Kurtis Rourke, Ty Son Lawton combine for 4 TDs to help unbeaten Indiana rout Charlotte 52-14

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Kurtis Rourke and Ty Son Lawton just keep the Indiana Hoosiers offense chugging along.

They did it again Saturday.

Rourke threw one touchdown pass, ran for another and Lawton scored twice as the Indiana Hoosiers routed the Charlotte 49ers 52-14 — giving them a 4-0 record for the third time since 1991 and only the eighth time in the program's 140-year history.

“While we've started games better, it was a solid win," coach Curt Cignetti said. “I think the fact we're balanced, running and throwing really well, helps both our running game and passing game.”

It's shown as Cignetti became the first coach to open his Hoosiers career with four straight wins, thanks in large part to the dynamic duo of Rourke and Lawton. Indiana's 202 points this season are also the most through any four-game stretch.

Rourke's encore followed his first Big Ten offensive player of the week selection was going 16 of 20 with 258 yards while rushing four times for 32 yards. Lawton had seven carries for 35 yards on a day Indiana produced 510 total yards and had six players score TDs.

“I think he's playing pretty well,” Cignetti said when asked about Rourke, “He'll be the first to tell you it wasn't perfect. But I am extremely pleased with the progress he's made since we started playing games. I like where he's at and we've got to continue to protect him.”

Charlotte (1-3) kept it close through the first 21 minutes but allowed two TDs in the final three minutes of the first half and another to open the second half and it never recovered.

The Hoosiers asserted themselves quickly, too.

Fourteen of their first 15 snaps were in Charlotte territory with Lawton scoring on an 8-yard run to open the scoring and Nicolas Radicic capping Indiana's second drive with a 27-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead a little less than 11 minutes into game.

Charlotte finally answered with a 13-yard TD run from C.J. Stokes.

But after the teams traded two more TDs, Indiana broke the game open with Rourke's 12-yard scoring run and a 19-yard scoring strike from Rourke to Ke'Shawn Williams in the final four minutes of the first half to take a 31-14 lead. Lawton sealed it with a 5-yard TD run with 12:13 left in the third quarter.

“How many big plays did we give up? Giving up 500-plus yards to anybody is horrendous," Charlotte coach Biff Poggi said."

Charlotte quarterback Trexler Ivey finished 14 of 23 with 119 yards and one TD. Cartevious Norton ran 11 times for 58 yards.

The takeaway

Charlotte: It's been a rough stretch for the 49ers, who are 7-21 since the 2022 season and have only one Power Four win in school history. But they hung around for most of the first half. It still might be another long season in Charlotte, but the strong start was promising.

Indiana: It's already been a storybook season for the Hoosiers, who have now surpassed last year's victory total, moved within two wins of becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2020 and have a shot to go 5-0 for just the third time ever (1910 and 1967).

Running short

The 49ers wound up running 33 times for 137 yards despite being without their two key runners for most of the game.

Terron Kellman sat out for the second straight week with an undisclosed injury, and Stokes did not return after hurting his shoulder in the first half.

Up next

Charlotte: Visits Rice next Saturday.

Indiana' Hosts Maryland in its Big Ten opener.

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Michael Marot, The Associated Press