PASADENA — Indiana, the top-seeded team in the College Football Playoff, fought off a swarming Alabama defense early and dominated the final three quarters to win the CFP semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game 38-3 on Thursday afternoon.
The Hoosiers (14-0) and back-to-back Associated Press coach of the Year Curt Cignetti extended their unbeaten season after taking down the traditional SEC powerhouse, which was making its second straight Rose Bowl appearance.
Indiana will next play fifth-seeded Oregon in the CFP semifinals on Jan. 9.
Hoosiers quarterback and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza completed 14 of 16 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns in his team’s first Rose Bowl appearance since 1967. Kaelon Black rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown and Roman Hemby collected 89 yards on the ground with one touchdown.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson did not play in the second half. The junior had completed 12 of 16 passes for 67 yards before taking a big hit with 2:45 remaining in the first half.
The ESPN broadcast reported during the game that Simpson was held out of the game due to a “coaches’ decision,” and he appeared to be in pain while warming up for the second half.
Backup quarterback Austin Mack was 11 for 16 for 103 yards.
The Crimson Tide (11-4) sacked Mendoza twice in the opening quarter and although Indiana was still able to manufacture 79 yards of offense, it still remained the first scoreless first quarter in a Rose Bowl Game since 2000.
Indiana had the ball at the end of the frame and concluded the drive at the start of the second quarter, going a total of 84 yards in 16 plays for a 31-yard field goal by Nicolas Radicic.
The Hoosiers, who were coming off a first-round bye, forced a turnover on downs on Alabama’s next possession and scored when the ball was once again in their hands.
Mendoza dropped back and quickly made a read to get Charlie Becker a 21-yard touchdown pass. Becker sprinted forward on a post route and created just enough separation between himself and his defender to reach up with both hands in the center of the end zone.
Indiana pulled ahead 10-0 on the play with 10:49 left until halftime, and the defense created an opportunity to extend the lead again before the horn sounded.
Simpson scrambled out of the pocket to gain a handful of yards, but All-American cornerback D’Angelo Ponds dropped his shoulder to pop the ball out of Simpson’s hands. Linebacker Isaiah Jones was there to scoop up the ball.
The Hoosiers shifted their offense to lean on the rushing attack, handing the ball to Hemby and Black for the majority of the ensuing drive. The two ball carriers had rushed for a combined 1,717 yards heading into the game.
Indiana called in a sixth offensive lineman when it reached the 1-yard line and Mendoza dropped back for a pass to Omar Cooper, Jr., who was waiting in the back right corner of the end zone with 17 seconds on the clock.
The offense kept on rolling for Indiana in the second half while Mack, who had previously thrown just 16 passes in three games this season, couldn’t put together a touchdown drive
Mendoza hit Elijah Sarratt with a 24-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, and Alabama was only able to muster a 28-yard field goal by Conor Talty to avoid the shutout.
The Hoosiers’ offensive line opened up a gap for long enough to allow Black run for a 25-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and Hemby got a rushing touchdown for himself with 10:33 remaining in the game when he broke through the trenches for an 18-yard run.
Defensive back Devan Boykin sacked Mack behind the line of scrimmage with roughly five minutes remaining and the Indiana defense shut down the run game as well. Alabama rushed for negative-6 yards in the second half.
Indiana will now turn its attention to Oregon in the semifinal. In the first meeting between the two teams, Indiana won 30-20 in Eugene during the Big Ten regular season.
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