Michigan State Spartans at Indiana Hoosiers

Mendoza throws four TD passes and No. 3 Indiana overwhelms Michigan State 38-13

The Hoosiers (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten), who have won all but one game by double digits, kept pace with No. 1 Ohio State atop the conference standings with touchdowns on their first five possessions.

Mendoza threw a pair of TD passes to Elijah Sarratt, and also hit E.J. Williams Jr. and Omar Cooper Jr. for scores.

"This is the sharpest we've seen him up to this point in a game," Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said of Mendoza. "And he continues to improve. He continues to prepare like nobody I've ever been around. He's getting better and better."

Sarratt's first touchdown on a 24-yard play put Indiana ahead 14-10 in the second quarter. His 27-yard TD reception gave the Hoosiers a 35-10 lead in the third quarter.

Mendoza praised a shirtless, towel-waving student section for pushing his candidacy for the Heisman Trophy.

"That was fantastic to see that. What a great sight to see," he said. "We do have a lot of season left. We have so many great players on our team. Whatever spotlight that I might get for the offensive success, I try to dish it out to my teammates."

Mendoza, a redshirt junior transfer, has 21 TD passes and just two interceptions this season.

"He keeps building on his previous performances," Cignetti said. "I can't say enough good things about him."

Cooper finished with eight receptions for 115 yards. Kaelon Black added a 29-yard TD rush.

Cignetti was concerned about how his Hoosiers would respond after last week's 30-20 win at then-No. 2 Oregon.

"Look, you can't be a real nice guy when you have a job like mine," he said. "Human nature after a win against Oregon is to be happy and relax, the support staff, coaches, players, trainers. So my job is to make sure they've got the right mindset and are ready to play. ... We've got to get better from this last game because the challenges are going to get tougher down the road."

Michigan State (3-4, 0-4) lost its fourth in a row by double digits despite twice taking first-half leads. Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles completed 27 of 33 passes for 243 yards and one TD.

"The margin for error against a team like that, we were not able to make that up," said Spartans coach Jonathan Smith. "In the second half, we've got to find a way to get a couple of stops."

Poll implications Expect Indiana to move up a spot in the rankings after No. 2 Miami lost to Louisville on Friday.

The takeaway Michigan State: Mired in a Big Ten slump after its 10th conference loss in 12 games, Smith is searching for any positives. The Spartans monopolized the clock with time-consuming scoring drives of 8:07 and 9:22 for a 10-7 lead in the second quarter to provide a glimmer of hope that this team can compete with the elite.

Indiana: An offensive juggernaut that averages 44.8 points per game ensured this outcome as the Hoosiers drove 75 yards on three of their first four scoring drives and 80 yards on the other. Three of those possessions lasted just 1:47, 1:51 and 2:40. The only thing that stopped the Hoosiers temporarily was a 20-minute halftime delay due to lightning.

Up next Michigan State: Hosts Michigan next Saturday.

Indiana: At home against UCLA next Saturday.