Northwestern throttles Indiana 24-14 for third straight win

 Indiana and Northwestern have the look of two Big Ten teams passing in midseason.

Quarterback Clayton Thorson threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday, and the resurgent Wildcats bolted to an early lead then coasted past the Hoosiers 24-14 for their third straight victory.

In a reversal of its 1-3 start to the season, Northwestern (4-3, 3-1) took a 24-3 lead and wasn't seriously threatened the rest of the way.

"Without a doubt, (the difference) is the way we've prepared," Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald said in a hoarse voice that confirmed his more vocal leadership of late. "We really had to change gears with the way we practiced and worked out, a spring-ball type mentality."

Meanwhile, Indiana (3-4, 1-3) dropped its third consecutive game after three victories in the first four starts.

"To get out of this deal, we've got to batten down the hatches, circle the wagons and get better," coach Kevin Wilson said. "Five games left. We need to notch some victories."

Thorson became the first Northwestern signal-caller since at least 2000 to throw three or more touchdown passes in three consecutive games. He completed 24 passes in 43 attempts and did not throw an interception.

Running back Justin Jackson led the Northwestern ground attack with 106 yards in 28 carries.

"Everything worked for us in the first half," said Thorson, who left the game briefly because of an unspecified upper-body injury midway through the final period. "We ran for a bunch of yards. We passed for a bunch of yards. We were really balanced."

The Wildcats took the opening kickoff and drove 70 yards for a touchdown, as the Hoosiers had no answer for their no-huddle offense. Thorson connected with Solomon Vault on a 17-yard pass to complete the 11-play drive.

After Indiana was unable to move the ball on its next possession, Northwestern needed only five plays to score again.

Thorson completed three straight passes for first downs, the last to Austin Carr for a 34-yard touchdown. It marked the sixth straight game in which Carr scored on a pass reception.

Griffin Oakes cut the deficit to 14-3 on a 21-yard field five minutes later, but the Wildcats responded immediately.

On the first play of the second period, Thorson hooked up with Macan Wilson on a 32-yard strike to climax a nine-play, 79-yard drive.

"We were a little flat-footed early . but they got a handle on it, got a good bead on it," said Wilson, whose team didn't allow a point in the second half. "That's a credit to not just the coaches but the kids. Because they settled down, and they needed to."

Nick Westbrook scored Indiana's lone touchdown on a 3-yard run late in the third period.

Forced to throw often in the second half, Hoosiers quarterback Richard Lagow completed 35 of 59 attempts for 319 yards. He was intercepted twice.

Westbrook paced the receivers with 10 receptions for 126 yards.

TAKEAWAY

Indiana: While the defense continues to hold its own, there has been little evidence of the high-powered attack that Wilson was expected to bring with him from Oklahoma five years ago. The offense scored just five touchdowns and 51 points in the last three games. "Same story -- can't run it and can't score points. So, poorly-coached," Wilson said.... Fitzgerald and White served as Northwestern assistants under since-deceased coach Randy Walker in the 2001 season. "Coach Walker was looking down on us today," Fitzgerald said.

Northwestern: After a slow start, Jackson has busted out in a big way with 465 yards rushing in the last three games. Jackson totaled 359 yards on 60 carries in victories at Iowa and Michigan the last two previous weeks. ... Carr caught seven balls for 125 yards. He was the Big Ten leader in and receptions (43), yards (595) and TDs (eight) at the start of the day. ... The six-pointer was the first for Wilson in his career.

UP NEXT

Indiana hosts Maryland at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Northwestern faces a stiff test against Ohio Stadium on Saturday, when they meet second-ranked Ohio State in Columbus.

No. 10 Nebraska hangs on for 27-22 victory at Indiana

Terrell Newby ran for one score andTommy Armstrong Jr. hooked up with Stanley Morgan Jr. on a 72-yard touchdown pass with 9:57 left to play, helping No. 10 Nebraska hold off Indiana 27-22 on Saturday.

The 10th-ranked Cornhuskers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) won their seventh straight game overall and their fifth in a row in this series, last played in 1978. It's also the first time since 2001 that Nebraska has won its first six.

But the improving Hoosiers (3-3, 1-2) sure didn't make it easy as it tried to beat its first top 10 team since 1987.

After unveiling new uniforms that incorporated Indiana's trademark candy stripes on their shoulders and a script Indiana on the pants, in hopes of changing course, it didn't quite work.

Nebraska opened the game by driving for a field goal then got Newby's 4-yard TD run and Chris Jones' 33-yard interception return for a score in a 14-second span to make it 17-0. The Hoosiers answered with the next 15 points, finally getting into the end zone on the final play of the third quarter, a 33-yard TD run from Devine Redding on a fake reverse.

Nebraska took advantage when Indiana's two safeties ran into one another, allowing Morgan to turn about a 20-yard gain into a 72-yard TD.

Five plays later, Redding scored on a 4-yard TD catch that made it 24-22 with 8:26 to go.

The Cornhuskers closed it out by using all but 45 seconds of the remaining time while surviving a near-fumble from Newby 2:06 left. The officials ruled Newby was down when the ball came out and it was not overturned by replay review and they got a 39-yard field goal.

THE TAKEAWAYS

Nebraska: The 'Huskers could start to lock up the Big Ten West over the next two weeks. Nebraska is the only unbeaten team left on that side of the conference standings, and No. 8 Wisconsin comes to town in two weeks. A win there - or a loss by the Badgers before then - would make Nebraska a clear favorite to book a trip to December's Big Ten championship game.

Indiana: The Hoosiers are in solid shape heading into an easier second half. They've already upset one ranked team, seriously challenged two more and their usually maligned defense has proven it can hold up. That bodes well for the Hoosiers, who need three wins to become bowl eligible for a second straight season for the first time in a quarter century.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: Now the Cornhuskers head back to Lincoln with something to prove against Purdue. A year ago, the Boilermakers stunned Nebraska. But after Iowa's 49-35 victory, the Boilermakers are reeling and Nebraska needs to keep its momentum rolling before facing No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 2 Ohio State after Purdue.

Indiana: After finishing a brutal stretch against three straight Top 20 foes, the Hoosiers visit a Northwestern team that has underperformed. For the Hoosiers, it's a chance to get back on the right track with two more winnable games after Northwestern.

No. 2 Ohio State struggles at times but downs Indiana 38-17

 J.T. Barrett ran for 137 yards and a touchdown and passed for another score Saturday and Ohio State beat Indiana 38-17.

Second-ranked Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) was forced to rely mostly on its ground game, which accounted for 290 yards, and some tough play by its defense - including a critical fourth-quarter stop on its own 4 yard line following a Barrett inception - to fend off the Hoosiers, who had upset Michigan State last weekend.

Ohio State's defense held when it had to, also forcing Indiana (3-2, 2-1) to turn the ball over on downs on the Hoosiers' own 33 with 5:22 left and the Buckeyes leading 31-17. Five plays later, Barrett hit Dontre Wilson with a 37-yard touchdown pass to put the game out of reach.

Safety Malik Hooker sealed the win by picking off Richard Lagow on Indiana's next series. The Buckeyes held Indiana to just one score in the second half.

Barrett was 9-of-23 for 93 yards. He carried the ball a career-high 26 times.

"JT had too many carries, so we have to fix it," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said.

Both teams struggled to establish any offensive tempo.

"It was just an awkward game," Meyer said.

Ohio State hybrid back Curtis Samuel rushed nine times for 82 yards and a touchdown, and tailback Mike Weber ran for 71 yards and two scores.

Lagow was 14-of-28 for 182 yards and two touchdowns, but Indiana managed just 99 yards rushing. Indiana had 281 total yards, compared with 383 for the Buckeyes.

"They have a great defense," Lagow said. "They're going to be tough for anybody the rest of the year, That's on us as well as them being good. We didn't hit a couple plays and they made a couple plays."

THE TAKEAWAY

Indiana: Buoyed by last week's upset of Michigan State, Indiana was effective at times but couldn't keep up with the more talented Buckeyes.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes' defense played tough and kept Ohio State in the game. But Ohio State showed its passing game can be stopped, though Barrett can find a way to win.

"I think that's the best quarterback in college football," Indiana coach Kevil Wilson said.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

A largely unimpressive win over an unranked Big Ten team isn't likely to garner Ohio State many more first-place votes.

UP NEXT

Indiana: The Hoosiers face another stiff test next week at home against undefeated No. 12 Nebraska. The Cornhuskers were off this week.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes may face their toughest challenge of the season next week when they play No. 11 Wisconsin on the road. The Badgers were off this week.

Indiana uses late rally to upset No. 17 Spartans 24-21 in OT

 Indiana quarterback Richard Lagow caught a touchdown pass, threw for two more and took advantage of a second chance in overtime to set upGriffin Oakes for a 20-yard field goal and an improbable 24-21 victory over No. 17 Michigan State on Saturday night.

The Hoosiers (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) trailed 14-0 late in the third quarter before Lagow's 5-yard TD catch on third-and-goal finally helped the Hoosiers turn the corner.

Indiana ended a seven-game losing streak in the series, reclaimed the Old Brass Spittoon for the first time since 2006, beat a ranked team at home for the first time in a decade and earned their first overtime win since 2010.

"At the end of the game, they call a guy for leaping. That was a good call," coach Kevin Wilson said. "That's how the officials are in this league."

It sure wasn't easy.

Michigan State kicker Michael Geiger missed 49-yard field goal to start overtime, and Oakes missed a 33-yard field goal on the ensuing possession when Michigan State's Drake Martinez was called for leaping to give Indiana a first down. This time, the Hoosiers finished it off, unlike last season when they lost to Michigan in overtime - after also giving up a tying score on fourth-and-goal in the waning seconds of regulation.

Michigan State (2-2, 0-2) has lost back-to-back games for the first time since November 2012 despite holding the usually high-scoring Hoosiers scoreless until the final minute of the third quarter.

The Spartans controlled the game most of the night until receiver Mitchell Paige threw a perfect pass across the field to Lagow for a 5-yard score in the final minute of the third quarter.

Lagow tied it with a 22-yard TD pass to Ricky Jones midway through the fourth quarter. Indiana took the lead with Lagow's 15-yard TD pass to Paige with 4:38 to play.

O'Connor answered with a 2-yard TD pass to Josiah Price with 11 seconds left but it wasn't enough.

"Great drive at the end of the game to tie it up, but not very good in overtime - that's for sure," coach Mark Dantonio said. "We were sacked twice, we jump over the pile. Very disappointed. Now we have to claw our way back into things."

THE TAKEAWAY

Michigan State: The Spartans knew they were facing a big challenge after Connor Cook & Co. graduated. But nobody in East Lansing could have expected a 0-2 start in conference play. Now the defending Big Ten champs no longer control their own destiny, either, falling two games behind No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Michigan and unbeaten Maryland in the East Division.

Indiana: The Hoosiers turnaround continues. After making the postseason for the first time since 2007 last year, they have two trophies - the Old Oaken Bucket and the Old Brass Spittoon - on campus for the first time since 2001.

UP NEXT

Michigan State: Next weekend, the Spartans get a brief respite from conference play when they host Brigham Young. But the Spartans can't afford to slip up now. With seven straight Big Ten games on the docket following after next week, they need to get some momentum.

Indiana: The Hoosiers head into Round 2 of a grueling three-round stretch with a huge victory. They'll visit No. 2 Ohio State next week, but the Hoosiers have posed some major challenges for the Buckeyes in recent years including a seven-point loss last season with a backup quarterback and a three-point loss in 2012. Indiana hasn't won in Columbus since 1987.

Wake Forest makes Hoosiers pay for miscues in 33-28 win

John Wolford ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, and Jessie Bates returned an interception for a third score Saturday to lead Wake Forest past Indiana 33-28.

The Demon Deacons are 4-0 (1-0 ACC) for the first time in 10 years and have already surpassed the three-win totals they had each of the previous two seasons. It was coach Dave Clawson's 100th career victory.

And it was impressive, too, as Wake Forest ended Indiana's eight-game winning streak against non-conference opponents.

After Indiana (2-1) took a 7-0 lead with a 75-yard TD pass from Richard Lagow to Nick Westbrook on the game's first play, Wake converted three interceptions and a blocked field goal into 24 points.

The first interception, off a tipped pass in the end zone, led to Wolford's 4-yard TD run that tied the score at 7. Bates returned his second pick of the game 55 yards to make it 14-7, and the Deacons finished the half with a 26-yard TD pass from Wolford to Chuck Wade to make it 21-7.

Wolford wound up 16 of 29 for 172 yards and ran 14 times for 61 yards.

Lagow's fourth interception led to a Wake field goal in the third quarter and a 24-7 lead.

THE TAKEAWAY

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons return to conference play full of momentum. They are two wins away from becoming bowl-eligible and will now embark on some meaningful games in October and November, something Clawson already had set as a goal before their latest victory.

Indiana: The Hoosiers first loss of the season came in unexpected fashion. Devine Redding's streak of five straight 100-yard games ended with a thud as he ran 16 times for 68 yards. And after throwing no interceptions in his first two FBS starts, Lagow was picked off five times. Yes, the Hoosiers played without their starting right tackle and starting right guard, but they clearly have to improve significantly this week.

UP NEXT

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons head to North Carolina State, which has won the last two games by a combined 77-30. Wake Forest looks like a much more competitive team this season.

Indiana: The Hoosiers open Big Ten play against angry Michigan State , which was upset at home by Wisconsin. Indiana has lost seven straight in the series, giving the Old Brass Spittoon - an almost permanent spot in East Lansing.

Lagow helps Hoosiers take easy route past Ball St. 30-20

Richard Lagow and Devine Redding kept the Indiana offense humming Saturday.

The Hoosiers defense took care of everything else.

On a day Lagow threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns and Redding extended his streak of consecutive 100-yard games to five, Indiana forced three turnovers, pitched its first first-half shutout in four years and survived a frantic fourth-quarter flurry for a 30-20 victory over Ball State.

"I thought they were pretty good till we wore down late and got the blocked punt," Indiana coach Kevin Wilson said about the defense. "We've got to play better, but we played good football today."

It's been a dramatic change for a defense that has struggled mightily for most of the last quarter-century.

But as Ball State (1-1) discovered, Indiana suddenly looks like it's found a solution.

The Hoosiers stuffed the Cardinals' ground game for three quarters and held quarterback Riley Neal to 15 of 30 for 231 yards with one touchdown and one interception. First-year coach Mike Neu, a former Ball State quarterback, was impressed with what he saw from Indiana, which already has forced six turnovers in eight quarters after producing only 22 takeaways in 13 games last season.

"We've got to make sure we emphasize ball security in practice because we can't have fumbles. We can't have interceptions," Neu said. "We have three turnovers and they have none, I don't care what team you face, that's a tough recipe to have success."

With the defense holding the Cardinals in check, Lagow & Co. made it look easy.

After converting an early fumble recovery into a field goal, Lagow found Nick Westbrook on a 43-yard TD pass to make it 10-0. Lagow put it away with a 10-yard TD pass to Luke Timian in the second quarter and a 79-yard TD pass to Westbrook on the second play of the third quarter.

Redding finished with 26 carries for 110 yards. Westbrook had three catches for 133 yards.

TAKEAWAYS

Ball State: The Cardinals have a long way to go to compete with college football's big boys. After rushing for 325 yards against Georgia State, Ball State managed just 371 yards in total offense and fumbled away its first scoring chance - at Indiana's 3-yard line.

Indiana: The Hoosiers have been impressive in their first two games, winning both in typical Big Ten fashion - putting away Florida International late in the Miami heat and never giving the Cardinals a chance Saturday.

UP NEXT

Ball State: The Cardinals host Eastern Kentucky, an FCS playoff contender, next weekend and will need their defense to play much stouter against a team that topped the 40-point mark five times last season.

Indiana: The Hoosiers get an extra week to fix the kinks before hosting Wake Forest. Indiana needs to build momentum with a daunting start to Big Ten play looming. They host No. 12 Michigan State on Oct. 1 and visit No. 4 Ohio State on Oct. 8.

INJURY REPORT:

Ball State: Safety Mitch Larsen, cornerback Marc Walton and linebacker Damon Singleton all left the game with injuries but Neu did not have a diagnosis for any of his players.

Indiana: Receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr. left with an injured left ankle on the Hoosiers' first offensive play, his first - and perhaps last - of the season. Wilson said he may need surgery and could miss the rest of the season. All-American right guard Dan Feeney left in the first half with a concussion and did not return.

THE STREAK: Ball State's three-game winning streak in the series ended Saturday. First-year Cardinals coach Mike Neu expected the Hoosiers to use it as motivation. Indiana's players got the message. "It was brought up," Lagow said.

LAST WORD: "You get one chance on Saturday to put your A game on the field. We didn't do that this week. Last week was awesome, we enjoyed it, it was a lot of fun. But every week's a new week, it's a new challenge," Neu said.

Indiana gets 3 late TDs, gets past FIU 34-13 in opener

A fourth-quarter deficit, on the road, in a season-opening game with a new quarterback wasn't exactly the scenario Indiana would have chosen for itself.

The Hoosiers made overcoming that challenge look easy.

Richard Lagow passed for one score and ran for another in the fourth quarter, and Indiana returned two interceptions for touchdowns in its season-opening 34-13 win over Florida International on Thursday night.

Indiana (1-0) trailed 13-12 going into the fourth, then outscored FIU 22-0 in the final 15 minutes.

"A pretty good team win," Indiana coach Kevin Wilson said. "This game had my attention a lot. First game on the road, you've got new defensive coaches, you're going to have some glitches ... and I saw a lot of things we can do better."

Most of those things were likely before the fourth quarter.

Lagow connected with Daniel Friend on a 21-yard touchdown pass to put Indiana on top for good early in the final quarter, capped the next Hoosiers drive with a 6-yard scoring run and Tegray Scales capped the night with a 16-yard interception return for another score.

Lagow said he wasn't worried, even when trailing going into the fourth.

"The whole team had played so well all night," Lagow said. "Defense had played their tails off. We had been real close, a lot. It was just a matter of keeping our foot on the pedal."

Devine Redding rushed for 135 yards and Rashard Fant returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown in the first half for Indiana (1-0). It was Indiana's first time with two interception-return touchdowns in the same game since 1966, school officials said.

Alex McGough completed 23 of 46 passes for 263 yards and three interceptions for FIU (0-1). Alex Gardner had a 1-yard rushing touchdown for the Panthers, who were outgained 486-331.

The game had a little of everything: a safety, a missed field goal, a bad snap on another field goal try, two defensive touchdowns and even an end-around for a 2-point conversion by the Hoosiers.

"We battled, we competed, we did some good things," FIU coach Ron Turner said. "But very, very disappointed in the outcome and very disappointing in the offensive execution and offensive performance. .... Way too many missed opportunities."

Friend's touchdown was his first in four years with the Hoosiers, two of those seasons getting cut short by injury.

Indiana played without six suspended players, including three who were probable starters - wide receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr., safety Chase Dutra and defensive tackle Ralph Green III.

THE TAKEAWAY

Indiana: Lagow completed 18 of 27 passes for 240 yards, and rarely seemed rattled. And there were some conditioning issues evident in the fourth on a hot, humid night in Miami - players cramping, players with hands on their hips - but Indiana did enough to escape. Tight end Jordan Fuchs had a "significant" injury, Wilson said, but there seemed to be some hope of it not being a season-ending situation.

FIU: It won't be an easy tape for the Panthers to watch. The defensive series that led to Indiana's go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter had some breakdowns as well, especially on the TD pass to a wide-open Friend. Taking a lead into the fourth and letting it slip away won't be easy for FIU to shake off.

UP NEXT

Indiana: Host Ball State, Sept. 10. This might not be the easiest home debut for the Hoosiers, either. Indiana has lost the last three games in that series, with two of those defeats coming in Bloomington.

FIU: Host Maryland, Sept. 9. Another Big Ten opponent comes in to face the Panthers. FIU is 0-4 all-time against the Terrapins, losing those games by a combined 127-61 score.