°®¶¹app

BLOOMINGTON °®¶¹app“ Indiana entered the night with questions.

How would the Hoosiers respond to a loss? Would they let the pressure of a rivalry game with a College Football Playoff berth potentially on the line get to them? Would they struggle to handle the inclement weather and let struggling Purdue hang around?

At halftime, all of those queries have been answered °®¶¹app“ emphatically and in the Hoosiers' favor.

After some early unsteadiness (Kurtis Rourke was sacked twice and the Hoosiers mis), Indiana began to assert itself and once it did, the Boilermakers, losers of 10 in a row, began to give way. 

IU embarked on three consecutive touchdown drives, all of at least 70 yards, in the second quarter and put the game away, building a 28-0 halftime lead. The Hoosiers have outgained the visiting Boilers 334-54 and have given up just three first downs while gaining 17 of their own. The game is going exactly how it looked as though it would on paper, with the best Hoosiers team ever completely rolling over one of the worst Boilermaker outfits of all time.

It is difficult to ascertain whether it was the offense or defense that was more impressive in the opening half. The defense was spectacular, forcing five punts and intercepting Hudson Card deep in Purdue territory (linebacker Jailin Walker made the sprawling grab). The Boilermakers had nowhere to go on the ground, gaining 19 yards on eight carries, and Indiana was in position to stop Purdue for a short gain just about every time it completed a pass. Quarterback Hudson Card, who threw for 342 yards against Michigan State last week, had less than 20 yards until the final minutes of the half. Walker has 1 1/2 tackles for loss in addition to his interception, making it one of his best games of the season already.

The offense took a little extra time to get started, punting to start and then missing a field goal after Walker's interception. A sack of Rourke took the Hoosiers to the fringes of field-goal range before Nicolas Radicic sent a 46-yard kick wide left and there are still some concerns about IU's pass protection against high-level opponents.

Purdue, however, is not a high-level opponent. As the half wore on, Indiana's run-pass option plays, the backbone of IU's offense for much of the season before they were largely bottled up against Michigan and Ohio State, began to hit again. Rourke found receivers over the middle repeatedly and when those passes began to hit their mark, Purdue's defense had no answers. Rourke had an outstanding, All-American-level half, completing 14 of 17 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. 

Rourke's best play was one of his best of the season: With IU already up 14-0 in the second quarter, he found avoided some pressure, slid to his left, kept his eyes downfield and then tossed a perfect pass in stride downfield to receiver Elijah Sarratt, who had worked his way free behind the defense. Sarratt went 84 yards for a touchdown that essentially ended the competitive portion of the proceedings.

That score seemed to break the spirit of the Purdue defense somewhat because the next time the Hoosiers got the ball, they kept it on the ground and completely caved in Purdue's defensive line, delivering running backs yards downfield before they were even breathed on. Ty Son Lawton went in from 4 yards out to make it 28-0 and truly send the game into rout territory.

Unfortunately for Purdue, Indiana is unlikely to take its foot off the gas pedal in the second half. The Hoosiers are trying for some style points as they try to avoid being passed over for a College Football Playoff berth. The 99th battle for the Old Oaken Bucket could get ugly in the second half.