BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Rutgers started the week smarting after one of its most humiliating defeats in recent years, which is no small statement given who is being discussed.
The Scarlet Knights ended it with their most dominant day as a Big Ten member.
Go figure.
Greg Schiano said he’s stopped trying to figure out how his Scarlet Knights are going to fare each week. Fans might as well join him and just enjoy the ride. Especially after this roller coaster of a season spiked in historic fashion with a 38-3 beatdown of Indiana on Saturday at frigid Memorial Stadium -- the biggest margin of victory ever against a Big Ten opponent -- to remain in the postseason hunt and end a five-game losing skid in the league series.
The victory pulls Rutgers back to .500 at 5-5, one win away from clinching its first bowl bid in seven seasons with two games remaining. The Scarlet Knights will be a sizable underdog at No. 23 Penn State next weekend, but even with a loss in Happy Valley they are guaranteed a win-and-in matchup at home against Maryland in the regular season finale on Nov. 27.
That game may be a postseason play-in, too. Maryland is 5-4 with matchups against No. 8 Michigan State and No. 9 Michigan this weekend and next. So it is possible, if not likely, the Scarlet Knights and Terrapins will both enter with 5-6 records.
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So how did Rutgers put its ugly 52-3 loss to Wisconsin -- and it wasn’t even that close -- behind it? It certainly helps that Indiana is wheels-completely-off-the-wagon-bad. But more credit is due to a short-handed, but swarming, defense, an efficient if underwhelming offense and more stellar special teams play.
The Scarlet Knights forced a season-high six turnovers while committing none a week after they had a year-worst four giveaways. The defense, playing without its entire starting linebackers corps, forced five turnovers while dominating the Hoosiers’ hapless offense. The sixth takeaway came on a muffed punt. And while the offense had its ebbs and flows, it capitalized on short fields whenever gifted them. Which was frequent.
Isaih Pacheco rumbled for 79 yards and two touchdowns to key a rushing attack that combined for 194 yards. Quarterback Noah Vedral was solid -- 97 pass yards, 28 rush yards and a touchdown -- but most importantly upright. It was the first time in five games he did not miss snaps due to injury. And they even threw a trick play in, with left tackle Raiqwon O’Neal scoring on a goal line lateral for the second straight season.
Rutgers’ last trip to Bloomington -- the infamous one pass yard game in 2019 -- started with a turnover. Tight end Johnny Langan, then the starting quarterback, was strip-sacked and the fumble was returned for a touchdown seconds into that 35-0 loss. This game started a similar way, albeit in Rutgers’ favor.
McCulley bobbled the opening snap at the Indiana 21 and defensive end Mohamed Toure fell on it. The Scarlet Knights capitalized on the short field, an 8-yard touchdown run by Pacheco giving them a 7-0 lead. Pacheco added a 3-yard scoring run later in the first quarter to make it 14-0.
Rutgers pushed its lead to 17-0 early in the second quarter on a 38-yard field goal by Valentino Ambrosio. Indiana finally got on the board with two seconds left in the half on a 47-yard field goal by Charles Campbell (who missed a 35-yarder earlier).
The Hoosiers were plagued by four turnovers in the first half -- two lost fumbles by McCulley and two interceptions by Jack Tuttle, who replaced McCulley before leaving due to injury. But Indiana was able to salvage something from its rough start when McCulley hit Ty Fryfogle for a 46-yard strike to set up the field goal.
Linebacker Tyreem Powell -- making his first career start -- and cornerback Max Melton had the interceptions. Defensive tackle Ifeanyi Maijeh recovered a first-half fumble and linebacker Rashawn Battle grabbed one in garbage time.
Fryfogle then muffed a punt early in the third quarter. Long snapper Billy Taylor recovered it on the Indiana 10, setting up a touchdown run by Aaron Young on the next play.
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James Kratch may be reached at [email protected].