-14 vs. Charlotte
• W, 42-28 vs. Maryland
• W, 41-24 at Northwestern
• W, 56-7 vs. Nebraska
• W, 31-17 vs. Washington
• W, 47-10 at Michigan State
• W, 20-15 vs. Michigan
• L, 38-15 at Ohio State
• W, 66-0 vs. Purdue
• L, 27-17 at Notre Dame

Program records and rankings

• Season wins: 11
• Wins by a first-year coach: 11
• First College Football Playoff appearance
• Season passing yards: Kurtis Rourke 3,042, fifth
• Season completion percentage: Kurtis Rourke 69.4%, first
• Single-game completion percentage: Kurtis Rourke 88.2%, t-2nd
• Season passing touchdowns: Kurtis Rourke 29, first
• Season receiving yards: Elijah Sarratt 957, 10th
• Season receiving touchdowns: Elijah Sarratt eight, 10th
• Season rushing touchdowns: Ty Son Lawton 12, t-9th
• Season total offense: Kurtis Rourke: 3,007, eighth
• Season scoring: Nicolas Radicic 99 points, sixth
• Season extra points made: Nicolas Radicic 69, first
• Season sacks: Mikail Kamara 10, t-5th
• Team touchdowns: 72, first
• Total points: 537, first
• Single-game yards: 701 vs. Western Illinois, first
• Single-game points: 77 vs. Western Illinois, first
• Single-game fewest rushing yards allowed: minus-36 vs. Michigan State, first

Team stats

• Average scoring margin: 25.7, first
• Overall efficiency: 8
• Strength of record: 10
• ESPN FPI: 10
• Strength of schedule: 32
• Game control: 6
• Average in-game win probability: 6

Team offense per game, national ranking

• Scoring: 41.3, second
• Total offense: 426.4, 35th
• Passing yards: 261.3, 32nd
• Rushing yards: 165.1, 63rd 
• Efficiency: 85.1, third
• Third down conversion: 47.2%, 14th

Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke hands the ball to running back Ty Son Lawton at Notre Dame Stadium. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Team defense per game, national ranking

• Scoring: 15.6, fifth
• Total defense: 256.3, second
• Passing yards: 176.1, 10th
• Rushing yards: 80.2, first
• Efficiency: 72.1, 21st

Cignetti’s awards

• Sporting News coach of the year
• George Munger coach of the year semifinalist (not announced yet)
• Eddie Robinson coach of the year
• Associated Press coach of the year
• Walter Camp coach of the year
• AFCA coach of the year
• Home Depot coach of the year
• Big Ten coach of the year (coaches and media vote)

All-Americans

• LB Aiden Fisher: first team, FWAA; second team, Sporting News.
• CB D’Angelo Ponds: second team, FWAA.
• DL Mikail Kamara: third team, Associated Press.

All-Big Ten players

• First team: DL Mikail Kamara, LB Aiden Fisher, CB D’Angelo Ponds.
• Second team: QB Kurtis Rourke
• Third team: WR Elijah Sarratt, C Mike Katic
• Honorable mention: RB Justice Ellison, TE Zach Horton, C Mike Katic, LT Carter Smith, DL CJ West, LB Jailin Walker, DL James Carpenter, LS Mark Langston, WR/PR Myles Price, DE Lanell Carr Jr., S Shawn Asbury II, K Nicolas Radicic.

Indiana defensive lineman Mikail Kamara sacks Michigan State quarterback Tommy Schuster. / Nick King / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

QB Kurtis Rourke’s numbers, national ranking

• Passing yards: 3,042, 21st
• Completion percentage: 69.4%, eighth
• Completions: 222, 44th
• Attempts: 320, 61st
• Touchdowns: 29, fifth
• Interceptions: five, seventh-fewest among qualified quarterbacks
• PFF offense grade: 88.5, 13th
• PFF passing grade: 90.2, fourth
• Quarterback rating: 84.7, fifth
• Passer rating: 176.0, second

Leading rushers, national ranking

• Justice Ellison: 848 yards, 65th; 10 touchdowns, 50th 
• Ty Son Lawton: 668 yards, 116th; 12 touchdowns, 33rd

Leading receivers

• Elijah Sarratt: 957 yards, 28th; eight touchdowns, 32nd; 53 receptions, 9th.
• Omar Cooper Jr: 594 yards, seven touchdowns, 28 receptions
• Myles Price: 466 yards, three touchdowns, 38 receptions
• Ke’Shawn Williams: 448 yards, five touchdowns, 39 receptions
• Miles Cross: 324 yards, four touchdowns, 27 receptions
• Zach Horton: 189 yards, four touchdowns, 21 receptions

Leading tacklers

• Aiden Fisher: 118
• Jailin Walker: 92
• Shawn Asbury II: 69
• D’Angelo Ponds: 55
• Amare Ferrell: 49
• Mikail Kamara: 47
• Isaiah Jones: 42
• CJ West: 40
• Terry Jones Jr.: 39
• Lanell Carr Jr.: 38
• James Carpenter: 37
• Jamier Johnson: 35

Sack leaders

• Mikail Kamara: 10
• James Carpenter: 6
• Tyrique Tucker: 2.5
• CJ West: 2
• Jailin Walker: 2
• Aiden Fisher, Shawn Asbury II, Lanell Carr Jr., Amare Ferrell: 1.5
• Andrew Turvy, Rolijah Hardy, DJ Warnell Jr., Marcus Burris Jr., Terry Jones Jr., Jacob Mangum-Farrar: 1

Indiana's James Carpenter (99) and Lanell Carr Jr. (41) celebrate after sacking Maryland's Billy Edwards Jr. (9) at Memorial Stadium. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tackles for loss leaders

• Mikail Kamara: 15
• James Carpenter: 10.5
• Jailin Walker: 10
• CJ West: 7.5
• Aiden Fisher, Rolijah Hardy: 5.5
• Terry Jones Jr.: 5
• Shawn Asbury II, D’Angelo Ponds, Tyrique Tucker: 4.5
• Amare Ferrell, Lanell Carr Jr.: 4
• Isaiah Jones: 3.5
• Marcus Burris Jr., Mario Landino, Jacob Mangum-Farrar: 2
• Andrew Turvy: 1.5
• DJ. Warnell Jr.: 1
• Jamari Sharpe: 0.5

Nicolas Radicic’s kicking statistics

• Field goals: 10 for 11
• Longest field goal: 41 yards
• Missed field goal: 46 yards
• Extra points: 69 for 69

Best Pro Football Focus grades among starters

• Offense: QB Kurtis Rourke 88.5, RT Trey Wedig 83.5, RB Justice Ellison 81.9
• Passing: QB Kurtis Rourke 90.2, QB Tayven Jackson 75.1
• Pass blocking: LG Drew Evans 81.7, LT Carter Smith 79.4, C Mike Katic 75.7
• Run blocking: RT Trey Wedig 85.1, LT Carter Smith 75.7, C Mike Katic 71.8
• Run: RB Justice Ellison 84.5, RB Kaelon Black 84.3, RB Elijah Green 79.5

Related stories on Indiana football

• HEMBY TO IU: Maryland running back Roman Hemby is transferring to Indiana. CLICK HERE

• FISHER RETURNING: Aiden Fisher will stick with the coach who brought him to Indiana – Curt CignettI. CLICK HERE

• INDIANA DESERVED CFP BID: Some contend Indiana’s poor performance indicates it shouldn’t have been in the College Football Playoff. But the Hoosiers earned their spot, because games should matter more than hypotheticals. CLICK HERE