Kurtis Rourke went 19-of-29 passing for 263 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 13 Indiana to a 47-10 win over Michigan State in Big Ten play at East Lansing, Mich., on Saturday.
Rourke returned after missing last week’s win over Washington with a thumb injury and helped keep hopes of a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff berth alive for Indiana (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten).
Indiana also reclaimed the Old Brass Spittoon, the trophy that’s at stake when these teams face each other.
Aidan Chiles went 16-of-24 passing for 193 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions for Michigan State (4-5, 2-4).
Michigan State led 10-0 after the first quarter but then couldn’t stop Indiana’s run of 47 unanswered points.
The Hoosiers scored 21 points in the second quarter, starting when Rourke hit tight end Zach Horton for a 17-yard touchdown with 14:13 left in the first half to finish off a seven-play, 75-yard drive and cut Michigan State’s lead to 10-7.
Indiana took a 14-10 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Ty Son Lawton with 6:22 remaining in the second quarter, and then went up 21-10 on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Rourke to Elijah Sarratt with 2:10 remaining.
Following a safety, Rourke hit Myles Price for an 18-yard touchdown with 11:39 remaining in the third quarter to put Indiana ahead 30-10.
A 16-yard touchdown run by Omar Cooper Jr. with 14:05 remaining in the game and an 11-yard touchdown pass from Rourke to Sarratt with 10:52 left gave Indiana a 47-10 lead.
Michigan State got off to a good start, taking its lead on a 47-yard field goal by Jonathan Kim and an 18-yard touchdown pass from Chiles to Nick Marsh.
The road team won for the fifth straight time in the rivalry.
–Field Level Media
