Game Day Primer: Indiana Hoosiers at No. 7 Michigan Wolverines

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

What: Indiana Hoosiers (2-6) at Michigan Wolverines (7-1)

When: Saturday, November 6 at 7:30 on FOX

Where: Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan

How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on FOX and can be heard on the IU Radio Network.

Series History: This ongoing series has been an ugly one for the Indiana Hoosiers. The Michigan Wolverines have won 59 of the 69 contests and won 24 in a row until IU knocked off the Wolverines last season. Jim Harbaugh and Michigan will certainly remember that defeat and be looking to set the series back on its familiar trajectory. Indiana has not won in Ann Arbor since 1967.

What’s at Stake: The Indiana Hoosiers sit at 2-6 and they need to win out to become bowl eligible. As heavy underdogs in this contest and likely underdogs to both Minnesota and Purdue and possibly Rutgers, that seems incredibly unlikely. Realistically, focus shifts to younger players getting experience and Tom Allen evaluating who he wants to continue building with and who he might need to move on without. Michigan lost last week to rival Michigan State but they still have plenty to play for. They are in the top ten in the College Football Playoff rankings and them winning out would give them a realistic shot at the playoff. A loss to Indiana would be disastrous for Jim Harbaugh.

A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1.    Growth for Donaven McCulley

It was not always pretty but IU found some offense at Maryland. True to my word, the first point on this article for the past four weeks has been changed. Freshman Donaven McCulley will get the nod again at quarterback and it will be very interesting to see how he plays in his second start and how Nick Sheridan will call the game after having an outing with McCulley behind center. Michigan has a better defense than Maryland but they are far from invincible. The Michigan State Spartans ran all over them last week and they surrendered 29 points to Nebraska a couple of weeks earlier. McCulley will need to be more decisive in the pocket, particularly with how long he holds onto the ball. He was fortunate not to throw at least two interceptions last week but he did showcase an ability to make really nice plays. The freshman from Indianapolis is likely the future at the position for the Hoosiers and the experience he gets now could be invaluable as early as next season.

2.    Can the Hoosiers Defense Rebound From Last Week?

After weeks of the defense doing everything possible to win and being let down by offensive ineptitude, the IU defense has collapsed the past two weeks. They were poor against Ohio State but even a great showing would not have changed the outcome. In College Park though, the defense could not come up with key stops and it cost IU the game. The secondary is decimated with injuries and it would be extremely helpful to have Tiawan Mullen and Reese Taylor back. If those two can play, it could be a real shot in the arm for this ailing unit. If not, IU will continue to have a very shallow rotation in the secondary and will be hard pressed to stand up all game against the Wolverines. Michigan is a much different attack than the Hoosiers saw at Maryland. They will be very run heavy with lots of two tight end sets. While not overly explosive in Big Ten play, they have been efficient and effective, scoring more than 30 in every game but the contest against Rutgers. Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins form a one-two punch at running back and IU’s defensive front will have to be up to the challenge of slowing them down. If the Hoosiers can limit the run game, they could make Michigan one-dimensional and give themselves a chance to stay in this one.

3.    Takeaways and Red Zone Conversions

A part of pulling off an upset is often being able to get takeaways. A season after leading the country in interceptions, IU has been unable to generate many takeaways. In fact, the Hoosiers are minus-four in turnovers this campaign and only have eight total takeaways. That will have to change on Saturday if IU is to stay competitive. The Wolverines have only turned the ball over six times in 2021 so that will not be an easy task. In addition, IU needs to find a way to solve one of the biggest issues that has plagued them all season: red zone offense. Last week, IU blocked a punt and took over on the 13-yard line. The offense threw the car in reverse and went backwards, failing to score a point and missing a great opportunity. While there was still a lot of game left, IU eventually lost by three so it’s not hard to connect the dots and wonder what might have been. Michigan has gotten into the red zone 39 times this season and scored on 36 of those trips. The Hoosiers will need to be drastically better than they have been if they are to give themselves a chance to spring the upset.