Game Wrap and Reaction: Week 8 Michigan Wolverines

Written By Sammy Jacobs (@sammyj108)

Opponent: Michigan Wolverines

Location: Saturday October 19th  /3:30pm/ Michigan Stadium/ (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Why They
Played:  The Hoosiers and the Wolverines faced off for the first time
since 2010 and for the 62nd time all-time.  Michigan leads the series 52-9 coming into today’s
game.

What The
Game Meant:

Indiana had a chance to end a 16 game losing
streak against the Wolverines and to climb back over .500 both overall and in
Big Ten play.

Top
Offensive Performers:

Tre
Roberson, QB, Indiana- The redshirt sophomore rallied the Hoosiers
offense after a sluggish start with Nate Sudfeld.  Roberson was 16 of 23 through the air for 288 yards and
three scores.  He also added 50
yards and another touchdown on the ground.  He hurt his thumb late in the game, but if he is 100% for
the Minnesota game Novmeber 2nd he should be starting.

Kofi Hughes,
WR, Indiana- Hughes made the play of the game for the Hoosiers ripping the
ball out of the hands of the defense and taking it 67 yards for the score.  Overall, Hughes finished with six
catches for 138 yards.

Jeremy Gallon,
WR, Michigan- I think he’s still catching passes again right now.  The Michigan receiver lived up to the
expectations that come with wearing Desmond Howard’s 21 as he absolutely
torched Tim Bennett and the IU secondary for a Big Ten record 369 yards.  Yes, THREE HUNDRED SIXTY NINE YARDS and
two touchdowns.

Devin
Gardner, QB, Michigan- In another record setting performance for a
Wolverine QB against the Hoosiers, Gardner threw for 503 yards and 2 touchdowns
on an efficient 21 of 29 throwing.
Gardner, who wears Tom Harmon’s number 98, also accounted for 81 rushing
yards and three more scores on the ground.

Top
Defensive Performers

T.J.
Simmons, LB, Indiana- It is really tough saying there was a defensive player of the
game for a team that allowed 63 points and 751 total yards, but T.J. Simmons
stood out with eight total tackles and recording the first sack of his young
career.

Thomas
Gordon, S, Michigan- On a night where there was very little defense, the senior
safety came up with two interceptions, the first of which ended Indiana’s bid
for the upset after IU got the ball on a Michigan fumble.

Special
Team Performance:

The Hoosier special teams were solid in the
loss, blocking a field goal and limiting return man Dennis Norfleet to a
20-yard average on six returns.
Mitch Ewald had a good day converting both field goals, including a
career long 50 yarder before half time and all five extra points.  Erich Toth had another mediocre day
averaging just 36.5 yard per kick on four punts.  Stephen Houston, who a week ago looked lost on special
teams, provided a spark averaging 27 yards a return.

Key
Stat:

 17.3

Michigan averaged 17.3 yards per pass attempt
against the Hoosiers.  The big pass
play killed the Hoosiers all day as Tim Bennett and Michael Hunter fell victim
to double moves and were burned several times by Jeremy Gallon.

Turning
Point-

Indiana had just gotten the ball back on a
fumble recovery at their own 2-yard line and were moving the ball effectively
when Tre Roberson had to come out of the game due to a hand injury.  Nate Sudfeld, who started the game,
came in and threw an interception that all but ended Indiana’s bid at leaving
Ann Arbor with a victory.

I Knew it
Was Over When…

Devin Gardner avoided a Flo Hardin tackle and
ran into the end zone to turn an Indiana interception into six points and give
Michigan a nine point lead with 6:02 remaining.

Players of
the Game

Indiana– Tre
Roberson, Quarterback- Tre Roberson has made his case to regain the
starting spot from Nate Sudfeld with a terrific performance in which he went
blow to blow with Devin Gardner until a late thumb injury.  Roberson had the IU offense humming
after it had stalled out under Sudfeld.

Michigan– Jeremy Gallon, Wide Receiver- By now IU
fans are sick of hearing his name, but Jeremy Gallon had a game for the ages as
he was wide open all game and accounted for a Big Ten record 369 yards
receiving.

What I took
away from the game

Something has to change defensively after the
season.  The Hoosier defense was
absolutely atrocious letting up big play after big play to a team that has had
trouble putting together a great offensive performance.  Tim Bennett fell for the double move
twice and Greg Heban whiffed on two attempts to make a big play.  Add in the continued trouble with
tackling and this defensive staff has to be officially placed on the hot
seat.  Yes, Indiana does not have
great depth or great talent on that side of the ball and the guys do play hard,
but enough is enough something has to change to break this cycle.  As bad as the defense looked the
offense looked just as good.  Tre
Roberson had his best game of his career and, in my opinion, has leap-frogged
Nate Sudfeld as the starting quarterback for the Hoosiers.  Roberson brings a dynamic that Sudfeld
just can’t do with his feet.  While
the loss is a tough pill to swallow and Indiana is passed taking moral
victories, the Hoosiers must wash the bad taste of this game out of their mouth
and focus on the two big home games coming up in Minnesota and Illinois because
they can still go bowling if they take care of business at home.

With that being said, don’t look for a coaching
change during the bye week.
Frankly, I do not think that Fred Glass has the stones to fire Doug Mallory
even if it is warranted.  Another
factor that goes into hiring a good defensive coach is that it will cost IU
some money.  The bottom line is
that Kevin Wilson will not survive in Bloomington if his terrific offense is
going to get torpedoed week in and week out by a horrific defense.