Fernando Mendoza passed for 332 yards and four touchdowns, including two to Elijah Sarratt, as No. 3 Indiana pulled away for a 38-13 Big Ten victory over Michigan State at Bloomington, Ind., on Saturday.
Mendoza completed 24 of 28 attempts. Omar Cooper Jr. caught eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown, while E.J. Williams had five receptions for 59 yards and a score. Sarratt caught four passes for 70 yards, and Kaelon Black rushed for 64 yards on 10 carries.
The Hoosiers (7-0 overall, 4-0 conference) were coming off a statement win over Oregon.
Aidan Chiles completed 27 of 33 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown for Michigan State (3-4, 0-4), which has lost four straight. Chiles also led the rushing attack with 48 yards on eight carries. Nick Marsh caught seven passes for 64 yards and a touchdown.
The Hoosiers scored two touchdowns in the last seven minutes of the first half to grab a 21-10 halftime lead.
Michigan State got on the board first, as Matt Connington kicked a 38-yard field goal. All of the Spartans’ touchdown drives required at least 75 yards.
Mendoza hooked up with Williams on a 13-yard scoring strike late in the first quarter. The Spartans briefly regained the advantage on Chiles’ 15-yard pass to Marsh with 9:22 left in the half.
Indiana only needed five plays to regain the lead. Mendoza’s 39-yard pass to Riley Nowakowski set up a 24-yard touchdown pass to Sarratt.
During the Hoosiers’ next possession, Mendoza completed a fourth-down pass to Cooper. Black then scored on a 29-yard run up the middle.
Following a weather-delayed second half, the Hoosiers increased their lead to 28-10 less than two minutes into the second half. Mendoza connected with Cooper on a 48-yard scoring play.
The Spartans missed a long field-goal attempt before Indiana’s next score. Sarratt caught his second touchdown pass of the game, this time from 27 yards out.
The teams traded field goals in the closing minutes.
