Tayven Jackson leads Indiana to 41-7 rout of Indiana State in first career start
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Tayven Jackson completed 18 of 21 passes for 236 yards and added a 10-yard touchdown run in his first career start, and Indiana racked up 558 yards of total offense Friday night in a 41-7 rout of visiting Indiana State.
Jaylin Lucas finished with 10 carries for 88 yards and four catches for 39 yards. His pair of 25-yard TD runs opened the scoring in the first quarter. Jackson’s scamper up the middle made it 21-0 at the end of the period and the Hoosiers (1-1) were never threatened the rest of the way.
The Sycamores (0-2) were held to 93 total yards, scoring their only points on Maddix Blackwell’s 75-yard fumble return in the second quarter that cut the deficit to 21-7. The Hoosiers got a 28-yard field goal from Chris Freeman just before halftime.
Christian Turner and Josh Henderson had short scoring runs in the second half and Nicolas Radicic capped it with a 21-yard field goal.
Jackson split time with fellow redshirt freshman Brendan Sorsby, who started last week’s season opener, a 23-3 loss to Ohio State. Sorsby was 9 of 16 for 108 yards.
The point total was Indiana’s highest since a 56-14 defeat of Idaho on Sept. 11, 2021. The Hoosiers improved to 7-0 all time against Indiana State, an FCS program.
THE TAKEAWAYS
Indiana State: The moribund offensive performance undoubtedly made for a bittersweet night for coach Curt Mallory. His late father, Bill, remains Indiana’s all-time leader in coaching victories after leading the Hoosiers to six bowl games between 1986 and 1993. Now in his seventh season as Indiana State coach, Curt Mallory fell to 0-6 against FBS opponents.
Indiana: For a program that had gone 6-20 in its previous 26 contests, any win is a good win. A win with above-average quarterback play is even better. Given the way Jackson played, it might be his job to lose. He showed he’s capable of playing within offensive coordinator Walt Bell’s system, making big plays and affecting games with his ability to run.
UP NEXT
Indiana State: The Sycamores face another in-state rival when they play at Ball State Sept. 16.
Indiana: The Hoosiers continue the nonconference portion of their schedule against Louisville on Sept. 16 at a neutral site, in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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