The Hoosiers secured their first 10 win season in program history with a win over the Wolverines.
For the first time this season, Indiana football made fans truly nervous in the fourth quarter.
All things considered, this is the worst game the team has played this year in all facets but defense. The Hoosiers’ offense went completely cold in the second half and a particularly bad special teams miscue gave Michigan ideal field position with the chance to tie.
The Wolverines scored a touchdown, but whiffed on the ensuing 2-point conversion.
What was the deciding factor in the end? Curt Cignetti’s Indiana wins football games. Sherrone Moore’s Michigan loses them.
Here’s three things:
The Second Half Offense
Indiana’s offense wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire in the first half, but 17 points will point you in good position in just about any given football game, especially when the opponent manages just three.
But, whatever it was, that whole unit fell off in the second half. Kurtis Rourke threw an awful interception in the shadow of Indiana’s endzone and never really looked the same from there.
The Hoosiers’ running backs were unable to make much headway through the vaunted Wolverine defensive line. A few key drops from the typically reliable Elijah Sarratt threw the window wide open for Michigan to come back and win the game.
But…
Bryant Haines’ Indiana Defense/Michigan’s… “Offense”/
I’m combining these two things. You can’t discuss one without mentioning the particulars of the other.
Time and again Indiana’s defensive unit has made plays to secure the Hoosiers’ fourth quarter leads. In crunch time, it’s arguably been the team’s greatest asset. It showed up again on Saturday.
Michigan got in scoring position plenty of times but generated all of one touchdown out of those opportunities. The Hoosiers bent but rarely broke. That one touchdown came with a must-get 2-point conversion that got stuffed.
What Michigan did with those scoring opportunities was truly baffling. Multiple fourth downs turned into field goals that chipped into Indiana’s momentum, barely, rather than seizing it outright.
The Wolverine coaching staff told their offense, repeatedly, that they did not believe in them to score a touchdown yards away from the endzone. Then asked that offense to go win the game in the fourth quarter, where it was promptly flattened by the Indiana defense.
It’s bad coaching.
Indiana is 10-0.
Indiana football is 10-0 and has an extremely realistic shot at a college football playoff berth.
Weird schedule or not this is real. This program has never, not once in decades, won 10 football games over the course of a season. Curt Cignetti, in year one, has done it while compiling zero losses.
It’ll face its greatest test against Ohio State. With a win, Indiana ascends to heights previously inconceivable to fans, let along members of the media.
It’s history. Your feet, Kurtis Rourke’s, Justice Ellison’s, Aiden Fisher’s, D’Angelo Ponds’ and Cignetti’s are all here, right now. Take time to savor this.
Justice Ellison’s, Aiden Fisher’s, D’Angelo Ponds’ and Cignetti’s are all here, right now. Take time to savor this.