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Indiana held Purdue to just one touchdown in the second half as their defense on Saturday bailed out an anemic Hoosier offense that shot itself in the foot all too often (scheduled tweet). No matter how it happen, the Hoosiers are bowl-bound once again.
1. Indiana is bowl bound
The takeaway from this game is what was mentioned already, but the Hoosiers are going to a bowl. At the beginning of the season, the goal was clear: get to a bowl game and continue the momentum the program has built.
The road they traveled to get to the destination is all but irrelevant. They have six wins. If you’d told any fan prior to the season that you could be guaranteed a 6-6 record at season’s end, they’d be insane not to take it.
2. The Bucket stays in Bloomington yet again
The other clear takeaway from this game is that the Old Oaken Bucket is staying in Bloomington for another year. The four-straight wins are the most by Indiana since the Bucket was introduced and matches the longest win streak the Hoosiers have had at any point in the rivalry.
3. Fred Glass better be ready to break out the checkbook for Tom Allen
The Hoosier offense today was, in no uncertain terms, horrible. They threw four interceptions, they had untimely penalties and they couldn’t get going for much of the second half.
But the Hoosier defense answered the bell. Markell Jones was held to 35 yards and the Boilermaker rushing game was rendered a non-factor. Blough threw for 225 yards, but completed right at 50 percent of his passes and threw two interceptions, none bigger than the one to Jonathan Crawford to all but seal the game late.
Tom Allen turned around what was one of the worst defenses in the country in just one year with a roster that didn’t have a ton of depth or talent, particularly up front. He’s going to be a top priority for many schools this winter and spring and Glass better be ready to fork out the big bucks.
We’ll have much more on this win, the upcoming bowl and Zander Diamont in the coming days and weeks. For now, enjoy being bowl-bound and Bucket-havers.