Turbo Richard Runs for 204 Yards as Indiana Crushes Rutgers

Richard sparks explosive ground game

Turbo Richard made a fast recovery from a right ankle injury, running for a career best 204 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. His big night powered sixth ranked Indiana to a 45-17 road victory against Rutgers at SHI Stadium.

Richard was helped off the field just eight days earlier during the first half against Northwestern on Sept. 25. He said he was not sure how bad the injury was at the time, but he focused on getting back quickly. The extra work in the training room showed on Saturday, as he averaged 15.7 yards per carry. That stands as the best mark by an Indiana runner with at least 10 attempts over the past 30 years. It was also the highest single game rushing total for a Hoosiers back since Stevie Scott reached 204 yards in 2018.

Hoosiers roll to 21st straight victory

The win moved Indiana to 5-0 on the season and extended the longest active FBS winning streak to 21 games. The defending national champions gained 329 rushing yards on the ground and received major contributions across the roster.

Quarterback Josh Hoover completed 20 of 27 passes for 251 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Charlie Becker caught eight passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns, and Nick Marsh brought in seven catches for 120 yards and a score.

Lee Beebe Jr. added 122 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries after being listed as a game time decision. Beebe had rushed for 203 yards against Northwestern the previous week. Head coach Curt Cignetti said the defense was tremendous in shutting down Rutgers until late in the contest, while the offense produced plenty of big plays.

Richard and Beebe combined for 12 runs of 10 or more yards. The backfield could get even stronger later this year when Khobie Martin returns from a broken arm.

What it means for the next game

Indiana Hoosiers at Nebraska Cornhuskers (College Football, Sat, 10 Oct): Nebraska Cornhuskers win 27%, Indiana Hoosiers win 73%; projected score Nebraska Cornhuskers 22, Indiana Hoosiers 30. Our safest pick: Indiana to win.