Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza came up big Saturday night in the highly anticipated Indiana Hoosiers Football Vs Ohio State Buckeyes Football Match Player Stats showdown.
His 17-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt provided the Hoosiers with the lead they needed and eventually led them to their first outright Big Ten championship in more than 48 years.
The thrilling victory over Ohio State also likely secured Indiana a top seed in the College Football Playoff, marking one of the biggest moments in program history.
| Rank | Match & Year | Winner | Score | Key Player Stats / Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025 Big Ten Championship | Indiana | 13-10 | Fernando Mendoza threw for 222 yards and a TD; Indiana ended Ohio State’s 29-game winning streak. |
| 2 | 2024 Top-5 Showdown | Ohio State | 38-15 | Ohio State dominated with 316 total yards while limiting Indiana to 151 yards. |
| 3 | 2020 Big Ten Thriller | Ohio State | 42-35 | Justin Fields threw for 300+ yards and 2 TDs; Indiana nearly completed a huge comeback. (Wikipedia) |
| 4 | 2018 Offensive Shootout | Ohio State | 49-26 | Dwayne Haskins passed for 455 yards and 6 TDs in one of the series’ best QB performances. |
| 5 | 2022 Columbus Clash | Ohio State | 56-14 | C.J. Stroud led an explosive offense with Ohio State recording 662 total yards. |
| 6 | 2021 Bloomington Battle | Ohio State | 54-7 | C.J. Stroud and TreVeyon Henderson powered Ohio State with 539 total offensive yards. |
| 7 | 1987 Historic Upset | Indiana | 31-10 | Indiana shocked Ohio State in one of the biggest upsets in program history. |
| 8 | 1988 Repeat Upset | Indiana | 41-7 | Anthony Thompson starred as Indiana defeated Ohio State in consecutive seasons. |
| 9 | 1990 Dramatic Tie | Tie | 27-27 | One of only five ties in series history; featured late-game heroics from both teams. |
| 10 | 2023 Season Opener | Ohio State | 23-3 | Kyle McCord debuted at QB as Ohio State’s defense held Indiana to just 153 yards. |
Passing
Indiana’s tenacious defense thwarted Ohio State’s top-ranked offense, while Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza delivered a key performance to put Indiana in control for good.
Mendoza completed 15 of 23 for 222 yards and one touchdown on an otherwise uneven night offensively; yet still made big plays when necessary — like throwing Elijah Sarratt a 17-yard pass to start their second half possession off right.
Indiana held Ohio State to 322 yards total and forced two turnovers. Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones registered two of their sacks while nine tackles for loss were registered by Indiana’s defense – it has allowed just 21.7 points per game against teams ranked within the top 25 this season!
At less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, Indiana made their biggest play of the game when faced with third-and-6 at OSU 3-yard line on third down – driving all the way there on third down, facing third down, then on fourth down when Mendoza completed a 33-yard pass to Charlie Becker that ran down the clock and sealed their win.
Hoosiers (12-1) appear poised to enter Selection Sunday as college football’s No. 1 overall seed, but Ohio State (13-0) might not be as secure in its position following last weekend’s missed opportunity to clinch outright conference titles since 1945, potentially falling behind one-loss champs Georgia and Texas Tech in CFP rankings.
Rushing
Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University in NCAA Division I FBS competition and competes in the Big Ten Conference.
Their official statistical leaders cover passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats and kicking. Each category lists single game, season and career leaders.
Since Big Ten added its championship game in 2011 games played during postseason bowls don’t count against redshirting players’ redshirt seasons and these additional opportunities now allow very freshmen players to accumulate additional games of statistics. IU uses a spread option offense which has led to offensive records being set with numerous offensive records broken.
| Team | Player | Position | Passing Yards | Passing TDs | Rushing Yards | Rushing TDs | Receiving Yards | Receiving TDs | Defensive Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Hoosiers football | Kurtis Rourke | QB | 2,827 | 27 | 48 | 2 | — | — | Strong pocket passer |
| Indiana Hoosiers | Justice Ellison | RB | — | — | 848 | 10 | 176 | 1 | Reliable red-zone runner |
| Indiana Hoosiers | Elijah Sarratt | WR | — | — | — | — | 890 | 8 | Big-play receiving threat |
| Indiana Hoosiers | Omar Cooper Jr. | WR | — | — | — | — | 594 | 5 | Deep-ball specialist |
| Indiana Hoosiers | Mikail Kamara | DE | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 sacks, dominant edge rusher |
| Indiana Hoosiers | Aiden Fisher | LB | — | — | — | — | — | — | Team-leading tackler |
| Ohio State Buckeyes football | Will Howard | QB | 4,010 | 35 | 226 | 7 | — | — | Elite dual-threat QB |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | Quinshon Judkins | RB | — | — | 1,060 | 14 | 161 | 2 | Powerful rushing attack |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | TreVeyon Henderson | RB | — | — | 927 | 10 | 284 | 1 | Explosive speed back |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | Jeremiah Smith | WR | — | — | 47 | 1 | 1,315 | 15 | Freshman star receiver |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | Emeka Egbuka | WR | — | — | 32 | 0 | 947 | 10 | Reliable possession receiver |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | Cody Simon | LB | — | — | — | — | — | — | 112 tackles, defensive leader |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | Jack Sawyer | DE | — | — | — | — | — | — | Elite pass rusher |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | Denzel Burke | CB | — | — | — | — | — | — | Top secondary defender |
Receiving
Indiana Hoosiers defense effectively neutralized No.1 Ohio State Buckeyes during Saturday night’s Big Ten Championship game, while their offense proved balanced enough against an opponent boasting one of the nation’s best pass defenses – all which contributed to an 18-13 win and claim their first conference championship in nearly half a century while likely earning them an automatic spot into College Football Playoff.
Hoosiers weren’t able to score until late in the third quarter when quarterback Fernando Mendoza made history by tossing Elijah Sarratt a 17-yard touchdown pass for their first lead of the second half.
That triggered an incredible drive which included Mendoza throwing two passes – 51 to Charlie Becker and 33 for Sarratt (who finished with 126 receiving yards on Friday night).
Indiana set school records for total offensive yards and points during its win against Ohio State, led by Mendoza who completed 15 of 23 passes for 222 passing yards and one touchdown while also helping lead an effective defensive unit that limited Ohio State to under 300 total offense yards – 46 being rushing yards! It marked Indiana’s first conference championship since 1967 – its first outright conference championship for nearly 50 years!
Total Offense
Total Offense or Total Yards in gridiron football, is a measurement that tracks the combined yards accumulated from passing and running plays by one team during game preparation.
Coaches use total Offense as one indicator of overall Offense Efficiency and coaches track it extensively during preparation sessions for games.
To be counted as total Offensive Yards the ball must cross into the opposing team’s end zone first before being classified as total Offensive Yards.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Ohio State Heisman Trophy candidate Julian Sayin played to an even contest Saturday, both teams producing big plays in the first half.
But in the third quarter, Mendoza made two perfect throws to give Indiana the lead – including an Elijah Sarratt touchdown near the sideline – before its defense shut out Ohio State for good to secure its first Big Ten championship since 1967 and likely secure a No. 1 seed in College Football Playoffs; Hoosiers have not defeated Buckeyes since 1988!
Kicking
The Ohio State Buckeyes football statistical leaders represent individual statistical leaders of Ohio State University football program in various categories such as passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats and kicking.
The Indiana Hoosiers Football Vs Ohio State Buckeyes Football Match Player Stats showcase some of the most remarkable performances in college football history.
These leaders can be identified through single-game, single-season, and career statistics. Since 2011, when the Big Ten established a championship game, players have had more opportunities each season to accumulate impressive numbers, especially with additional postseason appearances.
Even though bowl games traditionally affected redshirt eligibility, recent rule changes have altered player development significantly.
Since 2024, regular-season games no longer count against players’ redshirt status, allowing athletes to gain more experience while preserving eligibility.
As a result, the Indiana Hoosiers Football Vs Ohio State Buckeyes Football Match Player Stats list will continue evolving and being updated throughout the 2025 season and beyond.
| Category | Indiana Hoosiers football | Ohio State Buckeyes football |
|---|---|---|
| Match Date | November 23, 2024 | November 23, 2024 |
| Venue | Ohio Stadium, Columbus | Ohio Stadium, Columbus |
| Final Score | 15 | 38 |
| First Quarter | 7 | 14 |
| Second Quarter | 0 | 7 |
| Third Quarter | 8 | 10 |
| Fourth Quarter | 0 | 7 |
| Total Yards | 151 | 316 |
| Passing Yards | 68 | 201 |
| Rushing Yards | 83 | 115 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of Possession | 27:12 | 32:48 |
| Leading Passer | Kurtis Rourke – 8/18, 68 YDS | Will Howard – 22/26, 201 YDS, 2 TD |
| Leading Rusher | Justice Ellison – 44 YDS | Quinshon Judkins – 74 YDS, 2 TD |
| Leading Receiver | Elijah Sarratt – 31 YDS | Emeka Egbuka – 80 YDS, 1 TD |
| Defensive Star | Aiden Fisher – 9 tackles | Cody Simon – 8 tackles |
| Key Highlight | Indiana struggled offensively against elite defense | Ohio State controlled game with balanced offense and defense |
| Match Result | Loss | Win |
