10th Ranked Indiana University Football looking to close out the Regular Season with a win over archrival Purdue The #10 Indiana Hoosiers will close out a memorable regular season with a 7pm start against their archrivals the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday Night at Sold-Out Memorial Stadium as the Hoosiers look to take back the Old Oaken Bucket and finish the Regular Season with an 11-1 record and 8-1 Big Ten record. The Game is televised on Fox Sports 1, and this will be first ever night game in the series that dates back to 1891. Purdue leads the all-time series 77-42-6 and Indiana has not beaten Purdue since 2019 when they won 44-41 in double overtime in West Lafayette. The Old Oaken Bucket was introduced in 1925, and Purdue leads 63-32-3. The last time Indiana beat the Boilermakers at home was November 26, 2016, when the Hoosiers won 26-24. Indiana is 10-1 and 7-1 in the Big Ten while Purdue is 1-10 overall and 0-8 in the Big Ten. Purdue would love nothing more than to spoil the Hoosiers Postseason plans and in rivalry games anything is possible, but the Hoosiers are heavily favored in this game.
The Hoosiers are not officially out of the Big Ten Championship game, but they have to win against the Boilermakers and have Ohio State and Penn State both lose to have a chance to play Oregon at Lucas Oil Stadium Next Saturday Night. Ohio State will host Michigan at Noon and Penn State hosts Maryland at 3:30 and the Hoosiers should know before they take the field if they have any chance of making it to Indianapolis. Ohio State needs to win, and they will be facing Oregon for the Big Ten Title. If the Buckeyes lose and Penn State wins, then Nittany Lions will face Oregon in the Title Game. Indiana dropped from 5th to 10th in College Football Playoff, AP and Coaches Polls this week. The latest projections have the Hoosiers as a Number 11 Seed traveling to Penn State as the 6th seed. Indiana lost at number #2 Ohio State 38-15 last Saturday in Columbus and despite the 23-point defeat and barring a collapse against their archrivals many believe the Hoosiers will make the newly expanded 12-Team field.
Curt Cignetti has transformed a Hoosier Team that in the last three seasons had won 9 total games and now Indiana has its first ten-win season in program history and change the narrative a program that leads the FBS All time with most losses in College Football History. The Hoosiers ten game winning streak was the longest in program history breaking the mark set by the 1945 and 1967 teams with eight. Indiana has 7 Big Ten wins which is the most ever. 7-0 home record at Memorial Stadium this season and 4 sellouts which is the second most in a single season. The Hoosiers have outscored their opponents 454-176 as Indiana averages 41.2 points on offense and giving 16 points per game on defense. Indiana has scored 59 offensive touchdowns which are the second most in FBS and are the most since the 2013 team had 61. Indiana has tied the 2000 team with 34 rushing touchdowns and is only three behind the 1987 team with 37 and have scored multiple rushing touchdowns in 10 of 11 games this season. Indiana was projected to finish 17th in the Big Ten this season ahead of Purdue and the Hoosiers of course will finish in the top 4 of the conference this season for Head Coach who started 10-0 the last two seasons at James Madison in 2023 and now Indiana in 2024.
Quarterback Kurtis Rourke has climbed up the Passing Charts with 2,478 yards which is 11th all-time in a single season and will need just 46 on Saturday to pass Nate Sudfeld who had 2,523 yards in 2013 for a spot in the Top 10. Rourke has 21 touchdown passes, 4 interceptions on the season and has been sacked 15 times as the Hoosiers had a hard time defending the Blitzes’ that Ohio State keep sending last Saturday. Rourke was 8-18 for 68 yards against Ohio State and brought down 5 times. In the last two games he has been brought down 9 times compared to six sacks in the first nine games. Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton have combined for 1,335 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns. The Hoosiers have 1,834 yards rushing and 30 touchdowns. Elijah Sarratt leads the receivers with 725 yards and 6 touchdowns followed by Omar Copper Jr with 527 yards and 5 touchdowns. Kicker Nicolas Radicic has been automatic with 8-8 field goals and 60-60 extra point attempts. The Hoosier Defense has 31 sacks, 12 interceptions, 2 interceptions for touchdowns, 9 forced fumbles and 6 fumble recoveries.
Purdue opened the season with a 49-0 win over Indiana State of the FCS and since then the Boilermakers have lost 10 in a row and been outscored 413-140. Purdue is averaging 17.1 points on offense and giving up 37.5 on offense. The Boilermakers lost at Michigan State 24-17 last Friday Night it was the second game they had lost by single digits all season since a 26-20 home loss to Northwestern. Quarterback Hudson Card has thrown for 1,606 yards 9 touchdown passes, 6 interceptions and been sacked 21 times. Ryan Browne has thrown for 513 yards, 4 touchdown passes, 1 interception and been sacked 9 times. The Boilermakers have 1,371 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns. Tight End Max Klare leads with 649 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. On Defense Purdue has 20 sacks, 4 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. Second Year Head Coach Ryan Walters is 5-18 overall and 3-14 in the Big Ten after a 4-8 mark in 2023. The 38-Year-Old is in his first head coaching job and the Boilermaker fan base is running out of patience and unless the Boilermakers put up a good fight Saturday Night. The pressure will be turned up on coach whose team was projected to finish and will finish last in the Big Ten this season.
Indiana University Volleyball beats Michigan 3-1 in Wilkinson Hall Junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles continued her scorching hot end to the season, providing a career best 25 kills as the Indiana Volleyball team (14-15, 7-12 B1G) beat visiting Michigan (25-22, 25-27, 25-18, 25-21) on Wednesday evening at Wilkinson Hall. The native of Madrid, Spain has recorded three-straight 20-kill matches for the first time in her career. She’s the first IU player in at least the last nine seasons with a streak of such note. Her 25 kills surpassed her previous all-time best of 24 last November against Minnesota. She also was tasked with taking a career high 71 swings on Thursday evening. Alonso-Corcelles joins junior opposite Avry Tatum (Sept. 14 – Ball State) as IU players with 25-kill matches this season. She’s the first IU player since Breana Edwards (39 vs. Maryland – Nov. 15, 2019) with a 25-kill match in a Big Ten contest.
All three attacking pin players had at least 10 kills with Tatum and senior outside hitter Mady Saris providing 13 and 12 kills respectively in the victory. It was the first time since a loss to Oregon (Sept. 28) that three IU players had double-digit kills in the same match. Senior setter Camryn Haworth recorded the 31st double-double of her career (46 assists, 12 digs) in the penultimate match of her tenure in Bloomington. She also added three blocks, three kills and two aces – taking her career aces tally to 210. Sophomore libero Ramsey Gary had 18 digs to lead the way in a 75-dig effort by the Hoosiers. It was the most digs in a four-set match since picking up 89 in a win over Western Carolina in 2022. It was IU’s best Big Ten four-set performance in the category since racking up 80 digs in a win over Michigan in 2018. Junior middle blocker Madi Sell had five kills, five digs and five blocks. As a team, the Hoosiers were out blocked but still recorded nine stuffs. IU held the advantage in aces (5-4) but committed two more service errors (12-10). IU created a massive gap in total kills (61-45). The Hoosiers close the season this evening at Wilkinson Hall against Illinois. IU will be looking for its eighth Big Ten win of the campaign and will look to send its seven seniors out on a high note. First serve is at 7:00 PM.
Louisville embarrasses #14 Indiana University Men’s Basketball in the Battle 4 Atlantis Opener The Louisville Cardinals dominated the #14 Indiana Hoosiers 89-61 in the opener of the Battle 4 Atlantis at the Imperial Arena at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in Nassau the Bahamas Wednesday Afternoon. The Cardinals are 4-1 on the season and had 4 players in double figures led by Wisconsin Transfer Chucky Hepburn with 16 points and 10 assists along with 16 points from Noah Waterman. Kasean Pryor added 14 points and Reyne Smith added 12 points off the bench. The Hoosiers suffered its first loss of the season were led by Malik Reneau with 21 points and 11 points from Oumar Ballo. Louisville is 4-3 all-time in neutral site games against Indiana leads the all-time series 12-10.
Louisville went 37-65 from the field for 57%, 10-27 from three-point range for 37% and 5-7 from the free throw line for 71%. The Cardinals pulled down 34 rebounds, dished out 23 assists, 15 steals, 1 block and committed 15 turnovers. Indiana struggled going 21-63 from the field for 33%, 7-20 from three-point range for 35% and 12-17 from the free throw line for 70%. The Hoosiers pulled down 40 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, 8 steals, 3 blocks and committed 23 turnovers. The Hoosiers backcourt of Myles Rice and Kannan Carlyle combined for 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 3 turnovers. Sophomore Mackenzie Mgbako was held to 8 points.
Louisville never trailed and the game was tied once at 4-4 with 17:11 left in the first half as Oumar Ballo had dunk to tie the game. From there the Cardinals controlled the game they had 30 points off turnovers and 48 points in the paint as the led the Hoosiers 37-29 at halftime. In the Second Half the Cardinals were running and gunning getting easy buckets and knocking down wide open three-point shots outscoring the Hoosiers 52-32. Indiana trailed 29-25 with 5:43 to go in the first half when Malik Reneau hit a three pointer as IU failed to score a field goal for the rest of the half and outscored 8-4.
Indiana could not make easy baskets and left a lot of points at the rim going for 4-19 in layups and let the Cardinals have way too many open three-point shots and a lack of intensity and defensive effort for the majority of the game. Louisville was able to control the game, and it helps when you have a guy like Chucky Hepburn who battled with the Hoosiers in the Big Ten know how to play this team and he did what he wanted when he wanted. “They are big, and they are physical, and they are strong. we just thought our advantage was being able to space the floor and play with great pace.” Louisville Head Coach Pat Kelsey said after the game.
As for Indiana and Mike Woodson it’s a lot of the same things that he has said before after his teams have been run out of the gym and today was no different. “Tonight, we went backwards, and I gotta get us going forward.” Along with “As a coach I got to get this team more ready to go.” Woodson said and We go out-toughed, and that’s unacceptable.” The Hoosiers have two more games left so there is little time to dwell on this one and get ready for two more games. “I mean, we got a game tomorrow night, and, you know, we got to go back and put them through this film session and see if we can learn from it and see if I can get them over the hump and get them back going again for tomorrow night. you can’t run from it” Woodson said. This could be a long three days if the Hoosiers don’t turn this around in a hurry and they about 24 hours to get ready for the game tomorrow at 2:30 pm.
Mikail Kamara Named Finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy Award The Lott IMPACT Trophy has tabbed Indiana football redshirt junior Mikail Kamara as one of four finalists for the award, which is bestowed upon college football’s best in character and performance. The award will be handed out on December 9 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas as part of the National Football Foundation festivities surrounding the 66th NFF Awards Dinner. Kamara joins Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton as a finalist for the award.
Kamara leads the Big Ten and is tied for No. 8 nationally in sacks (9.5) and is No. 2 in the B1G and No. 13 nationally in tackles for loss (14.5) in 2024. His 57 total pressures are No. 2 in nationally per Pro Football Focus. He owns multiple tackles in 10 of 11 games with at least 1.0 tackle for loss in eight of 11 games. He posted a sack in seven of the first 11 games of the season. The redshirt junior was tabbed national defensive player of the week after IU’s victory at Michigan State with seven tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. His 4.5 tackles for loss in the game tie for the No. 3 on the single-game IU charts and are the most since Damian Gregory against Michigan State in 1997. His 2.5 sacks are tied for No. 6 on the single-game ledger at IU and the highest single-game total since Tegray Scales had 3.0 against Penn State in 2017.
IU has limited the opposition to less than 100 yards rushing in seven of 11 games this season, which includes a program-record minus-36 rushing yards at Michigan State. The defense has held six opponents under 300 yards of total offense, which is one shy of the most in program history (7; 1989, 1991). His 9.5 sacks are tied for No. 6 on the IU single-season list with Nick Mangieri (2015) and he aims for the first double-digit sack season since defensive lineman Jammie Kirlew (10.5) in 2008. It would also mark just the sixth double-digit sack season in Indiana history.
The mission of The Pacific Club IMPACT® Foundation is to recognize and support both national and local charities that serve the youth of America with a focus on education and have a positive IMPACT® on the lives of young men and women. The Foundation raises money for these charitable purposes from events surrounding and associated with the awarding of The Lott IMPACT® Trophy to College Football’s Defensive Player of the Year who demonstrated the greatest IMPACT® both on and off the field. The Lott IMPACT® Trophy is unique because it represents the first college football trophy to give equal weight to personal character as well as athletic performance. The Lott IMPACT® Trophy has become a symbol of the positive attributes many college athletes represent. Several LIT alumni have gone on to excel in areas outside of football including medicine, business, broadcasting and charitable work.
The Lott IMPACT® Trophy was named in honor of Ronnie Lott, a two time All-American for USC and College Football Hall of Fame Inductee. Ronnie Lott went on to win four Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers, ten trips to the Pro Bowl and a spot in Pro Football’s Hall of Fame. He was a leader who made an IMPACT® both on and off the field and continues to exemplify character in his personal life.
New Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White adds to Assistant Coaches to her Staff The Indiana Fever announced today that the team has hired Austin Kelly as an Assistant Coach. In addition, Karima Christmas-Kelly returns to the bench under Head Coach Stephanie White after serving as an Assistant Coach in Indiana for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Austin Kelly most recently served as an Assistant Coach with the Connecticut Sun in 2023 and 2024 under White’s leadership, helping guide the team to the WNBA Semifinals both seasons.
Previously, Kelly was the Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the University of Texas Arlington women’s basketball team from 2021 to 2023. During the 2021-22 season, the Lady Mavericks won the Sun Belt Tournament Championship and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Prior to his time at UTA, Kelly spent two seasons at Vanderbilt University working for White as the Director of Recruiting with the women’s basketball team from 2019 to 2021. Kelly also worked at Georgia Tech as a Graduate Assistant and Assistant Scouting Coordinator with the women’s basketball team from 2018 to 2019. Kelly graduated from Duke University in 2011 and was a three-year starter at wide receiver for the Blue Devils football program before playing one season of college basketball at Georgia Southwestern.
Karima Christmas-Kelly, an integral member of the 2012 WNBA Championship team for the Fever, returns to the bench as an Assistant Coach under White. Her tenure in Indiana is highlighted by a 2024 postseason appearance and producing back-to-back WNBA Rookie of the Year winners in Aliyah Boston (2023) and Caitlin Clark (2024). Christmas-Kelly’s extensive playing history in the WNBA spanned from 2011 to 2020, including 2012 to 2014 with Indiana.
Tickets Sold Out for 27th-Annual Ivanhoes Silent Night for Taylor University Men’s Basketball Taylor University announced on Tuesday evening that its limited quantity of tickets available to the general public for the 27th-Annual Ivanhoes Silent Night sold out within the first hour of being available. No additional tickets will be made available, and no tickets will be sold at the gate. Fans wishing to watch Silent Night on Friday, December 6 can still do so by tuning in to the Trojan Sports Network’s free HD webcast. The webcast is set to begin at 4:10 pm to allow viewers the opportunity to see all of the pregame festivities. While the stream will begin at 4:10 pm, the special Silent Night pregame show will begin at 5:15 pm and include on-court coverage and multiple live interviews. The live webcast can be viewed at YouTube.com/TaylorAthletics. Taylor’s Silent Night game with Moody Bible is set to tip at 6:00 pm, with Odle Arena doors opening to TU students at approximately 4:30 pm and to the general public at 5:00 pm.