Lee Beebe Jr. was an absolute beast on Friday night, rushing for a career-high 203 yards and a touchdown as Indiana barely held off Northwestern 29-23. This fifth-year back looked like a legitimate Heisman contender, single-handedly carrying the defending national champions and extending their insane win streak to 20 games. Without Beebe, who knows what would’ve happened.
The Fourth Quarter Takeover No One Saw Coming
Seriously, this dude took over when it mattered most. Beebe exploded for 144 of his 203 yards in the fourth quarter alone. He had this massive 70-yard burst that set up a critical score, and then punched it in himself with a four-yard touchdown run. It was pure clutch. Think about that: almost three-quarters of his career-best performance came in crunch time. Quarterback Josh Hoover was supported big time, completing 19 of 29 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown, securing his first Big Ten win as a TCU transfer. But let’s be real, Beebe was the engine keeping that streak alive.
From Injury Setback to Superstar Workhorse
This performance feels even bigger when you remember Beebe’s journey. His previous career rushing high was 161 yards way back in 2024 when he was tearing it up for UAB. He put up nearly 1,500 yards from scrimmage in just over two seasons with the Blazers before joining the Hoosiers last year. He started hot, but then a torn right ACL against Indiana State last September 12th took him out for the rest of the season. To come back from that, and then drop a 203-yard game when his team needed him most? That’s the stuff legends are made of. He was absolutely the workhorse late against Northwestern, carrying the ball 12 times in the fourth quarter alone. The game was clinched with a tackle-breaking four-yard run on a third-and-1 in the final minute. That’s a guy who wanted the ball and delivered when it mattered most.
This kind of performance shows you exactly what this team is made of, especially with that 20-game win streak on the line. With Beebe running like this, Indiana is a seriously dangerous team, and it’s going to be wild to see if they can keep this momentum rolling.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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