Indiana managed to survive Ann Arbor Saturday, winning 13-6 in overtime. It was a classic Big Ten football game, with both defenses carrying the day. Neither offense was spectacular, as the game was tied 6-6 heading into overtime. 

Josh Hoover

Hoover was pedestrian in the first half, and worse in the second half. He finished the game 8-18 with 81 yards and an interception, although he did add a rushing touchdown. After he threw the interception, he did not complete another pass until overtime. Obviously, this was a coaching decision.

“I felt like if we didn’t screw it up by turning the ball over on offense, or make a critical mistake once we got up 6-0, and I saw what kind of game it was becoming, then they’d have a hard time beating us,” Cignetti said. 

With Hoover also battling injuries, relying on the defense turned out to be a good strategy. 

Offensive Line

The line was much better than a week ago, and there were holes for the running backs. Indiana was not able to sustain drives, but Michigan has a very good defense. The run game and the run blocking were a major step forward in this game, which was about the only positive for the offense. 

Defense

The defense was the reason Indiana won this football game. The 6 points Indiana scored before overtime all came off of turnovers, and Michigan was unable to sustain drives. The emergence of AJ Harris as a No. 1 corner has really made this defense click. Additionally, Jacob Savage, who was named to the freshman All-American team last week, has been playing a third linebacker spot to stop the run on early down plays. 

This was an ugly, gritty win for Indiana. After playing Nebraska, Ohio State, and now Michigan, this team needs to get to their bye week to reset and heal. However, they will have to face a Minnesota team that just knocked off No. 15 Iowa for the Hoosiers’ homecoming game.