Hoosiers Now

LIVE BLOG: Follow Indiana Football's Game At Northwestern in Week 6

Welcome to our live blog for Indiana's road game against Northwestern, 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 Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Ill.

Jack Ankony

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke (9) throws the ball against UCLA at the Rose Bowl.
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke (9) throws the ball against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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EVANSTON, Ill. – It's a beautiful day on the lakefront as Indiana takes on Northwestern at 2:30 p.m. CT at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.

Indiana enters the matchup with a 5-0 record, and it has a chance to become the first bowl-eligible team in the FBS and win its first game at Northwestern since 1993. Northwestern is 2-2 and had a bye week after its 24-5 loss at Washington two weeks ago.

Follow along with our live blog for updates, highlights and thoughts on the game.

Indiana 34-24, 4:23 Q4 – On 3rd and 5 from its on 31-yard line, Rourke's pass over the middle to Omar Cooper Jr. is batted away. Indiana stays on the field for 4th down, and Rourke evades the pass rush and finds Sarratt for a 27-yard gain.

Indiana 34-24, 5:51 Q4 – Northwestern converts 4th and 4 with 5:51 to play. They would have been trouble if they didn't convert, but the drive stays alive.

TOUCHDOWN INDIANA. Indiana 34-24, 6:23 Q4 – Touchdown Ty Son Lawton from one yard out, set up by his 15-yard rush on the previous play. Rourke had three completions of 10-plus yards on that drive.

TOUCHDOWN NORTHWESTERN. Indiana 27-24, 11:19 Q4 – Lausch completes a screen pass to Henning, who dodged a few Indiana defenders for a 2-yard touchdown.

Indiana 27-17, 11:23 Q4 – Lausch complete for 47 yards to Bryce Kirtz despite double coverage from Indiana. Northwestern has first and goal. D'Angelo Ponds called for pass interference, giving Northwestern a fresh set of downs.

FIELD GOAL INDIANA. Indiana 27-17 14:54 Q4 – Rourke tried to hit Cooper in one-on-one coverage in the end zone, but it fell incomplete without a penalty. Indiana settles for a 28-yard field goal from Radicic.

TOUCHDOWN NORTHWESTERN. Indiana 24-17 3:13 Q3 – Lausch hit Henning on an out-route, and Henning beat Josh Sanguinetti in coverage before turning up field and beating the rest of the Indiana defense.

Indiana 24-10, 6:44 Q3 – Rourke hit Ke'Shawn Williams for a 13-yard touchdown. It didn't look like a promising play at first, but Rourke casually lofted a perfect ball over the Northwestern defense before pressure came.

Indiana 17-10, 9:17 Q3 – The second play of Indiana's drive is a 22-yard rush from Ty Son Lawton. Hoosiers are threatening to score now, after a 23-yard completion to Sarratt brings them to the Northwestern 24-yard line.

Indiana 17-10, 11:51 Q3 – Mikail Kamara sacks Lausch on 3rd and 7, forcing a Northwestern punt on the first drive of the second half. Jailin Walker appears to be out for the rest of the game, as he came out of the locker room without his shoulder pads or helmet.

Indiana 17-10, Halftime. – Indiana starting linebacker Jailin Walker is jogging into the halftime locker room without his shoulder pads and helmet on, presumably injured. That could lead to more playing time for backups Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy, alongside starter Aiden Fisher.

FIELD GOAL INDIANA. Indiana 17-10, 0:03 Q2 – Nico Radicic's 37-yard field goal is good. Rourke had his pass tipped at the line of scrimmage on the previous play.

Indiana 14-10, 0:14 Q2 – Rourke, rolling left, found E.J. Williams Jr. for a 37-yard gain. That's Williams' first catch of the season. Impressive play from Rourke to keep the play alive when nothing was open initially. Indiana has a chance to score just before half now.

FIELD GOAL NORTHWESTERN. Indiana 14-10, 1:11 Q2 – Indiana forced Lausch to throw the ball out of bounds on 3rd and 4, so Northwestern settles for a 32-yard field goal.

Indiana 14-7, 4:09 Q2 – Joseph Himon II with a 35-yard run down the right sideline, making a few Indiana defenders miss. Northwestern got a sideline warning after the play.

Indiana 14-7, 4:28 Q2 – On 4th and 1, Rourke hits Miles Cross in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown. Impressive body control from Cross to get his foot down while catching the high pass.

7-7, 6:47 Q2 – Rourke finds Omar Cooper Jr. wide open over the middle for a 27-yard gain, and then he connects with Elijah Sarratt over the middle for 23 yards.

7-7, 8:48 Q2 – Touchdown run from Northwestern's Cam Porter from 8 yards out. Indiana sideline wanted a holding call.

Indiana 7-0, 11:26 Q2 – D'Angelo Ponds jumped offsides on 4th and 2, giving Northwestern a fresh set of downs. Indiana has had some trouble containing Jack Lausch's scrambling ability. He rushed for 21 yards on two attempts this drive.

TOUCHDOWN INDIANA, 7-0, 0:44 in Q1 – Justice Ellison ran up the middle for five yards into the end zone. That capped off a 10-play, 89-yard drive in 5:26.

0-0 1:50 Q1 – Indiana picks up back-to-back first downs on a pass to Ke'Shawn Williams and a burst up the middle from Justice Ellison for 17 yards.

0-0 3:50 Q1 – Rourke delivered a sharp pass to Price on a slant for a first down, and then Ty Son Lawton picks up another first down on a screen pass, aided by a nice block from Ke'Shawn Williams.

0-0: 610 Q1 – First big sign of the wind's impact on this game. Myles Price had to backpedal quickly and jump back to catch that last punt. Wind is blowing diagonal toward the north end zone at 16mph with 25 mph gusts.

0-0, 6:47 Q1 – Shawn Asbury II, Lanell Carr Jr. and CJ West teamed up to sack Jack Lausch on first down. After an incompletion on second down, Aiden Fisher came up with a third down tackle to force another Northwestern punt. Good possession for the Indiana defense.

0-0, 8:17 Q1 – Rourke is tackled for no gain on 3rd and 4. He tried to step up in the pocket and run for a first down after dropping back, but he couldn't escape the pass rush.

0-0, 9:51 Q1 – Nice pass breakup from D'Angelo Ponds on 3rd and 4 to force a Northwestern punt.

0-0, 12:29 Q1 – Indiana turns it over on downs on its first drive after a pass from Rourke to Cross on 4th and 2 comes up short.

0-0, 13:22 – Indiana has quickly reached the Northwestern 30-yard line with first-down passes from Kurtis Rourke to Ty Son Lawton and Elijah Sarratt.

2:40 p.m. – Indiana received the opening kickoff, a touchback, so the Hoosiers will begin today's game on their own 25-yard line.

2:24 p.m. – Jack Lausch gets his third start at QB today for Northwestern, which began the season with Mike Wright at QB. Northwestern also has leading rusher Cam Porter healthy today after he missed the Washington game.

1:40 p.m. – Indiana is taking the field for warmups now.

12:51 p.m. – The Big Ten has released Indiana's availability report for today's game. Indiana's defenisve line will be a bit shorthanded without backup defensive tackles Robby Harrison and Mario Landino. Quinn Warren will presumably handle kickoff duties with Derek McCormick and Alejandro Quintero out.

Indiana Football Availability Report
Indiana listed five players out for Saturday's game at Northwestern. / BigTen.org

12:30 p.m. – It's 70 degrees and sunny with a few clouds about two hours before kickoff. The main weather obstacle today will be the wind, which is blowing at 16 miles per hour with 25 mile an hour gusts.

Related stories on Indiana football

  • PREDICTION, THREE KEYS FOR NORTHWESTERN GAME: What does Indiana need to do to prevail at Northwestern? CLICK HERE.
  • MCCULLEY EXITS: Donaven McCulley has left the Indiana program. CLICK HERE.
  • LINES NOW STRENGTHS FOR INDIANA: Indiana’s offensive and defensive lines controlled the line of scrimmage in wins over UCLA and Maryland, which resolves a preseason uncertainty and raises the Hoosiers’ ceiling moving forward. CLICK HERE
  • CIGNETTI IDENTIFYING CHARACTER: Buy-in is what every coach wants and Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti has been able to get it in a very short period of time with the Hoosiers. CLICK HERE.
  • EVERYTHING CIGNETTI HAD TO SAY: Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti had his weekly press conference on Monday. Here's everything he said to the media. CLICK HERE.
  • INDIANA MAKES TOP 25: After a 5-0 start, Indiana made Sunday's AP Top 25 poll for the first time since the 2021 preseason. CLICK HERE
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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.

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