Hoosiers Now

LIVE BLOG: Follow As Indiana football hosts Maryland as Big Ten action resumes

Welcome to our live blog for Indiana's Big Ten home opener against Maryland, where we'll keep you updated with all the news and views in real time, with opinion and highlights thrown in as well, live from Memorial Stadium.

Todd Golden

Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti and Maryland Head Coach Michael Locksley talk before the Indiana versus Maryland football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti and Maryland Head Coach Michael Locksley talk before the Indiana versus Maryland football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Welcome to rainy Memorial Stadium. We're about 60 minutes from kickoff as the Hoosiers host Maryland in their first Big Ten Conference home game of the season.

Indiana 21-14, 731 3Q. Great answer from the Hoosiers. Kurtis Rourke found Myles Price for a 31-yard gain on the sideline as Price deftly tip-toed for some extra yards.

On the touchdown run, Bray Lynch cleared out an interstate-sized hole for Ellison. Impressive block.

Touchdown Indiana. Justice Ellison breaks free up the middle and rushes for a 19-yard touchdown run.

14-14, 952 3Q. The controversial play was a 27-yard catch by Shaleak Knotts on the sideline. It was a helluva grab, a full extension dazzler, but was his body partly out of bounds? It was ruled a catch on the field and the video evidence was inconclusive enough to prevent a reversal of the call on the field. If it had been called incomplete on the field, my guess is that it review would have also ruled it incomplete.

Indiana was also hurt by an offsides penalty by James Carpenter. Solid series by the Terrapins to start the second half.

Touchdown Maryland. On a desperation throw by Billy Edwards Jr. to no one in particularly in the end zone, the ball pinballs around and finds the hands of TE Dylan Wade for a 7-yard TD catch.

Some halftime stats: Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke has completed 13 of 19 passes for 192 yards, 1 TD and 2 interceptions. WR Omar Cooper Jr. has 3 catches for 73 yards and a TD. WR Elijah Sarratt has 3 catches for 40 yards. RB Ty Son Lawton has rushed for 32 yards.

Indiana has four sacks. CJ West, Mikail Kamara and James Carpenter were credited with a full sack. Jailin Walker and Aiden Fisher shared another.

Maryland QB Billy Edwards Jr. has completed 10 of 12 passes for 93 yards, but he's been under constant pressure. Roman Hemby has rushed for 37 yards. WR Kaden Prather has 4 catches for 50 yards and a TD. Indiana has shut down WR Tai Felton. Averaging 10 catches per game entering the contest, he has 2 catches for 7 yards.

Halftime - Indiana 14, Maryland 7. The Hoosiers' defense has been outstanding. Maryland has had six plays for negative yardage and the Terps have punted on five of their seven series. Indiana offense played its worst half of the season, with three turnovers, but has been bailed out by the defense.

Indiana 14-7, :38 2Q. Give the Hoosiers an inch and they'll take a mile. Maryland's time management was poor on their two-minute series and it gave the Hoosiers a chance. Indiana only needed three plays and 32 seconds to go 63 yards.

Omar Cooper Jr. made two 27-yard catches in a row, both on sideline routes on the right side. His TD catch was high caliber. Harley's coverage was not bad, but Cooper just beat him to the ball.

Touchdown Indiana. Omar Cooper Jr. with an impressive 27-yard catch over the top of Maryland CB Chantz Harley.

7-7, 118 2Q. Indiana's defense deserves a standing ovation. Terps go three-and-out again, fueled in part by a Mikail Kamara sack. Not only that, but Maryland took little time off the clock. Hoosiers get another chance before halftime with 1:10 left as they start at their own 37.

7-7, 136 2Q. A good start to Indiana's series - a 22-yard catch by Elijah Sarratt - petered out for the Hoosiers. Kurtis Rourke was sacked for an 11-yard loss on third down. A good James Evans punt pins Maryland at the Indiana 33.

7-7, 249 2Q. Indiana's defense continues to bail out the Hoosiers' offense. Maryland goes three-and-out. McFerson's punt was downed at the Indiana 1, so the Hoosiers have to drive the whole field to get a touchdown before halftime.

7-7, 500 2Q. Indiana, which didn't have a turnover at all going into today's game, just give it away for the third time in the first half. Kaelon Black, while trying to finish off a run, had the ball come loose. Maryland's Lavain Scruggs recovers at the Indiana 41.

7-7, 606 2Q. Indiana defense looking nasty again. Maryland sent backwards on a second down sack by Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker. Terps go three-and-out and the Hoosiers take over at their own 25. Maryland has averaged 5 yards per play. Indiana is at a 4.8 yard clip.

7-7, 800 2Q. A rare blah series for the Hoosiers. Maryland is putting a lot more pressure on Kurtis Rourke. Even when he is getting passes off, he doesn't have the same room in the pocket to do his work. Maryland has been much better than any other Indiana foe in stopping the run too. Indiana is currently averaging 2.5 yards per carry. A rare James Evans sighting as his punt is downed at the Maryland 29-yard line.

7-7, 916 2Q. For the first time this season, we have ourselves a game. Maryland tried to shoot itself in the foot, but that pass interference penalty (Johnson was caught dead to rights) really stung. That allows the Terps to catch their breath and get settled down. Billy Edwards Jr. was a lot more effective on the scoring series as Indiana's pressure wasn't as ferocious as it was on the first two series.

Touchdown Maryland. Kaden Prather beat D'Angelo Ponds deep on a streak route up the left sideline for a 33-yard TD catch.

Indiana 7-0, 1040 2Q. Maryland was making progress, using its run game to get to the Indiana 28, but then a blizzard of penalties - an unsportsmanlike conduct, an illegal snap, and offensive facemask forced the Terps into 1st-and-30 from Indiana territory.

Alas, a pass interference penalty on Jamier Johnson somewhat bailed the Terrapins out.

Indiana 7-0, 1455 2Q. The catch by TE Zach Horton was the highlight of this 83-yard series. Indiana hasn't been perfectly offensively, but the Hoosiers' defense has been so good that one series gives Indiana the early advantage.

Touchdown Indiana. On what is officially called a rushing play, Kurtis Rourke swings a backwards pass to Myles Price in the left flat. Price gets to the end zone easily.

End first quarter - Indiana 0, Maryland 0. Hoosiers are on the verge of scoring. An excellent diving catch by TE Zach Horton at the goal line has the Hoosiers a yard away from paydirt. Kurtis Rourke has completed passes of 22, 19 and 18 yards on what would be an 83-yard drive.

0-0, 520 1Q. Indiana defense has been outstanding so far. Maryland QB Billy Edwards Jr. has had no time to throw. The Hoosiers sacked him again as James Carpenter got to him on second down. Terrpains have minus-2 yards in two series. A good punt by Maryland P Bryce McFerson pins Indiana at its own 19.

Students largely heeded the call by Curt Cignetti to show up. Apart from some gaps above the Marching Hundred in the north end zone, it's pretty full in the other student sections.

0-0, 723 1Q. Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been more vulnerable in the first quarter today than he has been in the previous four games. He's intercepted again, this time by Glendon Miller on a slant route over the middle intended for Ke'Shawn Williams. Rourke forced that one and paid the price. Terrapins have been a cut above anyone Indiana has yet faced. Terps take over at their own 36.

0-0, 856 1Q. Brief stoppage as Maryland's Donte Trader Jr. was injured. Hoosiers approaching midfield.

0-0, 1018 1Q. Indiana defense gives the offense a lift after the turnover. Maryland is forced into a three-and-out. Good pressure on Maryland QB Billy Edwards Jr. He was hurried on one pass and sacked by CJ West on third down. Hoosiers take over at their own 34.

Also, updates might be a bit slow in coming. There's a glitch with our publishing system that is delaying the usual manner in which we update. (Wireless is a tad spotty too.) Just a FYI.

0-0, 1145 1Q. Indiana is turnover-over free no more. Kurtis Rourke tried to throw deep down the middle, but his pass floated badly off the mark. Maryland S Jalen Huskey had an easy interception. He was credited with a 38-yard interception return as the Terrapins start their first series at their own 41.

Indiana starters - Offense: QB Kurtis Rourke, RB Ty Son Lawton, WR Elijah Sarratt, WR Myles Price, WR Miles Cross, TE Zach Horton; LT Carter Smith; LG Drew Evans; C Mike Katic; LG Bray Lynch; LT Trey Wedig.

Defense: DE Mikail Kamara, DE Lanell Carr Jr., DT CJ West, DT James Carpenter, LB Aiden Fisher, LB Jailin Walker, S Josh Sanguinetti, S Shawn Asbury II, S Amare Ferrell, CB D'Angelo Ponds, CB Jamier Johnson.

Pregame - Indiana injuries today submitted to the Big Ten for the availability report, all players listed as out: K Derek McCormick, K Alejandro Quintero and DB Te'Derius Collins are all out. That means TE James Bomba could return which is good news for Indiana's depth.

Maryland lists LB Neero Avery, DB Mykel Morman, K Gavin Marshall and WR Jahmari Powell-Wonson as out.

• As expected, a big chunk of the crowd showed up right at kickoff. Nowhere near a sellout though.

• Indiana is now 1-4 in the coin toss. Maryland wins the toss and defers to the second half.

• Pre-game pyrotechnics after-effect is still hanging over the crowd. Big plume of spoke that would normally float away just kind of sat inside the bowl. Wind, now blowing from the north, is slowly making it go away.

• Indiana is trying to be 5-0 for the first time since 1967. Hard to believe that the Hoosiers haven't done it since then, but then again, some of the better Indiana teams in the period since then played tougher schedules than these Hoosiers have.

The strength of schedule question that looms over the Hoosiers won't really go away until they play Nebraska ... at the earliest. It will likely loom into November before Indiana plays Michigan and Ohio State.

• The rain is steady, but nowhere near as bad as it could have been. A level about misty is how I'd describe it. Winds are mild, but not insignificant. Not a great day to throw the ball, but not a complete washout either. I've witnessed games in this stadium that were worse.

• My Memorial Stadium rain day memory is from 1999. Northwestern was the opposition and it was played in a downpour. At the time, Memorial Stadium's then-grass field was relatively new and it took a beating. That's also the game that Adewale Ogunleye got hurt in. After a difficult recovery process, Ogunleye was able to have a long career in the NFL. I remember talking to him about that when I covered him as a member of the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XXXXI.

• What will the crowd be like today? I think it will be late-arriving ... why sit out in the rain if you don't have to? The grass lots are open - there was some fear they might have to be closed - so that helps with the logistics. I think the way I look at it is that it will be a good turnout for a rainy day, but it won't be a sellout and it probably won't be to Curt Cignetti's satisfaction.

It's a probable column topic, but Cignetti is being confronted by the fact that the state of Indiana does not live and die with college football. It's going to take some time, and some proven success, to get the level of support he's seeking. It will not happen overnight and it definitely won't happen with inclement weather.

• Don't want to stray too far off-topic, but one thing that will influence turnout today just a bit is the fact that so many high school football games were postponed on Friday night across the state, especially the southern half of the state. Many of them are being played concurrent with the Indiana game. (And Purdue's game too.)

Why? It rained, it was windy for a bit, but it was not hazardous conditions. When I covered high school football, I covered games in worse conditions. It just seems that these kind of decisions are made ahead of time and well-intended ideas of safety-first can lead to being too cautious.

• Fashion report: Indiana never deviates from its red jersey, white pants, red helmet combo. Maryland, which has a lot of potential uniform combinations, went with a traditional look. Red helmet, white jersey, red pants. Boomer Esiason and Frank Reich approve.

• If you missed it late last night, Rutgers held off Washington 21-18 to remain unbeaten. Are you ready for the Indiana-Rutgers Big Ten championship game?

Other games in the Big Ten today include: Minnesota is at Michigan in the Little Brown Jug game. Nebraska is at Purdue in the noon windown. Wisconsin plays at Southern California in the 3:30 p.m. timeslot. Ohio State at Michigan State and Illinois at Penn State are in the 7:30 p.m. window. And we got our first true taste of Big Ten After Dark as UCLA hosts Oregon at 11 p.m.

Related stories on Indiana football

  • PREDICTIONS AND THREE KEYS FOR MARYLAND GAME: Check and see how Hoosiers On SI thinks Saturday's game against Maryland will go. CLICK HERE.
  • MEET THE TERRAPINS: A deep dive into what Maryland brings to the table for its game at Indiana on Saturday. CLICK HERE.
  • CIGNETTI FAMILIAR WITH MARYLAND QB: Curt Cignetti tried to recruit Billy Edwards Jr. when he was head coach at James Madison. Now Cignetti has to find a way to stop the Big Ten’s leading passer. CLICK HERE
  • FERRELL GAINING PROMINENCE: Amare Ferrell has grown into his new starting role as a rover with the Hoosiers. CLICK HERE.
  • INDIANA CLOSES IN ON TOP 25: Indiana isn't there yet, but the Hoosiers are within close range of the Top 25. CLICK HERE.
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Todd Golden
TODD GOLDEN

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