Staff report
Bloomington, Indiana – October 21, 2023
The Scarlet Knights beat the Hoosiers with a final score of 31-14 against Indiana Saturday.
“We’ve got to execute better,” head coach Tom Allen said. “We have to keep the defense off the field. Get key stops at key times.”
Here’s how the scoring unfolded:
- 1st Quarter: Indiana struck first with a 35-yard pass from quarterback Brendan Sorsby (#15) to wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (#3), putting them ahead 7-0. Rutgers answered with a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Gavin Wimsatt (#2) to tie the game at 7-7.
- 2nd Quarter: Rutgers took the lead with a 17-yard blocked punt return by Eric Rogers (#0), making it 14-7 in their favor. Indiana answered back with a 4-yard rushing touchdown by Brendan Sorsby (#15), tying the game at 14-14. Rutgers kicker Jai Patel (#44) then connected on a 21-yard field goal to make it 17-14 in Rutgers’ favor.
- 3rd and 4th Quarter: Gavin Wimsatt (#2) continued to shine for Rutgers, scoring two more touchdowns with a 1-yard rush and an 80-yard rush, putting Rutgers ahead 31-14.
Rutgers’ Gavin Wimsatt had three rushing touchdowns. On the defensive side, Rutgers’ Deion Jennings and Mohamed Toure led the team with 5 solo tackles each.
For Indiana, Brendan Sorsby’s performance included a rushing touchdown and a 35-yard passing touchdown to Omar Cooper Jr. The defensive effort was led by Amare Ferrell and Aaron Casey, who contributed 7 and 5 solo tackles, respectively.
Rutgers’ defense also played a crucial role in securing the win, with Flip Dixon and Max Melton contributing with 4 solo tackles each and a combined 7 tackles for a loss.
With this victory, Rutgers improved to a 6-2 record for the season, while Indiana’s season record stands at 2-5. This game will surely be remembered as an exciting and competitive clash between these two college football teams.
“This is not a good place to be,” Allen said. “It falls on me. I’m the one responsible.
“These are challenging times. It’s frustrating to have those kinds of mistakes. Those are things we have to be better at.”
Despite the narrowing margin for error, IU still holds postseason aspirations. To become bowl eligible, they’ll need to secure four victories in their last five games. Their next challenge is a road trip to face top-10 Penn State, who is looking to bounce back after a loss to Ohio State this past Saturday.
Tom Allen’s post game press conference:
