No. 8 Indiana football’s unblemished record survived its toughest test, as the Hoosiers (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) took a 20-15 victory over Michigan (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
The win gives the Hoosiers their first 10-win season in program history.
Indiana sixth-year senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke went 17 for 28 for 206 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The Hoosiers’ senior running backs, Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton, combined for only 72 yards on 21 carries.
Despite recording only 18 yards of offense in the second half, Indiana held on for its first single-digit victory of the season — and first true 60-minute fight.
Michigan gained an early advantage, forcing the Hoosiers to punt on the opening possession before marching 66 yards on 14 plays. Given 3rd and Goal from the Indiana 3-yard line, Wolverines senior quarterback Davis Warren lost the ball. Michigan recovered but lost 18 yards and settled for a field goal, taking a 3-0 lead.
It proved to be the only time the Wolverines scored in the first half.
Indiana responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive capped by a seven-yard touchdown pass from Rourke to redshirt sophomore receiver Omar Cooper Jr. on the right side of the endzone.
After a defensive stop, the Hoosiers added to their lead. Rourke found junior receiver Elijah Sarratt for a 36-yard touchdown, extending Indiana’s lead to two possessions, 14-3.
With just under six minutes to play in the second quarter, Michigan junior quarterback Alex Orji fumbled on a run up the middle. The Hoosiers recovered, but their drive stalled after an offensive pass interference penalty on Cooper.
Redshirt freshman kicker Nicolas Radicic nailed a 40-yard field goal, giving the Hoosiers a 17-3 lead that ultimately sustained until halftime.
Michigan punted on its first drive of the second half, pinning Indiana deep in its own territory. Rourke threw an interception on the first play of the Hoosiers’ possessions, but Indiana’s defense stood strong, holding the Wolverines to a 22-yard field goal.
The Hoosiers’ offense, however, struggled mightily in the third quarter. Rourke failed to connect on any of his four pass attempts, and Indiana totaled only seven yards of offense.
Meanwhile, Michigan continued digging into Indiana’s lead. Junior kicker Dominic Zvada made a 56-yard field goal late in the third quarter, and the Wolverines scored a touchdown the following drive, as dove across the goal line from one yard out on 4th and Goal.
But Michigan’s two-point conversion try fell short. The Wolverines had two more tries to score, one after a punt and the other following a career-long 41-yard field goal from Radicic, but both fell short.
Now, Indiana gets a week off before facing Ohio State on Nov. 23 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Kickoff time will be announced at a later date.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
