They did it.
No. 7 Indiana, college football’s losingest program historically, landed its biggest road win — maybe its biggest win, period — Saturday afternoon, knocking off No. 2 Oregon 30-20 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
The Hoosiers were 1-72 against AP top-5 teams, until Saturday. There win against the Ducks marked the first against a top-5 team since they beat Purdue 19-14 on Nov. 25, 1967.
Here’s what I liked, disliked and what IU’s win means.
What I liked in Indiana football’s win at Oregon
- Indiana’s pass rush did what Penn State’s could not, and got Dante Moore off center early and often. An Oregon team that had allowed one sack all season allowed one on the game’s first snap, setting the tone for three in the first half, and six. The result was a fine-but-inefficient performance from Moore, who spent a lot of Saturday afternoon looking like something less than his Heisman-contender best.
- Sustaining drives. The Hoosiers struggled to maintain them consistently, but when Fernando Mendoza and Co. got up a head of steam, they maintained it with sharp passing, excellent blocking and some tough running inside the 10-yard line. In the moments when IU needed to answer the bell physically, the Hoosiers were rarely found wanting. It made the difference in a second half that saw Indiana weather Oregon’s early flurry, then lean on the Ducks until they broke in the fourth quarter.
- Elijah Sarratt has a case as the Big Ten’s best wide receiver. This is back-to-back weeks with 100-yard games in tough road environments. Jeremiah Smith might be a better playmaker, but there is no tougher, smarter wideout in the conference.
- Mendoza played like a Heisman candidate. He was not prolific because you don’t get to be wearing visiting whites inside Autzen Stadium. His 246 total yards, including some excellent throws and some well-timed scrambles, made an enormous difference, especially in the second half. And when he had to pick himself up from a pick-six that tied the game in the fourth quarter, he did so by captaining a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. That was Mendoza’s moment.
What I disliked in Indiana football’s win at Oregon
- The unforced pre-snap errors early. Curt Cignetti seemed to be lobbying for a stricter interpretation of recent rule changes regarding pre-snap defensive shifts, but he also reserved pointed criticism for his own players over those mistakes at halftime. One or two miscues could be forgiven, under the circumstances of a sold-out Autzen Stadium. But too many set IU too far back.
- Cignetti’s complaints about the run defense weren’t unfounded. A defense that had been tough on the ground for most of this season got gashed too often, especially in some first-half drives that might otherwise have been cut off at the source. That in turn let the deep Ducks lean on Indiana with some heavy snap counts, numbers that started adding up late.
What Indiana football win at Oregon means
Nights like this aren’t built for bullet points. They represent something larger. Something more intangible. Something unforgettable.
Everything is at Indiana’s fingertips now. Cignetti called his program the emerging superpower of college football and made good on that threat within 12 months. IU has an inside track on the Big Ten championship game, and so much more.
What does this win mean for IU football? Very simply, everything.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana football score today at Oregon, stats, likes, dislikes, did IU win
