Field Level Media
Sep 29, 2018
Peyton Ramsey passed for one touchdown and ran for another as Indiana defeated host Rutgers 24-17 on Saturday afternoon at Piscataway, N.J.
Ramsey completed 27 of 40 passes for 288 yards with one interception to lead Indiana (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten). He also rushed 10 times for 51 yards as the Hoosiers raced to a 24-7 lead and held on late.
Rutgers (1-4, 0-2) lost its fourth straight game despite holding the Hoosiers scoreless in the second half.
Both teams scored a touchdown on their first possession, and each drive went 10 plays and 75 yards. Each drive was also aided by a defensive penalty on third down.
Rutgers scored on Artur Sitkowski's 11-yard touchdown pass to Shameen Jones. It was the first touchdown this season by a Rutgers wide receiver.
The Hoosiers tied the score on Stevie Scott's 16-yard run. Scott, who rushed for just 12 yards last week against Michigan State, broke a Rutgers tackle on his way to the end zone.
Indiana took a 14-7 lead on the first play of the second quarter. Ramsey, with a fourth-and-goal from a half-yard out, faked a handoff and scampered to his left, barely crossing the goal as he dragged Rutgers lineman Mike Tverdov.
That capped a 16-play, 88-yard drive that took 6:09. On the 15th play, Ramsey threw a swing pass to Scott, who fumbled as he tried to reach the ball over the goal line. Rutgers recovered, but the call was overturned, leading to the Hoosiers' touchdown.
Indiana went up 21-7 on Ramsey's 8-yard pass to J-Shun Harris on the right flank.
Rutgers then drove to Indiana's 9-yard line, getting first-and-goal. But Indiana got a sack and forced an incompletion on a nice play by cornerback Raheem Layne before freshman Jamar Johnson intercepted Sitkowski in the end zone.
Indiana closed the first-half scoring on Justus' 44-yard field goal with 20 seconds left.
After a scoreless third quarter, Scott fumbled, this time officially. The turnover, forced by Tyreek Maddox-Williams and recovered by Deonte Roberts, led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Hilliman as Rutgers narrowed its gap to 24-14.
Rutgers closed the scoring on Justin Davidovicz's 52-yard field goal with 3:52 left in the game.
--Field Level Media