On a November afternoon in Bloomington, Indiana, the Hoosiers and the Trojans met in a contest where every point was earned in a hard fight, and the final tally of 27-13 settled more than a score. Indiana, still chasing the defense of a national title, leaves with its playoff path intact, while USC, a program that has spent this season searching for its footing on the road, watches its own hopes slip away. The game turned on errors that were as much about nerves and timing as about talent, the kind of small failures that decide whether a season endures or ends.
Indiana Holds Off USC 27-13, Keeping Its College Football Playoff Hopes Alive at 9-1
USC left the points behind, and Indiana drove 93 yards the other way.
Mark
Indiana won by 14, but it sounds like the game was close for a long time. What actually decided it?
Mimi
The fourth quarter. USC missed a field goal that would have made it a four-point game, then Maiava threw an interception in the red zone. Indiana turned that turnover into a 93-yard touchdown drive.
Luke
Worth noting the score was 10-7 at the half and tied again before Indiana pulled ahead. The margin looks bigger than the game felt.
Mark
Indiana was missing running back Turbo Richard. Did that matter?
Mimi
The report says the ground game took a hit before kickoff. It doesn't say how many yards Indiana ran for, though, so the effect is unclear.
Luke
Right. We know he was out, but nothing here measures what it cost them. The touchdowns it describes came through the air and on a short drive from Martin.
Mark
And USC's kicking trouble?
Mimi
Sayeri missed on the first drive, and Chittenden, who replaced him, missed the one that could have cut the lead. Those points mattered.
Luke
Careful with cause, though. Missed kicks hurt, but the report also shows three interceptions, including two late. I'd not pin it on the kickers alone.
Mark
What does it mean for both teams going forward?
Mimi
USC, at three losses, is pretty much done as a playoff contender. Indiana is 9-1 and heads to Washington next.
Luke
"Pretty much done" is the report's read, not a formal elimination. Indiana's standing also depends on how the rankings treat the rest of its schedule, which we don't have here.
Le Pouls
- Indiana's offense sputtered without its starting running back, and every possession carried the weight of a must-win afternoon.
- A red-zone interception and a missed field goal left USC standing on the edge of a comeback it never fully reached.
- Indiana answered each Trojan threat with its own drive, turning a tight first half into a 93-yard strike that tilted the game for good.
- A desperate deep throw on 4th-and-13 was picked off in USC territory, and the Trojans' playoff hopes effectively ended with it.
- Indiana heads to Washington at 9-1 with its postseason alive, while USC turns toward Maryland needing to salvage a season that has slipped away.
On a November afternoon in Bloomington, Indiana, the Hoosiers and the Trojans met in a contest where every point was earned in a hard fight, and the final tally of 27-13 settled more than a score. Indiana, still chasing the defense of a national title, leaves with its playoff path intact, while USC, a program that has spent this season searching for its footing on the road, watches its own hopes slip away. The game turned on errors that were as much about nerves and timing as about talent, the kind of small failures that decide whether a season endures or ends.
Indiana's first score came on a touchdown pass from Grant Wilson to Brock Schott, and it set the tone for a game where points were scarce. When the final whistle sounded, the Hoosiers had beaten USC 27-13, improved to 9-1, and kept their hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff and defending their national title alive.
Both teams arrived needing a win. USC, under Lincoln Riley, had struggled away from home, and Indiana had lost running back Turbo Richard before kickoff, a serious blow to its ground game. The first half belonged to the defenses, with each side trading field goals and Indiana holding a 10-7 lead late in the second quarter. A Deven Bryant interception of Wilson gave USC a short field, and Jayden Maiava responded with a 51-yard completion and a 7-yard touchdown to Zacharyus Williams to tie the game.
Indiana regained the lead with a 75-yard drive finished by Khobie Martin, and USC's answer stalled when Caden Chittenden missed a field goal that could have cut the margin to four. Later, Maiava threw an interception in the red zone, and Indiana turned the takeaway into a 93-yard drive capped by a 42-yard touchdown to Charlie Becker. The game ended when Maiava, facing 4th-and-13 deep in his own territory, threw a desperate pass that Jamari Sharpe intercepted.
USC's third loss leaves its playoff chances nearly finished. Indiana, now 6-1 in the Big Ten, travels to Washington next week, while USC turns to a Maryland team that is also struggling.
Indiana's first score on Saturday in Bloomington came on a touchdown pass from quarterback Grant Wilson to tight end Brock Schott, and it set the tone for a game in which points were hard to come by. By the end, the Hoosiers had beaten USC 27-13, moved to 9-1, and kept alive their hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff and defending their national title.
The two programs had met only five times before this game, and both arrived needing a win to stay in the playoff picture. USC, under coach Lincoln Riley, has struggled away from home, and this was a road game. Indiana had its own problem before kickoff: running back Turbo Richard was ruled out, a blow to the Hoosiers' ground game.
The first half belonged to the defenses. Each team missed a field goal, then made one, leaving Indiana ahead 10-7 with less than a minute before halftime. Then USC's Deven Bryant intercepted Wilson, handing the ball to Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava. He completed a 51-yard pass to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and then threw a 7-yard touchdown to wideout Zacharyus Williams, tying the game.
Each side kicked a field goal early in the second half. Indiana then went ahead on a five-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a touchdown by Khobie Martin.
USC answered with a long drive, but it ended early in the fourth quarter with a field goal attempt that would have cut Indiana's lead to four. Kicker Caden Chittenden, who had come in after Ryon Sayeri missed a field goal on the Trojans' first drive of the game, missed as well, and USC left the points behind.
Later in the quarter, the Trojans reached deep into Hoosier territory, and again came away empty when Maiava threw an interception in the red zone. The turnover cost USC more than the points it lost: Indiana drove 93 yards the other way, with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Becker doing most of the work.
The last mistake came with USC facing 4th-and-13 on its own end of the field. Maiava, with few options left to keep his team in the game, threw a deep pass that defensive back Jamari Sharpe intercepted. That ended it.
The loss is USC's third of the season, which leaves its playoff hopes all but finished. Indiana is now 9-1 overall and 6-1 in Big Ten play. Next week the Hoosiers travel to Washington to face the Huskies, while USC looks to rebound against a struggling Maryland team.
Envie de l'histoire complète ?
Lire l'original sur Fox News ↗