Why the heck are we covering Northwestern versus Indiana, right? Well, it's simple. By losing 44-29 to Northwestern Indiana just set the record for most losses ever by a FBS team, losing their 633rd game all time. They did it in record setting fashion as well, and by record setting I mean record setting for the Wildcats.
Northwestern set the all-time school record for total yards on offense with 704 yards for the game, besting their previous high of 690 yards against Wisconsin in 2005.
The Wildcats racked up 394 yards rushing and 310 yards through the air to set that record. Quarterback Kain Colter wasn't much of a threat from the QB position, but he was still a major problem for Indiana as he was a huge threat running and receiving, racking up 2 yards passing, 161 yards rushing and 131 yards receiving for a total of 294 yards by himself and also tying a school record for most rushing touchdowns by one player in a game at 4.
Simply put, Indiana set the record for futility by an FBS team in about as futile a fashion as they possibly could.
How bad was it? The Hoosiers defense allowed not only Kain Colter to go for more than 100 yards rushing, they nearly allowed three players to go for 100 yards a piece. Heisman buzz will be picking up for Colter and teammate Venric Mark, who also rushed for over 100 yards (139yds) and Mike Trumpey added 87 more for the Wildcats unstoppable rushing attack on Saturday afternoon.
Things looked about as good and as grim as possible all in Indiana's 2nd possession of the game as they drove down the field and were stopped, opting for a 20 yard field goal to go up 3-0. However kicker Mitch Ewald would miss the chip shot wide left.
It was all downhill for Indiana the rest of the half as Northwestern would take a 20-0 lead into the intermission.
Credit the Hoosiers for not giving up though, after allowing another Northwestern TD to make it 27-0 early in the 3rd quarter the offense suddenly came to life.
Leading the comeback was RB Stephen Houston, who got the Hoosiers on the board with a 20 yard TD run to make it 27-7. Houston would go on to have 91 yards rushing on just 11 carries in the loss.
Things got interesting about 2 minutes later as backup QB Nate Sudfeld hooked up with star wide receiver Kofi Hughes on a 35 yard TD pass and catch to cut the lead to just 27-14 with 7:28 left in the 3rd quarter.
After another Northwestern TD most assumed the game would become out of hand again, but down 34-14 the Hoosiers didn't give up and a huge 96 yard kick return from Tevin Coleman and the defense holding the Wildcats to just a field goal on the next possession saw the score sit 37-21 with 1:16 left in the 3rd quarter.
Indiana would make it a one score game with a quick TD strike of their own, converting on the two point try to make it 37-29.
That would be as close as the Wildcats let them get as Northwestern owned the rest of the quarter and put the game away with the last of Kain Colter's 4 rushing TD's to put them up 44-29.
Outside of Houston, the only real star for the Hoosiers was Kofi Hughes (left the game in 1st quarter with a knee injury only to return later in the quarter) who had 5 catches for 110 yards and the touchdown.
Hoosiers freshman QB Nate Sudfeld played well in the 2nd half as well, going 9 of 16 for 157 yards and a TD in the loss.
The Wildcats moved to 5-0 for the 3rd time in 5 seasons with the win and hope to prove it's not a fluke as they head to Happy Valley next weekend to take on Penn State. Indiana will try to not embarrass themselves as they face Michigan State and Ohio State the next two weekends after falling to 2-2 with today's loss.
