Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support the IDS in College Media Madness! Donate here March 24 - April 8.
Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

sports football

IU beaten by Rutgers, eliminated from bowl contention

Freshman quarterback Zander Diamont gets sacked during IU's 45-23 loss against Rutgers on Saturday at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, N.J.

Any remaining hope of IU qualifying for a bowl vanished Saturday.

IU lost to Rutgers 45-23 in Piscataway, N.J., and ensured that for a seventh-consecutive season the Hoosiers will not earn a bowl bid.

A season that began with the optimism that 2014 may finally be the year IU (3-7, 0-6) gets past the six-win hump ends exactly the same way as the previous six seasons have — without a bowl game.

IU’s season will end in two weeks after playing undefeated Ohio State next week and Purdue in the battle for the Old Oaken Bucket on Nov. 29.

“It is going to be tough, but we are going to focus on these seniors continuing to lead and build this team the way we want it built,” Wilson said. “There is a lot of fight in this football team.”

The Hoosiers could not keep up with 35 second-half points from the Scarlet Knights.

The loss overshadows one of the greatest individual rushing efforts in IU history from junior running back Tevin Coleman, who nearly single-handedly kept the Hoosiers’ remaining bowl hopes alive.

Coleman ran for a career-high 307 yards on 32 carries. His yardage output was the second most in school history, trailing only Anthony Thompson’s 377 yards against Wisconsin in 1989.

Coleman credited his offensive line and an improved play out of freshman quarterback Zander Diamont, who took pressure off Coleman with the best game of his young career.

“He was doing a good job of throwing the ball, so that was helping me a lot,” ?Coleman said.

Diamont, who passed for 103 yards combined in his previous three games, was 15-of-31 passing for 179 yards with one touchdown and an interception against Rutgers.

But not even Coleman’s career day could make up for the repeated mistakes of 82 penalty yards, reoccurring failure to convert on third downs, repeated dropped balls and three turnovers.

Diamont admitted that mistakes such as the drops were frustrating but added he has been experiencing the same growing pains of his young teammates.

“I feel for those guys because I’m in the same position,” Diamont said. “Yeah we had some drops, but we’re going to work at it this week, and we’re going to be good.”

IU pulled within eight points in the opening minute of the fourth quarter on a 28-yard touchdown reception by senior receiver Shane Wynn to make it 31-23. It was the Hoosiers’ first passing touchdown in more than a month and would prove to be IU’s final score.

After exchanging punts, an IU defensive breakdown allowed for Rutgers receiver Leonte Carroo to get wide open and haul in a 56-yard touchdown grab from Rutgers senior quarterback Gary Nova.

On the broken play, IU sent a cornerback lined up opposite of Carroo on a blitz. That left IU junior linebacker Zack Shaw mismatched guarding Carroo, who blew past him and was able to catch a lob from Nova in stride as he jogged into the end zone to put Rutgers up 38-23.

The loss ensures that for the first time since Wilson took over the program, IU will not win more games than it did the previous season.

“In that last couple weeks, no matter what the odds and where we are at, they are going to come out, play hard and they are going to fight,” ?Wilson said.

Get stories like this in your inbox
Subscribe