How it Happened: Indiana crushes Purdue 56-3 to finish perfect regular season

For the first time ever, Indiana has finished the regular season a perfect 12-0. It did so with a dominant victory in the 100th playing of the Old Oaken Bucket Trophy game, as the Hoosiers defeated Purdue 56-3.

They did so with a phenomenal running attack, as well as a stifling defense, resulting in IU outgaining the Boilers 548-282 in total yards.

Just 193 of Indiana’s yards came through the air, and only 117 of those were thrown by Fernando Mendoza. He didn’t have a great night, but the running game made up for it, and then some.

The Hoosiers tallied 355 rushing yards, as the offensive line and running backs combined to simply dominate the Boilermakers. On the contrary, Purdue ran for just 44 yards, with Indiana’s defense preventing any sort of ground game from start to finish.

When it was all said and done, Indiana wrapped up its best regular season in program history with a second straight win against Purdue by more than 50 points. This win encapsulated the direction of the two programs, but more importantly, it clinched Indiana its first-ever Big Ten Championship appearance.

Before the postseason begins, here’s how it happened on a chilly night at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Mendoza has poor night in frigid temps

Mendoza wasn’t at his best against Purdue. In fact, he played his worst game as a Hoosier by a wide margin.

While it didn’t matter in the end, Mendoza simply couldn’t find any sort of rhythm throwing the football. From the first drive onward, he didn’t seem comfortable whether he was pressured or not, and it might have been the cold weather felt throughout the ballgame.

It felt like 24 degrees at kickoff, and it was under 20 by the time the second half rolled around, making it a tough environment for the passing game. Mendoza didn’t respond well, as he didn’t look close to a Heisman candidate in the slightest.

He threw for just 42 yards in the first half and went a poor 5-for-12 on completions. It seemed like he was trying to force the football into too many tight windows, and even when a receiver was open, he still missed a few routine throws.

Purdue outpassed Indiana by more than 80 yards in the opening half, but the Hoosiers still held a 25-point lead, as Mendoza’s rough night came at a time when it didn’t really matter. You never want to see your quarterback play like this, but in frigid temperatures against a 2-9 team, Indiana could afford it.

In the second half, Mendoza attempted just three passes for 75 yards, but he did execute a nice touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt for 17 yards. It was certainly a bright spot during an otherwise forgettable performance, and Mendoza might use it as a steppingstone to get back on track next week in Indianapolis.

Rushing attack runs wild

The reason Mendoza’s slow night didn’t affect Indiana was how amazing its running game was from beginning to end.

The Hoosiers dominated the trenches, as the offensive line allowed for plenty of room for the running backs to go crazy. And they did, as IU rushed for 209 yards in the first half, with an 82-yard touchdown run by Roman Hemby highlighting the action of the entire game.

It was the longest play from scrimmage throughout the entire Indiana regular season, and it encapsulated what the Hoosiers were doing from the get-go. They were running wild, and it was a team effort to get it done.

In addition to Hemby’s 152 yards, Kaelon Black rushed for 66, and Khobie Martin put up 51. Mendoza also entered the rushing attack at times and had a few key runs, including the second touchdown of the game for Indiana.

Once IU got ahead by 30-plus, all it did was run, but it certainly broke Purdue’s will well before that. The Hoosiers did so by running right down Purdue’s throat, and it made up for a lack of a passing game.

This allowed for another blowout victory in the Old Oaken Bucket game, as Indiana proved to be the bigger, stronger team in the trenches with its incredible performance on the ground.

Defense shows dominance early and often

While the run game dominated Indiana’s offensive attack, it was the lack of a Purdue running game that allowed the Indiana defense to manhandle the Boilers.

The front seven disrupted any sort of rhythm Purdue wanted to create, and it reflected in every single Boilermaker drive except one. In the first quarter, Purdue tacked on three points after a 67-yard series, but other than that the Hoosiers were near perfect on the defensive side of the ball.

Indiana totaled 10 tackles for loss and one sack, as Stephen Daley had a terrific showing that also included a forced fumble in the second half. He and the rest of the Hoosiers were making plays left and right, and Purdue had no answer.

It might not have been a shutout like a year ago, but Indiana’s defense put on a show. It was simply terrific and looked like a unit that could seriously contend for a national title.

And it will, as the Hoosiers are headed to the Big Ten Championship ahead of a College Football Playoff appearance. But for now, Indiana gets to appreciate another dominant victory in the Old Oaken Bucket game.

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