#2 Excel H Sports Ranked Hoosiers Cruise past the Badgers 

#2 Excel H Sports Ranked Hoosiers Cruise past the Badgers

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

Photos by: Eric Thieszen/TPC

    The #2 Excel H Sports Ranked Indiana Hoosiers are 11-0 for the first time in Program History and 8-0 in the Big Ten Conference after a 31-7 win over the Wisconsin Badgers Saturday afternoon at a sold-out Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. Indiana will be off next Saturday before their final regular season game November 28, at Purdue at 7:30 PM on NBC. Indiana finished 9-0-1 in 1945, and this would be the second time the Hoosiers would complete a regular season without a loss.

  Indiana is one game away from clinching a spot in the Big Ten Championship December 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Hoosiers won the Big Ten Title in 1945 and shared it in 1967, but the Hoosiers have never been too Big Ten Championship game since it began in 2011 but that is about to change.

    29 Seniors were honored before the game and two that are out for the season could comeback if they apply for a medical red shirt and could return in 2026 if they chose to return. Indiana is now 15-0 at home since Curt Cignetti arrived in Bloomington and many of the Seniors that were honored before the game made their presence felt in this game.

   Wisconsin dropped to 3-7 overall and 1-6 in the Big Ten officially eliminated from bowl contention. The Badgers will host Illinois Next Week and travel to Minnesota on November 29 for the regular season finale. The Hoosiers have won 3 straight in the series since 2020 as the Badgers lead the all-time series 41-21-2 and Indiana is 11-17-1 all time in Bloomington against Wisconsin.

   Indiana is 22-2 under Curt Cignetti and has won 19 of the 22 games by double digits. The Hoosiers are 16-1 in the Big Ten and have 13 of those games by double digits. Indiana has outscored its opponents 476-128 this season and since Cignetti arrived in Bloomington in two seasons the Hoosiers have dominated opponents 982-266 in the 22 wins and been outscored 65-32 in the two losses the Hoosiers suffered to Ohio State and Notre Dame.

   Fernando Mendoza threw 4 touchdown passes to become the all-time single season touchdown passing leader in program history. Coming into the game Mendoza was behind Nate Sudfeld who threw 27 in 2015, Kellen Lewis who threw 28 in 2007 and Kurtis Rourke who threw 29 in 2024. Mendoza passed all of them in one game and with several games left he could put that record out of reach by the time the season is over.  Mendoza completed 22 of his 24 passes for 299 yards.  Mendoza is 203-278 for 2,641 yards with 30 touchdown passes and 5 interceptions.

   Roman Hemby had 58 of the Hoosiers 69 rushing yards as Charlie Becker followed up his career performance at Penn State with 5 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown. Alberto Mendoza completed one pass for 6 yards as the Mendoza Brothers finished with 305 yards passing total. Elijah Sarratt did not play for the second straight game with a hamstring injury but is expected back for the Purdue game in two weeks.  Omar Cooper Jr, Holden States and former Badger Riley Nowakowski all caught a touchdown pass from Mendoza.

    The Badgers started true freshman Carter Smith who 3-12 for 8 yards last week against Washington after replacing Indianapolis Native Danny O’Neil who suffered a leg injury and was ruled out this week. Smith completed 9 of his 15 passes for 98 yards with a touchdown pass and interception. The Badgers had 30 carries for 70 yards and Lance Mason had a 45-yard touchdown reception which was his only catch of the game.

    Wisconsin got the ball first and used up 7:39 of clock but missed a Field Goal. The Hoosiers scored on their first drive when Mendoza found Charlie Becker in the end zone on a 31-yard strike to make it 7-0 Hoosiers, with 2:56 left in the first quarter. Wisconsin tied the game 7-7 when Smith found Mason wide open for 45 yards with 3:42 left in the second quarter. Indiana went into the locker room 10-7 when Nico Radicic kicked a 37-yard field goal.

    The Hoosiers outscored the Badgers 21-0 in the second half as Mendoza threw three touchdown passes. Holden Staes caught a 2-yard pass with 10:19 left in the third quarter to make it 17-7. After Indiana recovered a Badger fumble the Hoosiers scored when Former Wisconsin Player and now Hoosier Riley Nowakowski scored on a 21-yard pass from Mendoza to make it 24-7 with 4:44 left in the third quarter.

    The Hoosiers picked Carter Smith with 9:42 left in the game when Devan Boykin came up with the pick. Mendoza found Omar Cooper Jr. with 5:21 left in the game to seal the win for the Hoosiers and keep their hopes for a perfect regular season and Big Ten Championship Game spot alive along with a Bye in the College Football Playoff.