Rutgers beats IU 38-3 Saturday

By Nick Jenkinson

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights routed the Indiana Hoosiers 38-3 on a very cold 39-degree Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers had five turnovers with 3 fumbles and 2 interceptions. The Hoosiers fall to 2-8 and 0-6 in the Big 10 and have lost 6^th straight games since 33-31 win at Western Kentucky on September 25^th. Rutgers beats Indiana for the first time since a 55-52 thriller in Bloomington October 17^th, 2015 snapping a five-game losing streak against Indiana.

True Freshman Donaven McCulley got his 3^rd start for the Hoosiers and fumbled on the first offensive play and gave the ball to Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights scored with 8-yard run from Isaih Pacheco to make 7-0 with 13:47 left in the first quarter. McCulley played on the 2^nd drive and then was benched after 1-3 passing for 11 yards and 3 carries for 4 yards. Jack Tuttle who missed the last two game with a leg injury came in and was 5-10 for 26 yards passing with 2 interceptions and was the team’s leading rusher with 16 yards on 3 carries. Tuttle came off limping after his 2^nd interception and did not return to the game. McCulley came back and finished the game with 7-20 for 98 yards passing and had 10 carries for 7 yards. Ty Fyrfogle had 5 receptions for 51 yards receiving but fumbled a punt return early in the third quarter that gave Rutgers the ball at the Indiana 10-yard line and Aaron Brown scored on the next play with a 10-yard touchdown run to make it 24-3 12;27 to go in the 3^rd quarter. Grant Gremel came on and finished at quarterback for the Hoosiers going 5-11 for 41 yards. Indiana had 7 different ball carriers the ball 32 times for 85 yards. The Hoosier quarterbacks were a combined 18-42 for 177 yards passing.

Rutgers improves 5-5 and 2-6 in the Big Ten and will travel to Penn State Saturday and host Maryland November 27^th. The Scarlet Knights Isaih Pacheco scored his second touchdown 6:34 to go in the first quarter on a 4-yard run Pacheco carried the ball 21 times for 79 yards Rutgers 9 different players carry the ball 50 times for 218 yards and 5 touchdowns and no offensive turnovers. The Scarlet Knights added 38-yard field goal from Valentino Ambrosio with 14:10 to go in the 2^nd half to make it 17-0. Raiqwon O”Neal who is an offensive lineman checked in as eligible receiver and scored on a 7 yard rush after the ball was thrown backwards pass from Noah Vedral. Vedral scored on a 9-yard touchdown run with 7 minutes left in the 4^th quarter to make 38-3. Vedral was 9-17 passing for 97 yards, Johnny Langan was 1-1 for 5 yards and Kyle Monangai was 0-1 as the Scarlet Knights were 10-19 passing for 102 yards.

Peyton Hendershot had 2 receptions for 11 yards and stays at 14 career receiving touchdown one behind Ted Bosler’s record for a tight end with 15. Linebacker Micah McFadden ended a 14-game streak with at least one tackle for loss. McFadden had 6 solo tackles and 7 for the game.

Indiana will host Minnesota in the final home game next Saturday at 3:30 on the Big Ten Network before Traveling to Purdue for the Old Oaken Bucket Game on November 27^th.

Photos by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian