It wasn't done in the prettiest of ways, but the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines (10-1, 8-0) were able to hold off the Indiana Hoosiers (5-6, 2-6) beating them 31-20 on Saturday evening in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Shea Patterson had 250 yards and a touchdown through the air and 68 yards on 10 carries. Karan Higdon took 21 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown. Zach Gentry led the team with two receptions for 83 yards. This was the last home game for many of Michigan's players including Chase Winovich, Karan Higdon and Tyree Kinnel. Underclassmen players like Devin Bush and Rashan Gary, may leave school early to go to the draft. The Wolverines got the ball to start the game and got on the board immediately with a field goal by Jake Moody who replaced the usual starter Quinn Nordin. He would go on to make all of his six field goal attempts, a Michigan program record. The Hoosiers would answer two drives later with a touchdown run by running back Stevie Scott to go up 7-3. The Wolverines added two more field goals from Moody and Indiana added one of their own to make it 10-9. Michigan finally added a touchdown thanks when Shea Patterson found Nick Eubanks over the middle for a touchdown. The team would miss a two-point conversion on the next play. Once the Hoosiers got the ball back they would march 75 yards on nine plays to make it a 17-15 game. The maize and blue drove all the way to the Indiana 3-yard line with seconds left in the half. Shea Patterson found Sean McKeon at the Indiana 2-yard line who was tackled in bounds so that the clock kept moving. The Wolverines tried to get one more play off and score, but they ran out of time and went into halftime down 17-15. In the second half, the Wolverines held the Hoosiers to a three and out. Once they got the ball back they charged down the field and took the lead back thanks to Karan Higdon's 2-yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, they would add on another field goal. The Hoosiers got the ball with 2:37 left in the game with a chance to stay alive. Indiana got all the way to their own 44 yard line before the Wolverines forced a turnover on downs, giving the maize and blue a win in their last home game of the season. The Hoosiers have still yet to beat Michigan since 1987. They haven't won in Michigan Stadium since 1967. Next week, Michigan will travel to Columbus, Ohio to face the No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes in a game that will determine who wins the Big Ten East.
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Though it wasn't the prettiest of performances, the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines (9-1, 7-0) kept on rolling last Saturday with a 42-7 win over Rutgers. Now they'll return to Ann Arbor for their final home game of the season, a Senior Day matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers.
Opponent Overview The Hoosiers (5-5, 2-5) have had a roller coaster season so far. They started off 4-1 before losing four straight games. The team was able to snap that streak in their most recent game, a 34-32 win over Maryland. Indiana's offense is led by Peyton Ramsey. The sophomore quarterback has completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 2,335 yards and 17 touchdowns. He's also second on the team with 97 carries for 266 yards and four touchdowns. Freshman Stevie Scott leads the team with 178 carries for 894 yards and eight touchdowns. Ronnie Walker should also see time in the backfield. The receiving core features ten players with at least 14 receptions this season. Leading the pack is Donavan Hale, who leads the team with 425 yards and six touchdowns. Luke Timian has a team-high 35 receptions to go with 323 receiving yards. Other names to watch on the perimeter include Nick Westbrook, Ty Fryfogle, J-Shun Harris II, Whop Philyor and Resse Taylor. Players to Watch The Front Seven-On the surface, these guys did what they had to do against Rutgers, but when you realize they allowed a season-high 193 rushing yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run, you'll realize that there's work to be done. Whether it was unpreparedness or simply coming in flat, the front seven can't afford to play like that against an Indiana offense that will be a lot less forgiving. They'll also need to put the pressure on Peyton Ramsey whose been sacked 23 times this season, the second highest mark in the Big Ten. Lavert Hill-The secondary has been arguably the strongest part of Michigan's defense this season and that's in large part thanks to Lavert Hill. However, the junior defensive back was placed in concussion protocol after taking a hit against Rutgers. His presence will be vital against an Indiana offense that ranks fourth nationally in completed passes. If he's unable to play, it'll be up to guys like Ambry Thomas to make things harder through the air. Karan Higdon-The good news is the senior from Sarasota, Florida became the first running back since 2012 to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. The bad news is he ran for just 42 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. It's good that he was able to score twice, but he needs to get a lot more yardage in order to keep Indiana's offense off the field. The Wolverines rank fourth nationally in time of possession and that'll be important to maintain on Saturday. The Wolverines and Hoosiers kick off Saturday, Nov. 17 at 4 p.m. eastern on Fox Sports 1. |
AuthorBeat writer for Michigan Wolverines football and basketball, Ithaca College '20 Archives
November 2018
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