{"id":171086,"date":"2025-09-21T04:13:05","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T04:13:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/171086\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T04:13:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T04:13:05","slug":"indiana-football-vs-illinois-game-updates-highlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/171086\/","title":{"rendered":"Indiana football vs Illinois: Game updates, highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Indiana football team<\/a> (4-0) destroyed No. 8 Illinois<\/a> (3-1), 63-10, at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium on Saturday as the Hoosiers’ historic turnaround under coach Curt Cignetti continues into Year 2.<\/p>\n

IU<\/a> QB Fernando Mendoza was 21-of-23 for 267 yards and 5 touchdowns, entering his name in Heisman Trophy discussions. The Hoosiers also rushed for 312 yards and 3 scores, led by Fishers’ Khobi Martin (12 carries, 107 yards, 2 TDs) and Kaelon Black (10 carries, 89 yards, 1 score). Elijah Sarratt caught 9 passes for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns. Illinois<\/a> had 2 yards rushing on 20 carries and 161 yards of total offense.<\/p>\n

The Hoosiers have rushed for more than 300 yards in all four games this season. They entered top 5 nationally in rushing.<\/p>\n

Alberto Mendoza<\/a> entered the game to start the fourth quarter for the Hoosiers. He hasn’t thrown a pass but has a 14-yard rush to his name now. He and brother Fernando Mendoza became the first set of brothers in 10 years to each throw a touchdown pass<\/a> during a 56-9 win over Kennesaw Sate on Sept. 6.<\/p>\n

The backups are starting to roll in for IU’s offense and Khobie Martin has another touchdown run. He has 42 yards rushing, including a 31-yard touchdown, on three carries.<\/p>\n

Indiana<\/a> 56, Illinois 10, 14:09 Q4<\/p>\n

Indiana has outgained Illinois 432-139 and held the Illini to minus-7 yards rushing. Credit the six sacks for a loss of 40 yards and nine TFLs for minus-46 yards for that.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile Fernando Mnedoza is 21 for 23 for 267 yards passing and 5 TDs. Elijah Sarratt has nine catches for 92 yards and two TDs. Omar Cooper Jr. adds six catches for 78 yards and a TD. E.J. Williams Jr. and Riley Nowakowski have touchdown catches, and Kaelon Black has 89 yards rushing on 10 totes and a TD.<\/p>\n

Illinois QB Luke Altmyer is 13 for 21 for 146 yards passing and a TD. Fifty-nine of those yards were on a busted coverage touchdown pass.<\/p>\n

Indiana 49, Illinois 10, End 3<\/p>\n

A 7-yard carry by Khobie Martin<\/a> takes this game to the fourth quarter. The Fishers native is the third-string running back after Lee Beebe Jr. suffered a season-ending injury<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Illinois has been sacked six times, has just 139 yards of offense and is getting drenched as it is raining hard at Memorial Stadium with Indiana leading 49-10. To make matters worse, the Hoosier faithful are chanting “overrated” as the No. 8 Fighting Illini have laid and egg.<\/p>\n

The Illini brought pressure but Elijah Sarratt won the one-on-one battle for a 5-yard touchdown pass. Fernando Mendoza is 20 of 22 for 256 yards passing for five touchdowns. Sarratt has eight catches for 81 yards and two scores.<\/p>\n

Indiana 49, Illinois 10, 5:02 Q3<\/p>\n

Mario Landino got home again, a 9-yard loss after sacking Luke Altmyer. And then Jonathan Brady proved that it wasn’t flipping the field with a 27-yard return and with a 5-yard penalty on Illinois, the Hoosiers took over at the Illinois 44.<\/p>\n

It took seven plays for Indiana to go 75 yards, but Kaelon Black needed one to go 40 yards and finish the drive with a touchdown.<\/p>\n

Indiana 42, Illinois 10, 11:38 Q4<\/p>\n

Curt Cignetti was pretty pointed with his likes and dislikes: All started with the punt block, had a coverage breakdown, got to the quarterback and didn’t like the last drive defensively.<\/p>\n

What does he want to see from the offense in the second half? “More points,” he said with a smirk.<\/p>\n

Illinois got on the board, but IU could sandwich scores around it after the touchdown by Elijah Sarratt and getting the ball back to open the second half.<\/p>\n

Indiana 35, Illinois 10, HALF<\/p>\n

Indiana football can’t afford to lose Louis Moore to an injury. This is his last confirmed game of eligibility with pending litigation with the NCAA<\/a>. Here’s more on that:<\/p>\n

News: Safety will be available for Indiana football’s primetime showdown, though future uncertain beyond that<\/a><\/p>\n

Veteran wide receiver Elijah Sarratt is into the end zone on a 9-yard touchdown pass on an out route. The Hoosiers drove 65 yards on nine plays.<\/p>\n

Fernando Mendoza is 15 for 17 for 220 yards passing and four touchdowns. Sarratt has five catches for 61 yards, Omar Cooper Jr 5-73-1, E.J. Williams Jr. 3-17-1, Riley Nowakowski 1-43-1 and Roman Hemby 1-26-0.<\/p>\n

Indiana 35, Illinois 7, 1:09 Q2<\/p>\n

Omar Cooper Jr. is an electric receiver<\/a> but was held out by IU after being subject of a hit that led to targeting. But he just returned and caught a pass for the Hoosiers.<\/p>\n

Count it five sacks for Indiana’s defense and seven tackles for loss. Mario Landino and Kellen Wyatt combined for this loss of 8, but the whole pocket collapsed on Luke Altmyer. Just a dominant showing from IU’s front. Hoosiers take over at their own 35 with 4:23 left.<\/p>\n

Throw it where the defense isn’t, and a tight end middle screen led to a 43-yard touchdown by Riley Nowakowski taking it from the line of scrimmage into the crimson end zone as the Hoosiers role.<\/p>\n

Indiana 28, Illinois 7, 6:17 Q2<\/p>\n

Elijah Sarratt has been called Waffle House<\/a> because he can get open. It started after a three-touchdown game against Kennesaw State and continued with Noah Eagle on the broadcast. Sarratt has three catches for 46 yards tonight.<\/p>\n

‘He’s Waffle House.’ Elijah Sarratt has 3-touchdown game, establishes connection with Fernando Mendoza<\/a><\/p>\n

A Luke Altmyer pass to Hudson Clement gained 12 yards, but another sack put the Illini behind the chains. Mario Landino dropped Altmyer for a loss of 5, and IU’s fourth sack of the game. The punt went through the end zone for a touchback.<\/p>\n

What had been an issue early in the season is no more. The Hoosiers again convert a touchdown in the red zone, this time an 11-yard pass from Fernando Mendoza to E.J. Williams Jr.<\/p>\n

Indiana 21, Illinois 7, 11:05 Q2<\/p>\n

The defender wearing the green dot and communicating with the sideline is out for the rest of the game after he hit Omar Cooper Jr. launching with the crown of the helmet. That gave IU the ball at the Illinois 8.<\/p>\n

Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on Indiana’s Aiden Fisher and Illinois’ Melvin Priestly led to no net yardage. Then the Hoosiers defense stopped an 8-yard pass on third-and-11 from the Illinois 1. After the quarter, a 47 yard punt gave IU the ball at its own 44.<\/p>\n

Isaiah Jones and Tyrique Tucker got to Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer for a pair of sacks totaling 11 lost yards and forcing a punt.<\/p>\n

It took several Illini defenders to take down Omar Cooper Jr.<\/a> in what became a 39-yard gain. He then took a screen pass 11 yards as the Hoosiers answer the Illini, after all.<\/p>\n

Indiana 14, Illinois 7, 4:41 Q1<\/p>\n

Curt Cignetti decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 at its own 48.<\/p>\n

IU can’t answer with a score against Illinois. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza had an inside pitch option to the running back or a pass option outside, so Mendoza ran and picked up 3 on fourth-and-1.<\/p>\n

It’s a busted coverage for IU’s defense and Luke Altmyer takes what equates to a layup with a 59-yard touchdown catch-and-run for Collin Dixon. It was one-on-one coverage with D’Angelo Ponds and Dixon was left alone after Ponds stopped running.<\/p>\n

Indiana 7, Illinois 7, 8:24 Q1<\/p>\n

The Hoosier strike first on a big play by special teams. D’Angelo Ponds both blocked the Illinois punt and scored after recovering it for an 11-yard return and Hoosiers lead.<\/p>\n

Indiana 7, Illinois 0, 9:26 Q1<\/p>\n

The defenses are standing tall to start this game. Roman Hemby had two runs for 11 yards, but it was negated by a 9-yard sack by Illinois’ Leon Lowery Jr. Illinois takes over at its own 36.<\/p>\n

The Illini gained 13 yards, 15 through the air, and lost 2 on a sack of Luke Altmyer for a loss of 7. IU takes over at its own 19.<\/p>\n

After initially saying the game would be on Peacock, the Indiana-Illinois showdown is now on NBC.<\/p>\n

IU is the favorite against the No. 8 team in the country. Who would have thought this two years ago? Here’s why IndyStar IU insider Zach Osterman believes that’s a big deal<\/a> to capitalize on.<\/p>\n

Insider: Indiana football can be Big Ten’s big dog against Illinois. Why it must seize the moment<\/a><\/p>\n

Did you catch this feature<\/a> by IndyStar IU insider Zach Osterman this week on Curt Cignetti? It dove into his past as a coach and how he has won everywhere.<\/p>\n

Insider: Curt Cignetti is ‘all about winning and competing,’ and he’s done it everywhere before IU football<\/a><\/p>\n

The Purdue-Notre Dame game undergoing a 2-hour delay means the Indiana football game against Illinois will start on Peacock, the team announced.<\/p>\n

Here’s how it looked as the Hoosiers arrived at Memorial Stadium:<\/p>\n

Good news came for Darian DeVries<\/a> and the IU basketball team today. They landed the No. 42 recruit in the Rivals industry rankings today. Chase Branham announced his commitment<\/a> on social media, read more here:<\/p>\n

Insider: Indiana basketball lands top-50 recruit, shooting guard in 2027 class. What to know<\/a><\/p>\n

Illinois is one of the more outspoken programs, typically with coach Bret Bielema doing most of the talking. But the Illini are aware of the greatness of IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza<\/a>. Here is what they said this week:<\/p>\n

‘Dude is an NFL quarterback.’ The impression Illinois has of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is high<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s an in-state doubleheader on NBC tonight. Purdue and Notre Dame were playing<\/a> late in the first half when their game was delayed due to weather<\/a>. It will be a delay lasting more than an hour<\/a> by the time they return. So what does that mean for IU-Illinois?<\/p>\n

For now, just a five-minute delay in kickoff. We’ll learn more about broadcast information closer to kickoff.<\/p>\n

The Hoosiers are at 6-1 odds to make the CFP, per BetMGM<\/a>. That gives the Hoosiers a 14.3% chance to make the playoffs.<\/p>\n

The Hoosiers have six wins against top-10 teams, the last coming against Penn State in overtime during the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season. It has been 39 years since it happened in front of fans, and 46 years since it happened at home. Here is more:<\/p>\n

More: How many times has Indiana football beaten a top-10 opponent? Here’s the list<\/a><\/p>\n

Two analysts on ESPN’s flagship pregame show picked Illinois as their “superdogs” in a game characterized as a “battle of cultures.” Here is how the segment went:<\/p>\n

More: ESPN ‘College GameDay’ picks for top-20 showdown between Illinois, Indiana football: ‘Battle of cultures’<\/a><\/p>\n

Indiana vs Illinois is Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.<\/p>\n

IU vs Illinois begins at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.<\/p>\n

TV: NBC<\/a> with Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst) and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)<\/p>\n

Watch IU football vs Illinois on Fubo (free trial)<\/a><\/p>\n

Streaming options include\u00a0Fubo, which offers a free trial<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Catch Indiana vs Illinois on Fubo<\/a><\/p>\n

Catch all the action between Indiana football and Illinois from Bloomington on NBC<\/a> (Fubo offers a free trial<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Watch Indiana and Illinois live<\/a><\/p>\n

Radio: Indiana Hoosier Sports Network with Don Fischer (play-by-play), Buck Suhr (analyst) and John HerrickStreaming:\u00a0SiriusXM<\/a>\u00a0Channel 82<\/p>\n

Ticket prices<\/a> for the Indiana vs Illinois game at Memorial Stadium start at $115 on StubHub<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Buy Indiana vs Illinois tickets<\/a><\/p>\n

Odds courtesy of\u00a0BetMGM<\/a><\/p>\n

Indiana 34, Illinois 21:\u00a0“One of the first major games on the conference calendar, this could act as a playoff eliminator for the loser. Illinois is experienced and confident, with Luke Altmyer back behind center after a 10-win 2024. But by this point, Indiana will have worked through any necessary growing pains, and in front of a sold-out crowd, the Hoosiers pass their first major test.” – IU reporter Zach Osterman<\/a>Spread:\u00a0Indiana by 6.5Over\/under:\u00a052.5Moneyline:\u00a0Indiana -250, Illinois +200<\/p>\n

Want more\u00a0Hoosiers<\/a>\u00a0coverage?\u00a0Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter<\/a>.\u00a0Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.\u00a0Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Indiana football team (4-0) destroyed No. 8 Illinois (3-1), 63-10, at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":171087,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[15994,13716,9069,6177,414,2205,1979,15998,17027,1976,1607,2662,522,6381,19549,19556,13715,19547,14805,15911,10079,399,664,15991,15995,8847,5629,54321,2652,102514,15903,13545,13558,13547,3,2313,13470,13560,15902,13544,19551,1079,19558,99,19554,2415,19552,13546,8462,6072,1596,826,13557,13692,19546],"class_list":["post-171086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-15994","tag-affiliate","tag-american","tag-american-football","tag-and","tag-betting","tag-big","tag-big-10-hub","tag-big-ten-conference-football","tag-college","tag-college-football","tag-college-sports","tag-commerce","tag-conference","tag-contains","tag-contains-commerce-or-affiliate-content","tag-content","tag-disclaimer","tag-exclude","tag-exclude-from-paywall-logic-testing","tag-fighting","tag-football","tag-from","tag-hoosiers","tag-hub","tag-illini","tag-illinois","tag-illinois-fighting-illini-football","tag-indiana","tag-indiana-hoosiers-football","tag-logic","tag-modular","tag-modular-story","tag-neutral","tag-news","tag-or","tag-overall","tag-overall-neutral","tag-paywall","tag-point","tag-scores","tag-sport","tag-sport-scores-u0026-statistics","tag-sports","tag-sports-betting-widget-and-disclaimer","tag-sports-news","tag-statistics","tag-story","tag-ten","tag-testing","tag-the","tag-to","tag-to-the-point","tag-u0026","tag-widget"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=171086"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171086\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/171087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=171086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=171086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=171086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}