BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana's fans won't forget Zander Diamont's touchdown run on Saturday.
The much maligned freshman quarterback capped a second-half rally by scoring on a 1-yard run with 27 seconds left to give Indiana a 23-16 victory over rival Purdue (3-9, 1-7 Big Ten).
"It's hard to describe a moment like that, it's something you dream about," Diamont said after Indiana reclaimed the Old Oaken Bucket.
Last year's Los Angeles City Player of the Year came to Indiana expecting to redshirt. When the Hoosiers' top two quarterbacks both sustained season-ending injuries in mid-October, the 19-year-old was pressed into service. Over the next five weeks Diamont heard mostly critiques and catcalls.
A breakthrough performance at Ohio State last week provided some hope, and Diamont followed that up with another solid showing Saturday. He finished 15-for-24 for 119 yards, ran 11 times for 34 yards and led the Hoosiers (4-8, 1-7) to scores on five of their final six possessions.
Associated Press
