Indiana Beats Western Ketucky 38-21

IU leads 31-7 entering the fourth quarter. To this point Ben Chappell is 28-for-36 for 330 yards and three touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown. He has hit six different receivers and Damarlo Belcher has eight catches and a career-high in yards (123), and Terrance Turner has a career-high eight catches. And there are still 15 minutes to go.

Nice day for the Indiana passing game and Chappell specifically.

-IU's defense looked awful on the opening drive of the fourth quarter. Western Kentucky went 50 yards on six plays, and Bobby Rainey capped it off with an 11-yard touchdown run. Rainey rushed three times for 28 yards on the drive thanks to some terrible tackling from the Hoosiers. 31-14 IU leads with 13:05 remaining in the contest.

-The Hoosiers respond with an 11-play, 80-yard drive. Nick Turner caps off the drive with a 24-yard run for a TOUCHDOWN HOOSIERS!! 38-14 IU, with 8:15 left.

That drive was clearly IU's attempt to establish some semblance of a running game. The results were mixed but it was nice to see Turner, a redshirt freshman, get into the end zone with solid run. He looked very fast on that play.

-IU's defense, again, gave up a huge play. Richard Council was beaten deep and a great catch by Marcus Vasquez. After review the call on the field of an incomplete pass was overturned (correctly) and Western Kentucky had a 31-yard touchdown hookup. 38-21 Indiana with 5:24 remaining.

-Neither team did much on the next two drives. Indiana bled the clock with three runs and a punt, then forced a WKU punt. The Hoosiers got the ball back on their own five-yard line and went to the victory formation and wound the clock out.

The Hoosiers are 2-0 for the seventh consecutive season, with a 38-21 victory.

Ben Chappell is easily your player of the game. Chappell's line looks like this: 32-of-42, 366 yards, three touchdowns (plus one rushing touchdown), and a 173.0 quarterback rating.

The Hoosiers have Akron at home at 7 p.m. next Saturday in what should actually be a pretty good game.

See you then.

Hoosiers leading 17-7 after the half. Hopefully they can carry the momentum from the end of the first half into the start of the third quarter.

-Hoosiers still getting nothing from the running game. Luckily Chappell and his receivers have continued to be too much for the Hilltoppers to handle. Just as I typed that, Trea Burgess broke through with a bruising run for 11 yards down to the WKU one-yard line. On the next play Chappell sneaks into the end zone on a quick snap TOUCHDOWN HOOSIERS! Ewald's extra point is good, 24-7 Indiana with 9:55 remaining in the third quarter.

Drive goes 39 yards on seven plays.

-IU starts on its own 18-yard line after a solid defensive series in which the Hoosiers forced a punt. WKU quarterback Kawaun Jakes had an 18-yard scramble for a first down, other than that the Hilltoppers looked completely stumped.

Chappell has really been spectacular in this game. It could be the best game of his collegiate career. This drive is showing that. He's making difficult throws look easy. Of course, it helps when you're throwing to Tandon Doss and Damarlo Belcher.

The drive ends on a phenomenal 11-yard throw and catch from Chappell to Ted Bolser. Amazing catch by Bolser in the end zone. Review shows that Bolser hung on to the ball for a TOUCHDOWN HOOSIERS!! Mitch Ewald knocks through the extra point, 31-7 Indiana with 18 seconds left in the third quarter.

13-play, 82-yard drive for IU.

-Hoosiers continue drive and Chappell hits Tandon Doss for a 24-yard gain down to the WKU 11-yard line. On the next play Chappell hooks up with Damarlo Belcher on an 11-yard out for a TOUCHDOWN HOOSIERS!! Extra point by Ewald is good and the Hoosiers have tied things up at 7 with 13:46 left in the second quarter.

Six-play, 59-yard drive.

-IU gets a defensive stop thanks to some good interior defense...can't believe I just wrote that. The Hoosiers stopped Rainey on the inside twice and covered well on 3rd and long. Punt goes into the End Zone, the Hoosiers will start from their 20-yard line with 10 minutes left in the half.

-Nick Turner and Antonio Banks get carries for IU, for eight and six yards respectively in the middle of the drive. Nice to see those guys getting involved. Chappell really starting to hit his guys in rhythm. Perfect example is a 20-yard hookup with Terrance Turner over the middle down to the WKU 11-yard line.

Chappell sacked for an eight-yard loss on third-and-11 from the WKU 12 yard line. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty puts the Hoosiers on the 10-yard line. Ewald nails the 28-yard field goal, 10-7 IU leads with 6:00 left in the half.

-IU's defense gets a stop. Punt downed at IU's 24-yard line. Here's a big opportunity for the Hoosiers to put some points on the board and seize momentum with 2:41 left in the opening half.

-On third and six from the WKU 43-yard line, Chappell finds freshman Duwyce Wilson for a 39-yard gain. Wilson showed the ability everyone knows he has. Two plays later and Chappell hits Tandon Doss for an unbelievable catch. TOUCHDOWN HOOSIERS!! Three-yard touchdown. Extra point is good, IU leads 17-7 with 15 seconds left in the half.

-IU gets the ball back on a completely unexpected onside kick. Not really sure the thinking behind that. Maybe just trying something to try it. Hoosiers try one pass, incomplete to Doss and then just kneel it down.

17-7 Hoosiers at the half.

First Half Stats:
Total Yards: Indiana: 254, WKU: 125.
Chappell: 17-for-23, 230 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, 186.6 rating.

Darius Willis: 9 carries for 11 yards.
Nick Turner: 1 carry, 9 yards.
Tandon Doss: 1 carry, 8 yards.
Antonio Banks: 2 carries, 5 yards.

Damarlo Belcher: 6 catches for 81 yards, one touchdown.
Tandon Doss: 4 catches, 50 yards, one touchdown.
Duwyce Wilson: 2 catches, 40 yards.
Terrance Turner: 3 catches, 27 yards.
Darius Willis: 1 catch, 18 yards.
Ted Bolser: 1 catch, 14 yards.