Final Score: No. 10 Indiana 24, Michigan State 0

Brief Recap: Indiana’s first test as a top-10 team came up all aces for the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers entered off of a big win over Michigan while the Spartans came in following a lopsided loss to Iowa. In the end, the game was dominated by the Hoosiers defense with Michigan State unable to get any traction offensively. That defensive performance allowed the Hoosiers to get past two interceptions thrown by Michael Penix Jr. Fortunately, Penix also threw two scores in the win.

Key Player: Indiana wide receiver Ty Fryfogle has posted career-high performances in back-to-back weeks for the Hoosiers. After finishing with 142 yards receiving against Michigan, Fryfogle improved on that with 11 catches for 200 yards, both career-high marks, and two touchdowns. It is the sixth-best receiving game in Indiana history and staked the Hoosiers to a big lead.

Key Moment: It came in the first quarter, with Indiana intercepting Rocky Lombardi and then forcing a fumble by Anthony Williams Jr. on back-to-back drives by Michigan State. The Hoosiers turned those two takeaways into 14 points with a Stevie Scott touchdown run and a touchdown catch by Fryfogle. Once Indiana had the lead, the defense clamped down the rest of the way.

Key Stat: 0, points scored by Michigan State, the first shutout of the season for Indiana. The defense was the story for the Hoosiers, holding Michigan State under 200 total yards of offense and forcing four turnovers. It was a complete performance with Tom Allen’s squad looking focused without looking ahead to Ohio State.

What it means for Indiana: The Hoosiers now move to 4-0 and will face Ohio State for the lead in the B1G East next Saturday. The Buckeyes have been B1G favorites and national title contenders all season long, and there’s a possibility Indiana may rise even high on Sunday’s AP Poll. Indiana will undoubtedly still be underdogs in the game against Justin Fields and the Buckeyes, but the Hoosiers have done all they can heading into that contest.

What it means for Michigan State: If it wasn’t clear after the loss to Iowa, Mel Tucker’s squad is playing for the future the rest of the way this season. There are plenty of questions for the Spartans, including at the quarterback position where Rocky Lombardi has thrown seven interceptions this season. And despite all the questions at quarterback, Michigan State’s offensive line has not generated much push or protection for much of the season. Establishing a competent line group and settling on a signal-caller are the first steps for Tucker’s Spartans.