# 2021 Indiana Hoosiers football team

The 2021 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented Indiana University in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hoosiers played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana and competed as a member of the East Division of the Big Ten Conference. The team was led by fifth-year head coach Tom Allen.
Indiana finished the season with a 2–10 record, which would be their worst season since 2011, when they finished 1–11.

## Spring Game

The 2021 Spring Game was held in Bloomington, Indiana on April 10; however, it was a closed-practice, with the general public not in attendance.

## Offseason
### Coaching changes

On December 12, 2020, the South Alabama Jaguars announced that they had hired Indiana defensive coordinator Kane Wommack as their new head coach; Wommack had previously served three years for the Hoosiers in a defensive coaching capacity, first as its linebackers coach in 2018 and then as its defensive coordinator for 2019 and 2020. On January 17, 2021, Indiana announced that they had hired Georgia Bulldogs defensive backs coach Charlton Warren as the Hoosiers' new defensive coordinator; Warren had served as the defensive back coach for Georgia for two years (2019-2020).
On January 13, 2021, the Michigan Wolverines announced that they had hired Indiana running backs' coach Mike Hart as their new running backs' coach; Hart had served four years as the Hoosiers' running backs coach (2017-2020) and also split time as the Assistant Head Coach. On February 8, 2021, Indiana announced that they had hired Kansas City Chiefs running backs' coach Deland McCullough as the Hoosiers' new running backs coach; McCullough had previously served as the Hoosiers' running backs' coach from 2011 to 2016.

### Transfers

Outgoing
Notable departures from the 2020 squad included:
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Harry Crider | 57 | Offensive lineman | 6'4' | 311 | Senior | Columbus, Indiana | Declared for NFL Draft |
| Jerome Johnson | 98 | Defensive lineman | 6'3' | 304 | Senior (Redshirt) | Bassfield, Mississippi | Declared for NFL Draft |
| Whop Philyor | 1 | Wide Receiver | 5'11' | 180 | Senior | Tampa, Florida | Declared for NFL Draft |
| Jovan Swann | 51 | Defensive lineman | 6'2' | 280 | Graduate Transfer | Greenwood, Indiana | Declared for NFL Draft |
| Haydon Whitehead | 94 | Punter | 6'2' | 219 | Graduate student | Melbourne, Australia | Declared for NFL Draft |
| Rashawn Williams | 13 | Wide receiver | 6'2' | 200 | Freshman (Redshirt) | Detroit, Michigan | Transferred |
Incoming
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes | Prev. School |
| Ryder Anderson | 10 | Defensive lineman | 6'6" | 266 | Graduate Student | Katy, Texas | Graduate Transfer | Ole Miss |
| James Bomba | 48 | Tight end | 6'6" | 230 | Graduate Student | Bloomington, Indiana | Sophomore | Miami (OH) |
| Zach Carpenter | 58 | Offensive lineman | 6'5" | 329 | Sophomore (Redshirt) | Cincinnati, Ohio | Transfer | Michigan |
| Stephen Carr | 5 | Running back | 6'0" | 215 | Senior (Redshirt) | Gardena, California | Transfer | USC |
| Jaren Handy | 13 | Defensive lineman | 6'5" | 255 | Junior | Hattiesburg, Mississippi | Transfer | Auburn |
| Weston Kramer | 99 | Defensive lineman | 6'1" | 290 | Graduate Student | Naperville, Illinois | Graduate Transfer | Northern Illinois |
| DJ Matthews | 1 | Wide receiver | 5'10" | 160 | Senior (Redshirt) | Indianapolis, Indiana | Graduate transfer | Florida State |
| Deland McCullough II | 25 | Defensive Back | 6'1" | 195 | Freshman (Redshirt) | Bloomington, Indiana | Transfer | Miami (OH) |
| Jonathan Haynes | 17 | Defensive Back | 5'11" | 205 | Graduate Student | Benoit, Mississippi | Graduate transfer | Ole Miss |

### 2021 NFL Draft

Hoosiers who were picked in the 2021 NFL draft:
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Team |
| 5 | 164 | Jamar Johnson | Safety | Denver Broncos |

## Preseason
### Position key

| Back | B | Center | C | Cornerback | CB | Defensive back | DB |
| Defensive end | DE | Defensive lineman | DL | Defensive tackle | DT | End | E |
| Fullback | FB | Guard | G | Halfback | HB | Kicker | K |
| Kickoff returner | KR | Offensive tackle | OT | Offensive lineman | OL | Linebacker | LB |
| Long snapper | LS | Punter | P | Punt returner | PR | Quarterback | QB |
| Running back | RB | Safety | S | Tight end | TE | Wide receiver | WR |

### Recruits

The Hoosiers signed a total of 14 recruits.
US college sports recruiting information for 2021 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Jordyn Williams WR | Cedar Hill, TX | Trinity Christian School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 182 lb (83 kg) | May 15, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Joshua Sales OT | Brownsburg, Indiana | Brownsburg High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 305 lb (138 kg) | Aug 1, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Vinny Fiacable OG | Fort Wayne, Indiana | Bishop Dwenger High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 300 lb (140 kg) | Apr 6, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| James Evans P | Auckland, New Zealand | Sacred Heart College, Auckland | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 222 lb (101 kg) | May 17, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Donavan McCulley QB | Indianapolis, Indiana | Lawrence North High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Dec 16, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jaquez Smith WR | Atlanta, Georgia | Westlake High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Dec 16, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Malachi Holt-Bennett WR | Fairfield, Alabama | Fairfield Prep | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Feb 3, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Larry Smith S | Orange Park, Florida | Oakleaf High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Dec 16, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Aaron Steinfeldt TE | Bloomington, Indiana | Bloomington High School North | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Dec 16, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Maurice Freeman S | Chesapeake, Virginia | Oscar F. Smith High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Dec 16, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Trenten Howland ATH | Joliet, Illinois | Joliet West High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | Dec 16, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| David Holloman RB | Auburn Hills, Michigan | Avondale High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Dec 16, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jordan Grier ATH | Ellenwood, Georgia | Cedar Grove High School | 6 ft 185 in (6.53 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Dec 16, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 48 247Sports: 58 ESPN: 55 |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Indiana Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 19, 2021. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 19, 2021. |||||||

### Preseason Big Ten poll

Although the Big Ten Conference has not held an official preseason poll since 2010, Cleveland.com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011. For the 2021 poll, Indiana was projected to finish third in the East Division.
Media poll (East Division) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Ohio State | 238 (34) |
| 2 | Penn State | 192 |
| 3 | Indiana | 169 |
| 4 | Michigan | 144 |
| 5 | Maryland | 74 |
| 6 | Rutgers | 77.5 |
| 7 | Michigan State | 52.5 |

## Schedule

The Hoosiers' 2021 schedule consisted of six home games and six away games. The Hoosiers played three non-conference games, against Idaho and Cincinnati at home and on the road against Western Kentucky. In conference, Indiana hosted Rutgers, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Minnesota. They traveled to Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, and Purdue.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 4 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 18 Iowa | No. 17 | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA | BTN | L 6–34 | 68,166 |
| September 11 | 7:30 p.m. | Idaho* | | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | BTN | W 56–14 | 47,417 |
| September 18 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 8 Cincinnati* | | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | ESPN | L 24–38 | 52,656 |
| September 25 | 8:00 p.m. | at Western Kentucky* | | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY | CBSSN | W 33–31 | 25,171 |
| October 2 | 7:30 p.m. | at No. 4 Penn State | | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | ABC | L 0–24 | 105,951 |
| October 16 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 10 Michigan State | | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN (rivalry) | FS1 | L 15–20 | 50,571 |
| October 23 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 5 Ohio State | | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | ABC | L 7–54 | 52,656 |
| October 30 | 12:00 p.m. | at Maryland | | Maryland StadiumCollege Park, MD | BTN | L 35–38 | 32,308 |
| November 6 | 7:30 p.m. | at No. 7 Michigan | | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI | FOX | L 7–29 | 109,890 |
| November 13 | 12:00 p.m. | Rutgers | | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | BTN | L 3–38 | 40,171 |
| November 20 | 3:30 p.m. | Minnesota | | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | BTN | L 14–35 | 38,079 |
| November 27 | 3:30 p.m. | at Purdue | | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN (Old Oaken Bucket) | FS1 | L 7–44 | 61,320 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings (after November 2) released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
| AP | 17 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | |
| Coaches | 17 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | | | Not released |

## Game summaries
### At No. 18 Iowa

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 17 Hoosiers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| No. 18 Hawkeyes | 14 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 34 |
at Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA
* Date: September 4, 2021
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 68,166
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), James Laurinaitis (analyst)
* Sources: IUHoosiers.com
| Statistics | IU | IOWA |
| First downs | 11 | 18 |
| Total yards | 233 | 303 |
| Rushes/yards | 31–77 | 36–158 |
| Passing yards | 156 | 145 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 14–33–3 | 13–28–0 |
| Time of possession | 32:04 | 27:56 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Indiana | Passing | Michael Penix Jr. | 14/31, 156 yards, 3 INT |
| Indiana | Rushing | Stephen Carr | 19 carries, 57 yards |
| Indiana | Receiving | Ty Fryfogle | 5 receptions, 84 yards |
| Iowa | Passing | Spencer Petras | 13/27, 145 yards |
| Iowa | Rushing | Tyler Goodson | 19 carries, 99 yards, TD |
| Iowa | Receiving | Sam LaPorta | 5 receptions, 83 yards |

### vs Idaho

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vandals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Hoosiers | 21 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
at Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN
* Date: September 11, 2021
* Game time: 7:40 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 75 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 47,417
* Referee: Mark Klucyznski
* TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst)
* Sources: IUHoosiers.com
| Statistics | IDHO | IU |
| First downs | 13 | 20 |
| Total yards | 261 | 338 |
| Rushes/yards | 22–65 | 50–179 |
| Passing yards | 196 | 159 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 23–39–0 | 13–20–0 |
| Time of possession | 26:36 | 33:24 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Idaho | Passing | Mike Beaudry | 23/36, 196 yards, 2 TD |
| Idaho | Rushing | Nick Romano | 4 carries, 20 yards |
| Idaho | Receiving | Hayden Hatten | 10 receptions, 94 yards, 2 TD |
| Indiana | Passing | Jack Tuttle | 2/4, 91 yards, TD |
| Indiana | Rushing | Stephen Carr | 22 carries, 118 yards, TD |
| Indiana | Receiving | A. J. Barner | 1 reception, 76 yards, TD |

### vs No. 8 Cincinnati

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Bearcats | 0 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 38 |
| Hoosiers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
at Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN
* Date: September 18, 2021
* Game time: 12:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 89 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 52,656
* Referee: Michael Cannon
* TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), Tom Luginbill (sideline)
* Sources: IUHoosiers.com
| Statistics | CIN | IU |
| First downs | 20 | 20 |
| Total yards | 328 | 376 |
| Rushes/yards | 36–118 | 37–152 |
| Passing yards | 210 | 224 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–36–1 | 17–40–3 |
| Time of possession | 29:37 | 30:23 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 20/36, 210 yards, TD, INT |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Jerome Ford | 20 carries, 66 yards, 2 TD |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Alec Pierce | 5 receptions, 86 yards, TD |
| Indiana | Passing | Michael Penix Jr. | 17/40, 224 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT |
| Indiana | Rushing | Stephen Carr | 21 carries, 52 yards |
| Indiana | Receiving | D. J. Matthews | 5 receptions, 120 yards |

### At Western Kentucky

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hoosiers | 14 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 33 |
| Hilltoppers | 0 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY
* Date: September 25, 2021
* Game time: 8:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Clear, 74 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 25,171
* Referee: Kevin Randall
* TV announcers (CBS): Dave Ryan (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), Jenny Dell (sideline)
* Sources: IUHoosiers.com
| Statistics | IU | WKU |
| First downs | 35 | 24 |
| Total yards | 507 | 458 |
| Rushes/yards | 39–134 | 20–93 |
| Passing yards | 373 | 365 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 35–53–0 | 31–44–0 |
| Time of possession | 38:34 | 21:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Indiana | Passing | Michael Penix Jr. | 35/53, 373 yards |
| Indiana | Rushing | Stephen Carr | 25 carries, 109 yards, 2 TD |
| Indiana | Receiving | Peyton Hendershot | 7 receptions, 100 yards |
| Western Kentucky | Passing | Bailey Zappe | 31/44, 365 yards, 3 TD |
| Western Kentucky | Rushing | Noah Whittington | 6 carries, 41 yards |
| Western Kentucky | Receiving | Jerreth Sterns | 7 receptions, 82 yards |

### At No. 4 Penn State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hoosiers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 4 Nittany Lions | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA
* Date: October 2, 2021
* Game time: 7:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy, 75 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 105,951
* Referee: Ron Snodgrass
* TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline)
* Sources: IUHoosiers.com
| Statistics | IU | PSU |
| First downs | 12 | 20 |
| Total yards | 264 | 408 |
| Rushes/yards | 24–69 | 42–209 |
| Passing yards | 195 | 199 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16–34–2 | 18–34–1 |
| Time of possession | 25:07 | 34:53 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Indiana | Passing | Michael Penix Jr. | 10/22, 118 yards, INT |
| Indiana | Rushing | Stephen Carr | 15 carries, 50 yards |
| Indiana | Receiving | Peyton Hendershot | 5 receptions, 88 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 17/33, 178 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Penn State | Rushing | Keyvone Lee | 8 carries, 74 yards |
| Penn State | Receiving | Jahan Dotson | 8 receptions, 84 yards, 2 TD |

### vs No. 10 Michigan State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 10 Spartans | 7 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 20 |
| Hoosiers | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
at Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN
* Date: October 16, 2021
* Game time: 12:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 50,571
* Referee: John O'Neill
* TV announcers (FS1): Aaron Goldsmith (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst)
| Statistics | MSU | IU |
| First downs | 14 | 23 |
| Total yards | 241 | 322 |
| Rushes/yards | 35–100 | 36–134 |
| Passing yards | 141 | 188 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15–27–2 | 28–52–2 |
| Time of possession | 26:30 | 33:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Michigan State | Passing | Payton Thorne | 14/26, 126 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Michigan State | Rushing | Kenneth Walker III | 23 carries, 84 yards |
| Michigan State | Receiving | Jayden Reed | 4 receptions, 70 yards |
| Indiana | Passing | Jack Tuttle | 28/52, 188 yards, 2 INT |
| Indiana | Rushing | Stephen Carr | 19 carries, 53 yards, TD |
| Indiana | Receiving | Ty Fryfogle | 7 receptions, 65 yards |

### vs No. 5 Ohio State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 5 Buckeyes | 14 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 54 |
| Hoosiers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN
* Date: October 23, 2021
* Game time: 6:44 p.m.
* Game weather: Rainy, 61 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 52,656
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), Tom Luginbill (sideline)
| Statistics | OSU | IU |
| First downs | 31 | 10 |
| Total yards | 539 | 128 |
| Rushes/yards | 32–187 | 37–48 |
| Passing yards | 352 | 80 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 28–37–0 | 8–17–0 |
| Time of possession | 32:01 | 27:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ohio State | Passing | C. J. Stroud | 21/28, 266 yards, 4 TD |
| Ohio State | Rushing | TreVeyon Henderson | 9 carries, 81 yards, 2 TD |
| Ohio State | Receiving | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 6 receptions, 99 yards |
| Indiana | Passing | Jack Tuttle | 4/7, 41 yards, TD |
| Indiana | Rushing | Trent Howland | 5 carries, 17 yards |
| Indiana | Receiving | Peyton Hendershot | 5 receptions, 35 yards, TD |

### At Maryland

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hoosiers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 18 | 35 |
| Terrapins | 14 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
at Maryland Stadium • College Park, MD
* Date: October 30, 2021
* Game time: 12:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy, 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 32,308
* Referee: Reggie Smith
* TV announcers (FOX): Chris Vosters (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst)
| Statistics | IU | MARY |
| First downs | 17 | 30 |
| Total yards | 446 | 498 |
| Rushes/yards | 42–204 | 46–79 |
| Passing yards | 242 | 419 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 14–25–0 | 26–40–0 |
| Time of possession | 27:58 | 32:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Indiana | Passing | Donaven McCulley | 14/25, 242 yards, 2 TD |
| Indiana | Rushing | Stephen Carr | 21 carries, 136 yards, 2 TD |
| Indiana | Receiving | Peyton Hendershot | 6 receptions, 106 yards, 2 TD |
| Maryland | Passing | Taulia Tagovailoa | 26/40, 419 yards, 2 TD |
| Maryland | Rushing | Challen Faamatau | 21 carries, 44 yards, 2 TD |
| Maryland | Receiving | Carlos Carriere | 8 receptions, 134 yards, 2 TD |

### At No. 7 Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hoosiers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 7 Wolverines | 3 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 29 |
at Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI
* Date: November 6, 2021
* Game time: 7:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 35 °F (2 °C)
* Game attendance: 109,890
* Referee: Jerry McGinn
* TV announcers (FOX): Joe Davis (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst)
| Statistics | IU | MICH |
| First downs | 11 | 19 |
| Total yards | 195 | 411 |
| Rushes/yards | 35–107 | 38–188 |
| Passing yards | 88 | 223 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 10–25–0 | 15–28–1 |
| Time of possession | 27:24 | 32:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Indiana | Passing | Donaven McCulley | 10/24, 88 yards |
| Indiana | Rushing | Donaven McCulley | 14 carries, 37 yards |
| Indiana | Receiving | Peyton Hendershot | 3 receptions, 34 yards |
| Michigan | Passing | Cade McNamara | 10/18, 168 yards, 2 TD |
| Michigan | Rushing | Hassan Haskins | 27 carries, 168 yards, TD |
| Michigan | Receiving | Cornelius Johnson | 5 receptions, 108 yards |

### vs Rutgers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Scarlet Knights | 14 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
| Hoosiers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN
* Date: November 13, 2021
* Game time: 12:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy, 38 °F (3 °C)
* Game attendance: 40,171
* Referee: Mark Kluczynski
* TV announcers (BTN): Cory Provus (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst)
| Statistics | RUTG | IU |
| First downs | 18 | 18 |
| Total yards | 320 | 259 |
| Rushes/yards | 50–218 | 32–82 |
| Passing yards | 102 | 177 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 10–19–0 | 18–42–2 |
| Time of possession | 32:09 | 27:51 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Rutgers | Passing | Noah Vedral | 9/17, 97 yards |
| Rutgers | Rushing | Isiah Pacheco | 21 carries, 79 yards, 2 TD |
| Rutgers | Receiving | Bo Melton | 5 receptions, 50 yards |
| Indiana | Passing | Donaven McCulley | 7/20, 98 yards |
| Indiana | Rushing | Charlie Spegal | 5 carries, 14 yards |
| Indiana | Receiving | Ty Fryfogle | 5 receptions, 51 yards |

### vs Minnesota

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 0 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Hoosiers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN
* Date: November 20, 2021
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 52 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 38,079
* Referee: Michael Cannon
* TV announcers (BTN): Chris Vosters (play-by-play), Jeremy Leman (analyst)
| Statistics | MINN | IU |
| First downs | 20 | 12 |
| Total yards | 391 | 218 |
| Rushes/yards | 48–195 | 33–141 |
| Passing yards | 196 | 77 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 14–20–0 | 8–19–2 |
| Time of possession | 36:43 | 23:17 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Minnesota | Passing | Tanner Morgan | 14/20, 196 yards, 2 TD |
| Minnesota | Rushing | Ky Thomas | 26 carries, 105 yards, 2 TD |
| Minnesota | Receiving | Brevyn Spann-Ford | 3 receptions, 67 yards |
| Indiana | Passing | Grant Gremel | 5/12, 60 yards, TD |
| Indiana | Rushing | Donaven McCulley | 15 carries, 68 yards, TD |
| Indiana | Receiving | A. J. Barner | 3 receptions, 31 yards |

### At Purdue

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hoosiers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Boilermakers | 7 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 44 |
at Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN
* Date: November 27, 2021
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 39 °F (4 °C)
* Game attendance: 61,320
* Referee: Jerry McGinn
* TV announcers (FS1): Chris Vosters (play-by-play), Devin Gardner (analyst)
| Statistics | IU | PUR |
| First downs | 17 | 25 |
| Total yards | 204 | 447 |
| Rushes/yards | 32–57 | 28–167 |
| Passing yards | 147 | 280 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–30–0 | 27–33–0 |
| Time of possession | 30:46 | 29:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Indiana | Passing | Grant Gremel | 18/30, 147 yards, INT |
| Indiana | Rushing | Davion Ervin-Poindexter | 8 carries, 47 yards |
| Indiana | Receiving | Peyton Hendershot | 6 receptions, 51 yards |
| Purdue | Passing | Aidan O'Connell | 26/31, 278 yards, 4 TD |
| Purdue | Rushing | Zander Horvath | 15 carries, 49 yards, TD |
| Purdue | Receiving | David Bell | 6 receptions, 79 yards, TD |

## Awards and honors
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year | Date Awarded |
| Walter Camp 2021 Preseason All-American - Second Team | Micah McFadden | LB | SR | June 17, 2021 |
| Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award | Tom Allen | Head coach | Head coach | July 14, 2021 |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Micah McFadden | LB | SR | July 19, 2021 |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Tiawan Mullen | CB | JR | July 19, 2021 |
| Maxwell Award | Michael Penix Jr. | QB | JR (RS) | July 19, 2021 |
| Maxwell Award | Ty Fryfogle | WR | SR | July 19, 2021 |
| Davey O’Brien Award | Michael Penix Jr. | QB | JR (RS) | July 20, 2021 |
| Doak Walker Award | Stephen Carr | RB | SR (RS) | July 21, 2021 |
| Fred Biletnikoff Award | Ty Fryfogle | WR | SR | July 22, 2021 |
| John Mackey Award | Peyton Hendershot | TE | SR (RS) | July 23, 2021 |
| Jim Thorpe Award | Tiawan Mullen | CB | JR | July 26, 2021 |
| Butkus Award | Micah McFadden | LB | SR | July 26, 2021 |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Micah McFadden | LB | SR | July 27, 2021 |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Tiawan Mullen | CB | JR | July 27, 2021 |
| Outland Trophy | Matthew Bedford | OL | JR | July 27, 2021 |
| Lou Groza Award | Charles Campbell | K | JR (RS) | July 28, 2021 |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Michael Ziemba | OL | SR | July 29, 2021 |
| Paul Hornung Award | DJ Matthews, Jr. | WR / RS | SR (RS) | July 29, 2021 |
| Walter Camp Award | Michael Penix Jr. | QB | JR (RS) | July 30, 2021 |
| Manning Award | Michael Penix Jr. | QB | JR (RS) | August 5, 2021 |
| Lombardi Award | Michah McFadden | LB | SR | August 6, 2021 |
| Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award | Camron Buckley | WR | SR (RS) | August 6, 2021 |
| Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award | Michael Penix Jr. | QB | JR (RS) | August 19, 2021 |

## Radio

Radio coverage for all games will be broadcast on IUHoosiers.com All-Access and on various radio frequencies throughout the state. The primary radio announcer is long-time broadcaster Don Fischer with Play-by-Play.