IU appeared as though it had no weaknesses Saturday in the first half against Michigan. But behind a strong passing attack, the Wolverines attempted to claw their way back from a 17-point deficit in the second half.
However, in a game where the Hoosiers never trailed, the team’s offense, defense and special teams all contributed to a 38-21 victory in Bloomington.
The win marks the first against the Wolverines since 1987.
“That’s what it comes down to, just making sure we’re going out there, protecting our brothers and making game-changing plays whenever they need to be made,” IU sophomore quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said. “Just simple execution on the offense and defensive side, also special teams. That’s just what wins football games.”
IU opened the game by forcing a three-and-out on defense. Michigan could only muster 111 total yards of offense in the first half, and junior quarterback Joe Milton completed only four of his 13 pass attempts before halftime.
As for the Hoosiers, they marched down the field on their opening possession, scoring a touchdown following an 11-play, 74-yard drive. Penix lofted a ball to the left side of the end zone for sophomore wide receiver Miles Marshall.
Marshall, who is 6 feet, 4 inches tall, towered over Michigan junior cornerback Gemon Green for a 13-yard touchdown.
However, it was IU senior wide receiver Ty Fryfogle who asserted himself in the passing game from the start of the game. He tallied seven receptions, a team-high 142 yards and a touchdown that all came in the first half.
Following a 52-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Charles Campbell, which marked a career-long, and a one-yard touchdown by junior tight end Peyton Hendershot, IU led 24-7 at halftime.
“Really, we’ve just got that 1-0 mindset,” IU junior running back Stevie Scott III said. “Even if something bad happens, we don’t get any negative vibes or any negative mindsets. We just still try to push forward and be positive. Just try to gain yardage and do whatever we have to do to keep the offense rolling.”
Milton, despite only completing four passes in the first half, averaged 24 yards per completion and connected on a 37-yard touchdown to sophomore wide receiver Cornelius Johnson.
The Hoosiers received the ball to start the second half, but could not replicate its opening drive touchdown. Instead, the team punted to Michigan and gave it a chance to bring the deficit to within two scores.
As the Hoosiers’ defense suffocated the Wolverines’ running backs, deep passes kept them within striking distance.
Milton completed 14 of 21 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. Junior wide receiver Ronnie Bell torched the IU secondary for six catches, 149 yards and a touchdown during the game.
However, Michigan's mistakes made the IU lead insurmountable.
On each of Michigan’s final two possessions, Milton threw an interception. The first was caught by junior cornerback Jaylin Williams, who now has an interception in each of IU’s first three games.
The takeaway led to a two-yard rushing touchdown from Scott, his second of the game. Scott rushed for 97 yards on 24 attempts.
On the next drive, IU junior safety Devon Matthews secured the team’s second interception, allowing the Hoosiers to run out the clock.
“I feel like the linebackers and the D-line did a great job today, and really the job was going to be on the secondary to come up with big stops and make big plays,” Williams said.
As the IU offense, defense and special teams each dominated in their own ways, Penix quietly posted a career-best 342 yards passing. While completing 30 of his 50 passes, seven different IU receivers caught a pass.
He was never sacked, and the Hoosiers didn’t turn the ball over for the second game in a row.
“At the end of the day, this is a very gritty football team that’s got a ton of toughness and a ton of fight to them,” IU head coach Tom Allen said. “And they believe. That’s an awesome thing to see. So I think you’re seeing that in this team, and we believed that we had to prove it, but we believed we were the better football team. I didn’t care if anyone else agreed with me or not.”
