The game started out with an interesting 5-3 score. Going into the fourth quarter I had an itch for a season-opening overtime game. Then Richard Lagow passed for one score and ran for another in the fourth quarter, and Indiana returned two interceptions for touchdowns in its season-opening 34-13 win over Florida International.
Indiana trailed 13-12 going into the fourth, then outscored FIU 22-0 in the final quarter.
I was a bit taken back by the play of Alex McGough. He completed 23 of 46 passes for 263 yards and three interceptions for FIU. McGough finished last season with eight interceptions. Alex Gardner had a 1-yard rushing touchdown for the Panthers, who were outgained 486-331.
They may not be on SportsCenter however the game had a little of everything: a safety, a missed field goal, a bad snap on another field goal try, two defensive touchdowns and even an end-around for a 2-point conversion by the Hoosiers.
“We battled, we competed, we did some good things,” FIU coach Ron Turner said. “But very, very disappointed in the outcome and very disappointing in the offensive execution and offensive performance. …. Way too many missed opportunities.”
Indiana (1-0) hosts Ball State in its next game. This might not be the easiest home debut for the Hoosiers, either. Indiana has lost the last three games in that series, with two of those defeats coming in Bloomington.
FIU (0-1) hosts Maryland as another Big Ten opponent comes in to face the Panthers. FIU is 0-4 all-time against the Terrapins, losing those games by a combined 127-61 score.
