BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Lee Beebe Jr. rushed for 203 yards and broke a late game‑changing run as No. 5 Indiana held off Northwestern 29‑23 on Friday night.

Indiana built a 12‑0 lead by halftime behind a stingy defense and a methodical ground game after Northwestern’s early miscues. With starter Turbo Richard sidelined by a first‑half injury, Beebe took over the workload and steadily wore down the Wildcats’ front.

Northwestern rallied in the second half behind quarterback Aidan Chiles, who finished 22 of 29 for 293 yards with two touchdown passes and a rushing score. The Wildcats closed to 22‑20 on Chiles’ 7‑yard run early in the fourth quarter and later cut the margin to six on Jackson Kleather’s 42‑yard field goal with 58 seconds remaining.

Beebe answered with a 70‑yard burst to the Northwestern 5 that stood after review and set up Josh Hoover’s 1‑yard touchdown plunge with 1:56 left. Hoover completed 19 of 29 passes for 201 yards. Receiver Charlie Becker added 98 yards on seven catches for Indiana.

Northwestern outscored Indiana in the second half but could not convert enough opportunities into points. Indiana recovered the ensuing onside attempt and ran out the clock to preserve the victory.

The win keeps Indiana unbeaten and extends its home winning streak, while Northwestern showed resilience but fell short in its bid for of upsetting the Hoosiers.