ANN ARBOR, Mich. – IU came up short against one of the toughest teams on its schedule yet again, falling to No. 4 Michigan 31-20 on Saturday night.
Led by freshman running back Stevie Scott’s 139 rushing yards and a touchdown, IU had a 17-15 halftime lead and stuck with Michigan for the entire 60 minutes.
After the loss, IU slips to 5-6 on the season and 2-6 in Big Ten Conference play, setting up a winner-take-all game with Purdue next Saturday for bowl eligibility.
Here’s what you need to know about IU’s latest close loss.
1. IU established the running game and kept the score close as a result.
In games against the Big Ten’s best teams this season, IU had a lot of trouble running the football. Against Ohio State and Michigan State, two of the best defenses in the conference, the Hoosiers were ineffective on the ground and the offense struggled as a result. That wasn’t the case against Michigan, as the combination of Scott and sophomore quarterback Peyton Ramsey repeatedly gashed the Michigan defense.
“It definitely started with the offensive line up front,” Scott said. “They were very aggressive from the beginning, and that’s why I love running behind those guys.”
The pair ran for a combined 190 yards, the second-most Michigan’s defense had allowed all season. Scott’s fast start allowed IU to attempt to open up the passing game and push the ball downfield, as Ramsey completed four passes of 20 or more yards. IU’s 195 passing yards were also the second-most given up by the Wolverines this year, and it was the running game that opened the door to make it possible.
2. Penalties at inopportune times cost the Hoosiers.
When a game is decided by one or two possessions, it’s the little things that make a difference. A missed block or a blown assignment can be the difference between coming away victorious and wondering what might have been. In IU’s case, those little things were penalties.
In particular, an unnecessary roughness call against junior offensive lineman Simon Stepaniak and a targeting penalty against freshman linebacker Cam Jones cost IU valuable field position and momentum in a game where it couldn’t afford to lose either.
Stepaniak’s penalty came in the third quarter, just after Stevie Scott burst through the middle of Michigan’s defense and picked up 19 yards, placing IU deep in Michigan’s territory. The infraction pushed the Hoosiers back near midfield and, following a sack from Wolverine defensive lineman Rashan Gary, the Hoosiers found themselves well outside field goal range.
“I didn’t think it was a cheap shot, I just thought he was being physical,” IU Coach Tom Allen said of Stepaniak’s late hit. “We teach our guys to play to the whistle. We want our guys to be tough suckers when they play this game, but it was a little late apparently.”
Jones’ penalty came on a kickoff near the beginning of the fourth quarter. Jones hit Michigan senior running back Berkley Edwards, who was blocking on the play, in his head and neck area, causing him to need serious medical attention.
After more than five minutes, Edwards was carted off the field and taken to a local hospital, where he was responsive and able to move all of his extremities, according to his brother, Braylon. After the game, Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh said Edwards had a concussion.
Jones was flagged for targeting on the play and was ejected as a result. As well as missing the rest of the Michigan game, Jones will be suspended for the first half of next week’s game against Purdue.
3. IU’s defense gave up a lot of yards, but stood tall in the red zone.
For the second week in a row, IU’s defense seemed to take on a “bend-but-don’t-break” strategy. The Hoosiers allowed the Wolverines to rack up over 500 yards of total offense, but once they entered the red zone, the Hoosiers became a much stingier unit. Michigan was only able to find the end zone twice and were forced to settle for six field goals.
“Our red zone defense is getting better all the time. Kicked six field goals today, and those field goals gave us a chance,” Allen said. “I’m not a huge fan of being that way, but you gotta do what you gotta do.”
It appears that, after weeks upon weeks of struggling, IU finally has a defensive identity. While Allen may not be thrilled that the Hoosiers are prone to giving up large amounts of offensive yardage, the defense has become very tough to beat when backed up against its own end zone.
Forcing Michigan to kick field goals instead of giving up touchdowns kept IU in the game, but the Hoosiers couldn’t find enough on offense in the second half to capitalize on Michigan’s missed opportunities.
