Fernando Mendoza threw five touchdown passes and D’Angelo Ponds scooped up the punt he blocked and returned it 11 yards for a score Saturday night, leading No. 19 Indiana past No. 9 Illinois 63-10 for its first win over a top 10 foe in five years — and easily the most lopsided.
Indiana’s previous best was a 31-10 victory at then No. 9 Ohio State in 1987. It marked the first time since 1950 the Hoosiers and Fighting Illini squared off with each ranked.
Ponds’ blocked punt return opened the scoring, and Mendoza went 21 of 23 with 267 yards to become the first Hoosiers player with multiple games of five or more TD passes in three quarters. He also completed his final 17 passes as Indiana (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) extended its school record home winning streak to 12, all coming under second-year coach Curt Cignetti.
“We’ll get people’s attention with this one,” Cignetti said. “The team really laid it on the line tonight. There’s nothing better than being the Grinch in the second half with a big lead. I love that feeling.”
Elijah Sarratt caught nine passes for 92 yards and two scores while Omar Cooper Jr. had six receptions for 78 yards and one TD. Khobe Martin rushed for 107 yards and two TDs and Kaelon Black added 89 yards rushing and one TD.
The Fighting Illini offense struggled as quarterback Luke Altmeyer was under pressure all night. Illinois (3-1, 0-1) allowed five sacks and rushed for only 3 yards in the first half, falling into an insurmountable 35-10 deficit. Indiana sealed the win with TD drives on each of its first two second-half possessions.
It was the worst loss of coach Bret Bielema’s tenure at Illinois and the worst for the Illini since a 63-0 rout at home against Iowa in 2018.
“We didn’t respond to any adversity. It started with the blocked punt and never really got anything on offense or defense,” Bielema said. “Embarrassing and at a loss for words.”
Altmeyer was 14 of 22 with 146 yards and one interception while being sacked seven times. Receiver Hank Beatty was limited to two catches for 13 yards and Illinois’ only meaningful scores came on a 59-yard TD pass from Altmeyer to Collin Dixon in the first quarter and a 46-yard field goal to close the half.
The takeaway
Illinois: Bielema didn’t like his team’s first half performance last week and this one was far worse. Aside from taking advantage of a rare, early coverage bust, Illinois couldn’t sustain anything offensively. Expect a big slide in this week’s Associated Press Top 25.
Indiana: Those who questioned the Hoosiers after beating Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State to start the season got their answer Saturday. The Hoosiers dominated this matchup in every possible way, and last year’s biggest surprise team should start climbing in the rankings this week.
Early exits
Illinois started Saturday’s game without one key defensive back, Xanai Scott, because of an injured ankle then lost another — team captain and leading tackler Miles Scott — on a targeting penalty early in the second quarter.
But Miles Scott also wears the radio helmet to relay the defensive play calls so when he left, the play-calling duties were given to Mac Resetich, who left in the fourth quarter with a possible injury. The Illini also lost defensive back Kaleb Patterson, who injured his right foot and was on crutches in the first half.
Up next
Illinois: Will try to rebound next Saturday when it hosts Southern California.
Indiana: Hits the road for the first time this season when it visits Iowa next Saturday.
Reportng by The Associated Press.
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