The Sports Xchange
Oct 29, 2016
Indiana compiled 650 yards of offense but still had to hang on to snap a three-game losing streak and defeat Maryland 42-30 on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
The game was much closer than the final score indicated as the Hoosiers were never able to put much distance between themselves and the Terps.
The Terrapins compiled 512 yards, but mistakes doomed any chance they had against a swarming Hoosiers defense.
Zander Diamont put the icing on the cake for Indiana (4-4, 2-3 Big Ten) at the 49-second mark when he broke through the right side and scampered 52 yards untouched for the final score of the day.
Earlier in the quarter, the Hoosiers converted a fumble by Maryland quarterback Perry Hills into seven points to take a 35-23 lead.
But Maryland methodically marched 65 yards in 13 plays with Hills scoring from five yards out. The 2-point conversion failed.
The Terps (5-2, 2-2) defeated Michigan State last week and headed to Bloomington with a chance to become bowl eligible in coach D.J. Durkin's first season. With games against Michigan, Ohio State and Nebraska remaining on their schedule, beating the Hoosiers would have given the Terps some margin of error.
Their best hope now is against Rutgers in the final game of the season.
The Hoosiers had lost three straight after a promising start this season and looked like they meant business from the get-go.
Quarterback Richard Lagow guided the Hoosiers on an 11-play, 85-yard drive the first time Indiana had the ball. Diamont found pay dirt from 11 yards out to put Indiana up 6-0. The two-point conversion failed.
Marcelino Ball intercepted Hills three plays later, and the Hoosiers marched 91 yards in 10 plays to take a 13-0 lead.
It took the Terps only three plays to finally get on the board. Ty Johnson ran 66 yards to make the score 13-7.
Maryland took a 21-16 lead into halftime despite allowing the Hoosiers to rush for more than 200 yards in the first half.
Hills connected with Moore on a circus catch good for a 23-yard touchdown with 30 seconds left to cap a seven-play, 69-yard drive as the Terps grabbed their first lead of the game.
Hills was an efficient 7 of 12 for a touchdown and an interception in the first half. Johnson hauled in six receptions for 103 yards and the one long score.
Lagow in the first half was 9 of 15 for 112 yards, but it was the Hoosiers' ground game that was the star of the game. Tyler Natee and Devine Redding had 79 and 73 yards, respectively.
Indiana had three runners rush for at least 100 yards with Redding leading the way with 130 yards and a touchdown. Natee accounted for 111 yards and a touchdown and Diamont finished with 104 yards and two scores.
Johnson led the way for Maryland with 142 yards.