Inside the Numbers: Indiana Hoosiers vs. No. 13 Michigan Wolverines
/
Image: Amanda Pavelka Hoosier Huddle
Written by Andrew Walker
A possibility for eight wins would be massive for Indiana Football. That’s not hard to grasp. The last time the Hoosiers had eight wins was in 1993. Indiana has that chance right in front of them on Saturday against the no. 12 Michigan Wolverines. This will be an extremely important game for Indiana, not only just for this season, but for the entire history of Indiana Football. What Tom Allen has built will put Indiana on the map for years to come, especially if the Hoosiers win eight or even nine games this season. Let’s take a look inside the numbers at a few of the statistical advantages for each team.
Points per game
Indiana - 33
Michigan - 33
Usually I don’t lump these together, but there’s no getting around the fact that the Hoosiers and Wolverines have practically identical offensive efficiency. Being able to score more than thirty points per game and keep that average this far into the season is a mark reserved for elite teams. Indiana and Michigan have had some contentious and entertaining games recently, and I’d imagine this game won’t be any different.
Sacks
Indiana - 23
The Hoosiers have been decently successful on the pass rush this year. 23 sacks is nothing to sneeze at, but when compared to other Big Ten powerhouses, that number itself always falls short. I’ve said this before, but the Hoosier pass rush might just be the most timely pass rush in the history of college football. When they need stops and sacks, they get them. Indiana’s ability to finish plays on defense when it matters has been a strong suit of this team.
Michigan - 32
Michigan’s forcefulness on the pass rush is evident in the numbers. They’re averaging just over three sacks per game and their defense is outstanding. Their defense is ranked no. 5 among all power five conference schools, if that tells you anything about the quality of their defense. For Indiana to be successful on Saturday, the pass protection must be absolutely elite.
Penalties
Indiana - 6.5
The Hoosiers have been a pretty heavily penalized team this season. Committing 6.5 penalties per game isn’t something you should brag about. Indiana is in the bottom half of 130 college football teams in penalties. Indiana’s ability to efficiently move the ball with the best of the Big Ten and the entire country is one of the redeeming qualities that work against their high penalty rate.
Michigan - 6.2
Also in the bottom half of penalized teams in the nation, Michigan has some work to do against Indiana as well. Michigan QB Shea Patterson will need to move the ball extremely well against IU’s selectively stout defense in order to overcome their love for giving up penalty yards. Indiana vs. Michigan will most likely be a high scoring, highly penalized, and down to the wire contest if the statistics have any say.