Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Indiana Hoosiers Match Player Stats On Sep 19, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Sep 19, 2015

Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw for 355 yards and three touchdowns and Jordan Howard ran for 203 yards as the Hoosiers held off Western Kentucky 38-35 on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.

Sudfeld completed 20 of 27 passes without an interception to outduel Hilltoppers quarterback Brandon Doughty, who threw for 484 yards and three touchdowns but was picked off twice in the second half.

Western Kentucky (2-1, 1-0 Conference USA) closed within 38-35 with 5:56 left on a 3-yard pass to receiver Jared Dangerfield. Indiana, thanks in part to the running of Howard, was able to run out the clock by picking up four first downs.

Howard, a transfer from UAB, carried 31 times after entering the action averaging 152.0 yards per game.

WKU led 28-17 at halftime, but Indiana safety Jonathan Crawford intercepted Doughty on back-to-back possessions in the second half -- at the Hoosiers' 3-yard line and then in Western Kentucky territory to set up a short scoring drive and a 38-28 lead with 5:02 to go in the third quarter.

Indiana (3-0) also blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt at the end of the quarter.

Doughty -- a senior who led the nation in passing yards (4,830) and passing touchdowns (49) last season -- completed 35 of 46 passes with three touchdowns while topping 400 yards for the sixth time in his career.

Indiana scored first on wide receiver Paige Mitchell's 91-yard punt return after the initial possession of the game. But Doughty went to work for WKU. He had 352 passing yards at halftime, including a 78-yard touchdown strike on a deep pass to receiver Taywan Taylor with 35 seconds left before the break.