Indiana’s 20-game win streak nearly went up in smoke Friday night, with the Hoosiers barely surviving a real scare at home against Northwestern. It took recovering an onside kick in the final minute to seal the 29-23 victory, and honestly, even that recovery was messy. This game was nothing like what fans expect from the Curt Cignetti era, with Indiana racking up eight penalties, many of which kept Northwestern’s drives alive. Good thing the Wildcats were even sloppier, giving up nine penalties for 57 yards.
Beebe Jr. Stepped Up, But Turbo Richard’s Injury Is Devastating
The absolute biggest gut punch of the night came when Turbo Richard went down with an injury. Coach Cignetti didn’t spill the details, but it looked bad, and Richard was out for the rest of the game, never even making it back to the sideline. Losing him long-term would be brutal for an Indiana offense already without Khobie Martin for a few more weeks. Running the ball is everything in Mike Shanahan’s offense, and it sure looks like Sean Cuono and Jayreon Campbell haven’t won his trust yet.
Luckily, Lee Beebe Jr. played out of his mind. He was the reason Indiana survived tonight, ripping off a 39-yard run and a ridiculous 70-yard run on their last two touchdown drives. The man finished with 203 yards on 24 carries, hitting the hole hard but also bouncing outside when the line wasn’t getting the push. Indiana runs the ball so much, and Beebe is going to have a massive workload if he’s splitting carries with nobody. He was up to the task tonight, no doubt, but he needs help, and fast, before defenses just key on him every single play.
Josh Hoover’s Accuracy Is a Red Flag
Look, I’ve been giving Josh Hoover the benefit of the doubt on his accuracy. Indiana was 3-0, coasting along, but tonight? It looked like a real issue. He had some bad misses early on Nick Marsh targets, then on the same drive, totally botched two deep shots to Charlie Becker that should’ve been easy touchdowns. One was overthrown, one was underthrown. He settled in later, finishing 19 of 29 for 201 yards and a touchdown, but if he’d been sharp from the jump, this game would’ve been a blowout. If Indiana wants to stop playing these nail-biters, Hoover needs to find consistency.
Northwestern’s Aidan Chiles also gave Bryant Haines’ defense fits, even though Indiana’s defensive line looked fantastic. Chiles just couldn’t be tackled, extending plays and making something out of nothing. Facing a 3rd and 13 in the third quarter, he escaped pressure and broke off a 15-yard run, leading directly to the Wildcats’ first touchdown. He was sharp through the air too, going 22/29 for 293 yards and two scores. Not many guys can avoid sacks like Chiles did, so it’s not a huge cause for concern for the Hoosiers’ D-line, but it sure made things interesting. Indiana needs to clean up those penalties and get Hoover dialed in if they want to keep this streak alive and avoid heart attacks every Friday night.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply