Football Results: Nov. 30
Indiana running back Sampson James drives through the Purdue defense during a 44-41 win Saturday afternoon. (Photos by Mike Deak)
INDIANA 44, PURDUE 41 (OT)
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Peyton Ramsey opened this season on the bench.
He closed it out Saturday by getting mobbed in the back of the end zone.
After throwing his third touchdown pass in the first overtime, Ramsey’s second 1-yard scoring run sent the Hoosiers home with a thrilling 44-41 double overtime victory at Purdue — and the Old Oaken Bucket.
“Those are the kinds of things you dream about, making big plays in big games,” the junior said. “Nerve-wracking, obviously, in overtime but it was awesome just to celebrate with those guys out there.”
Fulfilling, too, given the circumstances.
In August, Ramsey lost the starting job to redshirt freshman Michael Penix Jr. But as Penix battled injuries throughout the season, Ramsey remained locked and loaded as he led the Hoosiers to one achievement after another.
Now, thanks largely to Ramsey’s high-percentage throws and minimal mistakes, Indiana has its first eight-win season since 1993, its first winning record in Big Ten play since 1993 and the Bucket for the first time since 2016.
“Finally getting the win here, it’s awesome. You can’t really put it into words,” Ramsey said, remembering the Hoosiers (8-4, 5-4) had been eliminated from bowl contention each of the past two years in the Bucket game.
The impressive numbers didn’t illustrate just how well Ramsey played, either. He was 23 of 39 for 337 yards and ran 19 times for 42 yards, but Ramsey turned the game with a series of clutch plays — even after Indiana couldn’t pull away after taking a 28-10 lead late in the third quarter.
So, after watching the Boilermakers (4-8, 3-6) rally to force overtime on a 2-point conversion pass from Aidan O’Connell to Brycen Hopkins that tied the score at 31 with 2:48 left in regulation, Ramsey wasted no time getting back to work. He converted third-and-7 with an 11-yard completion in the first overtime then gave Indiana the lead with a 14-yard TD pass to Nick Westbrook on third-and-13.
And after Purdue got a crazy bounce off Hopkins’ knee, O’Connell tied it with a 6-yard scoring pass to Hopkins on fourth-and-goal.
J.D. Dellinger gave Purdue a 41-38 lead with a 34-yard field goal in the second overtime, but Ramsey made Purdue pay again. This time, he threw a 14-yard pass to Peyton Hendershot on third-and-10, hurried the Hoosiers to the line of scrimmaged, called his own number and scored from 1 yard out for the Bucket-clinching win.
“Indiana deserved to win,” Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said. “They made plays when they had to.”
NOTRE DAME 45, STANFORD 24
When Notre Dame needed a spark to get going late in the first half, the special teams delivered.
Isaiah Foskey’s blocked punt set up Ian Book’s second of four touchdown passes and No. 15 Notre Dame reached double-digit wins for the third straight season by beating Stanford 45-24 on Saturday.
“It started with the punt block,” coach Brian Kelly said. “From there we got some momentum and started to settle down a bit offensively.”
Book turned the blocked punt into a 6-yard TD pass to Tommy Tremble late in the second quarter and then threw his first of two TD passes to Chase Claypool with 1:20 remaining in the half as the Fighting Irish (10-2, No. 16 CFP) quickly erased a 10-point deficit and snapped a five-game losing streak at Stanford Stadium.
Notre Dame also put together three straight seasons of at least 10 wins for the second time in school history, having previously done it under Lou Holtz from 1991-93.
Book was a big reason why, throwing for 255 yards with a 16-yard TD pass to Tony Jones Jr. in the first quarter.
“He’s found a stillness in him that he’s never had before,” Kelly said. “He plays the game differently now. His calmness is really about his confidence now and what he can do.”
Davis Mills threw two TD passes for the Cardinal (4-8), who have lost four straight for the first time since 2007. Stanford also finished with its first losing record since 2008, ending a streak of 10 straight bowl bids.
“At the end of the day it was on us and we weren’t up to the task,” senior linebacker Casey Toohill said. “There were a lot things in our own play that weren’t right and have to get corrected.”
Despite having nothing to play for, the Cardinal started fast and led 17-7 when Mills got stopped just short of a first down on a third-down run with about five minutes left in the half.
Foskey then blocked the punt from Ryan Sanburn, giving the Irish the ball at the Stanford 1. Three plays later, that turned into a TD.
“It was definitely a game changer,” defensive lineman Adetokunbo Ogundeji said. “Special teams was big for us this whole game. … Special teams definitely got a spark for us the first half.”
Book then capped a three-play, 76-yard drive with a 41-yard strike to Claypool with 1:20 left in the half to give the Irish the lead for good.
Book had a 26-yard scramble on fourth-and-2 to set up an 8-yard TD pass to Claypool that made it 28-17 in the third quarter, putting the Irish in control.
IHSAA STATE FINALS
Class 2-A
Western Boone 44, Eastbrook 7
Western Boone repeats as 2-A state champions, its third title overall.
Class 4-A
Evansville Memorial 21, East Noble 3
Memorial wins its second title in three years, handing East Noble its first loss of the season. Knights haven’t won state since its only title in 2000.
Class 6-A
Carmel 20, Center Grove 17
Carmel wins its ninth title in football, beating MIC rival Center Grove in the championship game for the second time in four years.
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- Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey fires downfield against Purdue.
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- Purdue running back Zander Horvath shreds through the Indiana defense.
