The fifth-ranked Hoosiers kicked off conference play Friday night and ground out a hard-fought 29-23 victory over Northwestern in front of a sold-out crowd at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium.
The Hoosiers' offense racked up 472 yards, led by running back Lee Beebe Jr. Pressed into full-time duty due to a first-half injury to IU running back Turbo Richard, Beebe Jr. ran 24 times for 203 yards and a touchdown. While he had a series of big runs on the evening, it was his final four yards of the day that were perhaps his biggest. With Indiana leading by six and facing a 3rd-and-1 with less than a minute left, Beebe Jr. shrugged off a potential tackler behind the line of scrimmage and busted outside for a four-yard gain that moved the chains and enabled the Hoosiers to run out the clock on the Wildcats.
With the win, the Hoosiers improved to 4-0 on the season and picked up their 20th consecutive win overall. Indiana returns to action next Saturday when they travel to Rutgers to face the Scarlet Knights. They will next be at home on Oct. 17 when they host Ohio State at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium. The game with the Buckeyes is sold out, but fans are encouraged to explore ticket options through SeatGeek.
