No. 11 Indiana gets late touchdown to beat Iowa, 20-15

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Fernando Mendoza threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt with 1:28 to play to give No. 11 Indiana a 20-15 win over Iowa on Saturday.

Mendoza connected with Sarratt, who had six catches for 132 yards, on a slant route down the left side and Sarratt broke the tackle attempt of Iowa’s Deshaun Lee on his way to the touchdown.

Indiana (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten), which came into the game ranked second nationally in total offense and scoring offense, was held to 337 yards and its lowest scoring output of the season. But the Hoosiers got two touchdown passes from Mendoza, who threw for 233 yards, and two field goals from Nico Radicic.

Iowa (3-2, 1-1) had a chance to break a 13-13 tie with 2:01 to play, but Drew Stevens missed a 42-yard field goal.

After Indiana stopped Iowa on its final possession, Mendoza ran off the last seconds of the game by sprinting into the end zone, where he was tackled for a safety.

Indiana took an early 7-0 lead. An interception by Amare Ferrell on the third offensive play of the game gave the Hoosiers the ball at Iowa’s 24-yard line, and they quickly converted with Mendoza’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr.

Stevens kicked 40-yard field goal later in the first quarter and the Hawkeyes took a 10-7 lead in the final minute of the first half on Mark Gronowski’s 3-yard touchdown run. The Hoosiers tied the game at 10 on Radicic’s 46-yard field goal with three seconds left in the half.

It was Iowa’s 11th consecutive loss against a ranked opponent.

Gronowski injured

Gronowski left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent lower leg injury.

Gronowski, who transferred to Iowa after winning two FCS national championships at South Dakota State, was injured on a fourth-quarter run after completing 19 of 25 passes for 144 yards. He was replaced by Hank Brown, who was 5 of 13 for 48 yards.

Up next

Indiana: At Oregon on Oct. 11.

Iowa: At Wisconsin on Oct. 11.