COLUMBUS, Ohio — Indiana soccer coach Curt Cignetti was somewhat sick and bored with the “narrative” surrounding his staff’s place within the School Soccer Playoff rankings main into Saturday’s sport towards Ohio State.
Most of these complaints have been directed at IU’s comfortable schedule and Cignetti gave his unvarnished ideas on the subject throughout a pre-game interview with ESPN.
“Individuals can stick that narrative up their you already know what,” Cignetti stated.
The quote did not age properly.
Indiana misplaced 38-15 to OSU at Ohio Stadium with notable miscues in all three phases. The Buckeyes reeled off 31 consecutive factors after IU scored on its opening possession whereas holding the Hoosiers to 151 yards — they traded touchdowns throughout the sport’s ultimate two minutes.
It was the offense’s least productive sport throughout Cignetti’s younger tenure as coach and simply the fifth time in 10 seasons that the Hoosiers have not hit the 200-yard mark.
Ohio State beat up on IU beginning quarterback Kurtis Rourke with 5 sacks and compelled IU to all however abandon the cross sport within the second half. Rourke was held to lower than 100 yards passing (68) for the primary time since 2021 and fourth time in his profession. He additionally completed the sport together with his profession worst completion proportion (44%) in a single-game.
The No. 5 Hoosiers (10-1; 7-1 Huge Ten) have now misplaced 30 straight video games to No. 2 Ohio State (10-1; 7-1) and have not gained in Columbus since 1987. It is one of many longest lively dropping streaks between two opponents within the nation and one of many longest all-time between energy convention groups.
Ohio State security Caleb Downs put his stamp on the sport
A lot has been made about IU’s switch haul, however Ohio State did not do too dangerous within the portal both.
The Buckeyes prized switch Caleb Downs, a former Alabama security who was the No. 1 rated switch within the nation per 247 Sports activities, gave the staff its first punt return landing in a decade to take a 21-7 lead within the third quarter.
Downs let the ball bounce in entrance of him and obtained free down the sideline with a fairly spin that despatched IU lengthy snapper Mark Langston crusing previous him. Hoosiers security Shawn Asbury II and linebacker Aiden Fisher gave chase, however Downs turned on the burners to get into the open area.
Ohio State had been selective about utilizing Downs on punt returns this season, and had solely two returns by way of the staff’s first 10 video games.
It was the primary return for a landing IU has allowed since 2021 in a loss to Cincinnati, and it could not have come at a worse time for a Hoosiers staff that was in determined want of a spark popping out of halftime. Indiana solely crossed midfield twice within the second half and even punted from inside OSU territory.
Ohio State turns the warmth as much as take the lead over Indiana soccer
Ohio State operating again TreVeyon Henderson’s 4-yard landing gave his staff a 14-7 to shut out the second quarter. The Buckeyes took benefit of a brief area after IU punter James Evans fumbled a snap and was tackled at his personal 7-yard line with simply 1:41 to go within the half.
Henderson scored three performs later.
Ohio State’s success in bringing stress towards IU made the second quarter a totally one-sided affair. The Hoosiers struggled to choose up the blitz and sacked Rourke 3 times — two of the sacks got here on third down makes an attempt — with an unblocked defender.
Linebacker Cody Simon had a crushing blindside hit on Rourke that induced the quarterback to fumble at his 18-yard line with 6:23 left within the half.
Indiana’s protection managed to pressure a turnover of its personal with an interception by Jailin Walker to stem the bleeding, however Howard was in any other case good within the half. He accomplished his first 14 cross makes an attempt and his prettiest throw of the day got here throughout that stretch when he hit Emeka Egbuka for an 11-yard landing to tie the sport.
He took benefit of a mismatch in the long run zone with Egbuka lined up towards defensive finish Lanell Carr in one-on-one protection.
Indiana soccer didn’t have any jitters on the large stage towards Ohio State
The second quarter was in stark distinction to the sport’s opening minutes, which unfolded equally to IU’s lengthy listing of blowout wins this season. The Hoosiers compelled a fast three-and-out and marched proper down the sphere to take a 7-0 lead on an 11-play, 70-yard drive.
It was their first lead in a sport towards OSU since 2018.
Rourke used the center of the sphere — and obtained all types of time within the pocket to throw the ball — to transform a pair of third and longs.
The drive ended with Ty Son Lawton punching the ball throughout the objective line on a direct snap. It was the JMU switch’s tenth landing of the season, essentially the most in a single season for an IU operating again since Stevie Scott had double-digit touchdowns in 2020.
Ohio State’s ensuing drives featured some wild momentum swings.
The Buckeyes had been flagged for a block within the again — it worn out a would-be 20-yard achieve right down to IU’s 5-yard line on a swing cross to Henderson — and intentional grounding on back-to-back performs. The flags turned what would have been first and objective into third and 35.
Howard made up for the miscues with completions of 25 and 24 yards to Carnell Tate to get OSU again on observe towards an IU protection that had allowed the third-fewest passing performs of 20 yards or extra (18) within the FBS coming into the sport. He was 22 of 26 within the win with 201 yards and two touchdowns.
Indiana made a stand contained in the 5-yard line by stopping each OSU’s prime backs on short-yardage conditions.
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Occasions. You possibly can comply with him on X @michaelniziolek and skim all his protection by clicking right here.