EAST LANSING, Mich. — Indiana defeated Michigan State by a final score of 47-10 at Spartan Stadium on Saturday.
Below are three quick reasons why Indiana won the game, along with highlights and final stats.
Indiana (9-0, 6-0) will host Michigan next Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
Stay tuned for more coverage of the game from The Daily Hoosier.
1. The defense dominates. After allowing 10 points and 123 yards on Michigan State’s first two drives, the IU defense took over. The Hoosiers only allowed 82 yards the rest of the game. The Spartans had -24 net rushing yards for the entire game. Indiana had 15 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two interceptions, and the special teams chipped in with a blocked punt that resulted in a safety. Aiden Fisher had nine tackles and a pass break-up that led to an interception. Mikail Kamara had 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Amare Ferrell had both interceptions.
2. Rourke settles in. Coming back from thumb surgery after missing just one game, Kurtis Rourke didn’t look sharp on his first ten throws. But the veteran signal caller settled in and found his Heisman-caliber groove by the second quarter. Rourke completed 19-of-29 passes for 263 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. He completed throws to eight different receivers. The offensive line provided good protection once again, as Rourke was not sacked.
3. Dealing with adversity. Indiana gave up first quarter points for the first time this season, and they fell behind for the first time in 2024 as well. It was 10-0 MSU at the end of the first quarter, but IU seemed unfazed. They scored the next 47 points, as the defense produced two takeaways, special teams got the safety, and the offense capitalized on everything. The result was IU’s largest margin of victory ever over the Spartans, and the best start to a season in program history.
HIGHLIGHTS
FINAL STATS
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
- Find us on Facebook and Instagram
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
