EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Kurtis Rourke threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns to help No. 23 Indiana stay unbeaten with a 41-24 victory over Northwestern on Saturday.
The Hoosiers (6-0) also had 158 yards on the ground with Justice Ellison (68 yards) and Ty Son Lawton (52 yards) each having a rushing TD. Elijah Sarratt had 135 yards on seven catches. The Hoosiers matched their best start to the season with the six wins, equaling the 1967 squad.
Jack Lausch had a bounce-back performance for Northwestern, throwing for 243 yards and two scores. Bryce Kirtz and A.J.
Henning were his favorite targets, combining for 195 yards on 16 catches. Following a slow start, both teams combined for five consecutive scoring drives to end the first half. Indiana took a 17-10 lead into the break, led by Rourke’s 196 yards.
Miles Cross made a toe-tapping catch in the back of the end zone to break a 7-7 tie and put the Hoosiers in front for good. Henning caught two touchdowns in the second half, including a two-yard screen pass that cut the deficit to 27-24. However, Northwestern’s defense could not stop Indiana from marching down the field for touchdowns on consecutive drives and the Hoosiers put the game away.
The nation’s No. 3 scoring offense entering Saturday broke the 40-point mark for the fifth time this season, putting up over 500 yards of total offense with no turnovers. Rourke enjoyed his third 300-yard performance in the last four games, while the Hoosiers averaged 4.
9 yards per .
