Indiana football avoided a scare against Northwestern, as Lee Beebe Jr. helped the Hoosiers stay unbeaten in Big Ten play.
No. 5 Indiana expected an easier night in its Big Ten opener Friday. Instead, the Hoosiers had to fight until the final minutes to beat Northwestern 29-23 in an intense fourth-quarter battle at Memorial Stadium.
Indiana entered the game unbeaten after its nonconference schedule, but Northwestern’s defense made things difficult from the start. The Wildcats pressured transfer quarterback Josh Hoover and kept the Hoosiers from finding much rhythm on offense.
Indiana also lost running back Turbo Richard to an injury in the first half. That put more pressure on Lee Beebe Jr., and he answered with the best game of his career.
Beebe ran 24 times for 203 yards and a touchdown. He broke off runs of 70 and more than 60 yards, giving Indiana big plays when Northwestern was starting to take control.
The Wildcats never let the game get away from them. Quarterback Aidan Chiles threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns to Griffin Wilde and added a rushing score. Northwestern pulled within two points in the second half and kept the pressure on Indiana.
The Hoosiers’ defense eventually made the plays needed to protect the lead. Indiana held Northwestern to 32 rushing yards and forced two fumbles while recording four sacks.
Hoover also made several key plays late. He threw a touchdown pass to Nick Marsh and converted a third-and-11 with his legs to keep an important drive alive. Nico Radicic added two field goals as Indiana held on.
The win keeps Indiana unbeaten and moves the Hoosiers into the next part of their Big Ten schedule. They will have plenty to clean up after allowing Northwestern to stay within one score for most of the second half, but the Hoosiers avoided what would have been a costly upset.
No. 5 Indiana expected an easier night in its Big Ten opener Friday. Instead, the Hoosiers had to fight until the final minutes to beat Northwestern 29-23 in an intense fourth-quarter battle at Memorial Stadium. Indiana entered the game unbeaten after its nonconference schedule, but Northwestern’s defense made things difficult from the start.