6 Indiana this weekend when the Hoosiers visit Rutgers. Injured running back Turbo Richard could return to the field for No. If he does, the defending national champions will have their top two running backs available for their first road trip this season.
Richard was injured on a 2-yard run during the second quarter of Friday night’s closer-than-expected 29-23 victory over Northwestern . Lee Beebe Jr., Richard’s replacement, rushed 24 times for 203 yards and one score and set up Indiana’s game-sealing TD with a 70-yard run. The Hoosiers also got good news on Hardy, a play-making linebacker who is tied for the team lead with 18 tackles, eight coming against Northwestern before he left the game in the second half with an undisclosed injury.
Because of a right knee injury, beebe now leads the team with 71 carries and 398 yards and has three rushing TDs after missing all but three games in last season’s Big Ten and national championship runs. He was driven out of bounds and was tackled by a Wildcats player whose body came down on Richard’s lower right leg near the Hoosiers’ bench. No penalty was called, but Richard did not return to the game. “I just know I need to step up and be there for the team. I was able to do that . It wasn’t just me, it was the offensive line, receivers blocking downfield and it was great to mesh with Josh , so it was an all-team effort. Instead of going to the bench, Hardy walked straight to the locker room and did not return to the game.
“We got really good news on Turbo, and he’ll be day to day, and I’m optimistic he can play Saturday as well as Rolijah Hardy,” Cignetti said. “We’ll see,” was all Cignetti said about Richard during his postgame news conference. “It’s not that much pressure,” Beebe said after the game.
