Indiana football dominates Michigan State 47-10, secures 1st 9-0 start in program history

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — In 2019, Homefield Apparel began selling a #9WINDIANA T-shirt after Indiana University football fans created the hashtag with the hopes of the program achieving nine wins that season.

But that didn't happen as IU lost 23-22 to Tennessee in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl to finish with eight wins. Then from 2021-2023 IU compiled a 9-27 record.

The last time Indiana won nine games in a season was 1967 and the program had never achieved a perfect 9-0 start.

On Saturday, under first-year coach Curt Cignetti, #9WINDIANA finally became real for fans as the Hoosiers moved to 9-0 after defeating Michigan State 47-10, in East Lansing, Michigan. It's also the most points IU has scored in East Lansing in program history.

Kurtis Rourke finished 19-29 with 263 yards and four touchdowns in his first game back since having surgery on his right thumb.

Michigan State got on the board first with a field goal from 46 yards out. It was the first time IU had given up any points in the first quarter or trailed in general all season.

The Spartans extended their lead in the first quarter to 10 after Aidan Chiles scrambled and Nick Marsh was able to get open just quick enough to make a diving catch in the end zone.

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But those were the last points Michigan State would score in the Battle for the Old Brass Spittoon.

"Now we can't say we're a team that never trailed before, because we got 10-0," Cignetti said. "Now we all know how we're gonna respond when we're down."

Indiana scored its first points of the day when Rourke found tight end Zach Horton wide-open from 17 yards out to cut the deficit to 10-7 with 14 minutes left in the half.

The Hoosiers took their first lead of the afternoon after Rourke found Ke'Shawn Williams for 38 yards that led to a Ty Son Lawton score from one-yard out.

In the third quarter the Hoosiers blocked a punt that resulted in a safety then on the next offensive possession Rourke found a wide-open Myles Price to make it 30 unanswered points and a 30-10 lead.

IU scored 17 more points in the fourth to secure a 47-10 victory. The Hoosiers kept their streak of defeating every opponent by at least 14 points.

After seeing #9WINDIANA finally come to fruition, the Hoosiers now have a good chance of being one of the top 12 teams in the first College Football Playoff ranking reveal Tuesday.