The first two possessions of Saturday's game between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Indiana couldn't have gone much better for the upstart Hoosiers, an undefeated team looking to prove itself as a national title contender on the road at the Buckeyes.
Ohio State was forced into a three-and-out by Indiana on its first drive, and the Hoosiers offense followed it up with an impressive 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to go up 7-0.
IU has had some solid moments—particularly on defense—since those first two drives, but there is an important third segment of the game: special teams. The Hoosiers' punting unit has been anything but special so far on Saturday afternoon.
With the score tied 7-7 late in the second quarter, Indiana punter James Evans muffed a snap and was taken down for a 23-yard loss back at the Hoosiers' 7-yard line. Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson punched in a touchdown three plays later to put OSU up 14-7.
Right through the punter's hands 😬
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 23, 2024
Brutal mistake for Indiana 😳 pic.twitter.com/VuDphwoNQ9
Curt Cignetti's team had a chance to get some momentum back on offense to start the second half, but once again, the punting game turned into a fiasco for Indiana. After going three-and-out, Evans booted one from the Hoosiers' 27-yard line, which Buckeyes star Caleb Downs returned 79 yards for a touchdown.
CALEB DOWNS TO THE HOUSE 🏠🌰@OhioStateFB starts the second half with a bang ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/XT4Wrax5CI
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 23, 2024
Any team facing Ohio State at The Shoe does so with its back against the wall. Winning on the road in Columbus is extremely difficult and near-impossible when a team gives up 14 points on special teams gaffes.
Ohio State leads Indiana 28–7 late in the third quarter.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Indiana Punting Nightmares Help Ohio State Take Control of Big Ten Bout.
