Hoosiers Now

LIVE GAME BLOG: Follow As No. 13 Indiana Takes On Washington

Indiana's football team tries to stay unbeaten as the Washington Huskies visit Memorial Stadium.

Todd Golden

The national anthem is played as the flag is raised before the start of the Indiana versus Washington football game at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024.
The national anthem is played as the flag is raised before the start of the Indiana versus Washington football game at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Welcome to the live blog for today's Indiana-Washington football game.

We're getting off to a belated start, but there's a good reason for that. Check out our ESPN College GameDay column as we went behind the scenes to experience the chaos.

On to the game.

Some stats: Justice Ellison 29 carries, 123 yards, 1 TD; Ty Son Lawton 12 carres, 41 yards.

Tayven Jackson 11-for-19 passing for 124 yards and 1 TD. No major receiving standouts. Omar Cooper Jr. made the most of his one catch for a 42-yard TD.

Aiden Fisher led Indiana with 9 tackles. D'Angelo Ponds had two interceptions including the first quarter pick-six. Shawn Asbury II and Jailin Walker both had 8 tackles.

Indiana was out-gained 318-312 in total yards, but Indiana had a 20-16 edge in first downs. Myles Price had a big day on punt returns with 80 yards on 3 returns.

FINAL - Indiana 31, Washington 17. Hoosiers do it again. Indiana is 8-0 and 5-0 in the Big Ten. Not Indiana's greatest performance of the season, but when the Hoosiers needed winning plays, they got them.

• Indiana 31-17, 354 4Q. If you're scoreboard watching, Nebraska just took the lead at Ohio State in the fourth quarter. That would be a shocker if it holds up. Here at Memorial Stadium, Indiana once again putting themselves on Justice Ellison's back and he's successfully killing the clock. Washington being forced to call timeouts now to give themselves a small chance.

• Indiana 31-17, 606 4Q. We're not done yet. Washington covers 65 yards in eight plays, though the Indiana defense does hold inside the 10. Huskies boot the short field goal to make it a two-touchdown deficit.

• Indiana 31-14, 821 4Q. Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher down with an injury. Didn't see what happened, but he walked off under his own power.

• Indiana 31-14, 855 4Q. Curt Cignetti has gone off tendency to positive effect for the Hoosiers. The running back-by-committee approach has been abandoned as Justice Ellison dominated the rock. He's had 14 carries in the second half for 72 yards. He's been the offensive MVP today for the Hoosiers.

Touchdown Indiana. Tayven Jackson fakes a handoff and runs right 2 yards to paydirt.


• Indiana 24-14, 1113 4Q. Washington strangely conservative on its series and goes three-and-out. Washington tested Indiana PR Myles Price and failed the test. Price goes 65 yards to the Washington 14-yard line. He's been threatening to break one all season and finally got a big one.

• Indiana 24-14, 1322 4Q. Washington holds Indiana to a three-and-out. Jackson was nearly intercepted on a third down pass. Huskies take over at their own 20.

End third quarter - Indiana 24, Washington 14. This hasn't been a masterpiece, but Indiana has made the plays to keep itself an arm's length away from the Huskies.

• Indiana 24-14, :36 3Q. Washington QB Will Rogers with some curious decisions for the Huskies. After Washington had crossed midfield, Rogers rolled right on a pass attempt. With nothing open, he had a lazy toss to the sideline, which would have been a Jailin Walker interception had he been able to get a foot down. Rogers was then sacked by Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino on second down. On third down, he probably sensed footsteps and escaped the pocket before he needed to. He rolled left and threw an incomplete pass. He was past the line of scrimmage when he threw it. Huskies eventually punt. Hoosiers pinned at their own 1-yard line.

• Indiana 24-14, 503 3Q. Appropriate that Ellison scored the touchdown. He ran for 40 yards on a 75-yard series. He had eight runs on the series, including a direct snap gain for a first down to keep the series alive on the play before the touchdown. Hoosiers get back to a two-score margin. Much-needed as the Huskies had momentum after they scored off the interception earlier in the quarter.

Touchdown Indiana. Justice Ellison reaches over the goal line for a 5-yard touchdown.

• Indiana 17-14, 544 3Q. Hoosiers on the move as they've reached the Washington 9. Indiana faces 3rd-and-3 to convert.

• Indiana 17-14, 1245 3Q. Washington converted a third down on its short field with a 10-yard Jonah Coleman run. Williams, the Huskies' run-option QB, fooled the Hoosiers on a fake and got an easy TD. Turnovers are now basically equalized as the Huskies take full advantage of their pick.


• Touchdown Washington. Quarterback DeMond Williams Jr. runs right untouched for an 8-yard touchdown.

• Indiana 17-7, 1451 3Q. Disaster to start the second half for the Hoosiers. On the first play of the half, a Tayven Jackson pass was tipped straight up. Washington lineman Jacob Bandes caught the fly ball and Washington has the ball at the Indiana 24-yard line.

Halftime: Indiana 17, Washington 7. Indiana settles for a 19-yard Nicolas Radicic field goal. The pick-six by Ponds looms large as Washington has done a good job against Indiana's offense. Huskies have a 189-156 edge in total yards. The goal line stand was a rare case where Indiana didn't capitalize on an advantageous situation this year.


• Indiana 14-7, :03 2Q. Hoosiers still haven't hit paydirt. Fourth down. Washington stuffed two straight runs by Lawton.

• Indiana 14-7, :33 2Q. Hoosiers are so close. Ball is on the 1-yard line. Justice Ellison couldn't punch it in. Timeout Indiana. Ty Son Lawton also fails to get in after the timeout.

• Indiana 14-7, 200 2Q. Hoosiers on the move. Ten plays so far in a drive that started at the Indiana 37. Miles Cross had a 16-yard catch, but the rest has been short, but steady gains. Indiana is at the Washington 21. It's 2nd-and-7 when play resumes.

• Indiana 14-7, 733 2Q. Washington gets past midfield, but Indiana forces a 4th-and-3 try from the Indiana 39. Washington QB Ty Rogers is forced to scramble out of pressure on a pass play. He gets two yards, but was then spectacularly upended by Aiden Fisher just shy of first down yardage.

• Indiana 14-7, 945 2Q. Indiana goes three-and-out. Jackson was off on a second down throw and a third down sideline route to Elijah Sarrattt - one very similar to what Kurtis Rourke is good at - the target couldn't be connected with. Washington takes over at its 31. Hoosiers have only gained three first downs.

• Indiana 14-7, 1034 2Q. Washington needed that. The big play was a 46-yard run by Jonah Coleman as he ran right, cut left, and burst into space. Washington marched 75 yards in just six plays. Washington has a 158-89 in total offense. The rare time this season the Hoosiers have been behind in yardage in a game.

Touchdown Washington. Giles Jackson scores via a 5-yard sweep to the right side.

• Indiana 14-0 1324 2Q. It happens that quickly with these Hoosiers. Cooper, running the right side, came in on his slant at the perfect time. Jackson hit the timing route pass expertly too. Cooper was not headed on his way to the end zone.

• Touchdown Indiana. Omar Cooper Jr. runs a deep slant and Tayven Jackson's pass was true on a 42-yard touchdown connection.

• Indiana 7-0, 1351 2Q. D'Angelo Ponds strikes again! An acrobatic interception as he blanketed Washington receiver. Denzel Boston. Tipped it to himself and hauled the ball in at the Washington 46 as he fell to the ground.

• Indiana 7-0, 1400 2Q. Washington's defense has been successful so far too. Jackson hasn't been able to find open receivers downfield and the Huskies have stopped Indiana's run game.

• End of the first quarter: Indiana 7, Washington 0. Defense has been outstanding. Offense has yet broken through.

• Indiana 7-0, :09 1Q. Washington drives into Indiana territory again, but the Hoosiers get tough when it matters. Pressure on Will Rogers blew up a 3rd-and-1 pass from the Indiana 30. Washington went for it, but Coleman tried to get the edge on the right side and he was greeted by Amare Ferrell and several other Hoosiers who stuffed him for a loss.

• Indiana 7-0, 230 1Q. Distance was revised on the Ponds pick-six. He'll be credited with a 67-yard return. Stoppage on the field as a spot is reviewed on what was spotted as a first down gain for Washington QB Demond Williams Jr.

• Indiana 7-0, 329 1Q. Rare failure for the Indiana offense. Hoosiers marched into Washington territory, but Tayven Jackson overthrew an open receiver on second down from the Washington 34. The Huskies stuffed both Justice Ellison and Jackson on subsequent line surges. Indiana gives the ball up on downs at its own 33.

• Indiana 7-0, 523 1Q. Indiana defense comes up big again. So far, so good as far as limiting Washington RB Jonah Coleman so far. He was held to three yards on two carries on a three-and-out series for the Huskies. Indiana takes over at its own 30.

• Indiana 7-0, 741 1Q. Just when it looked like Indiana might trail for the first time this season - Washington was steadily moving into scoring range - Ponds stepped in front of a slow-developing play. Ty Rogers' pass was easy pickings for the cornerback, who had lined up inside on the play.

• Touchdown Indiana. A pick-six! D'Angelo Ponds jumps a screen pass and sprints 65 yards untouched for an interception return.

• 0-0, 1155 1Q. Great start from the Indiana defense. Pressure is brought against Washington QB Will Rogers. He's sacked by Shawn Asbury II on the first play and is later brought down by Mikail Kamara.

Indiana also went three-and-out on its first drive, hampered by a false start penalty.

Indiana starters: Offense - QB Tayven Jackson; WR Omar Cooper Jr.; RB Justice Ellison; WR Elijah Sarratt; WR MIles Cross; TE Zach Horton; C Mike Katic; G Drew Evans; G Bray Lynch; T Carter Smith; T Trey Wedig.

Defense - DB Shawn Asbury II; LB Jailin Walker; LB Aiden Fisher; CB D'Angelo Ponds; DE Mikail Kamara; DT CJ West; CB Jamier Johnson; S Terry Jones; DB Amare Ferrell; LB Lanell Carr Jr.; DT James Carpenter.

Pregame: QB Kurtis Rourke and DL Ta'Derius Collins were the only players listed as out for the Hoosiers.

Related stories on Indiana football

  • LEE CORSO RETURNS TO INDIANA: Players from Indiana’s 1979 Holiday Bowl team didn’t think Lee Corso, their coach, would be in town for their 45-year reunion. But ESPN College GameDay is in Bloomington for Saturday’s Indiana-Washington game, a coincidence that was “meant to be.” CLICK HERE
  • HOW TO WATCH: Everything you need to know on how to watch Indiana's game against Washington on Saturday. CLICK HERE.
  • TIM CLIFFORD DIES AT 65: Indiana's 1979 quarterback, Tim Clifford, died on Wednesday due to heart complications. CLICK HERE.
  • JACKSON HAS TEAMMATES' CONFIDENCE: After an up and down 2023 season, teammates have seen quarterback Tayven Jackson improve under the new coaching staff as he prepares to start against Washington. CLICK HERE
  • PREDICTION, 3 KEYS: Hoosiers On SI makes its prognostications for Saturday's game against Washington. CLICK HERE.
  • MEET THE OPPONENT: Washington will be a challenge for Indiana on Saturday. CLICK HERE.
  • CIGNETTI, CORSO HAVE CROSSED PATHS: Indiana coach Curt Cignetti and former Indiana coach and ESPN analyst Lee Corso have have contact with one another over the years. CLICK HERE.
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Todd Golden
TODD GOLDEN

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