Indiana football loses to Minnesota 35-14

By Nick Jenkinson

The woes continue for the Indiana Hoosiers football team falling to Minnesota 35-14 in the 2021 home finale at Memorial Stadium Saturday Afternoon. Indiana falls to 2-9 and 0-8 in the Big Ten while Minnesota improves to 7-4 and 5-3 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers have lost 7 straight and have one more game to right the ship and the season on the right note. “Not Good Enough” Coach Tom Allen Said in Post-Game Press Conference.

Indiana got off to a good start with the defense stopping the Golden Gophers on a 16 play 67-yard drive in the red zone stopping the run at Indiana 8-yard line. Quarterback Donaven McCulley got his 4^th career start scored on a 11-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds left in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead. The Gophers controlled the game as Ky Thomas scored 2 touchdowns, Tanner Morgan found Chris Autman-Bell on 2 touchdown passes and Mar’Keise Irving capped off the scoring for the Golden Gophers on a 3-yard run with 3:41 left in the game. Indiana scored on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Grant Gremel to Malachi Holt Bennett for the first touchdown reception by a wide receiver this season in FBS Play with 22 seconds left in the game which the Hoosiers were the final team in the Football Bowl Subdivision to achieve that feat this season with the Hoosiers scoring a touchdown against Idaho on September 11^th which is Football Championship Subdivision Team.

Indiana starting quarterback Donaven McCulley was 3-7 for 17 yards and 2 interceptions, McCulley was the teams leading rusher with 16 Carries for 72 yards and a touchdown. Grant Gremel 5-12 60 yards and pass. For the game the Indiana quarterbacks were 8-19 for 77 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Indiana carried the ball 33 times for 141 yards with 1 touchdown. Trent Howland had 1 carry for 2 yards and was the first scholarship running back to carry the ball for the Hoosiers in the game. AJ Barner 3 receptions 31 yards as top wide receiver and was one of six receivers to catch a pass in this game. Ty Fryfogle was held to 1 reception to negative 3 yards.

Minnesota Quarterback Tanner Morgan was 14-20 for 196 yards with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Ky Thomas had 26 carries for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mar’Keise Irving had 14 carries for 70 Yards and a touchdown. Minnesota ran the ball 48 times for 195 yards. Chris Autman-Bell had 4 receptions for 44 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Golden Gophers had six receptions catch the ball for balanced offensive attacks with 391 yards of total offense.

Indiana will close out the season next Saturday at 3:30 PM they travel to West Lafayette Indiana to take on the Purdue Boilermakers in the Old Oaken Bucket Game and will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. The Teams did not meet a season ago due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Hoosiers and the Boilermakers always have one goal in mind that is win the Bucket game and get the bragging rights for the next season. “Whatever we have to do to beat Purdue its biggest and most important game of the season” Allen Said.